The drive from Morgantown, WV to Barboursville, WV covers 196.9 miles and takes about 3h 37m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway, I 64, Don Knotts Boulevard for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 147.8 miles on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $30.79 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
98.4 miles from Morgantown, WV
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 48m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 37m. Total distance: 196.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 3h 37m drive with frequent turns across 196.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 147.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. 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 Kirk Street.
Driving Effort7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 14 significant decision points across 196.9 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Kirk Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 154.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Kirk Street
Turn right onto Kirk Street
Navigation decision point
5
4.6 mi into trip|~7m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I-79 S: Fairmont
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I-79 S: Fairmont
5
154.7 mi into trip|~2h 49m in
Take the exit toward I 64 West, US 119 South: Huntington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 64 West, US 119 South: Huntington
5
195.3 mi into trip|~3h 34m in
Take the exit toward WV 2, WV 193: Barboursville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward WV 2, WV 193: Barboursville
6
196.4 mi into trip|~3h 36m in|CR 60/5 / Farmdale Road
Turn left onto CR 60/5 / Farmdale Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
147.8 mi
2h 38m
I 64
39.9 mi
43m
Don Knotts Boulevard
1.9 mi
2m
University Avenue
1.5 mi
2m
I 77
1.4 mi
1m
Midland Trail
0.5 mi
<1m
I 68
0.4 mi
<1m
Farmdale Road
0.4 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
— 147.8 mi, about 2h 38m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Morgantown, WV and Barboursville, WV.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Gauley River National Recreation Area
National Recreation Area
The 25 miles of free-flowing Gauley River and the six miles of the Meadow River pass through scenic gorges and valleys containing a wide variety of natural and cultural features. The Gauley River cont...
27 mi from route
~67 min detour
Free
near mile 115.4
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$30.79 one way
$61.58 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg69 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$33.67
$67.33
premium
$4.70
$36.44
$72.88
diesel
$5.61
$43.47
$86.95
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$31
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$56–$81
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 68.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $21 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
59.1
0
$20.67
$9.45
Efficient EV
49.2
0
$17.23
$7.88
EV Truck/SUV
78.8
0
$27.57
$12.60
Gas CO2
69 kg
EV CO2
23 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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Morgantown, WV
Night
in Morgantown on Friday
Local time
10:44 PM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Barboursville, WV
Night
in Barboursville on Friday
Local time
10:44 PM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
9 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
3h 37m 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 Morgantown, WV to Barboursville, WV covers 196.9 miles and takes about 3h 37m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Senator Jennings Randolph Highway, I 64, Don Knotts Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 98.4 miles from Morgantown, WV. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $30.79 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a demanding drive. With 14 significant decision points across 196.9 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Kirk Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 154.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Morgantown, WV to Barboursville, WV does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Gauley 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.
