Trip from Pumpkin Center, NC to North Topsail Beach, NC

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

34m

Distance

29.2 mi

47 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min

4 AM

0h 32m ★

6 AM

0h 35m

8 AM

0h 41m

10 AM

0h 37m

12 PM

0h 36m

3 PM

0h 37m

5 PM

0h 41m

8 PM

0h 33m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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Trip Overview

The drive from Pumpkin Center, NC to North Topsail Beach, NC covers 29.2 miles and takes about 34m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on New Bern Highway, North Marine Boulevard, Wilmington Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.57 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 34m. Total distance: 29.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

34m 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 34m drive with frequent turns across 29.2 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.

There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

New Bern Highway is one of the defining roads on this drive.

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.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Pumpkin Center, NC to North Topsail Beach, NC is easy. At 34m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Pumpkin Center, NC to North Topsail Beach, NC is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
New Bern Highway	—	—
North Marine Boulevard	—	—
Wilmington Highway	—	—
Rifle Range Road	—	—
Dixon-Sneads Ferry Road	—	—
Highway 210	—	—
Hwy 210	—	—

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: New Bern Highway — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Pumpkin Center, NC and North Topsail Beach, NC.

1

Start on the route

46 ft · 4 sec · the route

2

Turn right onto New Bern Highway

0.1 mi · 10 sec · New Bern Highway

3

Take the exit slight left

0.1 mi · 23 sec

4

Turn sharp left onto New Bern Highway

0.7 mi · 1 min · New Bern Highway

5

Continue on North Marine Boulevard

0.8 mi · 1 min · North Marine Boulevard

6

Keep slight right to continue on North Marine Boulevard

0.4 mi · 41 sec · North Marine Boulevard

7

Continue on North Marine Boulevard

3.7 mi · 6 min · North Marine Boulevard

8

Keep slight left to continue on Wilmington Highway

12 mi · 17 min · Wilmington Highway

9

Turn left onto Rifle Range Road

167 ft · 5 sec · Rifle Range Road

10

Continue on Dixon-Sneads Ferry Road

3.1 mi · 4 min · Dixon-Sneads Ferry Road

11

Continue on NC Highway 210

0.9 mi · 1 min · NC Highway 210

12

Continue on Hwy 210

1.7 mi · 2 min · Hwy 210

13

Continue on Rifle Range Road

2.7 mi · 3 min · Rifle Range Road

14

Arrive at your destination

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.57 one way

$9.13 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.34	$4.99	$9.99
premium	$4.70	$5.40	$10.81
diesel	$5.61	$6.45	$12.89

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	8.8	$3.07	$1.40
Efficient EV	7.3	$2.55	$1.17
EV Truck/SUV	11.7	$4.09	$1.87

Gas CO2

10 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (70% 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

Pumpkin Center, NC

Evening in Pumpkin Center on Thursday

Local time

5:28 PM

EDT

Current temp

49°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

North Topsail Beach, NC

Evening in North Topsail Beach on Thursday

Local time

5:28 PM

EDT

Current temp

66°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

17 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

34m 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 Pumpkin Center, NC to North Topsail Beach, NC covers 29.2 miles and takes about 34m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are New Bern Highway, North Marine Boulevard, Wilmington Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 14.6 miles from Pumpkin Center, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.57 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 Pumpkin Center, NC to North Topsail Beach, NC is easy. At 34m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Pumpkin Center, NC to North Topsail Beach, NC is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Pumpkin Center, NC to North Topsail Beach, NC does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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Explore more options from Pumpkin Center, NC or browse trips ending in North Topsail Beach, NC.

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