Trip from Albemarle, NC to Cary, NC

Data updated 0 seconds ago

Drive Time

2h 20m

Distance

102.4 mi

165 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$16

one way

EV Charging

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 29 min

4 AM

2h 11m ★

6 AM

2h 21m

8 AM

2h 40m

10 AM

2h 28m

12 PM

2h 26m

3 PM

2h 29m

5 PM

2h 39m

8 PM

2h 15m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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city and the county seat of Stanly County, North Carolina, United States

Albemarle, NC

Wikimedia Commons

Cary, NC

C k

Trip Overview

The drive from Albemarle, NC to Cary, NC covers 102.4 miles and takes about 2h 20m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on NC 24, Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway, Jefferson Davis Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 28.7 miles on NC 24. At current regular gas prices, budget about $16.01 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

51.2 miles from Albemarle, NC

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 15m into the drive .

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Drive Character

The drive from Albemarle, NC to Cary, NC covers 102.4 miles and takes about 2h 20m, using a mix of highways and local roads.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.

There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

NC 24 is the longest continuous segment at about 28.7 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 2.3 miles in near NC-24; NC-27; NC-73 / Albemarle Road.

Route Complexity 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

This is a straightforward 2h 20m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 2.3 miles (NC-24; NC-27; NC-73 / Albemarle Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 49.8 miles (NC 22; NC 24; NC 27 / Monroe Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 61.6 miles (US 1; US 15; US 501 / Jefferson Davis Highway): Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 8 key points

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

2.3 mi into trip | ~5m in | NC-24; NC-27; NC-73 / Albemarle Road

Enter roundabout onto NC-24; NC-27; NC-73 / Albemarle Road

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

49.8 mi into trip | ~1h 12m in | NC 22; NC 24; NC 27 / Monroe Street

Enter roundabout onto NC 22; NC 24; NC 27 / Monroe Street

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

61.6 mi into trip | ~1h 29m in | US 1; US 15; US 501 / Jefferson Davis Highway

Turn left onto US 1; US 15; US 501 / Jefferson Davis Highway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.

97.7 mi into trip | ~2h 10m in

Take the exit toward Tryon Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward Tryon Road

101.9 mi into trip | ~2h 19m in | South Academy Street

Turn right onto South Academy Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
NC 24	28.7 mi	40m
Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway	18.8 mi	20m
Jefferson Davis Highway	17.3 mi	20m
US 15	10.3 mi	14m
Troy Road	9.2 mi	12m
Albemarle Road	5.7 mi	7m
NC 22	4.2 mi	6m
Kildaire Farm Road	3.1 mi	6m

Longest stretch: NC 24 — 28.7 mi, about 40m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Albemarle, NC and Cary, NC.

Start on West Main Street

2.0 mi · 5 min · West Main Street

Continue on NC-24; NC-27; NC-73

0.4 mi · 36 sec · Albemarle Road

Enter roundabout onto NC-24; NC-27; NC-73

129 ft · 1 sec · Albemarle Road

Continue on NC-24; NC-27; NC-73

5.3 mi · 6 min · Albemarle Road

Continue on NC 24; NC 27; NC 73

9.2 mi · 12 min · Troy Road

Continue on NC 24; NC 27; NC 109

29 mi · 40 min · NC 24; NC 27; NC 109

Use the straight lane.

Continue on NC 22; NC 24; NC 27

4.2 mi · 6 min · NC 22; NC 24; NC 27

Enter roundabout onto NC 22; NC 24; NC 27

340 ft · 7 sec · Monroe Street

Continue on NC 22; NC 24; NC 27

1.4 mi · 2 min · Monroe Street

Continue on US 15; US 501; NC 24; NC 27

10 mi · 14 min · US 15; US 501; NC 24; NC 27

Turn left onto US 1; US 15; US 501

17 mi · 20 min · Jefferson Davis Highway

Use the straight lane.

Continue on US 1

19 mi · 20 min · Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 42 sec

Toward Tryon Road

Turn straight onto Tryon Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · Tryon Road

Use the straight lane.

Turn left onto Kildaire Farm Road

3.1 mi · 6 min · Kildaire Farm Road

Use the left lane.

Turn right onto South Academy Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · South Academy Street

Use the right lane.

Arrive at destination

North Academy Street

Trip Plan

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.

You can normally do this drive in one day.

You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.

The halfway point lands around 51.2 miles from Albemarle, NC, or about 1h 15m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 28.7 miles.

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 80 miles or 1h 51m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 51.2 miles or 1h 15m 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 55m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Cary, NC than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Albemarle, NC 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 Albemarle, NC

This is one driving day of about 102.4 miles and 2h 20m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Albemarle, NC.

This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.

The longest stretch is on NC 24 for about 28.7 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 51.2 mi from Albemarle, NC · 1h 15m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Carrboro, NC

51 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

Apex, NC

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Fayetteville, NC

Meal break

The midpoint is around 51.2 miles from Albemarle, NC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Cary, NC

The final approach into Cary, NC usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Cary, NC.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$16.01 one way

$32.03 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 36 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.34	$17.51	$35.02
premium	$4.70	$18.95	$37.90
diesel	$5.61	$22.61	$45.22

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$16

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$41–$66

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 35.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $11 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	30.7	$10.75	$4.92
Efficient EV	25.6	$8.96	$4.10
EV Truck/SUV	41	$14.34	$6.55

Gas CO2

36 kg

EV CO2

12 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 data refreshed 1 hour from now

Origin

Albemarle, NC

Morning in Albemarle on Wednesday

Local time

6:11 AM

EDT

Current temp

48°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Cary, NC

Morning in Cary on Wednesday

Local time

6:11 AM

EDT

Current temp

66°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

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

2h 20m 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 Albemarle, NC to Cary, NC covers 102.4 miles and takes about 2h 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are NC 24, Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway, Jefferson Davis Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 51.2 miles from Albemarle, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $16.01 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 straightforward 2h 20m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The route from Albemarle, NC to Cary, NC does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.