Origin
Wilmington, NC
Afternoon in Wilmington on Thursday
Local time
1:36 PM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wilmington, NC to Burnsville, NC
Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026
Drive Time
6h 54m
Distance
324.8 mi
523 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$51
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
6h 43m
★
6 AM
6h 55m
8 AM
7h 18m
10 AM
7h 3m
12 PM
7h 0m
3 PM
7h 4m
5 PM
7h 17m
8 PM
6h 48m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Burnsville, NC
Mark Stebnicki
Trip Overview
The drive from Wilmington, NC to Burnsville, NC covers 324.8 miles and takes about 6h 54m 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, I 40, American Indian Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 91.9 miles on Andrew Jackson Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $50.79 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
162.4 miles from Wilmington, NC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 17m into the drive .
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 6h 54m. Total distance: 324.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
6h 54m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile.
Drive Character
The drive from Wilmington, NC to Burnsville, NC covers 324.8 miles and takes about 6h 54m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 41 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 91.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near US 17; US 76; US 421.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 23 significant decision points across 324.8 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (US 17; US 76; US 421): Lane positioning matters here; at 117.6 miles (US 74 / G R Kindley Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 132 miles (US 74 / Andrew Jackson Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 23 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 17; US 76; US 421
Turn right onto US 17; US 76; US 421
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
117.6 mi into trip
|
~2h 19m in
|
US 74 / G R Kindley Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto US 74 / G R Kindley Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
132 mi into trip
|
~2h 34m in
|
US 74 / Andrew Jackson Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto US 74 / Andrew Jackson Highway toward US 74 West: Monroe
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 306B
Toward US 74 West: Monroe
7
165.3 mi into trip
|
~3h 22m in
|
US 74 BYP / Monroe Expressway
Keep slight left at fork onto US 74 BYP / Monroe Expressway toward US 74 Toll Bypass West: Charlotte
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 74 Toll Bypass West: Charlotte
8
196.3 mi into trip
|
~4h in
Take the exit toward I 277 North Outer, NC 16 North: Brookshire Freeway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 242
Toward I 277 North Outer, NC 16 North: Brookshi...
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Wilmington, NC to Burnsville, NC, road signs begin pointing toward Shelby along the way.
Shelby
285 mi in
|
~5h 52m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew Jackson Highway | 91.9 mi | 1h 51m |
| I 40 | 43.7 mi | 49m |
| American Indian Highway | 33.6 mi | 36m |
| Brookshire Boulevard | 33.5 mi | 43m |
| Monroe Expressway | 18.4 mi | 21m |
| NC 226 | 15 mi | 22m |
| G R Kindley Freeway | 14.4 mi | 15m |
| US 19E | 13.1 mi | 17m |
Longest stretch:
Andrew Jackson Highway
— 91.9 mi, about 1h 51m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wilmington, NC and Burnsville, NC.
1
Start on US 17 Business
372 ft
·
14 sec
·
South 3rd Street
2
Continue on US 17 Business
508 ft
·
23 sec
·
South 3rd Street
3
Turn right onto US 17; US 76; US 421
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
US 17; US 76; US 421
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Continue on US 74; US 76
60 mi
·
1 hr 13 min
·
Andrew Jackson Highway
Use the straight lane.
5
Continue on US 74; NC 130
34 mi
·
36 min
·
American Indian Highway
6
Continue on US 74
20 mi
·
23 min
·
Andrew Jackson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto US 74
14 mi
·
15 min
·
G R Kindley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto US 74
12 mi
·
14 min
·
Andrew Jackson Highway
Exit 306B
Toward US 74 West: Monroe
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on US 74
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
East Caswell Street
Use the straight lane.
10
Continue on US 52; US 74; NC 742
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Salisbury Street
11
Continue on US 52; US 74; NC 742
6.5 mi
·
8 min
·
W. Cliff Martin Highway
12
Keep slight right at fork onto US 74
6.3 mi
·
8 min
·
W. Cliff Martin Highway
13
Continue on US 74
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Carroll M. Edwards Highway
14
Continue on US 74
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
East Marshville Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
15
Continue on US 74
0.4 mi
·
34 sec
·
Carroll M. Edwards Highway
16
Keep slight left at fork onto US 74 BYP
18 mi
·
21 min
·
Monroe Expressway
Toward US 74 Toll Bypass West: Charlotte
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Merge onto US 74
7.1 mi
·
9 min
·
Independence Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Continue on US 74
5.4 mi
·
6 min
·
East Independence Expressway
Use the straight / right lanes.
19
Continue on US 74; NC 27
418 ft
·
5 sec
·
East Independence Boulevard
20
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 242
Toward I 277 North Outer, NC 16 North: Brookshire Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
21
Merge onto I 277; NC 16
3.6 mi
·
5 min
·
Brookshire Freeway
Use the straight / right lanes.
22
Continue on NC 16
34 mi
·
43 min
·
Brookshire Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
23
Turn right onto Bethany Church Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Bethany Church Road
24
Turn left onto Mount Olive Church Road
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Mount Olive Church Road
25
Continue on Mt Olive Church Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Mt Olive Church Road
26
Turn right onto NC 16
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
NC 16
27
Turn left onto US 70
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Conover Boulevard East
28
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
29
Merge onto I 40
44 mi
·
49 min
·
I 40
30
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward NC 226: Marion, Shelby
31
Turn right onto NC 226
15 mi
·
22 min
·
NC 226
32
Continue on US 221
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
US 221
33
Turn left onto Peppers Creek Road
4.4 mi
·
9 min
·
Peppers Creek Road
34
At end of road, turn right onto Peppers Creek Road
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Peppers Creek Road
35
Turn right onto Altapass Highway
4.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Altapass Highway
36
Turn left onto US 19E
13 mi
·
17 min
·
US 19E
37
Turn right onto East Main Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
East Main Street
38
At end of road, turn right onto Town Square
504 ft
·
29 sec
·
Town Square
39
Turn right onto West Main Street
224 ft
·
11 sec
·
West Main Street
40
Turn right onto Academy Street
24 ft
·
1 sec
·
Academy Street
41
Arrive at destination
Academy Street
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 162.4 miles from Wilmington, NC, or about 3h 17m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 91.9 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 71 miles or 1h 27m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 162.4 miles or 3h 17m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 5h 31m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Burnsville, NC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Wilmington, 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 Wilmington, NC
This is one driving day of about 324.8 miles and 6h 54m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 71 miles from Wilmington, 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 91.9 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 162.4 mi from Wilmington, NC · 3h 17m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
162 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 71 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 162.4 miles from Wilmington, NC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Andrew Jackson Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 91.9 miles.
Arriving in Burnsville, NC
The final approach into Burnsville, 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 Burnsville, NC.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$50.79 one way
$101.58 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
114 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $55.54 | $111.07 |
| premium | $4.70 | $60.11 | $120.23 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $71.71 | $143.42 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$51
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$76–$101
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 113.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $34 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 97.4 | 1 | $34.10 | $15.59 |
| Efficient EV | 81.2 | 0 | $28.42 | $12.99 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 129.9 | 1 | $45.47 | $20.79 |
Gas CO2
114 kg
EV CO2
38 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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
Burnsville, NC
Afternoon in Burnsville on Thursday
Local time
1:36 PM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
74°F
Belmont, NC
162 mi in
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
9 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
6h 54m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Wilmington, NC to Burnsville, NC covers 324.8 miles and takes about 6h 54m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Andrew Jackson Highway, I 40, American Indian Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 162.4 miles from Wilmington, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $50.79 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a demanding drive. With 23 significant decision points across 324.8 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (US 17; US 76; US 421): Lane positioning matters here; at 117.6 miles (US 74 / G R Kindley Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 132 miles (US 74 / Andrew Jackson Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Wilmington, NC to Burnsville, NC, road signs begin pointing toward Shelby along the way.
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