Trip from Alpharetta, GA to Buford, GA

Drive Time

36m

Distance

20.4 mi

33 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 33m ★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 35m

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

Downtown Alpharetta, GA, GA

Alpharetta, GA

Ramaz Bluashvili

Downtown Buford, GA, GA

Buford, GA

RDNE Stock project

Trip Overview

The drive from Alpharetta, GA to Buford, GA covers 20.4 miles and takes about 36m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, McGinnis Ferry Road, Old Milton Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.5 miles on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.26 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

10.2 miles from Alpharetta, GA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 20m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 36m drive with frequent turns across 20.4 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 24 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Peachtree Industrial Boulevard is the longest continuous segment at about 5.5 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near GA 9 / South Main Street.

Route Complexity 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This is a demanding drive. With 17 significant decision points across 20.4 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: near the start (GA 9 / South Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.1 miles (Sargent Road): Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 17 key points

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

6
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | GA 9 / South Main Street

Turn left onto GA 9 / South Main Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
4.3 mi into trip | ~7m in

Take the exit

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

Use the slight left lane.
5
6.1 mi into trip | ~11m in | Sargent Road

Turn right onto Sargent Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the none lane.
5
6.5 mi into trip | ~12m in | Sargent Road

Enter roundabout onto Sargent Road

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

5
6.9 mi into trip | ~13m in | Sargent Road

Enter roundabout onto Sargent Road

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Peachtree Industrial Boulevard 5.5 mi 6m
McGinnis Ferry Road 5.4 mi 9m
Old Milton Parkway 3.9 mi 7m
Sargent Road 1.7 mi 4m
Kimball Bridge Road 1.3 mi 2m
East Shadburn Avenue 0.8 mi 1m
West Main Street 0.7 mi 1m
Jones Bridge Road 0.5 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Peachtree Industrial Boulevard — 5.5 mi, about 6m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Alpharetta, GA and Buford, GA.

1

Start on Academy Street

139 ft · 11 sec · Academy Street
2

Turn left onto GA 9

0.3 mi · 31 sec · South Main Street
Use the left lane.
3

Turn left onto GA 120

3.9 mi · 7 min · Old Milton Parkway
Use the left lane.
4

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 19 sec
Use the slight left lane.
5

Turn left onto GA 120

1.2 mi · 2 min · Kimball Bridge Road
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
6

Continue on GA 120

517 ft · 11 sec · Kimball Bridge Road
Use the none lane.
7

Turn left onto Jones Bridge Road

0.5 mi · 57 sec · Jones Bridge Road
Use the none lane.
8

Turn right onto Sargent Road

0.4 mi · 56 sec · Sargent Road
Use the none lane.
9

Enter roundabout onto Sargent Road

61 ft · 1 sec · Sargent Road
10

Continue on Sargent Road

0.4 mi · 54 sec · Sargent Road
11

Continue on Sargent Road

0.2 mi · 36 sec · Sargent Road
12

Enter roundabout onto Sargent Road

83 ft · 2 sec · Sargent Road
13

Continue on Sargent Road

0.6 mi · 1 min · Sargent Road
Use the none lane.
14

Turn right onto McGinnis Ferry Road

2.9 mi · 5 min · McGinnis Ferry Road
Use the left / none lanes.
15

Continue on McGinnis Ferry Road

2.5 mi · 4 min · McGinnis Ferry Road
Use the none lane.
16

Turn left onto Peachtree Industrial Boulevard

5.5 mi · 6 min · Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
Use the left lane.
17

Turn right onto R H Smith Boulevard

0.1 mi · 26 sec · R H Smith Boulevard
18

Turn left onto East Broad Street Northeast

443 ft · 12 sec · East Broad Street Northeast
19

Continue on East Shadburn Avenue

0.8 mi · 1 min · East Shadburn Avenue
20

Keep slight right at fork onto West Main Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · West Main Street
21

Continue on East Main Street Northeast

527 ft · 16 sec · East Main Street Northeast
22

Turn right onto South Harris Street

143 ft · 9 sec · South Harris Street
23

Turn left

26 ft · 1 sec
24

Arrive at destination

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 10.2 miles from Alpharetta, GA, or about 20m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 5.5 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 20.4 miles or 36m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 10.2 miles or 20m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 30m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Alpharetta, GA 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 Alpharetta, GA

This is one driving day of about 20.4 miles and 36m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Alpharetta, GA.
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 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard for about 5.5 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 10.2 mi from Alpharetta, GA · 20m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Cleveland, TN

10 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

Cleveland, TN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 20.4 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Cleveland, TN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 10.2 miles from Alpharetta, GA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Buford, GA

The final approach into Buford, GA 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 Buford, GA.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.26 one way

$6.53 round trip

$4.07/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.43 $3.56 $7.11
premium $4.78 $3.84 $7.67
diesel $5.64 $4.53 $9.06

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$3

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$28–$53

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6.1 0 $2.14 $0.98
Efficient EV 5.1 0 $1.78 $0.82
EV Truck/SUV 8.2 0 $2.86 $1.31

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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 3 days ago

Origin

Alpharetta, GA

Evening in Alpharetta on Sunday

Local time

6:55 PM

EDT

Current temp

64°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Buford, GA

Evening in Buford on Sunday

Local time

6:55 PM

EDT

Current temp

64°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Along the Route

64°F

Cleveland, TN

10 mi in

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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

36m 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 Alpharetta, GA to Buford, GA covers 20.4 miles and takes about 36m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, McGinnis Ferry Road, Old Milton Parkway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.2 miles from Alpharetta, GA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.26 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 demanding drive. With 17 significant decision points across 20.4 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.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (GA 9 / South Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.1 miles (Sargent Road): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Alpharetta, GA to Buford, GA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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Return Trip

Buford, GA to Alpharetta, GA

Plan the drive back the other way.

24.8 mi 38m

Explore more options from Alpharetta, GA or browse trips ending in Buford, GA.

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