The drive from Sophia, WV to Fairmont, WV covers 158.6 miles and takes about 3h 5m 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, US 19, West Virginia Turnpike for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mixed drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 77.4 miles on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $24.80 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.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
79.3 miles from Sophia, WV
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 37m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 5m. Total distance: 158.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (48%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Sophia, WV to Fairmont, WV covers 158.6 miles and takes about 3h 5m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 18 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 77.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 4.9 miles in.
Driving Effort5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 158.6 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 10 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 78.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
4.9 mi into trip|~7m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
8
10 mi into trip|~12m in
Take the exit toward US 19: North Beckley, Summersville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 48
Toward US 19: North Beckley, Summersville
7
78.9 mi into trip|~1h 37m in
Take the exit toward I 79, US 19 North: Clarksburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 79, US 19 North: Clarksburg
5
156.7 mi into trip|~3h 1m in
Take the exit toward WV 273 North: Downtown, Fairmont
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward WV 273 North: Downtown, Fairmont
5
158.1 mi into trip|~3h 4m in|WV 273 / Fairmont Gateway Connector
Enter roundabout onto WV 273 / Fairmont Gateway Connector
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Sophia, WV to Fairmont, WV, road signs begin pointing toward Summersville along the way.
Summersville
10 mi in|~12m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
77.4 mi
1h 23m
US 19
66.8 mi
1h 21m
West Virginia Turnpike
4.8 mi
5m
WV 16
3.3 mi
4m
Fairmont Gateway Connector
1.2 mi
2m
Robert C. Byrd Drive
1 mi
1m
US 121 FUT
0.5 mi
<1m
Jefferson Street
0.3 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
— 77.4 mi, about 1h 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sophia, WV and Fairmont, WV.
1
Start on WV 16
80 ft·6 sec·West Main Street
2
Turn left onto WV 16
1.0 mi·1 min·Robert C. Byrd Drive
3
Take the ramp onto WV 16
3.3 mi·4 min·WV 16
4
Take the exit onto US 121 FUT
0.5 mi·57 sec·US 121 FUT
5
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi·40 sec
6
Merge onto I 64; I 77
4.8 mi·5 min·West Virginia Turnpike
7
Take the exit
2.1 mi·2 min
Exit 48Toward US 19: North Beckley, SummersvilleUse the slight right lane.
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...
6 mi from route
~15 min detour
Free
near mile 38.3
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$24.80 one way
$49.60 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg56 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$27.12
$54.24
premium
$4.70
$29.35
$58.71
diesel
$5.61
$35.02
$70.03
Estimated Tolls: $0.34
West Virginia Turnpike
(4.8 mi)$0.34
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$25
Tolls
$0
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$50–$75
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 55.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
EV Charging Along Route
6 DC fast chargers
· Coverage: excellent
DC-America Charging Station
Beckley, West Virginia
Other
1 DCFC
Tesla Supercharger
Mt Hope, West Virginia
Tesla
1 DCFC
Tesla Supercharger
Sutton, West Virginia
Tesla
1 DCFC
Tesla Supercharger
Fairmont, West Virginia
Tesla
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Summersville, West Virginia
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
EVgo Charging Station
Sutton, West Virginia
EVgo
1 DCFC
Tesla: 3
Other: 1
ChargePoint: 1
EVgo: 1
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $17 in charging
· 0 stops
· 65% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
47.6
0
$16.65
$7.61
Efficient EV
39.7
0
$13.88
$6.34
EV Truck/SUV
63.4
0
$22.20
$10.15
Gas CO2
55 kg
EV CO2
19 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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Sophia, WV
Afternoon
in Sophia on Friday
Local time
3:32 PM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Fairmont, WV
Afternoon
in Fairmont on Friday
Local time
3:32 PM
EDT
Current temp
70°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
3h 5m 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 Sophia, WV to Fairmont, WV covers 158.6 miles and takes about 3h 5m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Senator Jennings Randolph Highway, US 19, West Virginia Turnpike. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 79.3 miles from Sophia, WV. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $24.80 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 158.6 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 4.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 10 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 78.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Sophia, WV to Fairmont, WV, road signs begin pointing toward Summersville along the way.
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, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
