Origin
Gainesville, GA
Afternoon in Gainesville on Friday
Local time
12:26 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Gainesville, GA to Buford, GA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
25m
Distance
19.2 mi
31 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gainesville, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Buford, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Gainesville, GA to Buford, GA covers 19.2 miles and takes about 25m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Lanier Parkway, Buford Highway Northeast, E. E. Butler Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12.7 miles on Lanier Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.00 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 25m. Total distance: 19.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (72%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 25m highway drive covering 19.2 miles, with most of the trip on Lanier Parkway and Buford Highway Northeast. The longest continuous stretch is about 12.7 miles on Lanier Parkway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Lanier Parkway is the longest continuous segment at about 12.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Lanier Parkway and Buford Highway Northeast. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near GA 60; GA 369 / Jesse Jewell Parkway Southeast.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 19.2 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (GA 60; GA 369 / Jesse Jewell Parkway Southeast): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 1.7 miles (I 985; US 23 / Lanier Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
GA 60; GA 369 / Jesse Jewell Parkway Southeast
Turn right onto GA 60; GA 369 / Jesse Jewell Parkway Southeast
Navigation decision point
4
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the exit toward I 985 South: Atlanta
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 985 South: Atlanta
5
1.7 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 985; US 23 / Lanier Parkway
Merge onto I 985; US 23 / Lanier Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
14.4 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward GA 347: Lanier Islands Parkway, Friendship Road, Lake Lanier
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 8
Toward GA 347: Lanier Islands Parkway, Friendsh...
5
14.5 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
GA 347 / Friendship Road
Turn right onto GA 347 / Friendship Road
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 Gainesville, GA to Buford, GA, road signs begin pointing toward Lake Lanier along the way.
Lake Lanier
14.4 mi in
|
~17m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Lanier Parkway | 12.7 mi | 13m |
| Buford Highway Northeast | 3 mi | 5m |
| E. E. Butler Parkway | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Friendship Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| South Harris Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Garnett Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Gainesville Highway | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Jesse Jewell Parkway Southeast | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Lanier Parkway
— 12.7 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Gainesville, GA and Buford, GA.
1
Start on Green Street
36 ft
·
3 sec
·
Green Street
2
Turn right onto GA 60; GA 369
183 ft
·
4 sec
·
Jesse Jewell Parkway Southeast
3
Turn right onto US 129 Business; GA 11
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
E. E. Butler Parkway
4
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
Toward I 985 South: Atlanta
5
Merge onto I 985; US 23
13 mi
·
13 min
·
Lanier Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 8
Toward GA 347: Lanier Islands Parkway, Friendship Road, Lake Lanier
Use the slight right lane.
7
Turn right onto GA 347
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Friendship Road
Use the left lane.
8
Turn left onto GA 13
295 ft
·
11 sec
·
Gainesville Highway
Use the left lane.
9
Continue on GA 13
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Buford Highway Northeast
10
Turn right onto Garnett Street
408 ft
·
13 sec
·
Garnett Street
11
Turn right
292 ft
·
10 sec
12
Continue on South Harris Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Harris Street
13
Turn right
26 ft
·
1 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.00 one way
$6.00 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.28 | $6.57 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.55 | $7.11 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.24 | $8.48 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.02 | $0.92 |
| Efficient EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.68 | $0.77 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.69 | $1.23 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Buford, GA
Afternoon in Buford on Friday
Local time
12:26 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
25m 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 Gainesville, GA to Buford, GA covers 19.2 miles and takes about 25m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Lanier Parkway, Buford Highway Northeast, E. E. Butler Parkway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.6 miles from Gainesville, GA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.00 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 19.2 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (GA 60; GA 369 / Jesse Jewell Parkway Southeast): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 1.7 miles (I 985; US 23 / Lanier Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Gainesville, GA to Buford, GA, road signs begin pointing toward Lake Lanier along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.
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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