Origin
West Raleigh, NC
Late night in West Raleigh on Tuesday
Local time
4:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from West Raleigh, NC to Durham, NC
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
29m
Distance
22.4 mi
36 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
West Raleigh, NC
Evgeniia Belman
Trip Overview
This quick 22.5-mile drive between West Raleigh, NC, and Durham, NC, will take about 27 minutes, making it an easy day trip. You'll primarily navigate local roads, with no highway driving involved, so expect a more turn-heavy experience. With a modest fuel cost of around $4, this trip is budget-friendly. Since it's a short distance, you have plenty of flexibility to depart at your convenience and enjoy the journey without needing an overnight stay. Both locations are within the Southeast region, offering a familiar driving environment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dan K. Moore Frwy | 8.9 mi | 10m |
| Durham Freeway | 6.7 mi | 8m |
| Wade Avenue | 3.7 mi | 4m |
| Hillsborough Street | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Faircloth Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Roxboro Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Jackie Robinson Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dan K. Moore Frwy
— 8.9 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between West Raleigh, NC and Durham, NC.
1
Start on Enterprise Street
44 ft
·
7 sec
·
Enterprise Street
2
Turn right onto Hillsborough Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Hillsborough Street
3
Enter roundabout onto Hillsborough Street
107 ft
·
1 sec
·
Hillsborough Street
4
Continue on Hillsborough Street
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Hillsborough Street
5
Enter roundabout onto Hillsborough Street
90 ft
·
1 sec
·
Hillsborough Street
6
Continue on Hillsborough Street
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Hillsborough Street
7
Enter roundabout onto Hillsborough Street
99 ft
·
2 sec
·
Hillsborough Street
8
Continue on Hillsborough Street
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
·
Hillsborough Street
9
Turn right onto Faircloth Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Faircloth Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Turn left onto Wade Avenue
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
·
Wade Avenue
Use the left lane.
11
Continue on Wade Avenue
3.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Wade Avenue
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12
Merge onto I 40
8.9 mi
·
10 min
·
Dan K. Moore Frwy.
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
44 sec
Exit 279B
Toward I 885 North: Downtown Durham
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Merge onto I 885
4.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Durham Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork onto NC 147
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Durham Freeway
Exit 9
Toward NC 147 North: Durham Downtown
Use the slight left lane.
16
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Toward Jackie Robinson Drive, Roxboro Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Continue on Jackie Robinson Drive
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Jackie Robinson Drive
18
Turn right onto US 15 Business; US 501 Business
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
South Roxboro Street
Use the right lane.
19
Turn left onto East Main Street
100 ft
·
2 sec
·
East Main Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
20
Arrive at destination
East Main Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 1.8 and 22 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.8 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
Wade Avenue
Turn left onto Wade Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
14.4 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward I 885 North: Downtown Durham
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 279B
Toward I 885 North: Downtown Durham
8
19.2 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
NC 147 / Durham Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto NC 147 / Durham Freeway toward NC 147 North: Durham Downtown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 9
Toward NC 147 North: Durham Downtown
7
21.8 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward Jackie Robinson Drive, Roxboro Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Jackie Robinson Drive, Roxboro Street
7
22 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
US 15 Business; US 501 Business / South Roxboro Street
Turn right onto US 15 Business; US 501 Business / South Roxboro Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.50 one way
$7.01 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.83 | $7.66 |
| premium | $4.70 | $4.15 | $8.29 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.95 | $9.89 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.35 | $1.08 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.96 | $0.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9 | 0 | $3.14 | $1.43 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Durham, NC
Late night in Durham on Tuesday
Local time
4:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°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
18 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
29m 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?
Get ready for a turn-heavy local drive on this route, as indicated by the 0% highway share. You'll be traveling along Hillsborough Street, Faircloth Street, and Wade Avenue, which are all local roads. The absence of long highway stretches means you won't encounter monotonous driving; instead, anticipate a more engaging experience with frequent turns and changes in scenery. The longest uninterrupted stretch is not specified, but the overall profile suggests a continuous series of local road navigation rather than extended periods on a single road.
30% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.9 mi on Dan K. Moore Frwy.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.8 miles in near Wade Avenue.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 22.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 29m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles (Wade Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.2 miles (NC 147 / Durham Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Durham, NC
Full guide →Of the three cities that make up North Carolina's Research Triangle, Durham has traditionally been the one with the grittier, more working-class image. A city of just over 300,000 residents in 2026, Durham has moved beyond a "tobacco town" with a prestigious university at its center to become a regionally and nationally recognized symbol of urban renewal, gentrification, technology and diversity. Durham's vibrant African-American community was historically pioneering in United States Black culture, from the arts to finance. These days, the tobacco warehouses and textile mills have been converted to other uses, as Durham has taken on a much more high-profile (and expensive) identity. Thanks to local anchor Duke University, a thriving, research-driven medical and tech industry has taken root.
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 29m. Total distance: 22.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (30%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.9 miles on Dan K. Moore Frwy. 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 Durham, NC 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: at 1.8 miles (Wade Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.2 miles (NC 147 / Durham Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Durham, 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.
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