Origin
Hillsborough, NC
Night in Hillsborough on Friday
Local time
10:34 PM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hillsborough, NC to Cary, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
32.4 mi
52 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 34m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hillsborough, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Cary, NC
C k
Trip Overview
The drive from Hillsborough, NC to Cary, NC covers 32.4 miles and takes about 36m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on South Churton Street, Highway 86, Durham Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.07 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 32.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 36m drive with frequent turns across 32.4 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
South Churton Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 Hillsborough, NC to Cary, NC is easy. At 36m 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 Hillsborough, NC to Cary, NC is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Churton Street | — | — |
| Highway 86 | — | — |
| Durham Freeway | — | — |
| I 40 East | — | — |
| Cary | — | — |
| North Harrison Avenue | — | — |
| Chapel Hill Road | — | — |
| North Academy Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
South Churton Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hillsborough, NC and Cary, NC.
1
Start on West King Street
95 ft
·
8 sec
·
West King Street
2
Turn right onto South Churton Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
South Churton Street
3
Turn left
0.8 mi
·
1 min
4
Turn right onto State Highway 86
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
State Highway 86
5
Take the ramp left
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
6
Merge slight left
6.2 mi
·
7 min
7
Keep slight right to continue on Durham Freeway
12 mi
·
15 min
·
Durham Freeway
8
Take the exit slight left toward I 40 East: RDU Airport, Raleigh
0.8 mi
·
58 sec
·
I 40 East: RDU Airport, Raleigh
9
Merge slight right
7.2 mi
·
8 min
10
Take the exit slight right toward Cary
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Cary
11
Turn right onto North Harrison Avenue
3.1 mi
·
5 min
·
North Harrison Avenue
12
Turn left onto Chapel Hill Road
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
Chapel Hill Road
13
Turn left onto North Academy Street
23 ft
·
1 sec
·
North Academy Street
14
Arrive at your destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.07 one way
$10.13 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $5.54 | $11.08 |
| premium | $4.70 | $6.00 | $11.99 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.15 | $14.31 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.7 | 0 | $3.40 | $1.56 |
| Efficient EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.83 | $1.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13 | 0 | $4.54 | $2.07 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Cary, NC
Night in Cary on Friday
Local time
10:34 PM
EDT
Current temp
51°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
5 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
36m 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 Hillsborough, NC to Cary, NC covers 32.4 miles and takes about 36m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are South Churton Street, Highway 86, Durham Freeway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 16.2 miles from Hillsborough, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.07 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.
The drive from Hillsborough, NC to Cary, NC is easy. At 36m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Hillsborough, NC to Cary, NC is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Hillsborough, NC to Cary, 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.
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