The drive from Wilmington, NC to Moravian Falls, NC covers 284.1 miles and takes about 5h 33m 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, US 220, US 421 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mixed drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 80.3 miles on Andrew Jackson Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $44.43 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
142.1 miles from Wilmington, NC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 48m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 33m. Total distance: 284.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Wilmington, NC to Moravian Falls, NC covers 284.1 miles and takes about 5h 33m, 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 23 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 80.3 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 128.1 miles in.
Driving Effort9/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 15 significant decision points across 284.1 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 128.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 134.4 miles (US 220): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 192.2 miles (I 74): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
128.1 mi into trip|~2h 30m in
Take the exit toward US 1: Rockingham
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 311
Toward US 1: Rockingham
8
134.4 mi into trip|~2h 39m in|US 220
Keep slight right at fork onto US 220 toward I 73 North, I 74 West, US 220 North: Asheboro
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 73 North, I 74 West, US 220 North: Ash...
9
192.2 mi into trip|~3h 44m in|I 74
Keep slight right at fork onto I 74 toward I 74 West: High Point, Winston-Salem
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 80
Toward I 74 West: High Point, Winston-Salem
8
231.6 mi into trip|~4h 30m in
Take the exit toward US 421: Salem Parkway, Yadkinville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 188
Toward US 421: Salem Parkway, Yadkinville
7
231.8 mi into trip|~4h 30m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 421 North: Yadkinville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 421 North: Yadkinville
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 Moravian Falls, NC, road signs point toward Winston-Salem, Statesville and Yadkinville.
Winston-Salem
192.2 mi in|~3h 44m|via I 74
Statesville
223.5 mi in|~4h 19m|via I 74
Yadkinville
231.6 mi in|~4h 30m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Andrew Jackson Highway
80.3 mi
1h 36m
US 220
62.7 mi
1h 11m
US 421
48.3 mi
55m
American Indian Highway
33.6 mi
36m
I 74
32.3 mi
37m
G R Kindley Freeway
10.5 mi
11m
I 40
7.2 mi
8m
US 17
3.5 mi
4m
Longest stretch:
Andrew Jackson Highway
— 80.3 mi, about 1h 36m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wilmington, NC and Moravian Falls, 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
11 mi·11 min·G R Kindley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi·41 sec
Exit 311Toward US 1: RockinghamUse the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn right onto US 1
1.1 mi·1 min·US 1
Use the right lane.
10
Turn straight onto US 220
4.4 mi·6 min·US 220
Use the straight lane.
11
Continue on US 220
0.4 mi·36 sec·US 220
Use the left lane.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto US 220
58 mi·1 hr 4 min·US 220
Toward I 73 North, I 74 West, US 220 North: AsheboroUse the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 74
31 mi·35 min·I 74
Exit 80Toward I 74 West: High Point, Winston-SalemUse the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight left at fork onto I 74
1.0 mi·1 min·I 74
Toward I 40 West: Winston-Salem, Statesville
15
Merge onto I 40
7.2 mi·8 min·I 40
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Take the exit
0.2 mi·26 sec
Exit 188Toward US 421: Salem Parkway, YadkinvilleUse the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi·1 min
Toward US 421 North: YadkinvilleUse the straight / slight right lanes.
The midpoint is around 142.1 miles from Wilmington, NC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel check
Top up before Andrew Jackson Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 80.3 miles.
Arriving in Moravian Falls, NC
The final approach into Moravian Falls, 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 Moravian Falls, NC.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Nearby Places
Restaurants, cafes, gas stations and more along your route.
Given Coffee Co
4.9
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Later in the drive, ~10 min detour
4.2 mi from route
~10 min detour
$1 to $10
mile 223.2
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
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...
13 mi from route
~31 min detour
Free
near mile 19.6
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$44.43 one way
$88.85 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg99 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$48.58
$97.15
premium
$4.70
$52.58
$105.16
diesel
$5.61
$62.73
$125.45
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$44
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$69–$94
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 99.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $30 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
85.2
1
$29.83
$13.64
Efficient EV
71
0
$24.86
$11.36
EV Truck/SUV
113.6
1
$39.77
$18.18
Gas CO2
99 kg
EV CO2
33 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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Wilmington, NC
Evening
in Wilmington on Friday
Local time
8:40 PM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Moravian Falls, NC
Evening
in Moravian Falls on Friday
Local time
8:40 PM
EDT
Current temp
48°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
4 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
5h 33m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
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 Moravian Falls, NC covers 284.1 miles and takes about 5h 33m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Andrew Jackson Highway, US 220, US 421. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 142.1 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 $44.43 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
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 15 significant decision points across 284.1 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 128.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 134.4 miles (US 220): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 192.2 miles (I 74): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Wilmington, NC and Moravian Falls, NC, road signs point toward Winston-Salem, Statesville and Yadkinville.
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.
