Origin
Wilsons Mills, NC
Afternoon in Wilsons Mills on Saturday
Local time
3:02 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wilsons Mills, NC to Cary, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
34.6 mi
56 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 49m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 45m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 40m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wilsons Mills, NC
Mark Stebnicki
Cary, NC
C k
Trip Overview
Wilsons Mills to Cary is 34.6 miles and takes about 42 minutes via I 40, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within North Carolina, connecting two points in the Southeast region. Expect a drive that's primarily on highways, making it a straightforward transit. It's the kind of drive that's perfect for a quick hop between towns, especially if you're looking to minimize travel time and maximize your time at your destination.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 40 | 18.3 mi | 20m |
| Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway | 10 mi | 11m |
| US 70 | 3 mi | 3m |
| Chapel Hill Road | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Swift Creek Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Wilson's Mills Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Fire Department Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Academy Street | <0.1 mi | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
I 40
— 18.3 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wilsons Mills, NC and Cary, NC.
1
Start on Fire Department Road
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Fire Department Road
2
Turn right onto Wilson's Mills Road
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Wilson's Mills Road
3
Turn left onto Swift Creek Road
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
·
Swift Creek Road
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
5
Merge onto US 70
3.0 mi
·
3 min
·
US 70
6
Continue on I 42
10.0 mi
·
11 min
·
Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway
7
Merge onto I 40
18 mi
·
20 min
·
I 40
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward NC 54: Cary
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn left onto NC 54
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Chapel Hill Road
Use the left lane.
10
Turn right onto North Academy Street
24 ft
·
0 sec
·
North Academy Street
Use the right lane.
11
Arrive at destination
North Academy Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 34.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Wilson's Mills Road
Turn right onto Wilson's Mills Road
Navigation decision point
5
13.9 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
I 40
Merge onto I 40
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
32.1 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward NC 54: Cary
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward NC 54: Cary
5
32.4 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
NC 54 / Chapel Hill Road
Turn left onto NC 54 / Chapel Hill Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
34.6 mi into trip
|
~42m in
|
North Academy Street
Turn right onto North Academy Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.41 one way
$10.82 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $5.92 | $11.83 |
| premium | $4.70 | $6.40 | $12.81 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.64 | $15.28 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.63 | $1.66 |
| Efficient EV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.03 | $1.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.8 | 0 | $4.84 | $2.21 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (67% 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
Cary, NC
Afternoon in Cary on Saturday
Local time
3:02 PM
EDT
Current temp
51°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
2 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
42m 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?
This trip has a highway-focused profile, with 61% of the drive on major roads like I 40 and US 70. You'll experience a relatively quick journey, with the longest uninterrupted stretch covering 18.3 miles on I 40. While much of it involves higher speeds on these main arteries, the inclusion of the Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway offers a brief change of pace. The overall feel is one of efficient travel, designed to get you from point A to point B with minimal fuss.
61% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.3 mi on I 40.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 40 and Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway. 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 Wilson's Mills Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 34.6 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 (Wilson's Mills Road): Navigation decision point; at 13.9 miles (I 40): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 32.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 34.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (61%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 18.3 miles on I 40. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Cary, NC before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Wilson's Mills Road): Navigation decision point; at 13.9 miles (I 40): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 32.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Cary, 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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