Origin
Carthage, NC
Morning in Carthage on Tuesday
Local time
6:25 AM
EDT
Current temp
80°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Carthage, NC to Cary, NC
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 8m
Distance
52.6 mi
85 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 3m
★
6 AM
1h 9m
8 AM
1h 20m
10 AM
1h 13m
12 PM
1h 12m
3 PM
1h 13m
5 PM
1h 19m
8 PM
1h 5m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Carthage, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Cary, NC
C k
Trip Overview
If you are planning a trip from Carthage to Cary, North Carolina, you are looking at a manageable 52.6-mile trek through the Southeast. This drive typically takes about 1 hour and 8 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day journey. With a fuel budget of roughly $8, it is an affordable excursion that requires no overnight stops. Your route will primarily utilize the Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway, Jefferson Davis Highway, and US 15 to bridge the gap between these two locations. Since this is a straightforward regional commute, you have plenty of flexibility in your schedule to head out whenever it suits your plans.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway | 18.8 mi | 20m |
| Jefferson Davis Highway | 17.3 mi | 20m |
| US 15 | 10.3 mi | 14m |
| Kildaire Farm Road | 3.1 mi | 6m |
| Monroe Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Tryon Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| South Academy Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Courthouse Square | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway
— 18.8 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Carthage, NC and Cary, NC.
1
Start on NC 22; NC 24; NC 27
473 ft
·
9 sec
·
Courthouse Square
2
Continue on NC 22; NC 24; NC 27
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Monroe Street
3
Continue on US 15; US 501; NC 24; NC 27
10 mi
·
14 min
·
US 15; US 501; NC 24; NC 27
4
Turn left onto US 1; US 15; US 501
17 mi
·
20 min
·
Jefferson Davis Highway
Use the straight lane.
5
Continue on US 1
19 mi
·
20 min
·
Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward Tryon Road
7
Turn straight onto Tryon Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Tryon Road
Use the straight lane.
8
Turn left onto Kildaire Farm Road
3.1 mi
·
6 min
·
Kildaire Farm Road
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right onto South Academy Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Academy Street
Use the right lane.
10
Arrive at destination
North Academy Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.3 miles from Carthage, NC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 52 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
NC 22; NC 24; NC 27 / Monroe Street
Right onto NC 22; NC 24; NC 27 / Monroe Street
Navigation decision point
4
11.8 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
US 1; US 15; US 501 / Jefferson Davis Highway
Turn left onto US 1; US 15; US 501 / Jefferson Davis Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
47.9 mi into trip
|
~58m in
Take the exit toward Tryon Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Tryon Road
4
48.9 mi into trip
|
~1h in
|
Kildaire Farm Road
Turn left onto Kildaire Farm Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
52 mi into trip
|
~1h 6m in
|
South Academy Street
Turn right onto South Academy Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.23 one way
$16.45 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $8.99 | $17.99 |
| premium | $4.70 | $9.74 | $19.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.61 | $23.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.8 | 0 | $5.52 | $2.52 |
| Efficient EV | 13.2 | 0 | $4.60 | $2.10 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21 | 0 | $7.36 | $3.37 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Morning in Cary on Tuesday
Local time
6:25 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
79°F
Sanford, NC
26 mi in
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
3 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
1h 8m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy, local-style driving experience rather than a monotonous interstate grind. While you will spend about 20% of your time on highways, the personality of this route is defined by its winding local roads. You will encounter your longest stretch of travel on the Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway, which runs for 18.8 miles. The road conditions change as you transition from smaller local arteries to more established highways, requiring you to stay alert through the various turns. It is a technical drive that demands your attention, offering a more engaging pace than a standard high-speed commute.
Only 20% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.8 mi on Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near NC 22; NC 24; NC 27 / Monroe Street.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Carthage, NC to Cary, NC is easy. At 1h 8m with 20% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (NC 22; NC 24; NC 27 / Monroe Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.8 miles (US 1; US 15; US 501 / Jefferson Davis Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 47.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
About the Cities
Arriving in Cary, NC
Full guide →Cary is a town in the Research Triangle of North Carolina. It is primarily a fast-growing suburb of Raleigh, the state capital, but has developed some economic gravity of its own. Cary is known throughout the area for having a very high population of non-native residents. The name of the city is jokingly referred to as standing for Containment/Concentration Area for Relocated Yankees.
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 1h 8m. Total distance: 52.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 8m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (20%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 18.8 miles on Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway. 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: at 0.1 miles (NC 22; NC 24; NC 27 / Monroe Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.8 miles (US 1; US 15; US 501 / Jefferson Davis Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 47.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
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 US Trip Planner 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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