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Trip from Cardinal Lake Estates, GA to Buford, GA

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

$2

one way

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

Wikimedia Commons

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.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

This drive is short enough that no stops are needed.

Midpoint

7 miles from Cardinal Lake Estates, GA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 12m into the drive .

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.

Route Complexity 6/10

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

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.

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
1.7 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
4.1 mi into trip | ~8m in | Sugarloaf Parkway

Turn left onto Sugarloaf Parkway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
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.

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 · 41 sec · Blue Jay Drive Northwest
4

Turn right onto Davenport Road Northwest

0.4 mi · 1 min · Davenport Road Northwest
5

Continue on Davenport Road Northwest

0.9 mi · 2 min · Davenport Road Northwest
6

Turn right onto US 23; GA 13

2.4 mi · 3 min · Buford Highway
Use the left lane.
7

Turn left onto Sugarloaf Parkway

0.2 mi · 26 sec · Sugarloaf Parkway
Use the left lane.
8

Turn right onto Peachtree Industrial Boulevard

7.9 mi · 10 min · Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
Use the right lane.
9

Turn right onto R H Smith Boulevard

0.1 mi · 26 sec · R H Smith Boulevard
10

Turn left onto East Broad Street Northeast

443 ft · 12 sec · East Broad Street Northeast
11

Continue on East Shadburn Avenue

0.8 mi · 1 min · East Shadburn Avenue
12

Keep slight right at fork onto West Main Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · West Main Street
13

Continue on East Main Street Northeast

527 ft · 16 sec · East Main Street Northeast
14

Turn right onto South Harris Street

143 ft · 9 sec · South Harris Street
15

Turn left

26 ft · 1 sec
16

Arrive at destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 7 miles from Cardinal Lake Estates, GA, or about 12m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 7.9 miles.

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 14 miles or 24m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 7 miles or 12m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 19m

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

Before You Leave

+

Have your navigation ready before leaving Cardinal Lake Estates, GA.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Cardinal Lake Estates, GA

This is one driving day of about 14 miles and 24m.

At 14 miles this is a quick drive — no planned stops needed.
The longest stretch is on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard for about 7.9 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 7 mi from Cardinal Lake Estates, GA · 12m into the drive

Pacing Suggestions

Suwanee, GA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Johns Creek, GA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 7 miles from Cardinal Lake Estates, GA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Buford, GA

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Buford, GA if you are unfamiliar with the area.

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

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.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$2

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$27–$52

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

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 Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.2 0 $1.47 $0.67
Efficient EV 3.5 0 $1.22 $0.56
EV Truck/SUV 5.6 0 $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

Late night in Cardinal Lake Estates on Thursday

Local time

12:38 AM

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

Late night in Buford on Thursday

Local time

12:38 AM

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

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