Origin
Cary, NC
Late night in Cary on Saturday
Local time
12:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cary, NC to Carrboro, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
25 mi
40 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cary, NC
C k
Carrboro, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Cary, NC to Carrboro, NC covers 25 miles and takes about 37m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Dan K. Moore Frwy, North Harrison Avenue, North Fordham Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13.8 miles on Dan K. Moore Frwy. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.91 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 37m. Total distance: 25 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m 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 37m drive with frequent turns across 25 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.
Dan K. Moore Frwy is the longest continuous segment at about 13.8 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 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Chapel Hill Road.
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 25 miles you will encounter 13 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 (Chapel Hill Road): Navigation decision point; at 17.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.8 miles (NC 54 / Raleigh Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Chapel Hill Road
Turn right onto Chapel Hill Road
Navigation decision point
7
17.6 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward NC 54 East: Durham
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 273B
Toward NC 54 East: Durham
6
17.8 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
NC 54 / Raleigh Road
Turn left onto NC 54 / Raleigh Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
6
20.8 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
NC 54
Take the ramp onto NC 54 toward US 15, US 501: Carrboro, Pittsboro
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward US 15, US 501: Carrboro, Pittsboro
6
24.2 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
South Greensboro Street
Turn right onto South Greensboro Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Cary, NC to Carrboro, NC, road signs begin pointing toward Pittsboro along the way.
Pittsboro
20.8 mi in
|
~29m
|
via NC 54
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dan K. Moore Frwy | 13.8 mi | 15m |
| North Harrison Avenue | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| North Fordham Boulevard | 3 mi | 5m |
| Raleigh Road | 3 mi | 5m |
| South Greensboro Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Merritt Mill Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| NC 54 | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dan K. Moore Frwy
— 13.8 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cary, NC and Carrboro, NC.
1
Start on North Academy Street
24 ft
·
5 sec
·
North Academy Street
2
Turn right onto Chapel Hill Road
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
Chapel Hill Road
3
Turn right onto SR 1652
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Harrison Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
5
Merge onto I 40
14 mi
·
15 min
·
Dan K. Moore Frwy.
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Exit 273B
Toward NC 54 East: Durham
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn left onto NC 54
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Raleigh Road
Use the straight / left lanes.
8
Take the ramp onto NC 54
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
NC 54
Toward US 15, US 501: Carrboro, Pittsboro
Use the slight right lane.
9
Continue on US 15; US 501; NC 54
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
North Fordham Boulevard
Use the right lane.
10
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Toward Merritt Mill Road
11
Turn left onto Merritt Mill Road
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Merritt Mill Road
12
Turn right onto South Greensboro Street
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
South Greensboro Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Enter roundabout onto South Greensboro Street
94 ft
·
2 sec
·
South Greensboro Street
14
Continue on South Greensboro Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Greensboro Street
15
Turn left onto West Main Street
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
West Main Street
16
Continue on West Main Street
70 ft
·
2 sec
·
West Main Street
17
Arrive at destination
West Main Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.91 one way
$7.82 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.27 | $8.55 |
| premium | $4.70 | $4.63 | $9.25 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.52 | $11.04 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.63 | $1.20 |
| Efficient EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.19 | $1.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10 | 0 | $3.50 | $1.60 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Destination
Carrboro, NC
Late night in Carrboro on Saturday
Local time
12:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°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
20 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
37m 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 Cary, NC to Carrboro, NC covers 25 miles and takes about 37m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Dan K. Moore Frwy, North Harrison Avenue, North Fordham Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 12.5 miles from Cary, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.91 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 25 miles you will encounter 13 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 (Chapel Hill Road): Navigation decision point; at 17.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.8 miles (NC 54 / Raleigh Road): Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Cary, NC to Carrboro, NC, road signs begin pointing toward Pittsboro along the way.
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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