Origin
Apex, NC
Afternoon in Apex on Friday
Local time
2:34 PM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Apex, NC to Southern Pines, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 8m
Distance
55.6 mi
89 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 3m
★
6 AM
1h 9m
8 AM
1h 20m
10 AM
1h 13m
12 PM
1h 12m
3 PM
1h 13m
5 PM
1h 19m
8 PM
1h 6m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Apex, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Southern Pines, NC
Alex Borelli
Trip Overview
The drive from Apex, NC to Southern Pines, NC covers 55.6 miles and takes about 1h 8m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Jefferson Davis Highway, Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway, US 1 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 23 miles on Jefferson Davis Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.69 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 8m. Total distance: 55.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 8m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (25%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 8m drive with frequent turns across 55.6 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Jefferson Davis Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 23 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near NC 55 / East Williams Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 8m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (NC 55 / East Williams Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles (US 1 / Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
NC 55 / East Williams Street
Turn left onto NC 55 / East Williams Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
1.6 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward US 1 South: Sanford
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward US 1 South: Sanford
3
1.8 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
US 1 / Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway
Merge onto US 1 / Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining
3
40.6 mi into trip
|
~48m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
5
41.2 mi into trip
|
~49m in
|
US 1
Merge onto US 1
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Davis Highway | 23 mi | 27m |
| Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway | 15.7 mi | 16m |
| US 1 | 13.8 mi | 17m |
| East Williams Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| West Pennsylvania Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Salem Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Jefferson Davis Highway
— 23 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Apex, NC and Southern Pines, NC.
1
Start on North Salem Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North Salem Street
2
Turn left onto NC 55
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
East Williams Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward US 1 South: Sanford
Use the right lane.
4
Merge onto US 1
16 mi
·
16 min
·
Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway
5
Continue on US 1
23 mi
·
27 min
·
Jefferson Davis Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
46 sec
7
Merge onto US 1
14 mi
·
17 min
·
US 1
Use the straight lane.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
9
Turn left onto West Pennsylvania Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Pennsylvania Avenue
10
Arrive at destination
West Pennsylvania Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 27.8 mi from Apex, NC · 33m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 27.8 miles from Apex, NC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Southern Pines, NC
The final approach into Southern Pines, NC usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.69 one way
$17.39 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $9.51 | $19.01 |
| premium | $4.70 | $10.29 | $20.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.28 | $24.55 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.7 | 0 | $5.84 | $2.67 |
| Efficient EV | 13.9 | 0 | $4.87 | $2.22 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.2 | 0 | $7.78 | $3.56 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
7 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
Southern Pines, NC
Afternoon in Southern Pines on Friday
Local time
2:34 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
48°F
Sanford, NC
28 mi in
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
24 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
1h 8m 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 Southern Pines, NC covers 55.6 miles and takes about 1h 8m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Jefferson Davis Highway, Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway, US 1. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 27.8 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 $8.69 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 1h 8m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (NC 55 / East Williams Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles (US 1 / Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining.
The route from Apex, NC to Southern Pines, 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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