Origin
Wrightsville Beach, NC
Morning in Wrightsville Beach on Saturday
Local time
9:16 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wrightsville Beach, NC to Hanby Beach, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
20.7 mi
33 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wrightsville Beach, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Hanby Beach, NC
Aneesh Prodduturu
Trip Overview
Wrightsville Beach to Hanby Beach is 20.7 miles and takes about 36 minutes via Carolina Beach Road, South College Road, and Oleander Drive, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within North Carolina's Southeast region, making it a convenient local excursion. Expect a drive that involves frequent turns and navigating through developed areas rather than open highway. It's a straightforward trip, perfect for a quick change of scenery without a significant time commitment.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 20.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m 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
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
This drive is characterized by its turn-heavy local feel, with no highway driving involved (0% highway share). The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 6.1 miles along Carolina Beach Road. As you progress, you'll transition through different local roads like South College Road and Oleander Drive, each presenting its own set of intersections and traffic patterns. Be prepared for a dynamic driving experience that requires constant attention to navigation and road conditions.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Carolina Beach Road is the longest continuous segment at about 6.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in near Wrightsville Avenue.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 36m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles (Wrightsville Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles (US 17; US 76 / Military Cutoff Road): Navigation decision point; at 6 miles (US 117; NC 132 / South College Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
3
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Wrightsville Avenue
Turn left onto Wrightsville Avenue
Navigation decision point
3
2.3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
US 17; US 76 / Military Cutoff Road
Turn left onto US 17; US 76 / Military Cutoff Road
Navigation decision point
5
6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
US 117; NC 132 / South College Road
Turn left onto US 117; NC 132 / South College Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
19.3 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
Ocean Boulevard
Turn left onto Ocean Boulevard
Navigation decision point
4
20.1 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
US 421 / South Lake Park Boulevard
Turn right onto US 421 / South Lake Park Boulevard
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Carolina Beach Road | 6.1 mi | 9m |
| South College Road | 4.9 mi | 8m |
| Oleander Drive | 3.6 mi | 6m |
| Dow Road North | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Wrightsville Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Causeway Drive | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Ocean Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| South Lake Park Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Carolina Beach Road
— 6.1 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wrightsville Beach, NC and Hanby Beach, NC.
1
Start on US 76
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Causeway Drive
2
Continue on US 74; US 76
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Wrightsville Avenue
3
Continue on US 74; US 76
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Eastwood Road
4
Turn left onto Wrightsville Avenue
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Wrightsville Avenue
5
Turn left onto US 17; US 76
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
Military Cutoff Road
6
Continue on US 17; US 76
3.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Oleander Drive
Use the straight lane.
7
Turn left onto US 117; NC 132
4.9 mi
·
8 min
·
South College Road
Use the straight lane.
8
Continue on NC 132
6.1 mi
·
9 min
·
Carolina Beach Road
9
Continue on US 421
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
·
North Lake Park Boulevard
10
Turn right onto Dow Road North
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Dow Road North
11
Turn left onto Ocean Boulevard
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Ocean Boulevard
12
Turn right onto US 421
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Lake Park Boulevard
13
Turn right onto Ocean View Avenue
298 ft
·
10 sec
·
Ocean View Avenue
14
Arrive at destination
Ocean View Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.24 one way
$6.47 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.54 | $7.08 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.83 | $7.66 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.57 | $9.14 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.2 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 | 6.2 | 0 | $2.17 | $0.99 |
| Efficient EV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.81 | $0.83 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.3 | 0 | $2.90 | $1.32 |
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.
Destination
Hanby Beach, NC
Morning in Hanby Beach on Saturday
Local time
9:16 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°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
10 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
36m 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 Wrightsville Beach, NC to Hanby Beach, NC covers 20.7 miles and takes about 36m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Carolina Beach Road, South College Road, Oleander Drive. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.3 miles from Wrightsville Beach, NC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.24 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 is a straightforward 36m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles (Wrightsville Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles (US 17; US 76 / Military Cutoff Road): Navigation decision point; at 6 miles (US 117; NC 132 / South College Road): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Wrightsville Beach, NC to Hanby Beach, NC does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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