Origin
Wilmington, NC
Afternoon in Wilmington on Saturday
Local time
2:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wilmington, NC to Oak Island, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
30.2 mi
49 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Oak Island, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Wilmington, NC to Oak Island, NC covers 30.2 miles and takes about 43m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on South 3rd Street, Old Ocean Highway, Main Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.72 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South 3rd Street | — | — |
| Old Ocean Highway | — | — |
| Main Street | — | — |
| Midway Road Southeast | — | — |
| Middleton Street | — | — |
| South Middleton Avenue | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
South 3rd Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wilmington, NC and Oak Island, NC.
1
Start on South 3rd Street
371 ft
·
14 sec
·
South 3rd Street
2
Continue on South 3rd Street
509 ft
·
23 sec
·
South 3rd Street
3
Turn right
3.5 mi
·
4 min
4
Take the exit slight right
0.5 mi
·
41 sec
5
Continue straight
13 mi
·
19 min
6
Turn left onto Old Ocean Highway
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
Old Ocean Highway
7
Continue on Main Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
8
Continue on Old Ocean Highway
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
Old Ocean Highway
9
Turn left onto Midway Road Southeast
6.4 mi
·
8 min
·
Midway Road Southeast
10
Continue on Middleton Street
4.2 mi
·
6 min
·
Middleton Street
11
Continue on South Middleton Avenue
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
South Middleton Avenue
12
Arrive at your destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.72 one way
$9.45 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $5.16 | $10.33 |
| premium | $4.70 | $5.59 | $11.18 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.67 | $13.34 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.17 | $1.45 |
| Efficient EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.64 | $1.21 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.23 | $1.93 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Oak Island, NC
Afternoon in Oak Island on Saturday
Local time
2:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
30 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
43m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
30.2 mi in 43m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: South 3rd Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Wilmington, NC to Oak Island, NC is easy. At 43m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Wilmington, NC to Oak Island, NC is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
About the Cities
Starting in Wilmington, NC
Full guide →Wilmington is a city in the southeastern part of North Carolina. It is the county seat of New Hanover County, and home to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, the U.S.S. North Carolina Battleship Memorial, the Cape Fear Museum, Airlie Gardens, and a large historic district. It is convenient to nearby beaches, and is a relatively short drive from the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill), Charlotte, Myrtle Beach, SC, and the I-95 corridor.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 30.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Wilmington, NC to Oak Island, NC is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Oak Island, NC before heading back.
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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