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Trip from Rockingham, NC to Wilmington, NC

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

2h 33m

Distance

126.9 mi

204 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$20

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 31 min
4 AM
2h 23m ★
6 AM
2h 34m
8 AM
2h 54m
10 AM
2h 41m
12 PM
2h 39m
3 PM
2h 42m
5 PM
2h 53m
8 PM
2h 28m

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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city in North Carolina, United States

Rockingham, NC

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Rockingham, NC to Wilmington, NC covers 126.9 miles and takes about 2h 33m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Andrew Jackson Highway, American Indian Highway, East Hamlet Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 70.1 miles on Andrew Jackson Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $19.84 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

63.4 miles from Rockingham, NC

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 15m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 33m. Total distance: 126.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

2h 33m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

Expect a 2h 33m drive with frequent turns across 126.9 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.
Andrew Jackson Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 70.1 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 1 / South Hancock Street.

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 2h 33m 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 1 / South Hancock Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (US 74 BUS / Broad Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6 miles (US 74 BUS / Raleigh Street): Navigation decision point.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 6 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 1 / South Hancock Street

Turn right onto US 1 / South Hancock Street

Navigation decision point

5
0.3 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 74 BUS / Broad Avenue

Turn left onto US 74 BUS / Broad Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
4
6 mi into trip | ~9m in | US 74 BUS / Raleigh Street

Turn left onto US 74 BUS / Raleigh Street

Navigation decision point

4
6 mi into trip | ~9m in | US 74 BUS / Spring Street

Turn right onto US 74 BUS / Spring Street

Navigation decision point

6
19.2 mi into trip | ~27m in | US 74 / Andrew Jackson Highway

Keep slight right at fork onto US 74 / Andrew Jackson Highway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Andrew Jackson Highway 70.1 mi 1h 24m
American Indian Highway 33.6 mi 36m
East Hamlet Avenue 12.8 mi 16m
Hamlet Avenue 3.5 mi 5m
Ocean Highway East 3.1 mi 4m
Broad Avenue 2.2 mi 3m
Cape Fear Memorial Bridge 0.8 mi 1m
Spring Street 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Andrew Jackson Highway — 70.1 mi, about 1h 24m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Rockingham, NC and Wilmington, NC.

1

Start on West Washington Street

79 ft · 6 sec · West Washington Street
2

Turn right onto US 1

0.3 mi · 30 sec · South Hancock Street
3

Turn left onto US 74 BUS

2.2 mi · 3 min · Broad Avenue
Use the left lane.
4

Continue on US 74 BUS

3.5 mi · 5 min · Hamlet Avenue
5

Turn left onto US 74 BUS

466 ft · 11 sec · Raleigh Street
6

Turn right onto US 74 BUS

0.3 mi · 41 sec · Spring Street
7

Turn slight left onto East Hamlet Avenue

13 mi · 16 min · East Hamlet Avenue
8

Keep slight right at fork onto US 74

10 mi · 10 min · Andrew Jackson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Continue on US 74

34 mi · 36 min · American Indian Highway
10

Continue on US 74; NC 130

60 mi · 1 hr 13 min · Andrew Jackson Highway
Use the straight lane.
11

Continue on US 17; US 74; US 76

3.1 mi · 4 min · Ocean Highway East
12

Continue on US 17; US 76; US 421

0.8 mi · 1 min · Cape Fear Memorial Bridge
13

Turn left onto US 421; US 17 Business

0.1 mi · 15 sec · South 3rd Street
14

Arrive at destination

US 17 Business

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 63.4 miles from Rockingham, NC, or about 1h 15m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 70.1 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 28 miles or 36m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 63.4 miles or 1h 15m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 2h 5m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Wilmington, NC than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Rockingham, 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 Rockingham, NC

This is one driving day of about 126.9 miles and 2h 33m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 28 miles from Rockingham, 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 Andrew Jackson Highway for about 70.1 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 63.4 mi from Rockingham, NC · 1h 15m into the drive

county seat in North Carolina, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Lumberton, NC

63 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

Laurinburg, NC

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 28 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Fairmont, NC

Meal break

The midpoint is around 63.4 miles from Rockingham, NC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before Andrew Jackson Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 70.1 miles.

Arriving in Wilmington, NC

The final approach into Wilmington, NC usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Wilmington, NC.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Moores Creek National Battlefield

Moores Creek National Battlefield

National Battlefield

In the early morning hours of February 27, 1776, Loyalist forces charged across a partially dismantled Moores Creek Bridge. Beyond the bridge, nearly 1,000 North Carolina Patriots waited quietly with...

12 mi from route ~29 min detour Free near mile 109.4
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$19.84 one way

$39.69 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 44 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $21.70 $43.40
premium $4.70 $23.49 $46.97
diesel $5.61 $28.02 $56.04

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$20

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$45–$70

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 44.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $13 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 38.1 0 $13.32 $6.09
Efficient EV 31.7 0 $11.10 $5.08
EV Truck/SUV 50.8 0 $17.77 $8.12

Gas CO2

44 kg

EV CO2

15 kg (66% 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 14, 2026

Origin

Rockingham, NC

Morning in Rockingham on Saturday

Local time

7:24 AM

EDT

Current temp

58°F

Clear

SW 3 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 14 at 3:25AM EDT by NWS Raleigh NC

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 14 at 1:34AM EDT by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC

Destination

Wilmington, NC

Morning in Wilmington on Saturday

Local time

7:24 AM

EDT

Current temp

52°F

Unavailable

Live 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

6 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

2h 33m 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 Rockingham, NC to Wilmington, NC covers 126.9 miles and takes about 2h 33m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Andrew Jackson Highway, American Indian Highway, East Hamlet Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 63.4 miles from Rockingham, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $19.84 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 straightforward 2h 33m 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 1 / South Hancock Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (US 74 BUS / Broad Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6 miles (US 74 BUS / Raleigh Street): Navigation decision point.

The route from Rockingham, NC to Wilmington, NC does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Yes. Nearby national parks include Moores Creek National Battlefield.

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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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