The drive from Concord, NC to Oak Island, NC covers 205.3 miles and takes about 4h 19m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Andrew Jackson Highway, American Indian Highway, NC 211 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mixed drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 65.3 miles on Andrew Jackson Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $32.10 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
102.6 miles from Concord, NC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 14m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 19m. Total distance: 205.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 19m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Concord, NC to Oak Island, NC covers 205.3 miles and takes about 4h 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 26 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Andrew Jackson Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 65.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Corban Avenue Southwest.
Driving Effort6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 205.3 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 0.1 miles (Corban Avenue Southwest): Navigation decision point; at 13.3 miles (NC 24; NC 27): Lane positioning matters here; at 62.6 miles (US 74 / Andrew Jackson Highway): 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.
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Corban Avenue Southwest
Turn left onto Corban Avenue Southwest
Navigation decision point
6
13.3 mi into trip|~17m in|NC 24; NC 27
Turn left onto NC 24; NC 27
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
62.6 mi into trip|~1h 29m in|US 74 / Andrew Jackson Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto US 74 / Andrew Jackson Highway toward US 74 East: Lumberton
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward US 74 East: Lumberton
6
88.2 mi into trip|~1h 58m in|US 74 / Andrew Jackson Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto US 74 / Andrew Jackson Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
200.9 mi into trip|~4h 12m in|NC 906 / Middleton Street
Turn right onto NC 906 / Middleton Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Andrew Jackson Highway
65.3 mi
1h 15m
American Indian Highway
33.6 mi
36m
NC 211
25.4 mi
34m
NC 742
22.3 mi
30m
G R Kindley Freeway
14.9 mi
16m
Warren C. Coleman Boulevard
9.6 mi
11m
Southport-Supply Road Southeast
9 mi
12m
NC 24
8.6 mi
13m
Longest stretch:
Andrew Jackson Highway
— 65.3 mi, about 1h 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Concord, NC and Oak Island, NC.
1
Start on Spring Street Southwest
0.1 mi·21 sec·Spring Street Southwest
2
Turn left onto Corban Avenue Southwest
0.2 mi·24 sec·Corban Avenue Southwest
3
Continue on NC 73
0.6 mi·1 min·Corban Avenue Southeast
Use the right lane.
4
Turn right onto NC 3
2.3 mi·3 min·Branchview Drive Southeast
5
Continue on NC 3
0.6 mi·51 sec·Union Street South
6
Turn slight left onto US 601; NC 73 Truck
9.6 mi·11 min·Warren C. Coleman Boulevard
7
Turn left onto NC 24; NC 27
8.6 mi·13 min·NC 24; NC 27
Use the straight lane.
8
Turn right onto NC 205
4.3 mi·7 min·NC 205
9
Continue on NC 742
22 mi·30 min·NC 742
10
Turn right onto US 52; NC 742
0.3 mi·39 sec·US 52; NC 742
11
Turn left onto US 52; US 74; NC 742
0.4 mi·26 sec·W. Cliff Martin Highway
12
Continue on US 52; US 74; NC 742
0.7 mi·1 min·Salisbury Street
13
Continue on US 52; US 74; NC 742
2.4 mi·4 min·West Caswell Street
14
Continue on US 74
10 mi·13 min·Andrew Jackson Highway
Use the straight lane.
15
Keep slight left at fork onto US 74
1.1 mi·1 min·Andrew Jackson Highway
Toward US 74 East: Lumberton
16
Continue on US 74
15 mi·16 min·G R Kindley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Continue on US 74
9.7 mi·11 min·Andrew Jackson Highway
18
Keep slight right at fork onto US 74
10 mi·10 min·Andrew Jackson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Continue on US 74
34 mi·36 min·American Indian Highway
20
Continue on US 74; NC 130
34 mi·38 min·Andrew Jackson Highway
21
Take the exit
0.4 mi·46 sec
22
Turn right onto NC 211
25 mi·34 min·NC 211
23
Continue on NC 211
9.0 mi·12 min·Southport-Supply Road Southeast
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
24
Turn right onto NC 906
4.1 mi·5 min·Middleton Street
Use the right lane.
25
Continue on NC 906
0.3 mi·34 sec·South Middleton Avenue
26
Arrive at destination
NC 906
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 102.6 miles from Concord, NC, or about 2h 14m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 65.3 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 45 miles or 1h 3m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 102.6 miles or 2h 14m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 27m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Oak Island, NC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Concord, NC so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Concord, NC
This is one driving day of about 205.3 miles and 4h 19m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 45 miles from Concord, NC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Andrew Jackson Highway for about 65.3 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 102.6 mi from Concord, NC
· 2h 14m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Moores Creek National Battlefield
National Battlefield
In the early morning hours of February 27, 1776, Loyalist forces charged across a partially dismantled Moores Creek Bridge. Beyond the bridge, nearly 1,000 North Carolina Patriots waited quietly with...
19 mi from route
~49 min detour
Free
near mile 169.9
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$32.10 one way
$64.21 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg72 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$35.10
$70.21
premium
$4.70
$38.00
$75.99
diesel
$5.61
$45.33
$90.66
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$32
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$57–$82
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 71.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $22 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
61.6
0
$21.56
$9.85
Efficient EV
51.3
0
$17.96
$8.21
EV Truck/SUV
82.1
1
$28.74
$13.14
Gas CO2
72 kg
EV CO2
24 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 15, 2026
Origin
Concord, NC
Morning
in Concord on Saturday
Local time
9:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Oak Island, NC
Morning
in Oak Island on Saturday
Local time
9:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
57°F
Rockingham, NC
103 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
32 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
4h 19m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Concord, NC to Oak Island, NC covers 205.3 miles and takes about 4h 19m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Andrew Jackson Highway, American Indian Highway, NC 211. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 102.6 miles from Concord, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $32.10 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 205.3 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 0.1 miles (Corban Avenue Southwest): Navigation decision point; at 13.3 miles (NC 24; NC 27): Lane positioning matters here; at 62.6 miles (US 74 / Andrew Jackson Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
The route from Concord, NC to Oak Island, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
