The drive from Fayetteville, NC to Sunset Beach, NC covers 104.1 miles and takes about 2h 30m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 95 Business, New Britton Highway East, Andrew Jackson Highway for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 27.5 miles on I 95 Business.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $16.28 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.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
52 miles from Fayetteville, NC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 5m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 30m. Total distance: 104.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 2h 30m drive with frequent turns across 104.1 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 31 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 95 Business is the longest continuous segment at about 27.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Gillespie Street.
Driving Effort7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 15 significant decision points across 104.1 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Gillespie Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.1 miles (I 95 Business; US 301): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|Gillespie Street
Right onto Gillespie Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
3.1 mi into trip|~4m in|I 95 Business; US 301
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95 Business; US 301
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
30.6 mi into trip|~36m in
Take the exit toward Carthage Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Carthage Road
5
32.2 mi into trip|~39m in|North Water Street
Enter roundabout onto North Water Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
64.3 mi into trip|~1h 19m in|US 701 Bypass / Powell Boulevard
Keep slight right at fork onto US 701 Bypass / Powell Boulevard
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 95 Business
27.5 mi
31m
New Britton Highway East
17 mi
29m
Andrew Jackson Highway
17 mi
18m
American Indian Highway
10.6 mi
12m
Longwood Road Northwest
8.9 mi
18m
Seaside Road Southwest
3.6 mi
5m
Martin Luther King Jr Drive
3.5 mi
7m
Whiteville Road Northwest
3.2 mi
4m
Longest stretch:
I 95 Business
— 27.5 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fayetteville, NC and Sunset Beach, NC.
1
Start on Market Square
164 ft·4 sec·Market Square
2
Continue on Gillespie Street
2.4 mi·3 min·Gillespie Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Merge onto I 95 Business; US 301
483 ft·9 sec·South Eastern Boulevard
4
Continue on I 95 Business; US 301
0.5 mi·39 sec·Gillespie Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95 Business; US 301
27 mi·31 min·I 95 Business; US 301
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi·29 sec
Toward Carthage Road
7
Turn sharp left onto West Carthage Road
1.2 mi·2 min·West Carthage Road
8
Continue on North Water Street
0.2 mi·22 sec·North Water Street
9
Enter roundabout onto North Water Street
48 ft·0 sec·North Water Street
10
Continue on North Water Street
422 ft·11 sec·North Water Street
11
Turn right onto West 5th Street
0.2 mi·27 sec·West 5th Street
12
Turn left onto Apple Street
0.1 mi·15 sec·Apple Street
13
Continue on NC 41
3.5 mi·7 min·Martin Luther King Jr Drive
14
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·43 sec
15
Merge onto US 74
11 mi·12 min·American Indian Highway
16
Continue on US 74; NC 130
17 mi·18 min·Andrew Jackson Highway
17
Take the exit
0.3 mi·37 sec
18
Keep slight right at fork onto US 701 Bypass
1.2 mi·2 min·Powell Boulevard
Use the straight / left lanes.
19
Continue on US 701 Bypass; NC 130
0.2 mi·15 sec·Jk Powell Boulevard
20
Continue on US 701 Bypass; NC 130
0.5 mi·51 sec·Powell Boulevard
21
Continue on US 701 Bypass; NC 130
1.4 mi·2 min·South J K Powell Boulevard
22
Turn left onto NC 130
0.3 mi·33 sec·West Love Mill Road
23
Turn straight onto NC 130
1.5 mi·2 min·Vinson Boulevard
24
Continue on NC 130
17 mi·29 min·New Britton Highway East
25
Continue on NC 130
3.2 mi·4 min·Whiteville Road Northwest
26
Turn slight right onto Longwood Road Northwest
8.9 mi·18 min·Longwood Road Northwest
27
Continue on NC 904
3.6 mi·5 min·Seaside Road Southwest
28
Turn right onto NC 179 Business
1.7 mi·3 min·Sunset Boulevard North
29
Enter roundabout onto Sunset Boulevard South
31 ft·0 sec·Sunset Boulevard South
30
Continue on Sunset Boulevard South
0.4 mi·46 sec·Sunset Boulevard South
31
Arrive at destination
Sunset Boulevard South
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.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 52 miles from Fayetteville, NC, or about 1h 5m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 27.5 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 23 miles or 27m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 52 miles or 1h 5m 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 56m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Sunset Beach, NC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Fayetteville, 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 Fayetteville, NC
This is one driving day of about 104.1 miles and 2h 30m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 23 miles from Fayetteville, 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 I 95 Business for about 27.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 52 mi from Fayetteville, NC
· 1h 5m into the drive
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $11 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
31.2
0
$10.93
$5.00
Efficient EV
26
0
$9.11
$4.16
EV Truck/SUV
41.6
0
$14.57
$6.66
Gas CO2
36 kg
EV CO2
12 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 18, 2026
Origin
Fayetteville, NC
Morning
in Fayetteville on Saturday
Local time
6:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Sunset Beach, NC
Morning
in Sunset Beach on Saturday
Local time
6:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Partly Cloudy
SW 1 mph0% chanceLive forecast
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
13 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
2h 30m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Fayetteville, NC to Sunset Beach, NC covers 104.1 miles and takes about 2h 30m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 95 Business, New Britton Highway East, Andrew Jackson Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 52 miles from Fayetteville, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $16.28 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.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a demanding drive. With 15 significant decision points across 104.1 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Gillespie Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.1 miles (I 95 Business; US 301): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
The route from Fayetteville, NC to Sunset Beach, 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, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
