Origin
Apex, NC
Afternoon in Apex on Saturday
Local time
12:19 PM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Apex, NC to Carrboro, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
23.5 mi
38 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Apex, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Carrboro, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Apex, NC to Carrboro, NC covers 23.5 miles and takes about 38m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 64, Farrington Road, Mount Carmel Church Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 7.1 miles on US 64. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.67 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Starting in Apex, NC
Full guide →Apex, the "Peak City", is a town near Raleigh in the state of North Carolina.
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 38m. Total distance: 23.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (34%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile.
Drive Character
The drive from Apex, NC to Carrboro, NC covers 23.5 miles and takes about 38m, 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 24 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 64 is the longest continuous segment at about 7.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 0.8 miles in near NC 55 / West Williams Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 17 decision points packed into just 23.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (NC 55 / West Williams Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 21.4 miles (US 15; US 501): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 17 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
NC 55 / West Williams Street
Turn right onto NC 55 / West Williams Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward US 64 West
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward US 64 West
6
21.4 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
US 15; US 501
Turn right onto US 15; US 501
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
8
21.7 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
22.7 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
South Greensboro Street
Turn right onto South Greensboro Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 64 | 7.1 mi | 9m |
| Farrington Road | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| Mount Carmel Church Road | 4 mi | 7m |
| Farrington Point Road | 3.7 mi | 5m |
| West Williams Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| South Greensboro Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| NC 54 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Saunders Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
US 64
— 7.1 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Apex, NC and Carrboro, NC.
1
Start on North Salem Street
383 ft
·
19 sec
·
North Salem Street
2
Turn right onto Saunders Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Saunders Street
3
Turn right onto West Chatham Street
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
West Chatham Street
4
At end of road, turn left onto Hunter Street
294 ft
·
9 sec
·
Hunter Street
5
Turn right onto NC 55
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
West Williams Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Toward US 64 West
Use the right lane.
7
Merge onto US 64
7.1 mi
·
9 min
·
US 64
Use the straight lane.
8
Turn right onto Farrington Road
4.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Farrington Road
Use the right lane.
9
Continue on Farrington Point Road
3.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Farrington Point Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Continue on Mount Carmel Church Road
3.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Mount Carmel Church Road
11
Enter roundabout onto Mount Carmel Church Road
97 ft
·
2 sec
·
Mount Carmel Church Road
12
Continue on Mount Carmel Church Road
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
·
Mount Carmel Church Road
13
Turn right onto US 15; US 501
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
US 15; US 501
Use the right lane.
14
Continue on US 15; US 501
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
US 15; US 501
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Use the left lane.
16
Merge onto NC 54
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
·
NC 54
17
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Toward Merritt Mill Road
18
Turn left onto Merritt Mill Road
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Merritt Mill Road
19
Turn right onto South Greensboro Street
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
South Greensboro Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
20
Enter roundabout onto South Greensboro Street
94 ft
·
2 sec
·
South Greensboro Street
21
Continue on South Greensboro Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Greensboro Street
22
Turn left onto West Main Street
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
West Main Street
23
Continue on West Main Street
70 ft
·
2 sec
·
West Main Street
24
Arrive at destination
West Main Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.67 one way
$7.35 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.02 | $8.04 |
| premium | $4.70 | $4.35 | $8.70 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.19 | $10.38 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.2 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 | 7.1 | 0 | $2.47 | $1.13 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.06 | $0.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.29 | $1.50 |
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
Carrboro, NC
Afternoon in Carrboro on Saturday
Local time
12:19 PM
EDT
Current temp
71°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
3 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
38m 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 Apex, NC to Carrboro, NC covers 23.5 miles and takes about 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 64, Farrington Road, Mount Carmel Church Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.8 miles from Apex, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.67 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 17 decision points packed into just 23.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (NC 55 / West Williams Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 21.4 miles (US 15; US 501): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Apex, NC to Carrboro, NC does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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