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Trip from Deatsville, AL to Huntsville, AL

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

Drive Time

2h 41m

Distance

173.3 mi

279 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$26

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 32 min
4 AM
2h 31m ★
6 AM
2h 41m
8 AM
3h 3m
10 AM
2h 49m
12 PM
2h 47m
3 PM
2h 50m
5 PM
3h 2m
8 PM
2h 35m

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

Downtown Deatsville, AL, AL

Deatsville, AL

KoolShooters

county seat of Madison County, Alabama, United States

Huntsville, AL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Deatsville, AL to Huntsville, AL covers 173.3 miles and takes about 2h 41m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 565 East, Wasthington Street, Jefferson Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $26.17 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

86.7 miles from Deatsville, AL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 20m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 565 East
Wasthington Street
Jefferson Street
Jefferson Street North
Spring Street Southwest

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: I 565 East — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Deatsville, AL and Huntsville, AL.

1

Start on Academy Lane

151 ft · 10 sec · Academy Lane
2

Turn left

9.8 mi · 17 min
3

At the end of the road, turn right

8.5 mi · 12 min
4

Take the ramp right

0.2 mi · 28 sec
5

Merge slight left

134 mi · 2 hr 26 min
6

Take the exit slight right toward I 565 East, AL 20 West, US 72 Alternate: Decatur, Huntsville

0.3 mi · 41 sec · I 565 East, AL 20 West, US 72 Alternate: Decatur, Huntsville
7

Keep slight right to continue on I 565 East, US 72 Alternate East: Huntsville

0.5 mi · 1 min · I 565 East, US 72 Alternate East: Huntsville
8

Merge slight left

19 mi · 20 min
9

Take the exit slight right toward Wasthington Street, Jefferson Street, Downtown

0.2 mi · 24 sec · Wasthington Street, Jefferson Street, Downtown
10

Continue on Wasthington Street, Jefferson Street, Downtown

394 ft · 10 sec · Wasthington Street, Jefferson Street, Downtown
11

Keep slight right to continue on Jefferson Street, Downtown

341 ft · 8 sec · Jefferson Street, Downtown
12

Turn straight onto Jefferson Street North

0.5 mi · 1 min · Jefferson Street North
13

Turn right onto Spring Street Southwest

3 ft · Spring Street Southwest
14

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 86.7 miles from Deatsville, AL, or about 1h 20m into the drive.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 38 miles or 35m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 86.7 miles or 1h 20m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 2h 12m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Huntsville, AL than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Deatsville, AL so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Deatsville, AL

This is one driving day of about 173.3 miles and 2h 41m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 38 miles from Deatsville, AL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Birmingham, AL

87 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.

Popular next leg

Birmingham, AL to Huntsville, AL

101.3 mi · 1h 52m

Pacing Suggestions

Thorsby, AL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 38 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Birmingham, AL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 86.7 miles from Deatsville, AL, 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.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$26.17 one way

$52.34 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 61 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.21 $28.73 $57.46
premium $4.56 $31.11 $62.21
diesel $5.61 $38.26 $76.52

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$26

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$51–$76

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 60.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $18 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 52 0 $18.20 $8.32
Efficient EV 43.3 0 $15.16 $6.93
EV Truck/SUV 69.3 0 $24.26 $11.09

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

Deatsville, AL

Afternoon in Deatsville on Saturday

Local time

12:25 PM

CDT

Current temp

78°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Huntsville, AL

Afternoon in Huntsville on Saturday

Local time

12:25 PM

CDT

Current temp

77°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

49°F

Birmingham, AL

87 mi in

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

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

2h 41m 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?

173.3 mi in 2h 41m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: I 565 East.

How Hard Is This Drive?

1/10

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 Deatsville, AL to Huntsville, AL is easy. At 2h 41m 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 Deatsville, AL to Huntsville, AL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

About the Cities

Arriving in Huntsville, AL

Full guide →

Huntsville is in northern Alabama, about 20 miles (32 km) from the border with Tennessee. The city is a center for missile defense and aerospace technologies, with companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman having major operations here. Cummings Research Park, the second largest research park in the country, is home to many of these companies.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 41m. Total distance: 173.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

2h 41m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Deatsville, AL to Huntsville, AL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Huntsville, AL 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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