Origin
Clarkton, NC
Afternoon in Clarkton on Saturday
Local time
1:31 PM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Clarkton, NC to Rowan, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
51m
Distance
31.2 mi
50 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 47m
★
6 AM
0h 51m
8 AM
1h 0m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 53m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 59m
8 PM
0h 49m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rowan, NC
Lisa from Pexels
Trip Overview
The drive from Clarkton, NC to Rowan, NC covers 31.2 miles and takes about 51m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Lisbon Road, NC 53, NC 87 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.7 miles on Lisbon Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.88 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Lisbon Road | 10.7 mi | 14m |
| NC 53 | 5 mi | 6m |
| NC 87 | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| NC 210 | 3.9 mi | 6m |
| Elwell Ferry Road | 3.8 mi | 9m |
| Mercer Mill Brown Marsh Road | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| South College Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Elwell Ferry | <0.1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Lisbon Road
— 10.7 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clarkton, NC and Rowan, NC.
1
Start on US 701 Business
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South College Street
2
Keep slight right at fork
464 ft
·
8 sec
3
Continue on Mercer Mill Brown Marsh Road
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Mercer Mill Brown Marsh Road
4
Turn slight right onto Lisbon Road
11 mi
·
14 min
·
Lisbon Road
5
At end of road, turn right onto NC 87
4.4 mi
·
5 min
·
NC 87
6
Turn left onto SR 1730
2.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Elwell Ferry Road
7
Continue on Elwell Ferry
416 ft
·
1 min
·
Elwell Ferry
8
Continue on Elwell Ferry Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Elwell Ferry Road
9
At end of road, turn right onto NC 53
5.0 mi
·
6 min
·
NC 53
10
Turn left onto NC 210
3.9 mi
·
6 min
·
NC 210
11
Arrive at destination
NC 210
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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 31 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15.6 miles from Clarkton, NC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 27.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
14 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
NC 87
At end of road, turn right onto NC 87
Navigation decision point
5
22.3 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
NC 53
At end of road, turn right onto NC 53
Navigation decision point
3
27.3 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
NC 210
Turn left onto NC 210
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.88 one way
$9.76 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $5.33 | $10.67 |
| premium | $4.70 | $5.77 | $11.55 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.89 | $13.78 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.9 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 | 9.4 | 0 | $3.28 | $1.50 |
| Efficient EV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.73 | $1.25 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.5 | 0 | $4.37 | $2.00 |
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
Rowan, NC
Afternoon in Rowan on Saturday
Local time
1:31 PM
EDT
Current temp
58°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
1 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
51m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
31.2 mi in 51m — 43% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: Lisbon Road.
43% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.7 mi on Lisbon Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 0.7 miles in.
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 51m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 14 miles (NC 87): Navigation decision point; at 22.3 miles (NC 53): Navigation decision point.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 51m. Total distance: 31.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
51m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (43%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.7 miles on Lisbon Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 14 miles (NC 87): Navigation decision point; at 22.3 miles (NC 53): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Moores Creek National Battlefield. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Rowan, NC before heading back.
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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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