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Trip from Cary, NC to Swepsonville, NC

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 1m

Distance

47.3 mi

76 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 56m ★
6 AM
1h 1m
8 AM
1h 11m
10 AM
1h 5m
12 PM
1h 4m
3 PM
1h 5m
5 PM
1h 11m
8 PM
0h 58m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Cary, NC, NC

Cary, NC

C k

Downtown Swepsonville, NC, NC

Swepsonville, NC

Mark Stebnicki

Trip Overview

The drive from Cary, NC to Swepsonville, NC covers 47.3 miles and takes about 1h 1m 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, NC 119, North Harrison Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 38.2 miles on Dan K. Moore Frwy. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.40 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 1m. Total distance: 47.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 1m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (9%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 1m drive with frequent turns across 47.3 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 12 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 38.2 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 9 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 5/10

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 47.3 miles you will encounter 9 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 3.7 miles (I 40 / Dan K. Moore Frwy.): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 9 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.
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
42 mi into trip | ~51m in

Take the exit toward NC 119: Mebane

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 153 Toward NC 119: Mebane
8
42.1 mi into trip | ~51m in

Keep slight left at fork toward NC 119: Mebane

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes. Toward NC 119: Mebane

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Dan K. Moore Frwy 38.2 mi 44m
NC 119 4.1 mi 7m
North Harrison Avenue 3.3 mi 5m
East Main Street 1 mi 2m
Chapel Hill Road 0.1 mi <1m
Ball Park Road <0.1 mi <1m
Swepsonville-Saxapahaw Road <0.1 mi <1m
North Academy Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Dan K. Moore Frwy — 38.2 mi, about 44m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Cary, NC and Swepsonville, 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

38 mi · 44 min · Dan K. Moore Frwy.
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 23 sec
Exit 153 Toward NC 119: Mebane Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork

253 ft · 6 sec
Toward NC 119: Mebane Use the straight / left lanes.
8

Turn slight left onto NC 119

4.1 mi · 7 min · NC 119
Use the left lane.
9

Continue on East Main Street

1.0 mi · 2 min · East Main Street
10

At end of road, turn left onto Swepsonville-Saxapahaw Road

54 ft · 1 sec · Swepsonville-Saxapahaw Road
11

Turn right onto Ball Park Road

90 ft · 3 sec · Ball Park Road
12

Arrive at destination

Ball Park Road

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 23.6 mi from Cary, NC · 29m into the drive

town in North Carolina, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Carrboro, NC

24 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Morrisville, NC

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Carrboro, NC

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23.6 miles from Cary, NC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Swepsonville, NC

The final approach into Swepsonville, NC usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.40 one way

$14.79 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $8.09 $16.18
premium $4.70 $8.75 $17.51
diesel $5.61 $10.44 $20.89

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.2 0 $4.97 $2.27
Efficient EV 11.8 0 $4.14 $1.89
EV Truck/SUV 18.9 0 $6.62 $3.03

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (65% 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 15, 2026

Origin

Cary, NC

Late night in Cary on Saturday

Local time

2:35 AM

EDT

Current temp

51°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Swepsonville, NC

Late night in Swepsonville on Saturday

Local time

2:35 AM

EDT

Current temp

48°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

3 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

1h 1m 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 Swepsonville, NC covers 47.3 miles and takes about 1h 1m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Dan K. Moore Frwy, NC 119, North Harrison Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 23.6 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 $7.40 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 47.3 miles you will encounter 9 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 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 Swepsonville, NC does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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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