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Trip from Union, NC to Ellenboro, NC

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

Drive Time

25m

Distance

18.3 mi

30 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 23m ★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 24m

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

Downtown Union, NC, NC

Union, NC

Clip It Comunicación

Trip Overview

The drive from Union, NC to Ellenboro, NC covers 18.3 miles and takes about 25m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on James A. Callahan Highway, Lieutenant Governor Walter H Dalton Highway, Union Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8.2 miles on James A. Callahan Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.86 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 25m. Total distance: 18.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

25m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 25m drive with frequent turns across 18.3 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
James A. Callahan Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 8.2 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 2.4 miles in.

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 25m 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: at 2.4 miles: Navigation decision point; at 15.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.1 miles (Ellenboro Henrietta Road): Navigation decision point.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 7 key points

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

4
2.4 mi into trip | ~5m in

Take the ramp

Navigation decision point

5
15.9 mi into trip | ~20m in

Take the exit toward Henrietta, Caroleen, Ellenboro

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward Henrietta, Caroleen, Ellenboro
4
16.1 mi into trip | ~21m in | Ellenboro Henrietta Road

Turn left onto Ellenboro Henrietta Road

Navigation decision point

4
17.8 mi into trip | ~24m in | Henrietta Street

At end of road, turn right onto Henrietta Street

Navigation decision point

6
18.1 mi into trip | ~25m in | US 74 Business / Main Street

At end of road, turn left onto US 74 Business / Main Street

Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Union, NC and Ellenboro, NC, road signs point toward Henrietta and Caroleen.

Henrietta

15.9 mi in | ~20m

Caroleen

15.9 mi in | ~20m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
James A. Callahan Highway 8.2 mi 8m
Lieutenant Governor Walter H Dalton Highway 5 mi 5m
Union Road 2.4 mi 5m
Ellenboro Henrietta Road 1.7 mi 3m
Henrietta Street 0.3 mi <1m
Main Street 0.2 mi <1m
North Glenn Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: James A. Callahan Highway — 8.2 mi, about 8m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Union, NC and Ellenboro, NC.

1

Start on Union Road

2.4 mi · 5 min · Union Road
2

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 48 sec
3

Merge onto US 74

5.0 mi · 5 min · Lieutenant Governor Walter H Dalton Highway
4

Continue on US 74

8.2 mi · 8 min · James A. Callahan Highway
5

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 32 sec
Toward Henrietta, Caroleen, Ellenboro
6

Turn left onto Ellenboro Henrietta Road

1.7 mi · 3 min · Ellenboro Henrietta Road
7

At end of road, turn right onto Henrietta Street

0.3 mi · 45 sec · Henrietta Street
8

At end of road, turn left onto US 74 Business

0.2 mi · 27 sec · Main Street
9

Turn right onto North Glenn Street

73 ft · 3 sec · North Glenn Street
10

Arrive at destination

North Glenn Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.86 one way

$5.72 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $3.13 $6.26
premium $4.70 $3.39 $6.77
diesel $5.61 $4.04 $8.08

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.5 0 $1.92 $0.88
Efficient EV 4.6 0 $1.60 $0.73
EV Truck/SUV 7.3 0 $2.56 $1.17

Gas CO2

6 kg

EV CO2

2 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.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Union, NC

Morning in Union on Saturday

Local time

11:38 AM

EDT

Current temp

83°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Ellenboro, NC

Morning in Ellenboro on Saturday

Local time

11:38 AM

EDT

Current temp

83°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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

25m 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 Ellenboro, NC covers 18.3 miles and takes about 25m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are James A. Callahan Highway, Lieutenant Governor Walter H Dalton Highway, Union Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 9.2 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 $2.86 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 25m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The main spots that need attention: at 2.4 miles: Navigation decision point; at 15.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.1 miles (Ellenboro Henrietta Road): Navigation decision point.

Between Union, NC and Ellenboro, NC, road signs point toward Henrietta and Caroleen.

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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