Origin
Wilsons Mills, NC
Afternoon in Wilsons Mills on Saturday
Local time
1:44 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wilsons Mills, NC to Raleigh, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
24.9 mi
40 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wilsons Mills, NC
Mark Stebnicki
Raleigh, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Wilsons Mills to Raleigh is 24.9 miles and takes about 32 minutes via Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway and I-40, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within North Carolina's Southeast region, offering a straightforward drive. It's a practical connection between two points, making it ideal for a quick transfer or an easy addition to a longer itinerary. You'll encounter a mix of road types, so expect a varied driving experience.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway | 10 mi | 11m |
| I 40 | 8.6 mi | 9m |
| US 70 | 3 mi | 3m |
| Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Rock Quarry Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Swift Creek Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Wilson's Mills Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Wilmington Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway
— 10 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wilsons Mills, NC and Raleigh, 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
8.6 mi
·
9 min
·
I 40
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward Rock Quarry Rd North
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn straight onto Rock Quarry Road
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Rock Quarry Road
10
Turn left onto Rock Quarry Road
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Rock Quarry Road
11
Turn left onto Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Turn right onto South Wilmington Street
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
South Wilmington Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Turn left onto East South Street
24 ft
·
0 sec
·
East South Street
14
Arrive at destination
East South Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 13.9 and 24.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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
22.5 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward Rock Quarry Rd North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Rock Quarry Rd North
5
23.5 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Turn left onto Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
24.7 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
South Wilmington Street
Turn right onto South Wilmington Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
24.9 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
East South Street
Turn left onto East South Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.89 one way
$7.79 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.26 | $8.52 |
| premium | $4.70 | $4.61 | $9.22 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.50 | $11.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.61 | $1.20 |
| Efficient EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.18 | $1.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10 | 0 | $3.49 | $1.59 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Raleigh, NC
Afternoon in Raleigh on Saturday
Local time
1:44 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
32m 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 drive features a mixed profile, with 46% of the journey on highways. You'll spend a significant portion on the Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway, where you can enjoy an uninterrupted stretch of up to 10 miles. The route transitions between these more scenic byways and the faster pace of I-40, providing a dynamic feel behind the wheel. Expect a blend of open-road cruising and potentially some local traffic as you approach your destination.
46% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10 mi on Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 13.9 miles in near I 40.
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 24.9 miles you will encounter 10 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 13.9 miles (I 40): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.5 miles (Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Wilsons Mills, NC to Raleigh, NC, road signs begin pointing toward Rock Quarry Rd North along the way.
Rock Quarry Rd North
22.5 mi in
|
~26m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 24.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (46%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10 miles on Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway. 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 Raleigh, 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 13.9 miles (I 40): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.5 miles (Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Raleigh, 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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