The drive from Apex, NC to Kinston, NC covers 88.8 miles and takes about 1h 49m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 70, Goldsboro Bypass, Triangle Expressway for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mixed drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 21.2 miles on US 70.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $13.89 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.
Midpoint
44.4 miles from Apex, NC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 55m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 49m. Total distance: 88.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (58%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Apex, NC to Kinston, NC covers 88.8 miles and takes about 1h 49m, 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.
US 70 is the longest continuous segment at about 21.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near NC 55 / East Williams Street.
Driving Effort9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 88.8 miles you will encounter 11 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 0.4 miles (NC 55 / East Williams Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.4 mi into trip|~1m in|NC 55 / East Williams Street
Turn left onto NC 55 / East Williams Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
3.6 mi into trip|~7m in
Take the exit toward NC 540 Toll East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward NC 540 Toll East
5
20.9 mi into trip|~26m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 42 East: Smithfield
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 42 East: Smithfield
6
37.6 mi into trip|~46m in|US 70 BYP
Keep slight left at fork onto US 70 BYP
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
88.7 mi into trip|~1h 48m in|Walls Street
Turn left onto Walls Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 70
21.2 mi
25m
Goldsboro Bypass
19.8 mi
21m
Triangle Expressway
16.4 mi
17m
US 70 BYP
14.3 mi
19m
Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway
8.7 mi
9m
East Williams Street
3.1 mi
5m
West Vernon Avenue
3 mi
4m
North Salem Street
0.4 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
US 70
— 21.2 mi, about 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Apex, NC and Kinston, NC.
1
Start on North Salem Street
0.4 mi·1 min·North Salem Street
2
Turn left onto NC 55
3.1 mi·5 min·East Williams Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward NC 540 Toll EastUse the left lane.
4
Merge onto NC 540 Toll
16 mi·17 min·Triangle Expressway
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi·40 sec
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward I 42 East: Smithfield
7
Merge onto I 42
8.7 mi·9 min·Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway
8
Continue on US 70
7.6 mi·9 min·US 70
9
Keep slight left at fork onto US 70 BYP
14 mi·19 min·US 70 BYP
Use the straight lane.
10
Continue on US 70
2.0 mi·2 min·US 70
Use the right lane.
11
Continue on I 42
20 mi·21 min·Goldsboro Bypass
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Continue on US 70
11 mi·13 min·US 70
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on US 70 Business; US 258 Business
3.0 mi·4 min·West Vernon Avenue
14
Turn right onto US 70 Business; US 258 Business; NC 58
0.3 mi·40 sec·North Queen Street
15
Turn right onto West Blount Street
264 ft·16 sec·West Blount Street
16
Turn left onto Walls Street
315 ft·19 sec·Walls Street
17
Turn left
102 ft·7 sec
18
Arrive at destination
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.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 44.4 miles from Apex, NC, or about 55m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 21.2 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 20 miles or 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 44.4 miles or 55m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 31m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Kinston, NC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Apex, NC so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Apex, NC
This is one driving day of about 88.8 miles and 1h 49m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 20 miles from Apex, NC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on US 70 for about 21.2 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
26.6
0
$9.32
$4.26
Efficient EV
22.2
0
$7.77
$3.55
EV Truck/SUV
35.5
0
$12.43
$5.68
Gas CO2
31 kg
EV CO2
10 kg (68% 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
Apex, NC
Late night
in Apex on Friday
Local time
5:22 AM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Kinston, NC
Late night
in Kinston on Friday
Local time
5:22 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
49°F
Pine Level, NC
44 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
25 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
1h 49m 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 Apex, NC to Kinston, NC covers 88.8 miles and takes about 1h 49m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 70, Goldsboro Bypass, Triangle Expressway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 44.4 miles from Apex, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $13.89 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 88.8 miles you will encounter 11 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 0.4 miles (NC 55 / East Williams Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
The route from Apex, NC to Kinston, NC does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from
OSRM
over
OpenStreetMap.
Fuel cost uses
EIA
weekly regional averages.
EV charging comes from the
NREL Alternative Fuels
dataset.
National park proximity is from the
NPS API.
Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our
methodology page
documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
