Origin
Tuscaloosa, AL
Morning in Tuscaloosa on Sunday
Local time
9:40 AM
CDT
Current temp
79°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Tuscaloosa, AL to Birmingham, 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 6m
Distance
58.3 mi
94 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 1m
★
6 AM
1h 7m
8 AM
1h 17m
10 AM
1h 10m
12 PM
1h 9m
3 PM
1h 11m
5 PM
1h 17m
8 PM
1h 3m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tuscaloosa, AL
Kelly
Birmingham, AL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Connecting Tuscaloosa to Birmingham is a quick, straightforward journey covering 58.7 miles through the Southeast. You can easily complete this trip in about 55 minutes, making it an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. Budgeting approximately $8 for fuel is sufficient for the one-way trek. Since both cities are located within Alabama, you will remain in the same region throughout your transit. Whether you are heading to Birmingham for business or leisure, this drive offers a simple transition between the two urban centers.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 20 | 53 mi | 56m |
| I 359 | 2 mi | 2m |
| Lurleen B Wallace Boulevard South | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| 5th Avenue North | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| 19th Street North | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Reverend Abraham Woods Jr Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| University Boulevard | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| 24th Street North | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 20
— 53 mi, about 56m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Tuscaloosa, AL and Birmingham, AL.
1
Start on this road
132 ft
·
11 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto University Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
University Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
3
Turn left onto US 43; AL 69
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Lurleen B Wallace Boulevard South
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
Continue on I 359; AL 69
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
·
I 359; AL 69
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Continue on I 359; US 11; AL 69
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
I 359; US 11; AL 69
6
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
8
Merge onto I 20; I 59
53 mi
·
56 min
·
I 20; I 59
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 124D
Toward 17th Street North, Downtown
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn left onto Reverend Abraham Woods Jr Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
Reverend Abraham Woods Jr Boulevard
Use the left / straight lanes.
11
Turn right onto 19th Street North
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
19th Street North
12
Turn left onto 5th Avenue North
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
5th Avenue North
13
Turn right onto 24th Street North
46 ft
·
1 sec
·
24th Street North
14
Arrive at destination
24th Street North
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 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 29.2 miles from Tuscaloosa, 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
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 56.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
University Boulevard
Turn right onto University Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 43; AL 69 / Lurleen B Wallace Boulevard South
Turn left onto US 43; AL 69 / Lurleen B Wallace Boulevard South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
2.7 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
3.6 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 20; I 59
Merge onto I 20; I 59
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
56.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 2m in
Take the exit toward 17th Street North, Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 124D
Toward 17th Street North, Downtown
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.80 one way
$17.61 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $9.67 | $19.33 |
| premium | $4.56 | $10.46 | $20.93 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.87 | $25.74 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.5 | 0 | $6.12 | $2.80 |
| Efficient EV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.10 | $2.33 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.3 | 0 | $8.16 | $3.73 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Birmingham, AL
Morning in Birmingham on Sunday
Local time
9:40 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
61°F
Woodstock, AL
29 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
30 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 6m 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 monotonous interstate cruise, as this route features zero highway miles. You will navigate through city streets, utilizing University Boulevard, Lurleen B. Wallace Boulevard South, and 17th Street North to reach your destination. Because the entire path is comprised of local roads, there is no long-distance highway stretch; in fact, the longest uninterrupted segment is 0 miles on University Boulevard. This setup keeps you engaged behind the wheel, requiring more focus on turns and local intersections than a typical high-speed sprint.
94% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 53 mi on I 20.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 20 and I 359. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near University Boulevard.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 58.3 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: near the start (University Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (US 43; AL 69 / Lurleen B Wallace Boulevard South): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Tuscaloosa, AL
Full guide →Tuscaloosa is a city of over 100,000 people (2020) in Metropolitan Alabama and home of the University of Alabama.
Arriving in Birmingham, AL
Full guide →Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama, and its cultural and economic nucleus. While it's best remembered as the site of protest, bombings, and other racial tumult during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, visitors to the Birmingham of today will find a pleasant green city of ridges, valleys, attractive views, and friendly, hospitable people.
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 6m. Total distance: 58.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 6m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 53 miles on I 20. 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 Birmingham, AL 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: near the start (University Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (US 43; AL 69 / Lurleen B Wallace Boulevard South): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Birmingham, 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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