Origin
Carthage, NC
Evening in Carthage on Friday
Local time
7:34 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Carthage, NC to Raleigh, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 13m
Distance
58.3 mi
94 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 8m
★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 25m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 10m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Carthage, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Raleigh, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Carthage, NC to Raleigh, NC is 58.3 miles and takes about 1h 13m via Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway and US 15, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within North Carolina, moving from the Southeast region to another part of the Southeast. Expect a local feel with plenty of turns, rather than a straightforward highway journey. It's a short enough trip that you can easily complete it within a single day, making it convenient for a quick transfer or visit.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 13m. Total distance: 58.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (18%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
This route is characterized as a "turn-heavy local drive," meaning you'll be navigating numerous intersections and changes in direction. With only an 18% highway share, much of your time will be spent on roads that require more active attention. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 24.9 miles on Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway, offering a brief period of more consistent driving before more turns appear. The road's personality shifts between these slightly longer segments and frequent local road transitions.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 24.9 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 0.1 miles in near NC 22; NC 24; NC 27 / Monroe Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 13m 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 0.1 miles (NC 22; NC 24; NC 27 / Monroe Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.8 miles (US 1; US 15; US 501 / Jefferson Davis Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 54 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
3
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
NC 22; NC 24; NC 27 / Monroe Street
Right onto NC 22; NC 24; NC 27 / Monroe Street
Navigation decision point
4
11.8 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
US 1; US 15; US 501 / Jefferson Davis Highway
Turn left onto US 1; US 15; US 501 / Jefferson Davis Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
54 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
Take the exit toward Western Boulevard: NC State Univ, Cary
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Western Boulevard: NC State Univ, Cary
6
54.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 6m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Western Boulevard: NC State Univ, Cary
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Western Boulevard: NC State Univ, Cary
5
58.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
|
East South Street
Turn left onto East South Street
Navigation decision point
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Carthage, NC and Raleigh, NC, road signs point toward Western Boulevard: Nc State Univ and Cary.
Western Boulevard: Nc State Univ
54 mi in
|
~1h 5m
Cary
54 mi in
|
~1h 5m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway | 24.9 mi | 27m |
| Jefferson Davis Highway | 17.3 mi | 20m |
| US 15 | 10.3 mi | 14m |
| Western Boulevard | 3.1 mi | 5m |
| Monroe Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Wilmington Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Courthouse Square | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway
— 24.9 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Carthage, NC and Raleigh, NC.
1
Start on NC 22; NC 24; NC 27
473 ft
·
9 sec
·
Courthouse Square
2
Continue on NC 22; NC 24; NC 27
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Monroe Street
3
Continue on US 15; US 501; NC 24; NC 27
10 mi
·
14 min
·
US 15; US 501; NC 24; NC 27
4
Turn left onto US 1; US 15; US 501
17 mi
·
20 min
·
Jefferson Davis Highway
Use the straight lane.
5
Continue on US 1
25 mi
·
27 min
·
Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward Western Boulevard: NC State Univ, Cary
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight right at fork
446 ft
·
9 sec
Toward Western Boulevard: NC State Univ, Cary
8
Turn straight onto Western Boulevard
3.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Western Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
9
Continue on Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
10
Turn left onto South Wilmington Street
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
·
South Wilmington Street
11
Turn left onto East South Street
24 ft
·
0 sec
·
East South Street
12
Arrive at destination
East South Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 29.1 mi from Carthage, NC · 38m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 29.1 miles from Carthage, NC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Raleigh, NC
The final approach into Raleigh, NC usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.12 one way
$18.23 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $9.97 | $19.94 |
| premium | $4.70 | $10.79 | $21.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.87 | $25.74 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.5 | 0 | $6.12 | $2.80 |
| Efficient EV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.10 | $2.33 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.3 | 0 | $8.16 | $3.73 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Raleigh, NC
Evening in Raleigh on Friday
Local time
7:34 PM
EDT
Current temp
51°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
2 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 13m 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 Carthage, NC to Raleigh, NC covers 58.3 miles and takes about 1h 13m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway, Jefferson Davis Highway, US 15. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 29.1 miles from Carthage, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $9.12 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 1h 13m 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 0.1 miles (NC 22; NC 24; NC 27 / Monroe Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.8 miles (US 1; US 15; US 501 / Jefferson Davis Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 54 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Carthage, NC and Raleigh, NC, road signs point toward Western Boulevard: Nc State Univ and Cary.
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 Raleigh, NC
More from Carthage, NC
More trips to Raleigh, NC
Explore more options from Carthage, NC or browse trips ending in Raleigh, NC.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NC road trips.