Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 15m
Distance
59.8 mi
96 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Raleigh, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Glen Raven, NC
Mark Stebnicki
The drive from Raleigh, NC to Glen Raven, NC covers 59.8 miles and takes about 1h 15m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Dan K. Moore Frwy, NC 87, Wade Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 44.9 miles on Dan K. Moore Frwy. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.16 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dan K. Moore Frwy | 44.9 mi | 51m |
| NC 87 | 4.9 mi | 6m |
| Wade Avenue | 3.7 mi | 4m |
| Western Boulevard | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| East Harden Street | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Gorman Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Faircloth Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 31 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~4,200 veh/hr typical · worst 5,085
Quietest
2 AM
~322 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
13×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Raleigh, NC and Glen Raven, NC.
Start on East South Street
Turn left onto South Salisbury Street
Turn sharp right onto Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Continue on Western Boulevard
Turn right onto Gorman Street
Continue on Faircloth Street
Turn left onto Wade Avenue
Continue on Wade Avenue
Merge onto I 40
Take the exit
Turn right onto NC 54
Enter roundabout onto NC 49; NC 54
Continue on NC 49; NC 54
Take the exit onto NC 87
Turn left
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
30 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 29.9 miles from Raleigh, NC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 3.3 and 54 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto Gorman Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto Wade Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto I 40 / Dan K. Moore Frwy.
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward NC 54: Graham, Chapel Hill
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Enter roundabout onto NC 49; NC 54 / East Harden Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Regular Gas
$9.16 one way
$18.33 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.27 | $10.06 | $20.11 |
| premium | $4.64 | $10.92 | $21.83 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $13.18 | $26.36 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.9 | 0 | $6.28 | $2.87 |
| Efficient EV | 15 | 0 | $5.23 | $2.39 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.9 | 0 | $8.37 | $3.83 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Raleigh on Thursday
Local time
1:19 AM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Mostly Cloudy
Destination
Late night in Glen Raven on Thursday
Local time
1:19 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Mostly Cloudy
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
59.8 mi in 1h 15m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 3.3 miles in near Gorman Street.
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 59.8 miles you will encounter 10 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 3.3 miles (Gorman Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles (Wade Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.2 miles (I 40 / Dan K. Moore Frwy.): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
648 ft
Total Descent
265 ft
Highest Point
698 ft
~59.8 mi in
Elevation Range
423 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Raleigh, NC to Glen Raven, NC, road signs begin pointing toward Chapel Hill along the way.
Chapel Hill
Founded 1770
The capital of North Carolina and the largest city of the Research Triangle, Raleigh is the primary political and economic driver of the metro area. Indeed, business and politics are the main draws to Raleigh, which lacks the more trendy feel or active arts scene of Durham or Chapel Hill to the west. However, a concerted effort to expand the residential base and move events downtown has led to significantly expanded retail and restaurant options in the downtown core. Also, visitors will find many of the state's cultural institutions here, namely a major performing arts center downtown and three state museums, and a college town atmosphere in the neighborhood around the campus of North Carolina State University, the state's largest university.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 15m. Total distance: 59.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (8%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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