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Trip from Alabaster, AL to Trussville, AL

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

40m

Distance

33.3 mi

54 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 37m ★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

suburb city of Birmingham, located in Shelby County, Alabama, United States

Alabaster, AL

Wikimedia Commons

city in Jefferson and St. Clair counties in Alabama, United States

Trussville, AL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Alabaster, AL to Trussville, AL covers 33.3 miles and takes about 40m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on John M. Harbert III Freeway, I 65, Gadsden Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 16.5 miles on John M. Harbert III Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.03 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 33.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

40m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 40m highway drive covering 33.3 miles, with most of the trip on John M. Harbert III Freeway and I 65. The longest continuous stretch is about 16.5 miles on John M. Harbert III Freeway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
John M. Harbert III Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 16.5 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on John M. Harbert III Freeway and I 65. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.

Driving Effort 9/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 33.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 12.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 12 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in

Turn left

Navigation decision point

6
1.2 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the ramp toward I-65 North: Birmingham

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I-65 North: Birmingham
8
12.5 mi into trip | ~14m in

Take the exit toward I 459: Atlanta, Gadsden, Tuscaloosa

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. Exit 250 Toward I 459: Atlanta, Gadsden, Tuscaloosa
8
12.8 mi into trip | ~15m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 459 North: Atlanta, Gadsden

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward I 459 North: Atlanta, Gadsden
7
30 mi into trip | ~34m in

Take the exit toward US 11: Trussville

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 32 Toward US 11: Trussville

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Alabaster, AL and Trussville, AL, road signs point toward Gadsden and Tuscaloosa.

Gadsden

12.5 mi in | ~14m

Tuscaloosa

12.5 mi in | ~14m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
John M. Harbert III Freeway 16.5 mi 17m
I 65 11 mi 11m
Gadsden Highway 2.1 mi 3m
1st Street South 1.2 mi 1m
Main Street 0.6 mi 1m
Linden Street 0.1 mi <1m
Glenn Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: John M. Harbert III Freeway — 16.5 mi, about 17m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Alabaster, AL and Trussville, AL.

1

Start on this road

97 ft · 14 sec · this road
2

Turn left

177 ft · 14 sec
3

Turn right onto US 31; AL 119

1.2 mi · 1 min · 1st Street South
4

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 40 sec
Toward I-65 North: Birmingham Use the left lane.
5

Merge onto I 65

11 mi · 11 min · I 65
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 32 sec
Exit 250 Toward I 459: Atlanta, Gadsden, Tuscaloosa Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight right at fork

0.6 mi · 1 min
Toward I 459 North: Atlanta, Gadsden Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8

Merge onto I 459

17 mi · 17 min · John M. Harbert III Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 49 sec
Exit 32 Toward US 11: Trussville Use the slight right lane.
10

Keep slight right at fork

235 ft · 5 sec
11

Turn straight onto US 11

2.1 mi · 3 min · Gadsden Highway
12

Continue on US 11

0.6 mi · 1 min · Main Street
13

Turn left onto Glenn Avenue

379 ft · 18 sec · Glenn Avenue
14

Turn right onto Linden Street

0.1 mi · 28 sec · Linden Street
15

Turn right

197 ft · 14 sec
16

Arrive at destination

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.03 one way

$10.06 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.21 $5.52 $11.04
premium $4.56 $5.98 $11.95
diesel $5.61 $7.35 $14.70

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10 0 $3.50 $1.60
Efficient EV 8.3 0 $2.91 $1.33
EV Truck/SUV 13.3 0 $4.66 $2.13

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (67% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Alabaster, AL

Morning in Alabaster on Saturday

Local time

9:46 AM

CDT

Current temp

79°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Trussville, AL

Morning in Trussville on Saturday

Local time

9:46 AM

CDT

Current temp

78°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

1 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

40m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Alabaster, AL to Trussville, AL covers 33.3 miles and takes about 40m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are John M. Harbert III Freeway, I 65, Gadsden Highway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 16.7 miles from Alabaster, AL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.03 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 33.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.

The main spots that need attention: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 12.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Between Alabaster, AL and Trussville, AL, road signs point toward Gadsden and Tuscaloosa.

Yes. Nearby national parks include Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument.

How this page is built

Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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