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How Long Does It Take To Drive 50 Miles?

Fifty miles is a weird sort of distance.

For some people, it’s a bit of a journey that takes pre-planning. For others, it’s the commute to work each day.

That’s because 50 miles can be either a long or a short drive, depending on where and when you’re doing the driving.

So, just how long does it take to drive 50 miles?

Well, are you cruising down the interstate at an off-time or taking back roads to work at rush hour?

How long does it take to drive 50 miles on U.S. interstates?

man steers a car

Speed limits on U.S. interstates are between 55 and 85 mph, with 55 mph being the speed limit in metro areas in many states and 85 mph being the outlier in Texas.

Most sections of the country’s interstates have speed limits between 70 and 75 mph.

  • At 70 mph, it takes 43 minutes to drive 50 miles.
  • At 75 mph, it takes 40 minutes to drive 50 miles.

How long does it take to drive 50 miles on U.S. highways?

Highways in the U.S. are a bit different than interstates.

They have more accessibility and more crossroads.

Due to this, they also have lower speed limits – 55 to 70 mph being typical (though, there are a few states with highway speeds up to 75 mph).

Highway speed limits may also vary within states, depending on how accessible the highway is.

Highways with limited access (those accessed by ramps or with few intersecting roads) typically have higher speed limits than those with multiple crossroads.

Highways with many crossroads and access to businesses and residences typically have lower speed limits.

This isn’t true of every state, but most states do follow this pattern.

On average, 55 or 65 mph is what you can expect to find on more accessible highways across the country.

  • At 55 mph, it takes 54 minutes and 30 seconds to drive 50 miles.
  • At 65 mph, it takes just over 46 minutes to drive 50 miles.

How Long It Takes To Drive 50 Miles Is Highly Variable

As illustrated above, how long it takes to drive 50 miles greatly depends on the type of road you’re on and the speed limit of that road.

And that’s not even getting into traffic or construction.

Driving 50 miles on an interstate with flowing traffic will take you less than an hour.

But driving 50 miles on city streets or back roads might take you closer to two.

So, the answer as to how long it takes to drive 50 miles is that there isn’t a solid answer. Drive time always depends on speed, traffic, and conditions.

But, for your reference, here’s a chart that shows how long it takes to drive 50 miles at common speed limits under continuously-moving conditions.

How Long To Drive 50 Miles
Speed LimitTime
252 hrs
351 hr 26 min
451 hr 7 min
5554 min 30 sec
6050 min
6546 min
7043 min
7540 min