Origin
Sanford, NC
Late night in Sanford on Sunday
Local time
12:38 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Sanford, NC to Apex, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
35m
Distance
29.6 mi
48 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sanford, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Apex, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transition between Sanford and Apex, this 29.8-mile journey is an efficient way to navigate the Southeast. Expect to spend roughly 29 minutes behind the wheel, making this a perfect candidate for a simple day trip that requires no overnight stay. You will primarily navigate via Jefferson Davis Highway, Claude E, and NC 55, keeping your travel expenses low with an estimated fuel cost of just $5. Since the entire route is within North Carolina, you won't face any major regional shifts or long-haul fatigue. It is a straightforward, practical connection that gets you from point A to point B without any necessary stops.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway | 15.7 mi | 16m |
| Jefferson Davis Highway | 10.6 mi | 11m |
| South Horner Boulevard | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| East Williams Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| South Hughes Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| NC 87 | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Center Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Salem Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway
— 15.7 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sanford, NC and Apex, NC.
1
Start on US 421 Business; NC 42; NC 87
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
South Horner Boulevard
2
Take the ramp onto NC 87
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
NC 87
3
Merge onto US 1; US 15; US 501; NC 87
11 mi
·
11 min
·
Jefferson Davis Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Continue on US 1
16 mi
·
16 min
·
Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 95
Toward NC 55: Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina
6
Turn left onto NC 55
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
East Williams Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
Turn right onto South Hughes Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
South Hughes Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Turn left onto SR 1010
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Center Street
9
At end of road, turn right onto North Salem Street
51 ft
·
1 sec
·
North Salem Street
Use the right lane.
10
Arrive at destination
North Salem Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 1.4 and 29.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.4 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
US 1; US 15; US 501; NC 87 / Jefferson Davis Highway
Merge onto US 1; US 15; US 501; NC 87 / Jefferson Davis Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
27.7 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward NC 55: Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 95
Toward NC 55: Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varin...
4
27.9 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
NC 55 / East Williams Street
Turn left onto NC 55 / East Williams Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
6
29.1 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
South Hughes Street
Turn right onto South Hughes Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
29.6 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
North Salem Street
At end of road, turn right onto North Salem Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.63 one way
$9.26 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $5.06 | $10.12 |
| premium | $4.70 | $5.48 | $10.96 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.54 | $13.07 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.11 | $1.42 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.59 | $1.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.14 | $1.89 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Apex, NC
Late night in Apex on Sunday
Local time
12:38 AM
EDT
Current temp
74°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
26 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
35m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate cruise, as this route contains no highway mileage. You won't find long, uninterrupted stretches of road here, as the journey relies on local connectors rather than major thoroughfares. Because the longest stretch on Jefferson Davis Highway is effectively zero miles, you should prepare for a drive that requires frequent attention to turns and transitions. The personality of this trip is defined by its local character, moving through the landscape without the monotony of a typical highway grind. It is a functional, hands-on driving experience that demands your focus on the road ahead.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.7 mi on Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in near US 1; US 15; US 501; NC 87 / Jefferson Davis Highway.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 35m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles (US 1; US 15; US 501; NC 87 / Jefferson Davis Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 27.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 27.9 miles (NC 55 / East Williams 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.
Between Sanford, NC and Apex, NC, road signs point toward Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina.
Holly Springs
27.7 mi in
|
~30m
Fuquay-Varina
27.7 mi in
|
~30m
About the Cities
Arriving in Apex, NC
Full guide →Apex, the "Peak City", is a town near Raleigh in the state of North Carolina.
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 35m. Total distance: 29.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m 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 15.7 miles on Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway. 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 1.4 miles (US 1; US 15; US 501; NC 87 / Jefferson Davis Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 27.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 27.9 miles (NC 55 / East Williams Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Apex, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Apex, NC
More trips to Apex, NC
Explore more options from Sanford, NC or browse trips ending in Apex, NC.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NC road trips.