The drive from Barboursville, WV to Fairmont, WV covers 180.2 miles and takes about 3h 18m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway, I 64, I 77 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 135.1 miles on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $28.18 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
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
90.1 miles from Barboursville, WV
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 39m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 18m. Total distance: 180.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 3h 18m drive with frequent turns across 180.2 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 135.1 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 0.7 miles in near WV 193 / Big Ben Bowen Highway.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 3h 18m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (WV 193 / Big Ben Bowen Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 41.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.7 mi into trip|~1m in|WV 193 / Big Ben Bowen Highway
Turn left onto WV 193 / Big Ben Bowen Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
0.9 mi into trip|~2m in
Take the ramp
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
41.2 mi into trip|~46m in
Take the exit toward I 77 North, I 79: Parkersburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 77 North, I 79: Parkersburg
5
43.1 mi into trip|~49m in|I 79 / Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 79 / Senator Jennings Randolph Highway toward I 79 North: Clarksburg
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 79 North: Clarksburg
5
178.2 mi into trip|~3h 14m in
Take the exit toward WV 273 North: Downtown, Fairmont
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward WV 273 North: Downtown, Fairmont
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
135.1 mi
2h 25m
I 64
40.1 mi
44m
I 77
1.5 mi
1m
Fairmont Gateway Connector
1.2 mi
2m
Main Street
0.5 mi
1m
Jefferson Street
0.3 mi
<1m
Midland Trail
0.2 mi
<1m
Big Ben Bowen Highway
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
— 135.1 mi, about 2h 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Barboursville, WV and Fairmont, WV.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Gauley River National Recreation Area
National Recreation Area
The 25 miles of free-flowing Gauley River and the six miles of the Meadow River pass through scenic gorges and valleys containing a wide variety of natural and cultural features. The Gauley River cont...
27 mi from route
~67 min detour
Free
near mile 80.8
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$28.18 one way
$56.36 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg63 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$30.81
$61.62
premium
$4.70
$33.35
$66.70
diesel
$5.61
$39.79
$79.57
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$28
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$53–$78
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 63 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $19 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
54.1
0
$18.92
$8.65
Efficient EV
45.1
0
$15.77
$7.21
EV Truck/SUV
72.1
0
$25.23
$11.53
Gas CO2
63 kg
EV CO2
21 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 as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Barboursville, WV
Late night
in Barboursville on Friday
Local time
4:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Fairmont, WV
Late night
in Fairmont on Friday
Local time
4:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
70°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
1 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
3h 18m 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 Barboursville, WV to Fairmont, WV covers 180.2 miles and takes about 3h 18m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Senator Jennings Randolph Highway, I 64, I 77. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 90.1 miles from Barboursville, WV. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $28.18 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. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a straightforward 3h 18m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (WV 193 / Big Ben Bowen Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 41.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Barboursville, WV to Fairmont, WV does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Gauley River National Recreation Area.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from
OSRM
over
OpenStreetMap.
Fuel cost uses
EIA
weekly regional averages.
National park proximity is from the
NPS API.
Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our
methodology page
documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
