Traveling from Holly Ridge to Raleigh covers 124.7 miles and typically takes about 2 hours and 34 minutes. Because this is a straightforward, highway-focused drive within North Carolina, it is easily manageable as a single-day trip. You should budget approximately $20 for fuel to complete the journey. Navigating primarily via NC 24, NC 50, and I-40, you will transition from the Southeast coastal region toward the inland capital. This route is an efficient way to cross the state, making it ideal if you prioritize speed and simplicity over a leisurely pace.
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
62.4 miles from Holly Ridge, NC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 23m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
NC 24
59.8 mi
1h 4m
NC 50
18.7 mi
26m
I 40
12.6 mi
13m
Ocean Road
12.2 mi
16m
Cypress Creek Road
9.4 mi
12m
South Kenansville Bypass
3.9 mi
5m
NC 41
1.9 mi
2m
Old Maple Hill Road North
1.4 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
NC 24
— 59.8 mi, about 1h 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Holly Ridge, NC and Raleigh, NC.
1
Start on US 17
99 ft·9 sec·Wilmington Highway
2
Turn left onto NC 50
12 mi·16 min·Ocean Road
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on NC 50
5.1 mi·7 min·NC 50
4
Turn right onto Old Maple Hill Road North
1.4 mi·1 min·Old Maple Hill Road North
5
Continue on Sycamore Springs Road
1.4 mi·1 min·Sycamore Springs Road
6
Turn right onto Cypress Creek Road
9.4 mi·12 min·Cypress Creek Road
7
Continue on NC 50
3.0 mi·4 min·NC 50
8
At end of road, turn left onto NC 41; NC 50
1.9 mi·2 min·NC 41; NC 50
9
Turn right onto NC 50
11 mi·14 min·NC 50
10
Turn left onto D S Williams Road
1.0 mi·1 min·D S Williams Road
11
Turn left onto NC 24; NC 903
3.9 mi·5 min·South Kenansville Bypass
12
Take the exit onto NC 24
60 mi·1 hr 4 min·NC 24
Use the right lane.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 40
13 mi·13 min·I 40
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi·37 sec
Toward Rock Quarry Rd NorthUse the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn straight onto Rock Quarry Road
0.4 mi·49 sec·Rock Quarry Road
16
Turn left onto Rock Quarry Road
0.3 mi·41 sec·Rock Quarry Road
17
Turn left onto Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
1.2 mi·2 min·Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
18
Turn right onto South Wilmington Street
0.2 mi·41 sec·South Wilmington Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
19
Turn left onto East South Street
24 ft·0 sec·East South Street
20
Arrive at destination
East South Street
Trip Plan
Since the total duration is under three hours, you have plenty of flexibility in your departure time, though planning for one well-timed stop will keep you refreshed. Keep an eye on the transition between the state highways and the interstate, as traffic patterns can change significantly once you merge onto I-40. Budget your $20 fuel expense ahead of time, as prices can vary between the smaller towns near Holly Ridge and the busier corridors leading into Raleigh. If you prefer to avoid the heaviest congestion, try to time your arrival to miss peak weekday commuting hours in the capital area. Use your one planned stop to stretch your legs before you hit the final stretch of your journey.
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 62.4 miles from Holly Ridge, NC, or about 1h 23m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 59.8 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 27 miles or 38m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 62.4 miles or 1h 23m 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 6m
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 Holly Ridge, 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 Holly Ridge, NC
This is one driving day of about 124.7 miles and 2h 34m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 27 miles from Holly Ridge, 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 NC 24 for about 59.8 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 14
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 124.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip|~0m in|NC 50 / Ocean Road
Turn left onto NC 50 / Ocean Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
49.9 mi into trip|~1h 9m in|NC 24
Take the exit onto NC 24
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
109.7 mi into trip|~2h 14m in|I 40
Keep slight left at fork onto I 40
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
122.3 mi into trip|~2h 28m 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
124.5 mi into trip|~2h 33m in|South Wilmington Street
Turn right onto South Wilmington Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$19.50 one way
$39.00 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg44 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$21.32
$42.64
premium
$4.70
$23.08
$46.16
diesel
$5.61
$27.53
$55.06
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$20
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$45–$70
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 43.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $13 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
37.4
0
$13.09
$5.99
Efficient EV
31.2
0
$10.91
$4.99
EV Truck/SUV
49.9
0
$17.46
$7.98
Gas CO2
44 kg
EV CO2
15 kg (66% 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
Holly Ridge, NC
Afternoon
in Holly Ridge on Sunday
Local time
12:11 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Raleigh, NC
Afternoon
in Raleigh on Sunday
Local time
12:11 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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
2h 34m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Moores Creek National Battlefield
National Battlefield
In the early morning hours of February 27, 1776, Loyalist forces charged across a partially dismantled Moores Creek Bridge. Beyond the bridge, nearly 1,000 North Carolina Patriots waited quietly with...
28 mi from route
~69 min detour
Free
near mile 17.2
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a trip defined by efficiency, as highway travel accounts for 75% of your time behind the wheel. You will spend your longest uninterrupted stretch covering 59.8 miles on NC 24 before transitioning onto the interstate system. The road’s personality shifts from the local, state-maintained highways of the coast to the faster, more consistent flow of I-40. While the drive is focused on getting you to your destination quickly, the mix of road types keeps the experience from feeling purely like a monotonous interstate grind. It is a functional, no-nonsense path that allows you to settle into a steady rhythm.
75% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 59.8 mi on NC 24.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NC 24 and NC 50. You will hit about 14 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near NC 50 / Ocean Road.
Driving Effort6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 124.7 miles you will encounter 14 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (NC 50 / Ocean Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 49.9 miles (NC 24): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 109.7 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 34m. Total distance: 124.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 59.8 miles on NC 24. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Raleigh, NC before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (NC 50 / Ocean Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 49.9 miles (NC 24): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 109.7 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Raleigh, NC before heading back.
