Origin
Pittsboro, NC
Late night in Pittsboro on Tuesday
Local time
4:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Pittsboro, NC to Cary, NC
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
24.3 mi
39 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pittsboro, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Cary, NC
C k
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick and straightforward commute, the 24.3-mile trip from Pittsboro to Cary is an ideal choice. Expect to spend about 37 minutes behind the wheel, making this a perfect one-day excursion that requires no overnight planning. With a fuel budget of just $4, it is an incredibly economical route to navigate within the Southeast. You will primarily utilize US 64 BUS, Old Apex Road, and East Street to complete your journey. Since both towns are located in North Carolina, the transit is seamless and keeps you within the same regional landscape. This is a practical, no-nonsense drive that gets you from point A to point B without any unnecessary complexity.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 64 BUS | 15.8 mi | 21m |
| Old Apex Road | 3.2 mi | 5m |
| East Street | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| North Salem Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| West Chatham Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| South Harrison Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Chapel Hill Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Academy Street | <0.1 mi | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
US 64 BUS
— 15.8 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Pittsboro, NC and Cary, NC.
1
Start on US 64 BUS
166 ft
·
2 sec
·
US 64 BUS
2
Continue on US 64 BUS
2.7 mi
·
4 min
·
East Street
3
Keep slight right at fork onto US 64 BUS
16 mi
·
21 min
·
US 64 BUS
Use the straight lane.
4
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward Apex Downtown
5
Turn left onto North Salem Street
378 ft
·
12 sec
·
North Salem Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
6
Continue on North Salem Street
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
North Salem Street
Use the straight lane.
7
Continue on Old Apex Road
3.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Old Apex Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Enter roundabout onto West Chatham Street
139 ft
·
3 sec
·
West Chatham Street
9
Continue on West Chatham Street
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
·
West Chatham Street
10
Turn left onto South Harrison Avenue
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
South Harrison Avenue
11
Turn right onto Chapel Hill Road
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Chapel Hill Road
12
Turn left onto North Academy Street
24 ft
·
0 sec
·
North Academy Street
13
Arrive at destination
North Academy Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 2.7 and 24.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
2.7 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
US 64 BUS
Keep slight right at fork onto US 64 BUS
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
18.5 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward Apex Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Apex Downtown
7
18.7 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
North Salem Street
Turn left onto North Salem Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
23.4 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
West Chatham Street
Enter roundabout onto West Chatham Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
24.2 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
North Academy Street
Turn left onto North Academy Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.80 one way
$7.60 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.15 | $8.31 |
| premium | $4.70 | $4.50 | $8.99 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.37 | $10.73 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.17 |
| Efficient EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.13 | $0.97 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.7 | 0 | $3.40 | $1.56 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Cary, NC
Late night in Cary on Tuesday
Local time
4:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Mostly Clear
SW 6 mph
2% chance
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
15 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
37m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This trip is a highway-focused drive, with 65% of your time spent on faster roadways. You can settle in for a steady pace during the longest uninterrupted stretch, which covers 15.8 miles along US 64 BUS. As you transition from the more rural feel of Pittsboro toward the suburban environment of Cary, the road character shifts from highway cruising to local navigation. You will find that the mixture of main roads provides a consistent driving experience rather than a technical or winding path. Keeping your focus on the flow of traffic is key, as the route balances efficient highway miles with the final approach into town.
65% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.8 mi on US 64 BUS.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 64 BUS and Old Apex Road. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.7 miles in near US 64 BUS.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 24.3 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.7 miles (US 64 BUS): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 18.7 miles (North Salem Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Pittsboro, NC to Cary, NC, road signs begin pointing toward Apex Downtown along the way.
Apex Downtown
18.5 mi in
|
~26m
About the Cities
Starting in Pittsboro, NC
Full guide →Pittsboro is a town of 4,300 people (2018) near the Haw River in the Research Triangle in North Carolina. The county seat of Chatham County, Pittsboro has a big cat sanctuary as well as a historic district centered around the 19th-century courthouse.
Arriving in Cary, NC
Full guide →Cary is a town in the Research Triangle of North Carolina. It is primarily a fast-growing suburb of Raleigh, the state capital, but has developed some economic gravity of its own. Cary is known throughout the area for having a very high population of non-native residents. The name of the city is jokingly referred to as standing for Containment/Concentration Area for Relocated Yankees.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 37m. Total distance: 24.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (65%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.8 miles on US 64 BUS. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Cary, NC before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.7 miles (US 64 BUS): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 18.7 miles (North Salem Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Cary, NC before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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