The drive from Saint Albans, WV to Buckhannon, WV covers 124.9 miles and takes about 2h 21m 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, Corridor H, I 64 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 97.9 miles on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $19.53 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
62.5 miles from Saint Albans, WV
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 11m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 21m. Total distance: 124.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 2h 21m drive with frequent turns across 124.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 21 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 97.9 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 CR 60/14 / 6th Avenue.
Driving Effort8/10
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 124.9 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 (CR 60/14 / 6th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 4.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 12.7 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|CR 60/14 / 6th Avenue
Turn right onto CR 60/14 / 6th Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
4.2 mi into trip|~7m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
12.7 mi into trip|~18m in
Take the exit toward I 77 North, I 79: Parkersburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 77 North, I 79: Parkersburg
7
112.8 mi into trip|~2h 5m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 33 West, , US 119 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 33 West, , US 119 South
6
124.9 mi into trip|~2h 21m in|WV 20 / North Locust Street
Turn left onto WV 20 / North Locust Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
97.9 mi
1h 44m
Corridor H
11.2 mi
13m
I 64
8.2 mi
9m
1st Avenue South
3.1 mi
4m
I 77
1.5 mi
1m
West Main Street
0.6 mi
1m
3rd Street
0.3 mi
<1m
The New Saint Albans-Nitro Bridge
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
— 97.9 mi, about 1h 44m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Saint Albans, WV and Buckhannon, 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...
26 mi from route
~65 min detour
Free
near mile 47.4
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$19.53 one way
$39.06 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg44 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$21.36
$42.71
premium
$4.70
$23.12
$46.23
diesel
$5.61
$27.58
$55.15
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$20
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$45–$70
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 43.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $13 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
37.5
0
$13.11
$6.00
Efficient EV
31.2
0
$10.93
$5.00
EV Truck/SUV
50
0
$17.49
$7.99
Gas CO2
44 kg
EV CO2
15 kg (66% 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
Saint Albans, WV
Afternoon
in Saint Albans on Friday
Local time
3:28 PM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Buckhannon, WV
Afternoon
in Buckhannon on Friday
Local time
3:28 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°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
20 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
2h 21m 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 Saint Albans, WV to Buckhannon, WV covers 124.9 miles and takes about 2h 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Senator Jennings Randolph Highway, Corridor H, I 64. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 62.5 miles from Saint Albans, WV. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $19.53 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 demanding drive. With 14 significant decision points across 124.9 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 (CR 60/14 / 6th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 4.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 12.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Saint Albans, WV to Buckhannon, 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.
