The drive from Cary, NC to Rhodhiss, NC covers 176.7 miles and takes about 3h 31m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 40, Dan K. Moore Frwy, North Harrison Avenue for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mixed drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 105.9 miles on I 40.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $27.63 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
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
88.4 miles from Cary, NC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 46m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 31m. Total distance: 176.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Drive Character
The drive from Cary, NC to Rhodhiss, NC covers 176.7 miles and takes about 3h 31m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 40 is the longest continuous segment at about 105.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 14 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 Effort6/10
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 176.7 miles you will encounter 14 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 0.1 miles (SR 1652 / North Harrison Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 63.6 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key points
These 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.
6
63.6 mi into trip|~1h 16m in|I 40
Keep slight right at fork onto I 40
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
6
71.2 mi into trip|~1h 25m in|I 40; US 220
Keep slight right at fork onto I 40; US 220
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
8
83.8 mi into trip|~1h 40m in|I 40
Keep slight left at fork onto I 40 toward I 40 West: Winston-Salem, Statesville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 40 West: Winston-Salem, Statesville
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 Rhodhiss, NC, road signs begin pointing toward Statesville along the way.
Statesville
83.8 mi in|~1h 40m|via I 40
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 40
105.9 mi
2h 2m
Dan K. Moore Frwy
59.8 mi
1h 9m
North Harrison Avenue
3.3 mi
5m
Airport Rhodhiss Road
2.6 mi
4m
33rd Street Southwest
1.6 mi
2m
Hickory Airport Road
1.1 mi
1m
Burke Street
1 mi
2m
34th Street Northwest
0.4 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 40
— 105.9 mi, about 2h 2m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cary, NC and Rhodhiss, 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
60 mi·1 hr 9 min·Dan K. Moore Frwy.
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 40
7.7 mi·9 min·I 40
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 40; US 220
13 mi·15 min·I 40; US 220
Use the straight lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 40
86 mi·1 hr 37 min·I 40
Toward I 40 West: Winston-Salem, StatesvilleUse the slight left lane.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi·36 sec
Exit 121Toward Longview
10
Turn left onto 33rd Street Southwest
1.6 mi·2 min·33rd Street Southwest
11
Turn left onto Main Avenue Northwest
223 ft·6 sec·Main Avenue Northwest
12
Turn right onto 34th Street Northwest
0.4 mi·50 sec·34th Street Northwest
13
At end of road, turn left onto 2nd Avenue Northwest
0.3 mi·31 sec·2nd Avenue Northwest
14
Continue on Hickory Airport Road
1.1 mi·1 min·Hickory Airport Road
15
Continue on Airport Rhodhiss Road
2.6 mi·4 min·Airport Rhodhiss Road
16
Turn sharp right onto Burke Street
1.0 mi·2 min·Burke Street
17
Turn left
186 ft·13 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 88.4 miles from Cary, NC, or about 1h 46m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 105.9 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 39 miles or 47m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 88.4 miles or 1h 46m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 50m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Rhodhiss, NC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Cary, NC so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Cary, NC
This is one driving day of about 176.7 miles and 3h 31m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 39 miles from Cary, NC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 40 for about 105.9 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 88.4 mi from Cary, NC
· 1h 46m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$27.63 one way
$55.26 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg62 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$30.21
$60.43
premium
$4.70
$32.70
$65.41
diesel
$5.61
$39.01
$78.03
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$28
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$53–$78
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 61.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
EV Charging Along Route
42 DC fast chargers
· Coverage: excellent
ChargePoint Charging Station
Carrboro, North Carolina
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Carrboro, North Carolina
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Carrboro, North Carolina
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
Blink Charging Station
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Blink
1 DCFC
Electric Vehicle Charging Station
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Other
1 DCFC
Nissan Charging Station
Burlington, North Carolina
Other
1 DCFC
ChargePoint: 21
Other: 8
EV Connect: 4
Blink: 3
Tesla: 3
Tesla Destination: 2
Shell Recharge: 1
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $19 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
53
0
$18.55
$8.48
Efficient EV
44.2
0
$15.46
$7.07
EV Truck/SUV
70.7
0
$24.74
$11.31
Gas CO2
62 kg
EV CO2
21 kg (66% 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 18, 2026
Origin
Cary, NC
Morning
in Cary on Saturday
Local time
6:01 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Partly Cloudy
0 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Rhodhiss, NC
Morning
in Rhodhiss on Saturday
Local time
6:01 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
16 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
3h 31m 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 Cary, NC to Rhodhiss, NC covers 176.7 miles and takes about 3h 31m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 40, Dan K. Moore Frwy, North Harrison Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 88.4 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 $27.63 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 176.7 miles you will encounter 14 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 0.1 miles (SR 1652 / North Harrison Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 63.6 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Cary, NC to Rhodhiss, NC, road signs begin pointing toward Statesville 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, EIA for fuel prices, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
