Trip from Auburn, AL to Ardmore, AL

Drive Time

4h 20m

Distance

217.3 mi

350 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$33

one way

Downtown Ardmore, AL, AL

Photo: Maximiliana Eligi Mtenga

Trip Overview

The drive from Auburn, AL to Ardmore, AL covers 217.3 miles and takes about 4h 20m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on North College Street, US 31 North, Red Mountain Expressway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $33.22 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

108.6 miles from Auburn, AL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 10m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 4h 20m drive with frequent turns across 217.3 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 25 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North College Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.

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.

Route Complexity 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

This is a straightforward 4h 20m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Auburn, AL to Ardmore, AL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
North College Street Unavailable Refreshing
US 31 North Unavailable Refreshing
Red Mountain Expressway Unavailable Refreshing
Carraway Boulevard Unavailable Refreshing
Finley Boulevard Unavailable Refreshing
19th Street North Unavailable Refreshing
I 65 North Unavailable Refreshing
53 Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: North College Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Auburn, AL and Ardmore, AL.

1

Start on the route

292 ft · 24 sec · the route
2

At the end of the road, turn right onto North College Street

4.0 mi · 6 min · North College Street
3

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward North College Street

79 ft · 1 sec · North College Street
4

Exit the roundabout onto North College Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · North College Street
5

Take the ramp slight left toward North College Street

164 ft · 3 sec · North College Street
6

Continue straight

14 mi · 15 min
7

Continue straight

6.4 mi · 7 min
8

Continue straight

13 mi · 15 min
9

Continue straight

26 mi · 30 min
10

Continue straight

43 mi · 57 min
11

Take the exit slight right toward US 31 North, US 280 West: Birmingham

0.4 mi · 30 sec · US 31 North, US 280 West: Birmingham
12

Merge slight left onto Red Mountain Expressway

2.9 mi · 3 min · Red Mountain Expressway
13

Continue on Carraway Boulevard

1.5 mi · 3 min · Carraway Boulevard
14

Turn left onto Finley Boulevard

0.6 mi · 1 min · Finley Boulevard
15

Turn right onto 19th Street North

49 ft · 1 sec · 19th Street North
16

Take the ramp straight toward I 65 North

0.1 mi · 19 sec · I 65 North
17

Merge slight left

102 mi · 1 hr 50 min
18

Take the exit slight right toward 53: Ardmore

0.3 mi · 32 sec · 53: Ardmore
19

Keep slight right to continue on 53: Ardmore

154 ft · 3 sec · 53: Ardmore
20

Turn slight right onto 7th Street

2.0 mi · 3 min · 7th Street
21

Turn left onto 1st Avenue West

427 ft · 9 sec · 1st Avenue West
22

Turn right onto 6th Street

0.3 mi · 34 sec · 6th Street
23

Turn left onto Ardmore Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · Ardmore Avenue
24

At the end of the road, turn left onto Main Street

138 ft · 5 sec · Main Street
25

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 108.6 miles from Auburn, AL, or about 2h 10m into the drive.

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 35m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 108.6 miles or 2h 10m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 33m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Auburn, AL 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 Auburn, AL

This is one driving day of about 217.3 miles and 4h 20m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Auburn, AL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 108.6 mi from Auburn, AL · 2h 10m into the drive

Downtown Alabaster, AL, AL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Alabaster, AL

109 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

Alabaster, AL

Fuel and coffee

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

Alabaster, AL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 108.6 miles from Auburn, AL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Ardmore, AL

The final approach into Ardmore, AL 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 Ardmore, AL.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$33.22 one way

$66.44 round trip

$3.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 76 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.26 $36.44 $72.87
premium $4.61 $39.44 $78.88
diesel $5.64 $48.28 $96.55

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$33

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$58–$83

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 76 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $23 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 65.2 0 $22.82 $10.43
Efficient EV 54.3 0 $19.01 $8.69
EV Truck/SUV 86.9 1 $30.42 $13.91

Gas CO2

76 kg

EV CO2

25 kg (67% less)

Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.

DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.

Travel Intel

Local time and weather at both ends of the drive

Current conditions at both ends of the drive. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.

Forecast data refreshed 2 days ago

Origin

Auburn, AL

Evening in Auburn on Saturday

Local time

6:37 PM

CDT

Current temp

61°F

Forecast unavailable right now

CDT Live forecast

Destination

Ardmore, AL

Evening in Ardmore on Saturday

Local time

6:37 PM

CDT

Current temp

83°F

Forecast unavailable right now

CDT Live forecast

Along the Route

62°F

Alabaster, AL

109 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

22 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

4h 20m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Auburn, AL to Ardmore, AL covers 217.3 miles and takes about 4h 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North College Street, US 31 North, Red Mountain Expressway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 108.6 miles from Auburn, AL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $33.22 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a straightforward 4h 20m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Auburn, AL to Ardmore, AL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Auburn, AL to Ardmore, AL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Ardmore, AL to Auburn, AL

Plan the drive back the other way.

218.5 mi 3h 37m

Explore more options from Auburn, AL or browse trips ending in Ardmore, AL.

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