Origin
Surf City, NC
Afternoon in Surf City on Saturday
Local time
4:48 PM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Surf City, NC to Cary, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 52m
Distance
139.8 mi
225 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$22
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
2h 42m
★
6 AM
2h 53m
8 AM
3h 15m
10 AM
3h 1m
12 PM
2h 58m
3 PM
3h 2m
5 PM
3h 14m
8 PM
2h 46m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Surf City, NC
Kyle Miller
Cary, NC
C k
Trip Overview
The drive from Surf City, NC to Cary, NC covers 139.8 miles and takes about 2h 52m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on NC 24, I 40, NC 50 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 59.8 miles on NC 24. At current regular gas prices, budget about $21.86 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
69.9 miles from Surf City, NC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 34m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NC 24 | 59.8 mi | 1h 4m |
| I 40 | 22.3 mi | 25m |
| NC 50 | 19.5 mi | 28m |
| Roland Avenue | 16.7 mi | 24m |
| Cypress Creek Road | 9.4 mi | 12m |
| South Kenansville Bypass | 3.9 mi | 5m |
| Chapel Hill Road | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| NC 41 | 1.9 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
NC 24
— 59.8 mi, about 1h 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Surf City, NC and Cary, NC.
1
Start on Roland Avenue
58 ft
·
2 sec
·
Roland Avenue
2
Turn right onto North New River Drive
256 ft
·
6 sec
·
North New River Drive
3
Enter roundabout onto NC 50; NC 210
14 ft
·
0 sec
·
NC 50; NC 210
4
Continue on NC 50; NC 210
162 ft
·
4 sec
·
NC 50; NC 210
5
Turn straight onto NC 50; NC 210
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
NC 50; NC 210
6
Enter roundabout onto NC 50; NC 210
110 ft
·
2 sec
·
Roland Avenue
7
Continue on NC 50; NC 210
17 mi
·
24 min
·
Roland Avenue
8
Continue on NC 50
5.1 mi
·
7 min
·
NC 50
9
Turn right onto Old Maple Hill Road North
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Maple Hill Road North
10
Continue on Sycamore Springs Road
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Sycamore Springs Road
11
Turn right onto Cypress Creek Road
9.4 mi
·
12 min
·
Cypress Creek Road
12
Continue on NC 50
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
NC 50
13
At end of road, turn left onto NC 41; NC 50
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
NC 41; NC 50
14
Turn right onto NC 50
11 mi
·
14 min
·
NC 50
15
Turn left onto D S Williams Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
D S Williams Road
16
Turn left onto NC 24; NC 903
3.9 mi
·
5 min
·
South Kenansville Bypass
17
Take the exit onto NC 24
60 mi
·
1 hr 4 min
·
NC 24
Use the right lane.
18
Keep slight left at fork onto I 40
22 mi
·
25 min
·
I 40
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward NC 54: Cary
Use the slight right lane.
20
Turn left onto NC 54
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Chapel Hill Road
Use the left lane.
21
Turn right onto North Academy Street
24 ft
·
0 sec
·
North Academy Street
Use the right lane.
22
Arrive at destination
North Academy Street
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 69.9 miles from Surf City, NC, or about 1h 34m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 59.8 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 31 miles or 45m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 69.9 miles or 1h 34m 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 22m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Cary, NC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Surf City, 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 Surf City, NC
This is one driving day of about 139.8 miles and 2h 52m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 31 miles from Surf City, 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 NC 24 for about 59.8 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
70 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 31 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 69.9 miles from Surf City, NC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 137.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
NC 50; NC 210
Enter roundabout onto NC 50; NC 210
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
55.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 18m in
|
NC 24
Take the exit onto NC 24
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
115 mi into trip
|
~2h 23m in
|
I 40
Keep slight left at fork onto I 40
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
137.3 mi into trip
|
~2h 48m in
Take the exit toward NC 54: Cary
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward NC 54: Cary
5
137.5 mi into trip
|
~2h 48m in
|
NC 54 / Chapel Hill Road
Turn left onto NC 54 / Chapel Hill Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$21.86 one way
$43.72 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
49 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $23.90 | $47.81 |
| premium | $4.70 | $25.87 | $51.75 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $30.87 | $61.73 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$22
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$47–$72
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 48.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $15 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 41.9 | 0 | $14.68 | $6.71 |
| Efficient EV | 35 | 0 | $12.23 | $5.59 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 55.9 | 0 | $19.57 | $8.95 |
Gas CO2
49 kg
EV CO2
16 kg (67% 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
Cary, NC
Afternoon in Cary on Saturday
Local time
4:48 PM
EDT
Current temp
51°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
1 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 52m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
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...
28 mi from route
~71 min detour
Free
near mile 24.1
View on nps.gov
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
What kind of drive is this?
139.8 mi in 2h 52m, mostly highway — 59.8 mi of that is on NC 24.
74% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 59.8 mi on NC 24.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NC 24 and I 40. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near NC 50; NC 210.
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 2h 52m drive. You will face about 14 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (NC 50; NC 210): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 55.2 miles (NC 24): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 115 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 52m. Total distance: 139.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 52m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (74%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 59.8 miles on NC 24. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (NC 50; NC 210): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 55.2 miles (NC 24): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 115 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Moores Creek National Battlefield. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Cary, NC before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner 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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