Origin
Swansboro, NC
Evening in Swansboro on Friday
Local time
8:31 PM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Swansboro, NC to Holly Ridge, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
58m
Distance
40.8 mi
66 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 54m
★
6 AM
0h 58m
8 AM
1h 8m
10 AM
1h 2m
12 PM
1h 1m
3 PM
1h 2m
5 PM
1h 7m
8 PM
0h 55m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Swansboro, NC
Michael Ken
Holly Ridge, NC
Budget Bizar
Trip Overview
The drive from Swansboro, NC to Holly Ridge, NC covers 40.8 miles and takes about 58m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Wilmington Highway, Freedom Way, Lejeune Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 19.2 miles on Wilmington Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.38 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 58m. Total distance: 40.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
58m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (10%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 58m drive with frequent turns across 40.8 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Wilmington Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 19.2 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 Main 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 58m drive. You will face about 4 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 (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 17.2 miles (NC 24; NC 53; I 397 / Ronald W. Reagan Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 21 miles (US 17; I 97): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Critical Maneuvers
4 of 4 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Main Street
Turn left onto Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
17.2 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
NC 24; NC 53; I 397 / Ronald W. Reagan Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto NC 24; NC 53; I 397 / Ronald W. Reagan Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
3
21 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
US 17; I 97
Take the exit onto US 17; I 97
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
5
21.7 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
US 17 / Wilmington Highway
Merge onto US 17 / Wilmington Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Wilmington Highway | 19.2 mi | 26m |
| Freedom Way | 9.3 mi | 11m |
| Lejeune Boulevard | 5 mi | 7m |
| West Corbett Avenue | 2.7 mi | 5m |
| Ronald W. Reagan Freeway | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| KIA/MIA/POW Freeway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| US 17 | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Louis W. Sewell, Jr. Bridge | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Wilmington Highway
— 19.2 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Swansboro, NC and Holly Ridge, NC.
1
Start on South Water Street
38 ft
·
7 sec
·
South Water Street
2
Turn left onto Main Street
0.1 mi
·
35 sec
·
Main Street
3
Turn slight left onto NC 24
2.7 mi
·
5 min
·
West Corbett Avenue
4
Continue on NC 24
9.3 mi
·
11 min
·
Freedom Way
5
Continue on NC 24
5.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Lejeune Boulevard
6
Keep slight left at fork onto NC 24; NC 53; I 397
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Ronald W. Reagan Freeway
7
Continue on US 17; NC 24; I 97
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
Louis W. Sewell, Jr. Bridge
8
Continue on US 17; NC 24; I 97
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
KIA/MIA/POW Freeway
9
Take the exit onto US 17; I 97
0.6 mi
·
52 sec
·
US 17; I 97
10
Merge onto US 17
19 mi
·
26 min
·
Wilmington Highway
Use the straight lane.
11
Arrive at destination
US 17
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 20.4 mi from Swansboro, NC · 30m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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 40.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.4 miles from Swansboro, NC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Holly Ridge, NC
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Holly Ridge, NC if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.38 one way
$12.76 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $6.98 | $13.95 |
| premium | $4.70 | $7.55 | $15.10 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.01 | $18.02 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.28 | $1.96 |
| Efficient EV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.57 | $1.63 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.3 | 0 | $5.71 | $2.61 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Holly Ridge, NC
Evening in Holly Ridge on Friday
Local time
8:31 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
83°F
Pumpkin Center, NC
20 mi in
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
21 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
58m 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 Swansboro, NC to Holly Ridge, NC covers 40.8 miles and takes about 58m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Wilmington Highway, Freedom Way, Lejeune Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 20.4 miles from Swansboro, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.38 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.
This is a straightforward 58m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 17.2 miles (NC 24; NC 53; I 397 / Ronald W. Reagan Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 21 miles (US 17; I 97): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
The route from Swansboro, NC to Holly Ridge, NC does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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