Origin
Holly Ridge, NC
Late night in Holly Ridge on Saturday
Local time
3:44 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Holly Ridge, NC to Swansboro, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
57m
Distance
40.7 mi
66 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 53m
★
6 AM
0h 58m
8 AM
1h 7m
10 AM
1h 1m
12 PM
1h 0m
3 PM
1h 2m
5 PM
1h 7m
8 PM
0h 55m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Holly Ridge, NC
Budget Bizar
Swansboro, NC
Michael Ken
Trip Overview
The drive from Holly Ridge, NC to Swansboro, NC covers 40.7 miles and takes about 57m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Wilmington Highway, Freedom Way, Lejeune Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 19.1 miles on Wilmington Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.36 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 57m. Total distance: 40.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
57m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (10%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 57m drive with frequent turns across 40.7 miles of local and secondary roads.
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.
Wilmington Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 19.1 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 early in the drive near US 17 / Wilmington Highway.
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 57m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 17 / Wilmington Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 19.1 miles (US 17; I 97): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 19.8 miles (US 17; NC 24; I 97 / KIA/MIA/POW Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
3
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 17 / Wilmington Highway
Depart onto US 17 / Wilmington Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
3
19.1 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
US 17; I 97
Take the exit onto US 17; I 97
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
3
19.8 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
US 17; NC 24; I 97 / KIA/MIA/POW Freeway
Merge onto US 17; NC 24; I 97 / KIA/MIA/POW Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining
4
22.8 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
NC 24; NC 53; I 397 / Ronald W. Reagan Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto NC 24; NC 53; I 397 / Ronald W. Reagan Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
40.7 mi into trip
|
~57m in
|
South Water Street
Turn right onto South Water Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Wilmington Highway | 19.1 mi | 26m |
| Freedom Way | 9.3 mi | 11m |
| Lejeune Boulevard | 5.2 mi | 7m |
| West Corbett Avenue | 2.7 mi | 5m |
| Ronald W. Reagan Freeway | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| KIA/MIA/POW Freeway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| US 17 | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Louis W. Sewell, Jr. Bridge | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Wilmington Highway
— 19.1 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Holly Ridge, NC and Swansboro, NC.
1
Start on US 17
19 mi
·
26 min
·
Wilmington Highway
Use the straight lane.
2
Take the exit onto US 17; I 97
0.6 mi
·
53 sec
·
US 17; I 97
3
Merge onto US 17; NC 24; I 97
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
KIA/MIA/POW Freeway
4
Continue on US 17; NC 24; I 97
0.4 mi
·
28 sec
·
Louis W. Sewell, Jr. Bridge
5
Continue on US 17; NC 24; I 97
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Ronald W. Reagan Freeway
6
Keep slight right at fork onto NC 24; NC 53; I 397
0.6 mi
·
48 sec
·
Ronald W. Reagan Freeway
7
Merge onto NC 24; NC 53
5.2 mi
·
7 min
·
Lejeune Boulevard
8
Continue on NC 24
9.3 mi
·
11 min
·
Freedom Way
9
Continue on NC 24
2.7 mi
·
5 min
·
West Corbett Avenue
Use the straight lane.
10
Turn slight right onto Main Street
0.1 mi
·
35 sec
·
Main Street
11
Turn right onto South Water Street
38 ft
·
1 sec
·
South Water Street
12
Arrive at destination
South Water Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 20.4 mi from Holly Ridge, NC · 28m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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 40.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.4 miles from Holly Ridge, NC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Swansboro, NC
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Swansboro, NC if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.36 one way
$12.73 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $6.96 | $13.92 |
| premium | $4.70 | $7.53 | $15.07 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.99 | $17.97 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.27 | $1.95 |
| Efficient EV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.56 | $1.63 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.3 | 0 | $5.70 | $2.60 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Swansboro, NC
Late night in Swansboro on Saturday
Local time
3:44 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
73°F
Jacksonville, NC
20 mi in
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
21 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
57m 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 Holly Ridge, NC to Swansboro, NC covers 40.7 miles and takes about 57m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Wilmington Highway, Freedom Way, Lejeune Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 20.4 miles from Holly Ridge, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.36 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 57m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 17 / Wilmington Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 19.1 miles (US 17; I 97): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 19.8 miles (US 17; NC 24; I 97 / KIA/MIA/POW Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining.
The route from Holly Ridge, NC to Swansboro, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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