Origin
Pinehurst, NC
Late night in Pinehurst on Saturday
Local time
2:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Pinehurst, NC to Gastonia, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 15m
Distance
57.1 mi
92 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 10m
★
6 AM
1h 16m
8 AM
1h 28m
10 AM
1h 20m
12 PM
1h 19m
3 PM
1h 20m
5 PM
1h 27m
8 PM
1h 12m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pinehurst, NC
Mark Stebnicki
Gastonia, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Pinehurst, NC to Gastonia, NC covers 57.1 miles and takes about 1h 15m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Hickory Boulevard, Southwest Boulevard, Morganton Boulevard Southwest for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 46.3 miles on Hickory Boulevard. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.93 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 15m. Total distance: 57.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 15m 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 1h 15m drive with frequent turns across 57.1 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Hickory Boulevard is the longest continuous segment at about 46.3 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 around 0.1 miles in near Calico 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 1h 15m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Calico Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (US 64; NC 18 / Morganton Boulevard Southwest): Navigation decision point; at 8.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 5 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Calico Road
Turn right onto Calico Road
Navigation decision point
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 64; NC 18 / Morganton Boulevard Southwest
At end of road, turn right onto US 64; NC 18 / Morganton Boulevard Southwest
Navigation decision point
4
8.1 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
8.4 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
US 321 / Hickory Boulevard
Merge onto US 321 / Hickory Boulevard
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
57.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 15m in
|
US 29; US 74; NC 274 / West Franklin Boulevard
Turn right onto US 29; US 74; NC 274 / West Franklin Boulevard
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Hickory Boulevard | 46.3 mi | 58m |
| Southwest Boulevard | 4.3 mi | 6m |
| Morganton Boulevard Southwest | 3.6 mi | 5m |
| North Chester Street | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Calico Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Turtle Dove Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Franklin Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Hickory Boulevard
— 46.3 mi, about 58m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Pinehurst, NC and Gastonia, NC.
1
Start on Turtle Dove Street
484 ft
·
23 sec
·
Turtle Dove Street
2
Turn right onto Calico Road
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Calico Road
3
At end of road, turn right onto US 64; NC 18
3.6 mi
·
5 min
·
Morganton Boulevard Southwest
4
Turn straight
270 ft
·
9 sec
5
Turn straight onto Southwest Boulevard
4.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Southwest Boulevard
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
7
Merge onto US 321
46 mi
·
58 min
·
Hickory Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on US 321
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
North Chester Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Turn right onto US 29; US 74; NC 274
61 ft
·
1 sec
·
West Franklin Boulevard
10
Arrive at destination
US 29; US 74; NC 274
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 28.5 mi from Pinehurst, NC · 38m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 28.5 miles from Pinehurst, NC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Gastonia, NC
The final approach into Gastonia, NC usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.93 one way
$17.86 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $9.76 | $19.53 |
| premium | $4.70 | $10.57 | $21.14 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.61 | $25.21 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 20 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.1 | 0 | $6.00 | $2.74 |
| Efficient EV | 14.3 | 0 | $5.00 | $2.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.8 | 0 | $7.99 | $3.65 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Gastonia, NC
Late night in Gastonia on Saturday
Local time
2:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
74°F
Newton, NC
29 mi in
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
4 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
1h 15m 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 Pinehurst, NC to Gastonia, NC covers 57.1 miles and takes about 1h 15m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Hickory Boulevard, Southwest Boulevard, Morganton Boulevard Southwest. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 28.5 miles from Pinehurst, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.93 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 1h 15m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Calico Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (US 64; NC 18 / Morganton Boulevard Southwest): Navigation decision point; at 8.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
The route from Pinehurst, NC to Gastonia, 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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