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Trip from Southport, 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

41m

Distance

28.1 mi

45 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 38m ★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 39m

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

Southport, NC

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Southport to Wilmington is 28.1 miles and takes about 41 minutes via River Road Southeast, Ocean Highway East, and North Howe Street, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within North Carolina's Southeast region, offering a straightforward drive. Expect a local road feel for most of the journey, with plenty of turns. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a relaxed day trip, allowing ample time for activities at your destination.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 41m. Total distance: 28.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

41m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (1%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

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

Drive Character

This route is characterized as a turn-heavy local drive, with a 100% highway share, meaning you'll be on paved roads but not necessarily high-speed interstates. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 23.6 miles on River Road Southeast. As you navigate, be prepared for frequent directional changes, indicative of a route that winds through populated areas or follows coastal geography. The drive offers a dynamic feel, requiring your attention to navigate the various turns.

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.
River Road Southeast is the longest continuous segment at about 23.6 miles.

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 around 1.3 miles in near NC 87 / River Road Southeast.

Driving Effort 2/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Southport, NC to Wilmington, NC is easy. At 41m with 1% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.3 miles (NC 87 / River Road Southeast): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (NC 133 / River Road Southeast): Lane positioning matters here; at 25.2 miles (US 17; US 74; US 76; NC 133 / Ocean Highway East): Merge point - match speed before joining.

Critical Maneuvers

4 of 4 key points

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

3
1.3 mi into trip | ~2m in | NC 87 / River Road Southeast

Turn slight right onto NC 87 / River Road Southeast

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
4
4.6 mi into trip | ~7m in | NC 133 / River Road Southeast

Continue onto NC 133 / River Road Southeast

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
3
25.2 mi into trip | ~37m in | US 17; US 74; US 76; NC 133 / Ocean Highway East

Merge onto US 17; US 74; US 76; NC 133 / Ocean Highway East

Merge point - match speed before joining

3
28 mi into trip | ~41m in | US 421; US 17 Business / South 3rd Street

Turn left onto US 421; US 17 Business / South 3rd Street

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
River Road Southeast 23.6 mi 33m
Ocean Highway East 2 mi 2m
North Howe Street 1.2 mi 2m
Cape Fear Memorial Bridge 0.8 mi 1m
NC 133 0.3 mi <1m
South 3rd Street 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: River Road Southeast — 23.6 mi, about 33m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on NC 211

1.2 mi · 2 min · North Howe Street
2

Turn straight

381 ft · 13 sec
3

Turn slight right onto NC 87

3.3 mi · 5 min · River Road Southeast
Use the straight / right lanes.
4

Continue on NC 133

20 mi · 28 min · River Road Southeast
Use the right lane.
5

Take the ramp onto NC 133

0.3 mi · 34 sec · NC 133
6

Merge onto US 17; US 74; US 76; NC 133

2.0 mi · 2 min · Ocean Highway East
7

Continue on US 17; US 76; US 421

0.8 mi · 1 min · Cape Fear Memorial Bridge
8

Turn left onto US 421; US 17 Business

0.1 mi · 15 sec · South 3rd Street
9

Arrive at destination

US 17 Business

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.39 one way

$8.79 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $4.80 $9.61
premium $4.70 $5.20 $10.40
diesel $5.61 $6.20 $12.41

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

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

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.4 0 $2.95 $1.35
Efficient EV 7 0 $2.46 $1.12
EV Truck/SUV 11.2 0 $3.93 $1.80

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 12, 2026

Origin

Southport, NC

Morning in Southport on Saturday

Local time

7:11 AM

EDT

Current temp

74°F

Sunny

SE 8 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Beach Hazards Statement

Beach Hazards Statement issued April 12 at 3:43AM EDT until April 12 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Newport/Morehead City NC

Destination

Wilmington, NC

Morning in Wilmington on Saturday

Local time

7:11 AM

EDT

Current temp

77°F

Sunny

SE 10 mph 3% chance Live forecast

Beach Hazards Statement

Beach Hazards Statement issued April 12 at 3:43AM EDT until April 12 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Newport/Morehead City NC

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

3 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

41m 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 Southport, NC to Wilmington, NC covers 28.1 miles and takes about 41m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are River Road Southeast, Ocean Highway East, North Howe Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 14 miles from Southport, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.39 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 Southport, NC to Wilmington, NC is easy. At 41m with 1% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

The main spots that need attention: at 1.3 miles (NC 87 / River Road Southeast): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (NC 133 / River Road Southeast): Lane positioning matters here; at 25.2 miles (US 17; US 74; US 76; NC 133 / Ocean Highway East): Merge point - match speed before joining.

The route from Southport, 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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Return Trip

Wilmington, NC to Southport, NC

Plan the drive back the other way.

28.3 mi 42m

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