Origin
Carolina Beach, NC
Night in Carolina Beach on Saturday
Local time
10:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Carolina Beach, NC to Wilmington, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
25m
Distance
14.3 mi
23 km
Drive Score
5/10
Practical drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 23m
★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 29m
8 PM
0h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Carolina Beach, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Carolina Beach to Wilmington, you are facing a quick, 14.3-mile journey that typically takes about 22 minutes. This straightforward trip is perfectly suited for a single day, as it functions more like a local commute than a sprawling road expedition. You will navigate through the Southeast region of North Carolina by utilizing North Lake Park Boulevard, Carolina Beach Road, and Burnett Boulevard. With a fuel cost estimate of just $2, it is an incredibly budget-friendly way to move between these two coastal hubs. Since there are no required stops, you have the freedom to complete the drive in one efficient stretch.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Carolina Beach Road | 11.9 mi | 19m |
| North Lake Park Boulevard | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| South 3rd Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Burnett Boulevard | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Carolina Beach Road
— 11.9 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Carolina Beach, NC and Wilmington, NC.
1
Start on this road
47 ft
·
5 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto US 421
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
North Lake Park Boulevard
3
Continue on US 421
6.1 mi
·
9 min
·
Carolina Beach Road
4
Turn left onto US 421
5.8 mi
·
10 min
·
Carolina Beach Road
Use the straight lane.
5
Take the exit
488 ft
·
11 sec
6
Merge onto US 421
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Burnett Boulevard
7
Continue on US 421
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South 3rd Street
8
Arrive at destination
US 17 Business
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 13.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 421 / North Lake Park Boulevard
Turn right onto US 421 / North Lake Park Boulevard
Navigation decision point
4
7.4 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
US 421 / Carolina Beach Road
Turn left onto US 421 / Carolina Beach Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
3
13.2 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
4
13.3 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
US 421 / Burnett Boulevard
Merge onto US 421 / Burnett Boulevard
Merge point - match speed before joining
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.24 one way
$4.47 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $2.45 | $4.89 |
| premium | $4.70 | $2.65 | $5.29 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.16 | $6.31 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.50 | $0.69 |
| Efficient EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.25 | $0.57 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.7 | 0 | $2.00 | $0.92 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Wilmington, NC
Night in Wilmington on Saturday
Local time
10:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
89°F
Sunny
W 8 mph
0% chance
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
33 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
25m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate cruise, as this route features zero percent highway travel. You will spend the entirety of the 14.3 miles navigating local roads, meaning there are no long, uninterrupted highway stretches to zone out on. The lack of highway miles keeps the pace steady but requires your full attention as you transition between the various boulevards. Because the route relies entirely on local corridors, you should prepare for a driving experience defined by frequent turns and changing traffic environments. It is a practical, utilitarian path that gets you from point A to point B without any monotonous stretches.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.9 mi on Carolina Beach Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 early in the drive near US 421 / North Lake Park Boulevard.
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 25m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 421 / North Lake Park Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 7.4 miles (US 421 / Carolina Beach Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 13.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
About the Cities
Arriving 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 25m. Total distance: 14.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m 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 with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.9 miles on Carolina Beach Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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: near the start (US 421 / North Lake Park Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 7.4 miles (US 421 / Carolina Beach Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 13.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes — Moores Creek National Battlefield. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Wilmington, NC before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner 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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