Origin
Reidsville, NC
Late night in Reidsville on Tuesday
Local time
5:03 AM
EDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Reidsville, NC to Durham, 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
1h 14m
Distance
59.7 mi
96 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 9m
★
6 AM
1h 15m
8 AM
1h 27m
10 AM
1h 19m
12 PM
1h 18m
3 PM
1h 20m
5 PM
1h 26m
8 PM
1h 11m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Reidsville, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel from Reidsville to Durham, you are looking at a straightforward 71.2-mile journey through the Southeast. Expect to spend about 1 hour and 8 minutes behind the wheel, making this a perfect candidate for a single-day trip that doesn't require an overnight stay. You will navigate primarily via local streets like Richardson Drive, Barnes Street, and West Webb Avenue rather than major interstates. Budgeting around $11 for fuel should comfortably cover your gas needs for the duration of the trip. Since both cities are located within North Carolina, you will experience a consistent regional feel as you transition between these two communities. It is a practical, no-fuss route that serves as an efficient link between the two locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NC 87 | 17.5 mi | 20m |
| Sam Hunt Freeway | 14.3 mi | 16m |
| I 85 | 9.4 mi | 10m |
| Durham Freeway | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| West Webb Avenue | 4.7 mi | 6m |
| Barnes Street | 4.5 mi | 6m |
| West Harden Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East Harden Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
NC 87
— 17.5 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Reidsville, NC and Durham, NC.
1
Start on South Scales Street
0.6 mi
·
56 sec
·
South Scales Street
2
Turn left onto Richardson Drive
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Richardson Drive
3
Turn right onto Barnes Street
4.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Barnes Street
4
Continue on NC 87
17 mi
·
20 min
·
NC 87
5
Turn left onto NC 87; NC 100
4.7 mi
·
6 min
·
West Webb Avenue
Use the left lane.
6
Continue on NC 87
0.3 mi
·
27 sec
·
West Elm Street
Use the left lane.
7
Turn left onto NC 49; NC 54; NC 87
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
West Harden Street
Use the left lane.
8
Enter roundabout onto NC 54
78 ft
·
1 sec
·
East Harden Street
9
Continue on NC 54
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East Harden Street
10
Turn left
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
11
Merge onto I 40; I 85
14 mi
·
16 min
·
Sam Hunt Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 85; NC 86 Truck
9.4 mi
·
10 min
·
I 85; NC 86 Truck
Toward I 85 North: Durham
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork onto NC 147
5.2 mi
·
6 min
·
Durham Freeway
Toward NC 147 South: Downtown Durham, Duke University, North Carolina Central University, Research Triangle Park
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
512 ft
·
12 sec
Toward Mangum Street, Roxboro Street
Use the slight right lane.
15
Continue on Morehead Avenue
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
Morehead Avenue
Use the straight lane.
16
Turn left onto US 15 Business; US 501 Business
0.4 mi
·
58 sec
·
South Roxboro Street
Use the left lane.
17
Turn left onto East Main Street
100 ft
·
2 sec
·
East Main Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
18
Arrive at destination
East Main Street
Where to Stop
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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 29.8 miles from Reidsville, 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.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 23.2 and 59 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
23.2 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
NC 87; NC 100 / West Webb Avenue
Turn left onto NC 87; NC 100 / West Webb Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
28.2 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
NC 49; NC 54; NC 87 / West Harden Street
Turn left onto NC 49; NC 54; NC 87 / West Harden Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
44.4 mi into trip
|
~55m in
|
I 85; NC 86 Truck
Keep slight left at fork onto I 85; NC 86 Truck toward I 85 North: Durham
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 85 North: Durham
8
53.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 6m in
|
NC 147 / Durham Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto NC 147 / Durham Freeway toward NC 147 South: Downtown Durham, Duke University, North Carolina Central University, Research Triangle Park
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward NC 147 South: Downtown Durham, Duke Univ...
7
59 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
Take the exit toward Mangum Street, Roxboro Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Mangum Street, Roxboro Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.34 one way
$18.67 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $10.21 | $20.42 |
| premium | $4.70 | $11.05 | $22.10 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $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, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.9 | 0 | $6.27 | $2.87 |
| Efficient EV | 14.9 | 0 | $5.22 | $2.39 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.9 | 0 | $8.36 | $3.82 |
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Durham, NC
Late night in Durham on Tuesday
Local time
5:03 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
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
1 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 14m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Forget about monotonous highway cruising on this trip, as the route consists entirely of local roads with a 0% highway share. You should prepare for a turn-heavy drive that demands your full attention rather than a mindless interstate trek. Because the longest stretch of road is essentially zero miles on Richardson Drive, you will be navigating frequent intersections and turns throughout the entire 71.2-mile distance. The experience is best described as a technical, local-focused drive that keeps you engaged with the changing landscape. Expect the road personality to remain consistent from start to finish, prioritizing local connectivity over high-speed travel.
78% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.5 mi on NC 87.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NC 87 and Sam Hunt Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 23.2 miles in near NC 87; NC 100 / West Webb Avenue.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 59.7 miles you will encounter 13 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 23.2 miles (NC 87; NC 100 / West Webb Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 28.2 miles (NC 49; NC 54; NC 87 / West Harden Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 44.4 miles (I 85; NC 86 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
803 ft
402 ft
Total Climb
195 ft
Total Descent
596 ft
Highest Point
803 ft
Elevation Range
401 ft
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.
Between Reidsville, NC and Durham, NC, road signs point toward Duke University, Carolina Central University and Research Triangle Park.
Duke University
53.8 mi in
|
~1h 6m
|
via NC 147
Carolina Central University
53.8 mi in
|
~1h 6m
|
via NC 147
Research Triangle Park
53.8 mi in
|
~1h 6m
|
via NC 147
About the Cities
Starting in Reidsville, NC
Full guide →Reidsville is a city of 14,000 people (2018) near Greensboro, North Carolina. Reidsville offers two public lakes for recreation, trails, greenways, parks, historic homes, and a farmer's market. Reidsville thrived in the 19th century growing tobacco and manufacturing cigarettes. Later, many textile mills were established in the town's but as those industries have declined, the town's economy has diversified.
Arriving in Durham, NC
Full guide →Of the three cities that make up North Carolina's Research Triangle, Durham has traditionally been the one with the grittier, more working-class image. A city of just over 300,000 residents in 2026, Durham has moved beyond a "tobacco town" with a prestigious university at its center to become a regionally and nationally recognized symbol of urban renewal, gentrification, technology and diversity. Durham's vibrant African-American community was historically pioneering in United States Black culture, from the arts to finance. These days, the tobacco warehouses and textile mills have been converted to other uses, as Durham has taken on a much more high-profile (and expensive) identity. Thanks to local anchor Duke University, a thriving, research-driven medical and tech industry has taken root.
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 1h 14m. Total distance: 59.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (78%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.5 miles on NC 87. 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 Durham, 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 23.2 miles (NC 87; NC 100 / West Webb Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 28.2 miles (NC 49; NC 54; NC 87 / West Harden Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 44.4 miles (I 85; NC 86 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Durham, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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