Traveling from Edenton to Raleigh covers 138.6 miles and takes approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes of driving time. Because the trip is relatively short, it is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion. You should budget about $22 for fuel to complete the journey between these two Southeast locations. Navigating this route involves a series of local thoroughfares rather than major interstates, which gives the trip a more grounded, community-focused feel. It is a straightforward trip that fits easily into a weekend schedule without the need for an overnight stop.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
69.1 miles from Edenton, NC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 24m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 13
56.5 mi
1h 1m
US 64 Bypass
38.9 mi
41m
Ocean Highway
35.2 mi
44m
I 87
2.7 mi
3m
West Albemarle Street
1.5 mi
3m
Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
1.2 mi
2m
Rock Quarry Road
0.7 mi
1m
Thomas Bradshaw Freeway
0.4 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
US 13
— 56.5 mi, about 1h 1m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Edenton, NC and Raleigh, NC.
1
Start on Court Street
0.1 mi·33 sec·Court Street
2
Turn left onto East Queen Street
429 ft·22 sec·East Queen Street
3
Turn right onto US 17 Business
0.2 mi·35 sec·Broad Street
4
Turn left onto West Albemarle Street
1.5 mi·3 min·West Albemarle Street
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·33 sec
6
Merge onto US 17
35 mi·44 min·Ocean Highway
Use the straight lane.
7
Continue on US 13; US 64
57 mi·1 hr 1 min·US 13; US 64
8
Continue on US 64 Bypass
39 mi·41 min·US 64 Bypass
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 87; I 440; US 64
2.7 mi·3 min·I 87; I 440; US 64
10
Merge onto I 40; US 64
0.4 mi·29 sec·Thomas Bradshaw Freeway
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi·37 sec
Toward Rock Quarry Rd NorthUse the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn straight onto Rock Quarry Road
0.4 mi·49 sec·Rock Quarry Road
13
Turn left onto Rock Quarry Road
0.3 mi·41 sec·Rock Quarry Road
14
Turn left onto Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
1.2 mi·2 min·Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Turn right onto South Wilmington Street
0.2 mi·41 sec·South Wilmington Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Turn left onto East South Street
24 ft·0 sec·East South Street
17
Arrive at destination
East South Street
Trip Plan
Since you have a 2-hour and 10-minute drive ahead of you, aim to depart during off-peak hours to avoid potential congestion on local streets. With no mandatory stops required for a trip of this length, you have the flexibility to power through or pull over whenever it suits your schedule. Keep your $22 fuel budget in mind when planning your departure, and ensure your tank is topped off before leaving Edenton. Pay close attention to navigation while transitioning through the specific turns on Broad and West Albemarle streets. By staying alert on these local roads, you can make the transition between these two North Carolina cities a smooth and efficient experience.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 69.1 miles from Edenton, NC, or about 1h 24m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 56.5 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 30 miles or 41m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 69.1 miles or 1h 24m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 12m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Raleigh, NC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Edenton, NC so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Edenton, NC
This is one driving day of about 138.3 miles and 2h 43m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 30 miles from Edenton, NC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on US 13 for about 56.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 138.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|East Queen Street
Turn left onto East Queen Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|US 17 Business / Broad Street
Turn right onto US 17 Business / Broad Street
Navigation decision point
5
2.1 mi into trip|~5m in|US 17 / Ocean Highway
Merge onto US 17 / Ocean Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
135.8 mi into trip|~2h 37m 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
6
138.1 mi into trip|~2h 42m in|South Wilmington Street
Turn right onto South Wilmington Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$21.63 one way
$43.25 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg48 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$23.65
$47.29
premium
$4.70
$25.60
$51.19
diesel
$5.61
$30.53
$61.07
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$22
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$47–$72
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 48.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $15 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
41.5
0
$14.52
$6.64
Efficient EV
34.6
0
$12.10
$5.53
EV Truck/SUV
55.3
0
$19.36
$8.85
Gas CO2
48 kg
EV CO2
16 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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Edenton, NC
Night
in Edenton on Saturday
Local time
10:46 PM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Raleigh, NC
Night
in Raleigh on Saturday
Local time
10:46 PM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
1 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
2h 43m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel for the entire 138.6-mile duration. Unlike a standard interstate cruise, this route relies on navigating through East Queen Street, Broad Street, and West Albemarle Street. Because there is zero highway share on this path, you will experience a constant change of pace as you transition between local roads. You won't find any long, monotonous stretches here, as the nature of the road requires your full attention. The personality of this drive is defined by its local character, making it a distinct alternative to high-speed transit.
71% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 56.5 mi on US 13.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 13 and US 64 Bypass. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near East Queen Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 43m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (East Queen Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (US 17 Business / Broad Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.1 miles (US 17 / Ocean Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The capital of North Carolina and the largest city of the Research Triangle, Raleigh is the primary political and economic driver of the metro area. Indeed, business and politics are the main draws to Raleigh, which lacks the more trendy feel or active arts scene of Durham or Chapel Hill to the west. However, a concerted effort to expand the residential base and move events downtown has led to significantly expanded retail and restaurant options in the downtown core. Also, visitors will find many of the state's cultural institutions here, namely a major performing arts center downtown and three state museums, and a college town atmosphere in the neighborhood around the campus of North Carolina State University, the state's largest university.
The longest stretch is about 56.5 miles on US 13. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (East Queen Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (US 17 Business / Broad Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.1 miles (US 17 / Ocean Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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.
