Origin
Durham, NC
Late night in Durham on Saturday
Local time
3:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Durham, NC to Swepsonville, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
30 mi
48 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Swepsonville, NC
Mark Stebnicki
Trip Overview
The drive from Durham, NC to Swepsonville, NC covers 30 miles and takes about 40m 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, NC 119 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 19 miles on I 85. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.69 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 30 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 40m highway drive covering 30 miles, with most of the trip on I 85 and Durham Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 19 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 13 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 19 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
8/10
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 30 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
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.
7
24.6 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward NC 119: Mebane
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 153
Toward NC 119: Mebane
8
24.8 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Keep slight left at fork toward NC 119: Mebane
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Toward NC 119: Mebane
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 85 | 19 mi | 21m |
| Durham Freeway | 5 mi | 6m |
| NC 119 | 4.1 mi | 7m |
| East Main Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| South Mangum Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Jackie Robinson Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Ball Park Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Swepsonville-Saxapahaw Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 85
— 19 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Durham, NC and Swepsonville, 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
19 mi
·
21 min
·
I 85; US 70
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 153
Toward NC 119: Mebane
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
253 ft
·
6 sec
Toward NC 119: Mebane
Use the straight / left lanes.
9
Turn slight left onto NC 119
4.1 mi
·
7 min
·
NC 119
Use the left lane.
10
Continue on East Main Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
East Main Street
11
At end of road, turn left onto Swepsonville-Saxapahaw Road
54 ft
·
1 sec
·
Swepsonville-Saxapahaw Road
12
Turn right onto Ball Park Road
90 ft
·
3 sec
·
Ball Park Road
13
Arrive at destination
Ball Park Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.69 one way
$9.38 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $5.13 | $10.26 |
| premium | $4.70 | $5.55 | $11.10 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.62 | $13.25 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9 | 0 | $3.15 | $1.44 |
| Efficient EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.63 | $1.20 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12 | 0 | $4.20 | $1.92 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Swepsonville, NC
Late night in Swepsonville on Saturday
Local time
3:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°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
2 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
40m 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 Swepsonville, NC covers 30 miles and takes about 40m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 85, Durham Freeway, NC 119. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 15 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 $4.69 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 30 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
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.
The route from Durham, NC to Swepsonville, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Swepsonville, NC
More trips to Swepsonville, NC
Explore more options from Durham, NC or browse trips ending in Swepsonville, NC.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NC road trips.