Trip from Cardinal Lake Estates, GA to Norcross, GA

Q: What are the main roads on this route?

The main roads are Buford Highway, Creek Drive Northwest, South Cemetery Street. 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 3 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 $0.94 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 Norcross, GA?

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

Q: Is the drive from Cardinal Lake Estates, GA to Norcross, GA flat or hilly?

Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 948 ft to 1,063 ft elevation with about 152 ft of total climbing.

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

12m

Distance

6 mi

10 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$1

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM

0h 11m ★

6 AM

0h 13m

8 AM

0h 15m

10 AM

0h 13m

12 PM

0h 13m

3 PM

0h 13m

5 PM

0h 15m

8 PM

0h 12m

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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Trip Overview

The drive from Cardinal Lake Estates, GA to Norcross, GA covers 6 miles and takes about 12m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Buford Highway, Creek Drive Northwest, South Cemetery Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 4.6 miles on Buford Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $0.94 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 12m. Total distance: 6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

12m 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 with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

Expect a 12m drive with frequent turns across 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 8 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

Buford Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 4.6 miles.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,063 ft 948 ft

Total Climb

152 ft

Total Descent

100 ft

Highest Point

1,063 ft

~2.2 mi in

Elevation Range

115 ft

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 early in the drive near Mockingbird Circle.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 12m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

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 1.2 miles (US 23; GA 13 / Buford Highway): Navigation decision point.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 5 key points

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

4

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

Turn right onto Mockingbird Circle

Navigation decision point

4

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

Turn left onto Blue Jay Drive Northwest

Navigation decision point

5

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

At end of road, turn left onto US 23; GA 13 / Buford Highway

Navigation decision point

4

5.8 mi into trip | ~12m in | South Cemetery Street

Turn right onto South Cemetery Street

Navigation decision point

4

6 mi into trip | ~12m in | South Peachtree Street

Turn right onto South Peachtree Street

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Buford Highway	4.6 mi	7m
Creek Drive Northwest	0.9 mi	3m
South Cemetery Street	0.2 mi	<1m
Mockingbird Circle	0.2 mi	<1m
Blue Jay Drive Northwest	0.2 mi	<1m
Cardinal Lake Circle Northwest	<0.1 mi	<1m
South Peachtree Street	<0.1 mi	<1m

Longest stretch: Buford Highway — 4.6 mi, about 7m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on Cardinal Lake Circle Northwest

218 ft · 10 sec · Cardinal Lake Circle Northwest

2

Turn right onto Mockingbird Circle

0.2 mi · 45 sec · Mockingbird Circle

3

Turn left onto Blue Jay Drive Northwest

0.2 mi · 39 sec · Blue Jay Drive Northwest

4

Continue on Creek Drive Northwest

0.9 mi · 3 min · Creek Drive Northwest

5

At end of road, turn left onto US 23; GA 13

4.6 mi · 7 min · Buford Highway

6

Turn right onto South Cemetery Street

0.2 mi · 30 sec · South Cemetery Street

7

Turn right onto South Peachtree Street

52 ft · 1 sec · South Peachtree Street

8

Arrive at destination

South Peachtree Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$0.94 one way

$1.88 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 2 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.34	$1.03	$2.05
premium	$4.70	$1.11	$2.22
diesel	$5.61	$1.32	$2.65

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$1

Estimated CO2 emission: 2.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 50% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	1.8	$0.63	$0.29
Efficient EV	1.5	$0.52	$0.24
EV Truck/SUV	2.4	$0.84	$0.38

Gas CO2

2 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (50% 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 12, 2026

Origin

Cardinal Lake Estates, GA

Afternoon in Cardinal Lake Estates on Thursday

Local time

1:46 PM

EDT

Current temp

91°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Norcross, GA

Afternoon in Norcross on Thursday

Local time

1:46 PM

EDT

Current temp

52°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

39 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

12m 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 Cardinal Lake Estates, GA to Norcross, GA covers 6 miles and takes about 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Buford Highway, Creek Drive Northwest, South Cemetery Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 3 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 $0.94 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 12m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

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 1.2 miles (US 23; GA 13 / Buford Highway): Navigation decision point.

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

Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 948 ft to 1,063 ft elevation with about 152 ft of total climbing.

Yes. Nearby national parks include Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park.

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