Origin
Malpass Corner, NC
Afternoon in Malpass Corner on Saturday
Local time
1:15 PM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Malpass Corner, NC to Watha, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
12.4 mi
20 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Fair
3 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Malpass Corner, NC
Mark Stebnicki
Watha, NC
Andretti Brown
Trip Overview
Malpass Corner, NC to Watha, NC is 12.4 miles and takes about 17 minutes via Horsebranch Road and others, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within North Carolina's Southeast region. Expect a straightforward drive on local roads, making it a simple connection for your travels. Given its brief duration, this route is ideal for a quick transit or as part of a larger itinerary without demanding significant time.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 17m. Total distance: 12.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m 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 with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This route is a turn-heavy local drive with no highway miles. You'll be navigating a series of local roads, including Horsebranch Road, Malpass Corner Road, and Watha Road. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 9 miles on Horsebranch Road. The character of the drive is consistently local, meaning you'll likely experience varied road conditions and frequent turns as you connect the different segments.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 6 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Horsebranch Road is the longest continuous segment at about 9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Malpass Corner Road.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 17m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Malpass Corner Road): Navigation decision point; at 3 miles (Horsebranch Road): Navigation decision point; at 12 miles (Mary Slocum Road Southwest): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
4 of 4 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Malpass Corner Road
Turn left onto Malpass Corner Road
Navigation decision point
3
3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
Horsebranch Road
Turn left onto Horsebranch Road
Navigation decision point
4
12 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
Mary Slocum Road Southwest
At end of road, turn right onto Mary Slocum Road Southwest
Navigation decision point
4
12.1 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
Watha Road
Turn right onto Watha Road
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Horsebranch Road | 9 mi | 12m |
| Malpass Corner Road | 3 mi | 4m |
| Watha Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Mary Slocum Road Southwest | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| US 421 | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Camp Kirkwood Road | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Horsebranch Road
— 9 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Malpass Corner, NC and Watha, NC.
1
Start on US 421
235 ft
·
10 sec
·
US 421
2
Turn left onto Malpass Corner Road
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Malpass Corner Road
3
Turn left onto Horsebranch Road
9.0 mi
·
12 min
·
Horsebranch Road
4
At end of road, turn right onto Mary Slocum Road Southwest
445 ft
·
13 sec
·
Mary Slocum Road Southwest
5
Turn right onto Watha Road
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
Watha Road
6
Arrive at destination
Camp Kirkwood Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.94 one way
$3.88 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $2.12 | $4.24 |
| premium | $4.70 | $2.29 | $4.59 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.74 | $5.48 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.30 | $0.60 |
| Efficient EV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.09 | $0.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5 | 0 | $1.74 | $0.79 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Watha, NC
Afternoon in Watha on Saturday
Local time
1:15 PM
EDT
Current temp
58°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
1 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
17m 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 Malpass Corner, NC to Watha, NC covers 12.4 miles and takes about 17m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Horsebranch Road, Malpass Corner Road, Watha Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.2 miles from Malpass Corner, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.94 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 straightforward 17m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Malpass Corner Road): Navigation decision point; at 3 miles (Horsebranch Road): Navigation decision point; at 12 miles (Mary Slocum Road Southwest): Navigation decision point.
The route from Malpass Corner, NC to Watha, NC does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Moores Creek National Battlefield.
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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