Origin
Union, NC
Morning in Union on Saturday
Local time
10:35 AM
EDT
Current temp
83°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Union, NC to Forest City, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
19m
Distance
9.3 mi
15 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 18m
★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 23m
10 AM
0h 21m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 21m
5 PM
0h 23m
8 PM
0h 19m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Union, NC
Clip It Comunicación
Forest City, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Union, NC to Forest City, NC covers 9.3 miles and takes about 19m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 74A, Coxe Road, Thunder Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 2.8 miles on US 74A. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.45 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 19m. Total distance: 9.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
19m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (31%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile.
Drive Character
The drive from Union, NC to Forest City, NC covers 9.3 miles and takes about 19m, 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 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 74A is the longest continuous segment at about 2.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Baber Road.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 19m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Baber Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 0.8 miles (Coxe Road): Navigation decision point; at 4.8 miles (US 74A; US 221 Truck): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Baber Road
Turn sharp right onto Baber Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
4
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Coxe Road
Turn left onto Coxe Road
Navigation decision point
5
4.8 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
US 74A; US 221 Truck
Turn right onto US 74A; US 221 Truck
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
8.9 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
South Church Street
Turn left onto South Church Street
Navigation decision point
6
9.1 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
US 74 Business; US 221A / West Main Street
At end of road, turn right onto US 74 Business; US 221A / West Main Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 74A | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| Coxe Road | 2.3 mi | 5m |
| Thunder Road | 1.7 mi | 4m |
| Oak Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Baber Road | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| South Church Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Cherry Mountain Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 74A
— 2.8 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Union, NC and Forest City, NC.
1
Start on Union Road
59 ft
·
8 sec
·
Union Road
2
Turn sharp right onto Baber Road
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Baber Road
3
Turn left onto Coxe Road
2.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Coxe Road
4
Continue on Thunder Road
1.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Thunder Road
5
Turn right onto US 74A; US 221 Truck
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
US 74A; US 221 Truck
Use the left / straight lanes.
6
Turn left onto Oak Street
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Oak Street
7
Turn left onto South Church Street
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
South Church Street
8
At end of road, turn right onto US 74 Business; US 221A
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
West Main Street
9
Turn left onto Cherry Mountain Street
121 ft
·
6 sec
·
Cherry Mountain Street
10
Arrive at destination
Cherry Mountain Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.45 one way
$2.91 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $1.59 | $3.18 |
| premium | $4.70 | $1.72 | $3.44 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.05 | $4.11 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.8 | 0 | $0.98 | $0.45 |
| Efficient EV | 2.3 | 0 | $0.81 | $0.37 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.30 | $0.60 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (67% 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
Forest City, NC
Morning in Forest City on Saturday
Local time
10:35 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
37 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
19m 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 Union, NC to Forest City, NC covers 9.3 miles and takes about 19m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 74A, Coxe Road, Thunder Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 4.6 miles from Union, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.45 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 19m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Baber Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 0.8 miles (Coxe Road): Navigation decision point; at 4.8 miles (US 74A; US 221 Truck): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Union, NC to Forest City, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Forest City, NC
More trips to Forest City, NC
Explore more options from Union, NC or browse trips ending in Forest City, NC.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NC road trips.