Origin
Durham, NC
Late night in Durham on Saturday
Local time
4:31 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Durham, NC to Hillsborough, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
20m
Distance
14 mi
23 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 18m
★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 21m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 23m
8 PM
0h 19m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hillsborough, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Durham, NC to Hillsborough, NC covers 14 miles and takes about 20m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 85, Durham Freeway, US 70 Business for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6.5 miles on I 85. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.19 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 20m. Total distance: 14 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (91%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 20m highway drive covering 14 miles, with most of the trip on I 85 and Durham Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 6.5 miles on I 85.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 85 is the longest continuous segment at about 6.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 85 and Durham Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near US 15 Business; US 501 Business / South Mangum Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 14 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (US 15 Business; US 501 Business / South Mangum Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (NC 147 / Durham Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.6 miles (I 85; US 70): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 15 Business; US 501 Business / South Mangum Street
Turn left onto US 15 Business; US 501 Business / South Mangum Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
NC 147 / Durham Freeway
Merge onto NC 147 / Durham Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
5.6 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
I 85; US 70
Merge onto I 85; US 70
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
12.1 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward NC 86: Hillsborough, Chapel Hill
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 165
Toward NC 86: Hillsborough, Chapel Hill
6
12.8 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
US 70 Business; NC 86
Turn left onto US 70 Business; NC 86
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Durham, NC to Hillsborough, NC, road signs begin pointing toward Chapel Hill along the way.
Chapel Hill
12.1 mi in
|
~15m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 85 | 6.5 mi | 7m |
| Durham Freeway | 5 mi | 6m |
| US 70 Business | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| State Highway 86 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| South Churton Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| South Mangum Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East Main Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Jackie Robinson Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 85
— 6.5 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Durham, NC and Hillsborough, NC.
1
Start on East Main Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
East Main Street
2
Turn left onto US 15 Business; US 501 Business
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
South Mangum Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
3
Turn right onto Jackie Robinson Drive
214 ft
·
7 sec
·
Jackie Robinson Drive
4
Take the ramp
505 ft
·
12 sec
5
Merge onto NC 147
5.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Durham Freeway
Use the straight lane.
6
Merge onto I 85; US 70
6.5 mi
·
7 min
·
I 85; US 70
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 165
Toward NC 86: Hillsborough, Chapel Hill
8
Turn right onto NC 86
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
State Highway 86
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Turn left onto US 70 Business; NC 86
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
US 70 Business; NC 86
Use the left lane.
10
Continue on US 70 Business; NC 86
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
South Churton Street
Use the straight lane.
11
Turn left onto West King Street
96 ft
·
4 sec
·
West King Street
Use the left lane.
12
Arrive at destination
West King Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.19 one way
$4.38 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $2.39 | $4.79 |
| premium | $4.70 | $2.59 | $5.18 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.09 | $6.18 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.47 | $0.67 |
| Efficient EV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.22 | $0.56 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.96 | $0.90 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Hillsborough, NC
Late night in Hillsborough on Saturday
Local time
4:31 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°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
6 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
20m 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 Durham, NC to Hillsborough, NC covers 14 miles and takes about 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 85, Durham Freeway, US 70 Business. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 7 miles from Durham, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.19 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 short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 14 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (US 15 Business; US 501 Business / South Mangum Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (NC 147 / Durham Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.6 miles (I 85; US 70): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Durham, NC to Hillsborough, NC, road signs begin pointing toward Chapel Hill along the way.
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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