Origin
High Point, NC
Afternoon in High Point on Saturday
Local time
3:01 PM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from High Point, NC to Cape Carteret, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 39m
Distance
228.6 mi
368 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$36
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
4h 27m
★
6 AM
4h 40m
8 AM
5h 7m
10 AM
4h 49m
12 PM
4h 47m
3 PM
4h 51m
5 PM
5h 6m
8 PM
4h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cape Carteret, NC
Beth Fitzpatrick
Trip Overview
The drive from High Point, NC to Cape Carteret, NC covers 228.6 miles and takes about 4h 39m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 421, US 421 South, US 64 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $35.75 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
114.3 miles from High Point, NC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 19m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 421 | — | — |
| US 421 South | — | — |
| US 64 | — | — |
| NC 540 | — | — |
| Triangle Expressway | — | — |
| I 42 East | — | — |
| Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway | — | — |
| Goldsboro Bypass | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
US 421
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between High Point, NC and Cape Carteret, NC.
1
Start on South Main Street
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
South Main Street
2
Take the ramp left
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
3
Merge slight left
8.5 mi
·
9 min
4
Keep slight left
5.7 mi
·
6 min
5
Take the exit slight right toward US 421: Sanford
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
US 421: Sanford
6
Keep slight right to continue on US 421 South: Sanford
26 mi
·
32 min
·
US 421 South: Sanford
7
Take the exit slight right toward US 64: Siler City, Pittsboro
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
US 64: Siler City, Pittsboro
8
Turn left
11 mi
·
15 min
9
Keep slight left
21 mi
·
27 min
10
Take the exit slight right toward NC 540 Toll South
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
NC 540 Toll South
11
Merge slight left onto Triangle Expressway
22 mi
·
23 min
·
Triangle Expressway
12
Keep slight left
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
13
Keep slight right to continue on I 42 East: Smithfield
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
I 42 East: Smithfield
14
Merge slight left onto Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway
8.7 mi
·
9 min
·
Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway
15
Continue straight
7.6 mi
·
9 min
16
Keep slight left
14 mi
·
19 min
17
Continue straight
2.0 mi
·
2 min
18
Continue on Goldsboro Bypass
20 mi
·
21 min
·
Goldsboro Bypass
19
Continue straight
11 mi
·
13 min
20
Turn straight onto West New Bern Road
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
West New Bern Road
21
Continue on East New Bern Road
27 mi
·
29 min
·
East New Bern Road
22
Take the exit slight right
0.5 mi
·
49 sec
23
Merge slight left
16 mi
·
17 min
24
Take the exit slight left toward US 17 Business South, NC 58 South: Maysville, Emerald Isle
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
US 17 Business South, NC 58 South: Maysville, Emerald Isle
25
Turn left onto Eighth Street
18 mi
·
26 min
·
Eighth Street
26
Turn left onto WB McLean Drive
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
WB McLean Drive
27
Arrive at your destination
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 114.3 miles from High Point, NC, or about 2h 19m into the drive.
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 50 miles or 1h 1m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 114.3 miles or 2h 19m 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 49m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Cape Carteret, NC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving High Point, 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 High Point, NC
This is one driving day of about 228.6 miles and 4h 39m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 50 miles from High Point, 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.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
114 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 50 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 114.3 miles from High Point, NC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$35.75 one way
$71.50 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
80 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $39.09 | $78.17 |
| premium | $4.70 | $42.31 | $84.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $50.47 | $100.94 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$36
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$61–$86
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 80 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $24 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 68.6 | 0 | $24.00 | $10.97 |
| Efficient EV | 57.2 | 0 | $20.00 | $9.14 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 91.4 | 1 | $32.00 | $14.63 |
Gas CO2
80 kg
EV CO2
27 kg (66% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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
Cape Carteret, NC
Afternoon in Cape Carteret on Saturday
Local time
3:01 PM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
49°F
Pine Level, NC
114 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
1 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
4h 39m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
228.6 mi in 4h 39m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: US 421.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 39m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from High Point, NC to Cape Carteret, NC is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
About the Cities
Starting in High Point, NC
Full guide →High Point is part of the Piedmont Triad in North Carolina, along with Greensboro and Winston-Salem. High Point is often referred to as the furniture capital of the world due not only to the large number of furniture manufactures in the area, but also because of the International Home Furnishings Markets held each spring and fall. Over 8 million square feet of showroom space is used to draw over 70,000 people from all over the world to each market. This nearly doubles the population of High Point resulting in an economic boom to the entire Triad Area as hotel and motel rooms sell out and many residents rent out rooms, floors, or even their entire home for all or part of the 7 to 10 days during the market period.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 39m. Total distance: 228.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from High Point, NC to Cape Carteret, NC is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Possible but tiring. At 4.7 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 9.3 hours — manageable with a long break at Cape Carteret, NC, but most travelers stay overnight.
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.
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