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Trip from Wilmington, NC to Rocky Point, NC

Data updated 2 hours ago

Drive Time

27m

Distance

18.9 mi

30 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

None

0 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 25m ★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m

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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Downtown Rocky Point, NC, NC

Rocky Point, NC

vji krishna

Trip Overview

The drive from Wilmington, NC to Rocky Point, NC covers 18.9 miles and takes about 27m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Castle Hayne Road, US 421, John Jay Burney Jr Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9 miles on Castle Hayne Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.96 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

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

9.5 miles from Wilmington, NC

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 13m into the drive .

Loading map...

Drive Character

The drive from Wilmington, NC to Rocky Point, NC covers 18.9 miles and takes about 27m, 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 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Castle Hayne Road is the longest continuous segment at about 9 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near US 17; US 76; US 421.

Route Complexity 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 18.9 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (US 17; US 76; US 421): Navigation decision point; at 5.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 8 key points

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

4
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 17; US 76; US 421

Turn right onto US 17; US 76; US 421

Navigation decision point

6
5.2 mi into trip | ~7m in

Take the exit toward I 140 East: Topsail Island, Jacksonville, New Bern

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 140 East: Topsail Island, Jacksonville...
5
8.9 mi into trip | ~12m in

Take the exit toward NC 133: Castle Hayne, Burgaw

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward NC 133: Castle Hayne, Burgaw
5
9.1 mi into trip | ~12m in | NC 133 / 97th interstate Road

Turn right onto NC 133 / 97th interstate Road

Navigation decision point

5
11.8 mi into trip | ~17m in | US 117; NC 133 / Castle Hayne Road

Enter roundabout onto US 117; NC 133 / Castle Hayne Road

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Wilmington, NC and Rocky Point, NC, road signs point toward Jacksonville, New Bern and Burgaw.

Jacksonville

5.2 mi in | ~7m

New Bern

5.2 mi in | ~7m

Burgaw

8.9 mi in | ~12m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Castle Hayne Road 9 mi 13m
US 421 4.3 mi 5m
John Jay Burney Jr Freeway 3.3 mi 3m
US 17 0.8 mi 1m
NC 210 0.6 mi <1m
97th interstate Road 0.2 mi <1m
South 3rd Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Castle Hayne Road — 9 mi, about 13m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Wilmington, NC and Rocky Point, 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

0.8 mi · 1 min · US 17; US 76; US 421
4

Take the exit onto US 421

4.3 mi · 5 min · US 421
5

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 45 sec
Toward I 140 East: Topsail Island, Jacksonville, New Bern
6

Merge onto I 140

3.3 mi · 3 min · John Jay Burney Jr Freeway
7

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Toward NC 133: Castle Hayne, Burgaw
8

Turn right onto NC 133

0.2 mi · 24 sec · 97th interstate Road
9

Continue on NC 133

2.5 mi · 4 min · Castle Hayne Road
10

Enter roundabout onto US 117; NC 133

351 ft · 5 sec · Castle Hayne Road
11

Continue on US 117; NC 133

6.5 mi · 9 min · Castle Hayne Road
12

Turn left onto NC 210

0.6 mi · 47 sec · NC 210
13

Arrive at destination

NC 210

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.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 9.5 miles from Wilmington, NC, or about 13m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 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 18.9 miles or 27m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 9.5 miles or 13m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 23m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Rocky Point, 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 18.9 miles and 27m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Wilmington, NC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on Castle Hayne Road for about 9 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 9.5 mi from Wilmington, NC · 13m into the drive

city in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Goldsboro, NC

9 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

Goldsboro, NC

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 18.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Goldsboro, NC

Meal break

The midpoint is around 9.5 miles from Wilmington, NC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Rocky Point, NC

The final approach into Rocky Point, 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 Rocky Point, 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...

13 mi from route ~32 min detour Free near mile 18.9
View on nps.gov

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.96 one way

$5.91 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $3.23 $6.46
premium $4.70 $3.50 $7.00
diesel $5.61 $4.17 $8.35

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$3

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$28–$53

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.7 0 $1.98 $0.91
Efficient EV 4.7 0 $1.65 $0.76
EV Truck/SUV 7.6 0 $2.65 $1.21

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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 data refreshed 5 days ago

Origin

Wilmington, NC

Night in Wilmington on Tuesday

Local time

10:44 PM

EDT

Current temp

64°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Rocky Point, NC

Night in Rocky Point on Tuesday

Local time

10:44 PM

EDT

Current temp

63°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

27m 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 Wilmington, NC to Rocky Point, NC covers 18.9 miles and takes about 27m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Castle Hayne Road, US 421, John Jay Burney Jr Freeway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.5 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 $2.96 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 18.9 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (US 17; US 76; US 421): Navigation decision point; at 5.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Wilmington, NC and Rocky Point, NC, road signs point toward Jacksonville, New Bern and Burgaw.

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