Origin
Kirkland, NC
Evening in Kirkland on Friday
Local time
8:56 PM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Kirkland, NC to Carolina Beach, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
21.3 mi
34 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kirkland, NC
Mark Stebnicki
Carolina Beach, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Kirkland, NC to Carolina Beach, NC covers 21.3 miles and takes about 37m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on South College Road, Market Street, Carolina Beach Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 7.2 miles on South College Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.33 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 37m. Total distance: 21.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 37m drive with frequent turns across 21.3 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 9 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
South College Road is the longest continuous segment at about 7.2 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
51 ft
3 ft
Total Climb
50 ft
Total Descent
94 ft
Highest Point
51 ft
Elevation Range
48 ft
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Porters Neck Road.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Kirkland, NC to Carolina Beach, NC is easy. At 37m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Porters Neck Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 17 / Market Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles: Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 5 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Porters Neck Road
Turn right onto Porters Neck Road
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 17 / Market Street
Turn left onto US 17 / Market Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
6.3 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
5
6.7 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
US 117; NC 132 / South College Road
Merge onto US 117; NC 132 / South College Road
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
21.3 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South College Road | 7.2 mi | 12m |
| Market Street | 6.2 mi | 10m |
| Carolina Beach Road | 6.1 mi | 9m |
| North Lake Park Boulevard | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| Porters Neck Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South College Road
— 7.2 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Kirkland, NC and Carolina Beach, NC.
1
Start on this road
150 ft
·
12 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Porters Neck Road
348 ft
·
11 sec
·
Porters Neck Road
3
Turn left onto US 17
6.2 mi
·
10 min
·
Market Street
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
5
Merge onto US 117; NC 132
7.2 mi
·
12 min
·
South College Road
Use the straight lane.
6
Continue on NC 132
6.1 mi
·
9 min
·
Carolina Beach Road
7
Continue on US 421
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
North Lake Park Boulevard
8
Turn left
47 ft
·
3 sec
9
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.33 one way
$6.66 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.64 | $7.28 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.94 | $7.88 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.70 | $9.41 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.24 | $1.02 |
| Efficient EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.86 | $0.85 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.98 | $1.36 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Carolina Beach, NC
Evening in Carolina Beach on Friday
Local time
8:56 PM
EDT
Current temp
56°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
8 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
37m 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 Kirkland, NC to Carolina Beach, NC covers 21.3 miles and takes about 37m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are South College Road, Market Street, Carolina Beach Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.7 miles from Kirkland, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.33 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.
The drive from Kirkland, NC to Carolina Beach, NC is easy. At 37m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Porters Neck Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 17 / Market Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles: Navigation decision point.
The route from Kirkland, NC to Carolina Beach, NC does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 3 ft to 51 ft elevation with about 50 ft of total climbing.
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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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