Origin
Cary, NC
Night in Cary on Friday
Local time
10:31 PM
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
Unknown
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 Chapel Hill Road, North Harrison Avenue, Dan K for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. 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.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
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.
Chapel Hill Road is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Cary, NC to Carrboro, NC is easy. At 37m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Cary, NC to Carrboro, NC is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Chapel Hill Road | — | — |
| North Harrison Avenue | — | — |
| Dan K | — | — |
| NC 54 East | — | — |
| Raleigh Road | — | — |
| US 15 | — | — |
| North Fordham Boulevard | — | — |
| Merritt Mill Road | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Chapel Hill Road
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cary, NC and Carrboro, NC.
1
Start on North Academy Street
23 ft
·
6 sec
·
North Academy Street
2
Turn right onto Chapel Hill Road
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Chapel Hill Road
3
Turn right onto North Harrison Avenue
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Harrison Avenue
4
Take the ramp left
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
5
Merge slight left onto Dan K. Moore Frwy.
14 mi
·
15 min
·
Dan K. Moore Frwy
6
Take the exit slight right toward NC 54 East: Durham
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
NC 54 East: Durham
7
Turn left onto Raleigh Road
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Raleigh Road
8
Take the ramp slight right toward US 15, US 501: Carrboro, Pittsboro
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
US 15, US 501: Carrboro, Pittsboro
9
Continue on North Fordham Boulevard
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
North Fordham Boulevard
10
Take the exit slight right toward Merritt Mill Road
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Merritt Mill Road
11
Turn left onto Merritt Mill Road
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Merritt Mill Road
12
Turn right onto South Greensboro Street
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
South Greensboro Street
13
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward South Greensboro Street
95 ft
·
2 sec
·
South Greensboro Street
14
Exit the roundabout onto 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
69 ft
·
2 sec
·
West Main Street
17
Arrive at your destination
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
Night in Carrboro on Friday
Local time
10:31 PM
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 Chapel Hill Road, North Harrison Avenue, Dan K. 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.
The drive from Cary, NC to Carrboro, NC is easy. At 37m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Cary, NC to Carrboro, NC is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Cary, NC to Carrboro, 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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