The drive from Daniels, WV to Morgantown, WV covers 173.6 miles and takes about 3h 27m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway, US 19, Joe L. Smith Drive for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mixed drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 90.3 miles on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $27.15 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
86.8 miles from Daniels, WV
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 49m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 27m. Total distance: 173.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Daniels, WV to Morgantown, WV covers 173.6 miles and takes about 3h 27m, 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 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 90.3 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 early in the drive near US 19; WV 3 / Ritter Drive.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 3h 27m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 19; WV 3 / Ritter Drive): Navigation decision point; at 10.2 miles (US 19): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 77.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|US 19; WV 3 / Ritter Drive
Turn left onto US 19; WV 3 / Ritter Drive
Navigation decision point
7
10.2 mi into trip|~17m in|US 19
Take the exit onto US 19 toward US 19 North: Summersville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Toward US 19 North: Summersville
7
77.4 mi into trip|~1h 39m in
Take the exit toward I 79, US 19 North: Clarksburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 79, US 19 North: Clarksburg
5
169.4 mi into trip|~3h 19m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
173.5 mi into trip|~3h 26m in|WV 7 / Walnut Street
Turn left onto WV 7 / Walnut Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
90.3 mi
1h 37m
US 19
67.2 mi
1h 22m
Joe L. Smith Drive
4 mi
6m
Robert C. Byrd Drive
3 mi
4m
Ritter Drive
2.5 mi
4m
Grafton Road
2.2 mi
3m
University Avenue
1.5 mi
2m
South Eisenhower Drive
0.7 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
— 90.3 mi, about 1h 37m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Daniels, WV and Morgantown, WV.
1
Start on Burgess Drive
249 ft·16 sec·Burgess Drive
2
Turn left onto US 19; WV 3
2.5 mi·4 min·Ritter Drive
3
Continue on US 19; WV 3
0.7 mi·1 min·South Eisenhower Drive
4
Turn right onto US 19 BYP
199 ft·10 sec·US 19 BYP
5
Turn left onto US 19 BYP
4.0 mi·6 min·Joe L. Smith Drive
6
Turn right onto US 19; WV 16
3.0 mi·4 min·Robert C. Byrd Drive
7
Take the exit onto US 19
67 mi·1 hr 22 min·US 19
Toward US 19 North: SummersvilleUse the straight lane.
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $18 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
52.1
0
$18.23
$8.33
Efficient EV
43.4
0
$15.19
$6.94
EV Truck/SUV
69.4
0
$24.30
$11.11
Gas CO2
61 kg
EV CO2
20 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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Daniels, WV
Afternoon
in Daniels on Friday
Local time
2:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Morgantown, WV
Afternoon
in Morgantown on Friday
Local time
2:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
62°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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
3h 27m 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 Daniels, WV to Morgantown, WV covers 173.6 miles and takes about 3h 27m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Senator Jennings Randolph Highway, US 19, Joe L. Smith Drive. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 86.8 miles from Daniels, WV. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $27.15 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 is a straightforward 3h 27m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 19; WV 3 / Ritter Drive): Navigation decision point; at 10.2 miles (US 19): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 77.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Daniels, WV to Morgantown, WV 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, EIA for fuel prices, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
