Origin
Samson, AL
Late night in Samson on Sunday
Local time
2:54 AM
CDT
Current temp
80°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Samson, AL to Dothan, AL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 8m
Distance
44.8 mi
72 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 3m
★
6 AM
1h 9m
8 AM
1h 20m
10 AM
1h 13m
12 PM
1h 12m
3 PM
1h 13m
5 PM
1h 19m
8 PM
1h 6m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Samson, AL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel from Samson to Dothan, you are looking at a straightforward 45.3-mile journey across Southeast Alabama. Expect to spend about 58 minutes behind the wheel for this trip, making it an easy candidate for a single-day excursion. You won't need to worry about complex logistics or overnight stays, as the duration is quite manageable. Budgeting around $6 for fuel is a safe estimate for the drive. Since both towns reside within the same region, you will experience a consistent local atmosphere from start to finish. This is a practical, no-fuss route that gets you from point A to point B efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Main Street | 10.1 mi | 14m |
| Maple Street | 9.5 mi | 14m |
| Mill Street | 8.1 mi | 12m |
| Hartford Highway | 6.7 mi | 10m |
| East White Street | 4.9 mi | 7m |
| West Maple Avenue | 3.6 mi | 5m |
| Fortner Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| West Lafayette Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Main Street
— 10.1 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Samson, AL and Dothan, AL.
1
Start on AL 52
10 mi
·
14 min
·
Main Street
2
Turn left onto AL 52
3.6 mi
·
5 min
·
West Maple Avenue
3
Continue on AL 52
9.5 mi
·
14 min
·
Maple Street
4
Continue on AL 52
8.1 mi
·
12 min
·
Mill Street
5
Continue on AL 52
4.9 mi
·
7 min
·
East White Street
6
Continue on AL 52
6.7 mi
·
10 min
·
Hartford Highway
7
Turn right onto Fortner Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Fortner Street
8
Continue on West Lafayette Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West Lafayette Street
9
Turn left onto South Saint Andrews Street
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
South Saint Andrews Street
10
Turn right onto US 84 Business; AL 52
111 ft
·
3 sec
·
East Main Street
11
Arrive at destination
US 84 Business; AL 52
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.4 miles from Samson, AL, 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
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 10.1 and 44.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
10.1 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
AL 52 / West Maple Avenue
Turn left onto AL 52 / West Maple Avenue
Navigation decision point
3
43 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
|
Fortner Street
Turn right onto Fortner Street
Navigation decision point
4
44.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 8m in
|
South Saint Andrews Street
Turn left onto South Saint Andrews Street
Navigation decision point
5
44.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 8m in
|
US 84 Business; AL 52 / East Main Street
Turn right onto US 84 Business; AL 52 / East Main Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.77 one way
$13.53 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $7.43 | $14.85 |
| premium | $4.56 | $8.04 | $16.08 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.89 | $19.78 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.4 | 0 | $4.70 | $2.15 |
| Efficient EV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.92 | $1.79 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.9 | 0 | $6.27 | $2.87 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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
Dothan, AL
Late night in Dothan on Sunday
Local time
2:54 AM
CDT
Current temp
80°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
80°F
Hartford, AL
22 mi in
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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
1h 8m 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?
Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you off the main interstate system entirely. Your route relies on West Maple Avenue, Maple Street, and Mill Street to navigate the landscape, resulting in a 0% highway share. Because the road consists of smaller local arteries, you will not encounter any long, monotonous stretches; in fact, there is no significant straightaway on West Maple Avenue. You will find that the personality of this drive is defined by frequent turns rather than high-speed cruising. Staying alert is key as you navigate these local roads, which offer a much more intimate look at the area than a standard highway route would provide.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.1 mi on Main Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 10.1 miles in near AL 52 / West Maple Avenue.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Samson, AL to Dothan, AL is easy. At 1h 8m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 10.1 miles (AL 52 / West Maple Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 43 miles (Fortner Street): Navigation decision point; at 44.5 miles (South Saint Andrews Street): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving in Dothan, AL
Full guide →Dothan is a city in southeastern Alabama, serving as the county seat of Houston County, and the chief city of the western Wiregrass region, an area encompassing portions of southeastern Alabama, southwestern Georgia, and the panhandle of Florida. Its population in 2018 was about 68,000, making it the largest metropolitan area in southeastern Alabama.
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 8m. Total distance: 44.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 8m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.1 miles on Main Street. 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.
The main spots that need attention: at 10.1 miles (AL 52 / West Maple Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 43 miles (Fortner Street): Navigation decision point; at 44.5 miles (South Saint Andrews Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Dothan, AL 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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