Origin
Saint Albans, WV
Morning in Saint Albans on Sunday
Local time
10:38 AM
EDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Saint Albans, WV to Charleston, WV
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
19m
Distance
13.1 mi
21 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
6 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 18m
★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 23m
10 AM
0h 21m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 21m
5 PM
0h 23m
8 PM
0h 18m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Saint Albans, WV
Wikimedia Commons
Charleston, WV
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick and straightforward commute, the 13.1-mile journey from Saint Albans to Charleston is an efficient option. Expect to spend about 19 minutes behind the wheel, making this a perfect day trip that requires no overnight stay. With a fuel cost of only $2, it is an incredibly budget-friendly way to travel across West Virginia. You will navigate a mix of local streets and interstate travel to reach your destination. Because the trip is so brief, you have total flexibility to head out whenever your schedule allows.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 64 | 7.6 mi | 9m |
| 1st Avenue South | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| Lee Street East | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| 3rd Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| The New Saint Albans-Nitro Bridge | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| WV 25 | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Lee St Bridge | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Center Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 64
— 7.6 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Saint Albans, WV and Charleston, WV.
1
Start on CR 6/16
311 ft
·
10 sec
·
Pennsylvania Avenue
2
Turn right onto CR 60/14
355 ft
·
19 sec
·
6th Avenue
3
Turn left onto CR 6/6
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
3rd Street
4
Continue on The New Saint Albans-Nitro Bridge
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
The New Saint Albans-Nitro Bridge
5
Continue on Center Street
478 ft
·
16 sec
·
Center Street
6
Turn right onto WV 25
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
1st Avenue South
7
Continue on WV 25
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
WV 25
8
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
10
Merge onto I 64
7.6 mi
·
9 min
·
I 64
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Toward US 60: Civic Center
12
Turn right onto US 60
518 ft
·
8 sec
·
Lee St Bridge
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Continue on US 60
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Lee Street East
14
Turn right onto Dickinson Street
36 ft
·
0 sec
·
Dickinson Street
15
Arrive at destination
Dickinson Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 12.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CR 60/14 / 6th Avenue
Turn right onto CR 60/14 / 6th Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CR 6/6 / 3rd Street
Turn left onto CR 6/6 / 3rd Street
Navigation decision point
5
4.2 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
12.1 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward US 60: Civic Center
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward US 60: Civic Center
6
12.4 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
US 60 / Lee St Bridge
Turn right onto US 60 / Lee St Bridge
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.05 one way
$4.10 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $2.24 | $4.48 |
| premium | $4.70 | $2.42 | $4.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.89 | $5.78 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.38 | $0.63 |
| Efficient EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.15 | $0.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.83 | $0.84 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Charleston, WV
Morning in Charleston on Sunday
Local time
10:38 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°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
11 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
19m 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?
This drive features a mixed profile, transitioning from local surface streets like 1st Avenue South and Lee Street East onto the interstate. Roughly 59% of your journey takes place on the highway, specifically I-64. You will encounter a longest uninterrupted stretch of 7.6 miles while on I-64, providing a consistent pace for the majority of the trip. The route balances these faster highway segments with the more controlled flow of city streets as you approach Charleston. It is a functional drive that trades scenic variety for direct, reliable transit.
59% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.6 mi on I 64.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near CR 60/14 / 6th Avenue.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 13.1 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 0.1 miles (CR 60/14 / 6th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (CR 6/6 / 3rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
657 ft
565 ft
Total Climb
234 ft
Total Descent
253 ft
Highest Point
657 ft
~4.4 mi in
Elevation Range
93 ft
About the Cities
Arriving in Charleston, WV
Full guide →Charleston, established in 1794, is the state capital of West Virginia. With a population of about 49,000 in 2020, Charleston is the largest city in West Virginia. It's at the junction of Interstates 77, 79, and 64, as well as the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers, the latter of which flows prominently through the city.
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 19m. Total distance: 13.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
19m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (59%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.6 miles on I 64. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through WV can have sparse or no coverage. Before you leave, download offline Google Maps or Apple Maps for the route, and consider downloading music or podcasts instead of streaming. If you depend on data for navigation, keep a paper backup of the turn-by-turn directions.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (CR 60/14 / 6th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (CR 6/6 / 3rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Charleston, WV 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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