Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 21m
Distance
124.9 mi
201 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$19
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tuscaloosa, AL
Kelly
Choccolocco, AL
Fernando Oliveira
This 124.9-mile drive from Tuscaloosa to Choccolocco, Alabama, is a straightforward journey that can easily be completed in about 2 hours and 21 minutes. Designed as a single-day trip, you'll spend most of your time on major highways, making it a convenient option for a quick transition between these two Southeast locations. With an estimated fuel cost of $19, this route is quite budget-friendly. The overall feel is that of a functional, highway-focused commute, perfect for when you need to get from point A to point B efficiently without extensive planning.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
62.4 miles from Tuscaloosa, AL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 9m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 20 | 84.7 mi | 1h 30m |
| John M. Harbert III Freeway | 28.5 mi | 30m |
| DeArmanville Road | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| I 359 | 2 mi | 2m |
| US 78 | 2 mi | 2m |
| Old Choccolocco Road | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Lurleen B Wallace Boulevard South | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Leon Smith Parkway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Tuscaloosa, AL and Choccolocco, AL.
Start on this road
Turn right onto University Boulevard
Turn left onto US 43; AL 69
Continue on I 359; AL 69
Continue on I 359; US 11; AL 69
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 20; I 59
Take the exit
Continue on I 459
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 20
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn left onto US 431
Take the exit
Turn right onto US 78
Turn left onto DeArmanville Road
Keep slight right at fork onto DeArmanville Road
Continue on Old Choccolocco Road
Arrive at destination
Given the relatively short 2-hour and 21-minute duration, this drive is ideal for a single-day trip, offering flexibility in your departure time. You can leave Tuscaloosa in the morning and arrive in Choccolocco with plenty of daylight remaining. Since there are no mandated stops in the data, you can choose to refuel and rest as needed, but a single stop would likely suffice for this distance. Keep an eye out for the transition from I-20 onto local roads as you get closer to Choccolocco to ensure you don't miss your turn.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 27 miles or 31m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 62.4 miles or 1h 9m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 53m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Choccolocco, AL than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Tuscaloosa, AL so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Tuscaloosa, AL
This is one driving day of about 124.9 miles and 2h 21m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
62 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.
A short stop after about 27 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 62.4 miles from Tuscaloosa, AL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 20 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 84.7 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 37.8 and 118.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward I 459 North: Gadsden, Atlanta
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward I 20: Birmingham, Atlanta
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward I 20 East: Atlanta
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork toward US 431 North: Oxford, Anniston
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn left onto US 431 / Leon Smith Parkway
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$18.86 one way
$37.73 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $20.71 | $41.41 |
| premium | $4.56 | $22.42 | $44.84 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $27.58 | $55.15 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$19
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$44–$69
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 43.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $13 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 37.5 | 0 | $13.11 | $6.00 |
| Efficient EV | 31.2 | 0 | $10.93 | $5.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 50 | 0 | $17.49 | $7.99 |
Gas CO2
44 kg
EV CO2
15 kg (66% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Tuscaloosa on Sunday
Local time
11:32 AM
CDT
Current temp
85°F
Mostly Sunny
Destination
Morning in Choccolocco on Sunday
Local time
11:32 AM
CDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Expect a predominantly highway-focused experience on this route, with 94% of the journey taking place on major roads like I-20 and John M. Harbert III Freeway. You'll encounter one significant stretch of uninterrupted driving for 84.7 miles on I-20, offering a consistent pace. While the majority is highway, you'll transition to local roads like DeArmanville Road as you approach your destination. This combination means you'll experience the efficiency of interstate travel for most of the drive, with a brief shift to more local road conditions closer to Choccolocco.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 20 and John M. Harbert III Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 37.8 miles in.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 16 significant decision points across 124.9 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 37.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 66.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 67 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Tuscaloosa, AL and Choccolocco, AL, road signs point toward Atlanta and Anniston.
Atlanta
Anniston
Tuscaloosa is a city of over 100,000 people (2020) in Metropolitan Alabama and home of the University of Alabama.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 21m. Total distance: 124.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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