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Trip from Birmingham, AL to Goodwater, AL

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 28m

Distance

61.3 mi

99 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min
4 AM
1h 22m ★
6 AM
1h 29m
8 AM
1h 42m
10 AM
1h 33m
12 PM
1h 32m
3 PM
1h 34m
5 PM
1h 42m
8 PM
1h 25m

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

city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, United States

Birmingham, AL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Birmingham, AL to Goodwater, AL covers 61.3 miles and takes about 1h 28m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on 3rd Avenue North, US 31 South, Red Mountain Expressway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.26 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 28m. Total distance: 61.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 28m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 28m drive with frequent turns across 61.3 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
3rd Avenue North 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. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Birmingham, AL to Goodwater, AL is easy. At 1h 28m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

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

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
3rd Avenue North
US 31 South
Red Mountain Expressway
US 280 East
West Fort Williams Street
South Broadway Avenue
Rockford Highway
Goodwater Highway

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: 3rd Avenue North — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Birmingham, AL and Goodwater, AL.

1

Start on 24th Street North

0.1 mi · 25 sec · 24th Street North
2

Turn left onto 3rd Avenue North

200 ft · 4 sec · 3rd Avenue North
3

Take the ramp slight left toward US 31 South, US 280 East

0.2 mi · 24 sec · US 31 South, US 280 East
4

Merge slight left onto Red Mountain Expressway

2.3 mi · 3 min · Red Mountain Expressway
5

Take the exit slight right toward US 280 East: Sylacauga, Zoo Gardens

18 mi · 24 min · US 280 East: Sylacauga, Zoo Gardens
6

Take the exit straight

25 mi · 32 min
7

Turn left onto West Fort Williams Street

1.5 mi · 2 min · West Fort Williams Street
8

Turn right onto South Broadway Avenue

0.7 mi · 48 sec · South Broadway Avenue
9

Continue on Rockford Highway

509 ft · 12 sec · Rockford Highway
10

Turn left

243 ft · 11 sec
11

Turn straight onto Goodwater Highway

8.8 mi · 15 min · Goodwater Highway
12

Continue on County Road 511

2.8 mi · 4 min · County Road 511
13

Continue on Sylacauga Street

2.2 mi · 3 min · Sylacauga Street
14

Arrive at your destination

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 30.6 mi from Birmingham, AL · 44m into the drive

Downtown Vincent, AL, AL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Vincent, AL

31 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

Vestavia Hills, AL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Vincent, AL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 30.6 miles from Birmingham, AL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Goodwater, AL

The final approach into Goodwater, AL 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

$9.26 one way

$18.52 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 21 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.21 $10.16 $20.33
premium $4.56 $11.00 $22.01
diesel $5.61 $13.53 $27.07

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 21.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 18.4 0 $6.44 $2.94
Efficient EV 15.3 0 $5.36 $2.45
EV Truck/SUV 24.5 0 $8.58 $3.92

Gas CO2

21 kg

EV CO2

7 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

Birmingham, AL

Morning in Birmingham on Saturday

Local time

10:15 AM

CDT

Current temp

49°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Goodwater, AL

Morning in Goodwater on Saturday

Local time

10:15 AM

CDT

Current temp

77°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

79°F

Vincent, AL

31 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

28 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

1h 28m 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 Birmingham, AL to Goodwater, AL covers 61.3 miles and takes about 1h 28m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are 3rd Avenue North, US 31 South, Red Mountain Expressway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 30.6 miles from Birmingham, AL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $9.26 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.

The drive from Birmingham, AL to Goodwater, AL is easy. At 1h 28m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

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

The route from Birmingham, AL to Goodwater, AL 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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