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Trip from South Charleston, WV to Brookhaven, WV

Data updated 1 hour ago

Drive Time

2h 56m

Distance

159.9 mi

257 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$25

one way

EV Charging

None

0 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 33 min
4 AM
2h 46m ★
6 AM
2h 57m
8 AM
3h 19m
10 AM
3h 5m
12 PM
3h 2m
3 PM
3h 6m
5 PM
3h 18m
8 PM
2h 50m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States

South Charleston, WV

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Brookhaven, WV, WV

Brookhaven, WV

Federated Art

Trip Overview

The drive from South Charleston, WV to Brookhaven, WV covers 159.9 miles and takes about 2h 56m 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, I 68, I 64 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 148 miles on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $25.00 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

79.9 miles from South Charleston, WV

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 27m into the drive .

Loading map...

Drive Character

Expect a 2h 56m drive with frequent turns across 159.9 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 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 148 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in.

Route Complexity 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 159.9 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 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6 miles (I 79 / Senator Jennings Randolph Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 10 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

7
1 mi into trip | ~1m in

Take the ramp toward I 64 East: Charleston

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes. Toward I 64 East: Charleston
5
4.1 mi into trip | ~5m 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
5
6 mi into trip | ~8m in | I 79 / Senator Jennings Randolph Highway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 79 / Senator Jennings Randolph Highway toward I 79 North: Clarksburg

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Toward I 79 North: Clarksburg
4
154 mi into trip | ~2h 47m in

Take the exit toward I 68 East: Cumberland

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward I 68 East: Cumberland
5
159.8 mi into trip | ~2h 56m in | Buckhannon Avenue

Turn right onto Buckhannon Avenue

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway 148 mi 2h 38m
I 68 4 mi 4m
I 64 2.8 mi 3m
I 77 1.5 mi 1m
Brookhaven Road 1 mi 2m
MacCorkle Avenue Southwest 0.7 mi 1m
Montrose Drive 0.3 mi <1m
Earl Core Road 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Senator Jennings Randolph Highway — 148 mi, about 2h 38m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between South Charleston, WV and Brookhaven, WV.

1

Start on US 60

0.7 mi · 1 min · MacCorkle Avenue Southwest
2

Turn slight right

156 ft · 5 sec
3

Turn straight onto Montrose Drive

0.3 mi · 31 sec · Montrose Drive
4

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 38 sec
Toward I 64 East: Charleston Use the straight / left lanes.
5

Merge onto I 64

2.8 mi · 3 min · I 64
6

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 30 sec
Toward I 77 North, I 79: Parkersburg
7

Merge onto I 77

1.5 mi · 1 min · I 77
8

Keep slight right at fork onto I 79

148 mi · 2 hr 38 min · Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
Toward I 79 North: Clarksburg
9

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 43 sec
Toward I 68 East: Cumberland
10

Continue on I 68

4.0 mi · 4 min · I 68
11

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 2 min
Toward WV-7: Sabraton
12

Turn left onto WV 7

0.1 mi · 21 sec · Earl Core Road
13

Turn left onto Brookhaven Road

0.8 mi · 1 min · Brookhaven Road
14

Continue on CR 7/22

0.2 mi · 24 sec · Brookhaven Road
15

Turn right onto Buckhannon Avenue

107 ft · 4 sec · Buckhannon Avenue
16

Arrive at destination

Buckhannon Avenue

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.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 79.9 miles from South Charleston, WV, or about 1h 27m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 148 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 80 miles or 1h 27m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 79.9 miles or 1h 27m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 2h 22m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving South Charleston, WV so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from South Charleston, WV

This is one driving day of about 159.9 miles and 2h 56m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from South Charleston, WV.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway for about 148 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 79.9 mi from South Charleston, WV · 1h 27m into the drive

Downtown Newtown, PA, PA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Newtown, PA

80 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

Newtown, PA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Newtown, PA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 79.9 miles from South Charleston, WV, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before Senator Jennings Randolph Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 148 miles.

Arriving in Brookhaven, WV

The final approach into Brookhaven, WV usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Brookhaven, WV.

After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Gauley River National Recreation Area

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 ~66 min detour Free near mile 38.6
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$25.00 one way

$50.01 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 56 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $27.34 $54.68
premium $4.70 $29.59 $59.19
diesel $5.61 $35.30 $70.61

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$25

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$50–$75

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 55.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $17 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 48 0 $16.79 $7.68
Efficient EV 40 0 $13.99 $6.40
EV Truck/SUV 64 0 $22.39 $10.23

Gas CO2

56 kg

EV CO2

19 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 data refreshed 32 seconds from now

Origin

South Charleston, WV

Evening in South Charleston on Tuesday

Local time

8:52 PM

EDT

Current temp

70°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Brookhaven, WV

Evening in Brookhaven on Tuesday

Local time

8:52 PM

EDT

Current temp

39°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

62°F

Newtown, PA

80 mi in

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

31 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 56m 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 South Charleston, WV to Brookhaven, WV covers 159.9 miles and takes about 2h 56m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Senator Jennings Randolph Highway, I 68, I 64. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 79.9 miles from South Charleston, WV. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $25.00 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.
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 159.9 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 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6 miles (I 79 / Senator Jennings Randolph Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
The route from South Charleston, WV to Brookhaven, WV does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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