Origin
Pilot Mountain, NC
Afternoon in Pilot Mountain on Friday
Local time
3:13 PM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Pilot Mountain, NC to Winston-Salem, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
29m
Distance
26.5 mi
43 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Trip Overview
The drive from Pilot Mountain, NC to Winston-Salem, NC covers 26.5 miles and takes about 29m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on South Key Street, the route, John Gold Memorial Expressway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.14 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 29m. Total distance: 26.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m 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 29m drive with frequent turns across 26.5 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
South Key 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 Pilot Mountain, NC to Winston-Salem, NC is easy. At 29m 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 Pilot Mountain, NC to Winston-Salem, NC is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Key Street | — | — |
| the route | — | — |
| John Gold Memorial Expressway | — | — |
| US 311 North | — | — |
| North Research Parkway | — | — |
| East 5th Street | — | — |
| North Main Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
South Key Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Pilot Mountain, NC and Winston-Salem, NC.
1
Start on North Key Street
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
North Key Street
2
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward South Key Street
89 ft
·
2 sec
·
South Key Street
3
Exit the roundabout onto South Key Street
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
South Key Street
4
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward the route
187 ft
·
4 sec
·
the route
5
Exit the roundabout
220 ft
·
4 sec
6
Take the ramp straight
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
7
Merge slight left
15 mi
·
16 min
8
Keep slight right to continue on John Gold Memorial Expressway
9.2 mi
·
11 min
·
John Gold Memorial Expressway
9
Take the exit slight right toward US 311 North: Martin Luther King Jr Drive, Downtown
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
US 311 North: Martin Luther King Jr Drive, Downtown
10
Continue on North Research Parkway
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
North Research Parkway
11
Turn right onto East 5th Street
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
East 5th Street
12
Turn left onto North Main Street
66 ft
·
1 sec
·
North Main Street
13
Arrive at your destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.14 one way
$8.29 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.53 | $9.06 |
| premium | $4.70 | $4.90 | $9.81 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.85 | $11.70 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.78 | $1.27 |
| Efficient EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.32 | $1.06 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.71 | $1.70 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Winston-Salem, NC
Afternoon in Winston-Salem on Friday
Local time
3:13 PM
EDT
Current temp
42°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
31 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
29m 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 Pilot Mountain, NC to Winston-Salem, NC covers 26.5 miles and takes about 29m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are South Key Street, the route, John Gold Memorial Expressway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.3 miles from Pilot Mountain, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.14 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 Pilot Mountain, NC to Winston-Salem, NC is easy. At 29m 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 Pilot Mountain, NC to Winston-Salem, NC is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Pilot Mountain, NC to Winston-Salem, 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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