Origin
Highland Gate, NC
Afternoon in Highland Gate on Friday
Local time
1:04 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Highland Gate, NC to Walkertown, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
30m
Distance
18.2 mi
29 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 28m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Highland Gate, NC
Mark Stebnicki
Walkertown, NC
Mark Stebnicki
Trip Overview
The drive from Highland Gate, NC to Walkertown, NC covers 18.2 miles and takes about 30m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 40, Billy Graham Freeway, North Fork Right Fork Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10 miles on I 40. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.85 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 18.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (80%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 30m highway drive covering 18.2 miles, with most of the trip on I 40 and Billy Graham Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 10 miles on I 40.
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.
I 40 is the longest continuous segment at about 10 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 40 and Billy Graham Freeway. 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 Old Chunns Cove Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 18.2 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 (Old Chunns Cove Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Chunns Cove Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles: Navigation decision point.
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
|
Old Chunns Cove Road
Turn left onto Old Chunns Cove Road
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Chunns Cove Road
At end of road, turn right onto Chunns Cove Road
Navigation decision point
4
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
4
3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 240 / Billy Graham Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 240 / Billy Graham Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
14.1 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward NC 9: Black Mountain, Montreat
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward NC 9: Black Mountain, Montreat
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 Highland Gate, NC to Walkertown, NC, road signs begin pointing toward Montreat along the way.
Montreat
14.1 mi in
|
~18m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 40 | 10 mi | 11m |
| Billy Graham Freeway | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| North Fork Right Fork Road | 1.4 mi | 5m |
| North Fork Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| NC 9 | 1.1 mi | 3m |
| Chunns Cove Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Old Chunns Cove Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Penland Cove Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 40
— 10 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Highland Gate, NC and Walkertown, NC.
1
Start on this road
120 ft
·
15 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto Old Chunns Cove Road
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
Old Chunns Cove Road
3
At end of road, turn right onto Chunns Cove Road
0.2 mi
·
47 sec
·
Chunns Cove Road
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
5
Merge onto I 240
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Billy Graham Freeway
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 240
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Billy Graham Freeway
7
Merge onto I 40
10 mi
·
11 min
·
I 40
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
Toward NC 9: Black Mountain, Montreat
9
Turn left onto NC 9
1.1 mi
·
3 min
·
NC 9
10
Turn slight left onto North Fork Road
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
North Fork Road
11
Turn right onto North Fork Right Fork Road
0.9 mi
·
3 min
·
North Fork Right Fork Road
12
Continue on North Fork Right Fork Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North Fork Right Fork Road
13
Turn left onto Penland Cove Road
103 ft
·
4 sec
·
Penland Cove Road
14
Arrive at destination
Penland Cove Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.85 one way
$5.69 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.11 | $6.22 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.37 | $6.74 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.02 | $8.04 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.91 | $0.87 |
| Efficient EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.59 | $0.73 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.16 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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.
Destination
Walkertown, NC
Afternoon in Walkertown on Friday
Local time
1:04 PM
EDT
Current temp
71°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
21 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
30m 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 Highland Gate, NC to Walkertown, NC covers 18.2 miles and takes about 30m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 40, Billy Graham Freeway, North Fork Right Fork Road. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.1 miles from Highland Gate, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.85 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 18.2 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 (Old Chunns Cove Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Chunns Cove Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles: Navigation decision point.
On the drive from Highland Gate, NC to Walkertown, NC, road signs begin pointing toward Montreat 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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