Origin
Cary, NC
Late night in Cary on Saturday
Local time
1:46 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cary, NC to Hillsborough, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
32.5 mi
52 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cary, NC
C k
Hillsborough, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Cary to Hillsborough is 32.5 miles and takes about 43 minutes via Dan K. Moore Frwy, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, same-day trip entirely within North Carolina, connecting two points in the Southeast region. Expect a drive characterized by frequent turns and local road navigation, rather than long stretches of highway. It's a short enough journey that you can easily fit it into an afternoon, offering a low-commitment way to travel between these neighboring towns.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 32.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (3%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
This drive is best described as turn-heavy and local, with a highway share of about 30%. You'll experience a mix of faster road sections and more involved navigation through local streets. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 25.7 miles on the Dan K. Moore Frwy, giving you some opportunity for steady progress. However, be prepared for the character of the route to shift as you transition between these main arteries and North Harrison Avenue and South Churton Street, requiring your attention to navigate the turns.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 10 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 25.7 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
597 ft
273 ft
Total Climb
469 ft
Total Descent
422 ft
Highest Point
597 ft
~30.2 mi in
Elevation Range
324 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 Chapel Hill Road.
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 43m drive. You will face about 6 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 (Chapel Hill Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (SR 1652 / North Harrison Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.7 miles (I 40 / Dan K. Moore Frwy.): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 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
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
SR 1652 / North Harrison Avenue
Turn right onto SR 1652 / North Harrison Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
3.7 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
I 40 / Dan K. Moore Frwy.
Merge onto I 40 / Dan K. Moore Frwy.
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
29.5 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward Hillsborough
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 261
Toward Hillsborough
5
32.5 mi into trip
|
~43m in
|
West King Street
Turn left onto West King Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dan K. Moore Frwy | 25.7 mi | 29m |
| North Harrison Avenue | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| South Churton Street | 1.6 mi | 4m |
| Old NC 86 | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Chapel Hill Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| West King Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Academy Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dan K. Moore Frwy
— 25.7 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cary, NC and Hillsborough, 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
26 mi
·
29 min
·
Dan K. Moore Frwy.
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 261
Toward Hillsborough
Use the slight right lane.
7
Turn straight onto Old NC 86
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Old NC 86
8
Continue on US 70 Business
1.6 mi
·
4 min
·
South Churton Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
9
Turn left onto West King Street
96 ft
·
4 sec
·
West King Street
Use the left lane.
10
Arrive at destination
West King Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.08 one way
$10.16 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $5.56 | $11.11 |
| premium | $4.70 | $6.02 | $12.03 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.18 | $14.35 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.8 | 0 | $3.41 | $1.56 |
| Efficient EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.84 | $1.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13 | 0 | $4.55 | $2.08 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Hillsborough, NC
Late night in Hillsborough on Saturday
Local time
1:46 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°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
5 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
43m 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 Hillsborough, NC covers 32.5 miles and takes about 43m 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, South Churton Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 16.3 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 $5.08 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 43m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Chapel Hill Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (SR 1652 / North Harrison Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.7 miles (I 40 / Dan K. Moore Frwy.): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Cary, NC to Hillsborough, NC does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 273 ft to 597 ft elevation with about 469 ft of total climbing.
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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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