Origin
Wrightsville Beach, NC
Night in Wrightsville Beach on Friday
Local time
9:57 PM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wrightsville Beach, NC to Masonboro, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
8.3 mi
13 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wrightsville Beach, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Masonboro, NC
Michael Ken
Trip Overview
Wrightsville Beach to Masonboro is 8.3 miles and takes about 17 minutes via Oleander Drive and Pine Grove Drive, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within North Carolina's Southeast region, offering a quick connection between two coastal areas. Expect a very local feel with frequent turns, making it more of a direct point-to-point drive than a scenic excursion. It's a straightforward hop, perfect for when you need to get from one spot to another without a significant time commitment.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 17m. Total distance: 8.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m 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 with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This drive is characterized by its turn-heavy local nature, with zero highway share. You'll navigate primarily via Oleander Drive, Pine Grove Drive, and Wrightsville Avenue. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 2.9 miles on Oleander Drive. Be prepared for a series of turns and adjustments as you make your way through residential and commercial areas. It's not a route for cruising; rather, it's about efficient navigation through town.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Oleander Drive is the longest continuous segment at about 2.9 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 17m 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 5.4 miles (South Wallace Avenue): Navigation decision point.
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
4
5.4 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
South Wallace Avenue
Turn left onto South Wallace Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
5.6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
Pine Grove Drive
Turn left onto Pine Grove Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
8.3 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Oleander Drive | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| Pine Grove Drive | 1.8 mi | 4m |
| Wrightsville Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Causeway Drive | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Masonboro Sound Road | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| South Wallace Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Eastwood Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Military Cutoff Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Oleander Drive
— 2.9 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wrightsville Beach, NC and Masonboro, 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
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Oleander Drive
Use the straight lane.
7
Turn left onto South Wallace Avenue
484 ft
·
22 sec
·
South Wallace Avenue
8
Turn left onto South Wallace Avenue
0.1 mi
·
32 sec
·
South Wallace Avenue
9
Turn left onto Pine Grove Drive
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Pine Grove Drive
Use the straight lane.
10
Turn left onto Masonboro Sound Road
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Masonboro Sound Road
11
Turn right
35 ft
·
2 sec
12
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.30 one way
$2.60 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $1.42 | $2.84 |
| premium | $4.70 | $1.54 | $3.07 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.83 | $3.67 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.5 | 0 | $0.87 | $0.40 |
| Efficient EV | 2.1 | 0 | $0.73 | $0.33 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.16 | $0.53 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Masonboro, NC
Night in Masonboro on Friday
Local time
9:57 PM
EDT
Current temp
54°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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
17m 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 Masonboro, NC covers 8.3 miles and takes about 17m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Oleander Drive, Pine Grove Drive, Wrightsville Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 4.2 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 $1.30 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 17m 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 5.4 miles (South Wallace Avenue): Navigation decision point.
The route from Wrightsville Beach, NC to Masonboro, NC does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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.
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