Origin
Kenly, NC
Morning in Kenly on Sunday
Local time
10:17 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Kenly, NC to Raleigh, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
52m
Distance
41.4 mi
67 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 48m
★
6 AM
0h 53m
8 AM
1h 1m
10 AM
0h 56m
12 PM
0h 55m
3 PM
0h 56m
5 PM
1h 1m
8 PM
0h 50m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kenly, NC
R9 Media Photo Collective
Raleigh, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a straightforward connection between Kenly and Raleigh, this 41.4-mile trip is an efficient way to traverse the Southeast. You can easily complete the drive in about 52 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day journey that requires no overnight stops. Budgeting approximately $7 for fuel will cover your transit across the regional landscape. Because the route is short and focused, it serves as a practical link rather than a destination-heavy excursion. Whether you are commuting or heading to the capital for the day, this path is designed for speed and convenience.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 95 | 10 mi | 11m |
| Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway | 10 mi | 11m |
| US 70 | 9 mi | 11m |
| I 40 | 8.6 mi | 9m |
| Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Rock Quarry Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| North Church Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| South Wilmington Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 95
— 10 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Kenly, NC and Raleigh, NC.
1
Start on this road
43 ft
·
8 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto US 301
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North Church Street
3
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
4
Merge onto I 95
10 mi
·
11 min
·
I 95
5
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward US 70: Selma, Pine Level, Goldsboro
6
Turn right onto US 70
9.0 mi
·
11 min
·
US 70
7
Continue on I 42
10.0 mi
·
11 min
·
Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway
8
Merge onto I 40
8.6 mi
·
9 min
·
I 40
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward Rock Quarry Rd North
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn straight onto Rock Quarry Road
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Rock Quarry Road
11
Turn left onto Rock Quarry Road
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Rock Quarry Road
12
Turn left onto Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Turn right onto South Wilmington Street
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
South Wilmington Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Turn left onto East South Street
24 ft
·
0 sec
·
East South Street
15
Arrive at destination
East South Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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 41 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.7 miles from Kenly, 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 11.1 and 41.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
11.1 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward US 70: Selma, Pine Level, Goldsboro
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 70: Selma, Pine Level, Goldsboro
5
30.4 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
I 40
Merge onto I 40
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
39 mi into trip
|
~46m 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
5
40 mi into trip
|
~49m in
|
Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Turn left onto Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
41.2 mi into trip
|
~52m in
|
South Wilmington Street
Turn right onto South Wilmington Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.47 one way
$12.95 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $7.08 | $14.16 |
| premium | $4.70 | $7.66 | $15.32 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.14 | $18.28 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.35 | $1.99 |
| Efficient EV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.62 | $1.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.6 | 0 | $5.80 | $2.65 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Raleigh, NC
Morning in Raleigh on Sunday
Local time
10:17 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
52m 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?
This trip is a highway-focused drive, with 67% of your time spent on major thoroughfares. You will navigate a combination of I-95, the Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway, and US-70 to reach your destination. While the longest uninterrupted stretch is 10 miles on I-95, the road character shifts as you transition from the interstate to the bypass and local highway sections. Expect a functional, steady pace behind the wheel that prioritizes direct travel over winding, technical roads. It is a predictable drive that keeps you moving toward the city without unnecessary complexity.
67% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10 mi on I 95.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 95 and Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 11.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 41.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 52m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 11.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 30.4 miles (I 40): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 39 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
317 ft
133 ft
Total Climb
323 ft
Total Descent
203 ft
Highest Point
317 ft
~32.6 mi in
Elevation Range
183 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Kenly, NC and Raleigh, NC, road signs point toward Pine Level, Goldsboro and Rock Quarry Rd North.
Pine Level
11.1 mi in
|
~13m
Goldsboro
11.1 mi in
|
~13m
Rock Quarry Rd North
39 mi in
|
~46m
About the Cities
Arriving in Raleigh, NC
Full guide →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.
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 52m. Total distance: 41.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
52m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (67%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10 miles on I 95. 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.
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 11.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 30.4 miles (I 40): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 39 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.
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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Raleigh, NC
More trips to Raleigh, NC
Explore more options from Kenly, NC or browse trips ending in Raleigh, NC.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NC road trips.