Origin
Riverside, AL
Morning in Riverside on Saturday
Local time
8:40 AM
CDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Riverside, AL to Madison, AL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 30m
Distance
63.5 mi
102 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 24m
★
6 AM
1h 31m
8 AM
1h 45m
10 AM
1h 36m
12 PM
1h 34m
3 PM
1h 36m
5 PM
1h 44m
8 PM
1h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Riverside, AL
🇻🇳🇻🇳 Việt Anh Nguyễn 🇻🇳🇻🇳
Madison, AL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Riverside, AL to Madison, AL covers 63.5 miles and takes about 1h 30m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 231, AL 79, I 565 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 40.8 miles on US 231. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.59 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.
Midpoint
31.7 miles from Riverside, AL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 46m into the drive .
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 30m. Total distance: 63.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
This is a 1h 30m highway drive covering 63.5 miles, with most of the trip on US 231 and AL 79. The longest continuous stretch is about 40.8 miles on US 231.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 231 is the longest continuous segment at about 40.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 231 and AL 79. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 9.4 miles in near US 278.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 30m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 9.4 miles (US 278): Navigation decision point; at 11.9 miles (US 231): Lane positioning matters here; at 52.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
9.4 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
US 278
Turn left onto US 278
Navigation decision point
5
11.9 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
US 231
Turn right onto US 231
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
52.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
Take the exit toward Governors Drive
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Governors Drive
4
53.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
|
AL 53 / Governors Drive Southwest
Turn left onto AL 53 / Governors Drive Southwest
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
58.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 22m in
Take the exit toward Madison Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 13
Toward Madison Boulevard
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 231 | 40.8 mi | 54m |
| AL 79 | 6.4 mi | 11m |
| I 565 | 3.3 mi | 3m |
| CR 26 | 3 mi | 4m |
| Madison Boulevard | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| US 278 | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Governors Drive Southwest | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Hughes Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
US 231
— 40.8 mi, about 54m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Riverside, AL and Madison, AL.
1
Start on CR 26
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
CR 26
2
Turn sharp right onto AL 79
6.4 mi
·
11 min
·
AL 79
3
Turn left onto US 278
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
US 278
4
Turn right onto US 231
41 mi
·
54 min
·
US 231
Use the straight lane.
5
Take the exit
284 ft
·
6 sec
Toward Governors Drive
6
Continue on Memorial Parkway Southwest
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
·
Memorial Parkway Southwest
Toward Governors Drive
Use the straight lane.
7
Turn left onto AL 53
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Governors Drive Southwest
Use the left / straight lanes.
8
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward I-565 West: Decatur
9
Merge onto I 565; US 72 Alternate
3.3 mi
·
3 min
·
I 565; US 72 Alternate
10
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 13
Toward Madison Boulevard
11
Continue on Madison Boulevard
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Madison Boulevard
12
Turn right onto Hughes Road
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Hughes Road
13
Turn left onto Mill Road
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
·
Mill Road
14
Turn left onto Church Street
70 ft
·
1 sec
·
Church Street
15
Arrive at destination
Church Street
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 31.7 miles from Riverside, AL, or about 46m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 40.8 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 14 miles or 22m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 31.7 miles or 46m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 16m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Madison, AL than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Riverside, AL so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Riverside, AL
This is one driving day of about 63.5 miles and 1h 30m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 14 miles from Riverside, AL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on US 231 for about 40.8 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 31.7 mi from Riverside, AL · 46m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 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
Arriving in Madison, AL
The final approach into Madison, AL 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
$9.59 one way
$19.18 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $10.53 | $21.06 |
| premium | $4.56 | $11.40 | $22.80 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.02 | $28.04 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$10
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$35–$60
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.1 | 0 | $6.67 | $3.05 |
| Efficient EV | 15.9 | 0 | $5.56 | $2.54 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.4 | 0 | $8.89 | $4.06 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% 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
Madison, AL
Morning in Madison on Saturday
Local time
8:40 AM
CDT
Current temp
77°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
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
1h 30m 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 Riverside, AL to Madison, AL covers 63.5 miles and takes about 1h 30m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 231, AL 79, I 565. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 31.7 miles from Riverside, AL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $9.59 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 30m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 9.4 miles (US 278): Navigation decision point; at 11.9 miles (US 231): Lane positioning matters here; at 52.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
The route from Riverside, AL to Madison, AL 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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