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Trip from Sawmills, NC to Concord, NC

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 37m

Distance

82.3 mi

132 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$13

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 22 min
4 AM
1h 30m ★
6 AM
1h 37m
8 AM
1h 52m
10 AM
1h 42m
12 PM
1h 41m
3 PM
1h 43m
5 PM
1h 51m
8 PM
1h 33m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Sawmills, NC, NC

Sawmills, NC

Mark Stebnicki

city in North Carolina, United States

Concord, NC

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Sawmills, NC to Concord, NC covers 82.3 miles and takes about 1h 37m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Pinewood Road, Hickory Boulevard, NC 10 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.87 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

41.1 miles from Sawmills, NC

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 48m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 37m. Total distance: 82.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 37m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 37m drive with frequent turns across 82.3 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.
Pinewood Road 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 Sawmills, NC to Concord, NC is easy. At 1h 37m 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 Sawmills, NC to Concord, NC is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Pinewood Road
Hickory Boulevard
NC 10
Sigmon Dairy Road
McKay Road
Smyre Farm Road
NC 16
NC 73

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: Pinewood Road — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Sawmills, NC and Concord, NC.

1

Start on the route

1.9 mi · 3 min · the route
2

Turn left onto Pinewood Road

1.1 mi · 2 min · Pinewood Road
3

Turn right onto Hickory Boulevard

15 mi · 20 min · Hickory Boulevard
4

Take the exit slight right toward NC 10: Newton

0.2 mi · 33 sec · NC 10: Newton
5

Turn left

3.1 mi · 5 min
6

Turn sharp right onto Sigmon Dairy Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · Sigmon Dairy Road
7

Turn left onto McKay Road

1.6 mi · 2 min · McKay Road
8

At the end of the road, turn left

0.2 mi · 21 sec
9

Turn right onto Smyre Farm Road

3.2 mi · 4 min · Smyre Farm Road
10

Turn right onto NC 16

17 mi · 22 min · NC 16
11

Take the exit slight right toward NC 73: Lincolnton, Huntersville

0.3 mi · 43 sec · NC 73: Lincolnton, Huntersville
12

Turn right

22 mi · 33 min
13

Take the ramp straight toward I 85 North: Salisbury

0.3 mi · 33 sec · I 85 North: Salisbury
14

Merge slight left

2.1 mi · 2 min
15

Take the exit slight right toward US 29, US 601 South: Kannapolis, Concord, Downtown

0.3 mi · 41 sec · US 29, US 601 South: Kannapolis, Concord, Downtown
16

Keep slight right to continue on US 29 South, US 601 South: Concord, Downtown

0.1 mi · 19 sec · US 29 South, US 601 South: Concord, Downtown
17

Merge slight left onto Concord Parkway North

0.6 mi · 48 sec · Concord Parkway North
18

Turn straight onto Church Street North

2.2 mi · 4 min · Church Street North
19

Turn right onto Cabarrus Avenue West

0.2 mi · 40 sec · Cabarrus Avenue West
20

Turn left onto Spring Street Southwest

410 ft · 11 sec · Spring Street Southwest
21

Arrive at your destination

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 41.1 miles from Sawmills, NC, or about 48m into the drive.

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 18 miles or 21m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 41.1 miles or 48m 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 22m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Concord, NC than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Sawmills, NC so your first major turns are already loaded.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Sawmills, NC

This is one driving day of about 82.3 miles and 1h 37m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 18 miles from Sawmills, NC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 41.1 mi from Sawmills, NC · 48m into the drive

Downtown Cornelius, NC, NC

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Cornelius, NC

41 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

Newton, NC

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 18 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Cornelius, NC

Meal break

The midpoint is around 41.1 miles from Sawmills, NC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Concord, NC

The final approach into Concord, 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

$12.87 one way

$25.74 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 29 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $14.07 $28.14
premium $4.70 $15.23 $30.46
diesel $5.61 $18.17 $36.34

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$13

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$38–$63

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 28.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 24.7 0 $8.64 $3.95
Efficient EV 20.6 0 $7.20 $3.29
EV Truck/SUV 32.9 0 $11.52 $5.27

Gas CO2

29 kg

EV CO2

10 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 17, 2026

Origin

Sawmills, NC

Late night in Sawmills on Saturday

Local time

1:24 AM

EDT

Current temp

52°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Concord, NC

Late night in Concord on Saturday

Local time

1:24 AM

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

2 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

1h 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 Sawmills, NC to Concord, NC covers 82.3 miles and takes about 1h 37m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Pinewood Road, Hickory Boulevard, NC 10. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 41.1 miles from Sawmills, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $12.87 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 Sawmills, NC to Concord, NC is easy. At 1h 37m 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 Sawmills, NC to Concord, NC is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Sawmills, NC to Concord, 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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