Origin
Charlotte, NC
Night in Charlotte on Friday
Local time
11:55 PM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Charlotte, NC to Burnsville, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 5m
Distance
43.3 mi
70 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 1m
★
6 AM
1h 6m
8 AM
1h 16m
10 AM
1h 10m
12 PM
1h 9m
3 PM
1h 10m
5 PM
1h 16m
8 PM
1h 3m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Charlotte, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Burnsville, NC
Mark Stebnicki
Trip Overview
The drive from Charlotte, NC to Burnsville, NC covers 43.3 miles and takes about 1h 5m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Albemarle Road, NC 742, NC 205 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 25.3 miles on Albemarle Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.77 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 5m. Total distance: 43.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (39%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile.
Drive Character
The drive from Charlotte, NC to Burnsville, NC covers 43.3 miles and takes about 1h 5m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 9 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Albemarle Road is the longest continuous segment at about 25.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near East 5th Street.
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 1h 5m 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: at 0.1 miles (East 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (East 5th Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 0.8 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
3
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East 5th Street
Turn right onto East 5th Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
East 5th Street
Keep slight left at fork onto East 5th Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward NC 27 East, US 74 East
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward NC 27 East, US 74 East
3
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
US 74; NC 27
Continue onto US 74; NC 27 toward US 74 East: Independence Expressway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward US 74 East: Independence Expressway
7
4.6 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
NC 27 / Albemarle Road
Keep slight left at fork onto NC 27 / Albemarle Road toward NC 27 East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
Toward NC 27 East
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Albemarle Road | 25.3 mi | 38m |
| NC 742 | 9 mi | 12m |
| NC 205 | 4.3 mi | 7m |
| US 74 | 3.5 mi | 4m |
| East 5th Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| South Tryon Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Albemarle Road
— 25.3 mi, about 38m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Charlotte, NC and Burnsville, NC.
1
Start on South Tryon Street
488 ft
·
14 sec
·
South Tryon Street
2
Turn right onto East 5th Street
0.3 mi
·
53 sec
·
East 5th Street
3
Keep slight left at fork onto East 5th Street
0.3 mi
·
56 sec
·
East 5th Street
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
Toward NC 27 East, US 74 East
5
Continue on US 74; NC 27
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
US 74; NC 27
Toward US 74 East: Independence Expressway
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto NC 27
25 mi
·
38 min
·
Albemarle Road
Toward NC 27 East
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
7
Turn right onto NC 205
4.3 mi
·
7 min
·
NC 205
8
Continue on NC 742
9.0 mi
·
12 min
·
NC 742
9
Arrive at destination
NC 742
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 21.6 mi from Charlotte, NC · 33m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.6 miles from Charlotte, NC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Burnsville, NC
The final approach into Burnsville, 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
$6.77 one way
$13.54 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $7.40 | $14.81 |
| premium | $4.70 | $8.01 | $16.03 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.56 | $19.12 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13 | 0 | $4.55 | $2.08 |
| Efficient EV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.79 | $1.73 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.3 | 0 | $6.06 | $2.77 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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
Burnsville, NC
Night in Burnsville on Friday
Local time
11:55 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
50°F
Midland, NC
22 mi in
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
1 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 5m 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 Charlotte, NC to Burnsville, NC covers 43.3 miles and takes about 1h 5m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Albemarle Road, NC 742, NC 205. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 21.6 miles from Charlotte, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.77 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 1h 5m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (East 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (East 5th Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 0.8 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Charlotte, NC to Burnsville, 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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