Trip from Cardinal Lake Estates, GA to Buford, GA

Q: What are the main roads on this route?

The main roads are Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Buford Highway, Davenport Road Northwest. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

Q: Is this a good same-day trip?

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Q: Where should I stop halfway?

The midpoint is about 7 miles from Cardinal Lake Estates, GA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

Q: How much does gas cost for this trip?

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.19 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

Q: What is the best time to leave?

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

Q: What towns show up on signs driving from Cardinal Lake Estates, GA to Buford, GA?

The route from Cardinal Lake Estates, GA to Buford, GA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

24m

Distance

14 mi

22 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min

4 AM

0h 22m ★

6 AM

0h 24m

8 AM

0h 29m

10 AM

0h 26m

12 PM

0h 25m

3 PM

0h 26m

5 PM

0h 28m

8 PM

0h 23m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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city in Gwinnett and Hall counties, Georgia, United States

Buford, GA

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Trip Overview

The drive from Cardinal Lake Estates, GA to Buford, GA covers 14 miles and takes about 24m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Buford Highway, Davenport Road Northwest for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 7.9 miles on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.19 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 24m. Total distance: 14 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

24m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 24m drive with frequent turns across 14 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.

There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

Peachtree Industrial Boulevard is the longest continuous segment at about 7.9 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Mockingbird Circle.

Driving Effort 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 14 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Mockingbird Circle): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Blue Jay Drive Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (US 23; GA 13 / Buford Highway): Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 11 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Mockingbird Circle

Turn right onto Mockingbird Circle

Navigation decision point

0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | Blue Jay Drive Northwest

Turn left onto Blue Jay Drive Northwest

Navigation decision point

1.7 mi into trip | ~4m in | US 23; GA 13 / Buford Highway

Turn right onto US 23; GA 13 / Buford Highway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

4.1 mi into trip | ~8m in | Sugarloaf Parkway

Turn left onto Sugarloaf Parkway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

14 mi into trip | ~24m in

Turn left

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Peachtree Industrial Boulevard	7.9 mi	10m
Buford Highway	2.4 mi	3m
Davenport Road Northwest	1.3 mi	3m
East Shadburn Avenue	0.8 mi	1m
West Main Street	0.7 mi	1m
Sugarloaf Parkway	0.2 mi	<1m
Mockingbird Circle	0.2 mi	<1m
Blue Jay Drive Northwest	0.2 mi	<1m

Longest stretch: Peachtree Industrial Boulevard — 7.9 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Cardinal Lake Estates, GA and Buford, GA.

Start on Cardinal Lake Circle Northwest

218 ft · 10 sec · Cardinal Lake Circle Northwest

Turn right onto Mockingbird Circle

0.2 mi · 45 sec · Mockingbird Circle

Turn left onto Blue Jay Drive Northwest

0.2 mi · 41 sec · Blue Jay Drive Northwest

Turn right onto Davenport Road Northwest

0.4 mi · 1 min · Davenport Road Northwest

Continue on Davenport Road Northwest

0.9 mi · 2 min · Davenport Road Northwest

Turn right onto US 23; GA 13

2.4 mi · 3 min · Buford Highway

Use the left lane.

Turn left onto Sugarloaf Parkway

0.2 mi · 26 sec · Sugarloaf Parkway

Use the left lane.

Turn right onto Peachtree Industrial Boulevard

7.9 mi · 10 min · Peachtree Industrial Boulevard

Use the right lane.

Turn right onto R H Smith Boulevard

0.1 mi · 26 sec · R H Smith Boulevard

Turn left onto East Broad Street Northeast

443 ft · 12 sec · East Broad Street Northeast

Continue on East Shadburn Avenue

0.8 mi · 1 min · East Shadburn Avenue

Keep slight right at fork onto West Main Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · West Main Street

Continue on East Main Street Northeast

527 ft · 16 sec · East Main Street Northeast

Turn right onto South Harris Street

143 ft · 9 sec · South Harris Street

Turn left

26 ft · 1 sec

Arrive at destination

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.19 one way

$4.38 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.34	$2.39	$4.79
premium	$4.70	$2.59	$5.18
diesel	$5.61	$3.09	$6.18

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	4.2	$1.47	$0.67
Efficient EV	3.5	$1.22	$0.56
EV Truck/SUV	5.6	$1.96	$0.90

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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 14, 2026

Origin

Cardinal Lake Estates, GA

Afternoon in Cardinal Lake Estates on Thursday

Local time

1:00 PM

EDT

Current temp

59°F

Clear

0 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 14 at 1:34AM EDT by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 13 at 9:32PM EDT by NWS Peachtree City GA

Destination

Buford, GA

Afternoon in Buford on Thursday

Local time

1:00 PM

EDT

Current temp

50°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

9 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

24m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Cardinal Lake Estates, GA to Buford, GA covers 14 miles and takes about 24m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Buford Highway, Davenport Road Northwest. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 7 miles from Cardinal Lake Estates, GA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.19 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.