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Trip from Lake Waccamaw, NC to Bird Cage, NC

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

28m

Distance

21.4 mi

34 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Good

6 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 26m ★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Lake Waccamaw, NC, NC

Lake Waccamaw, NC

Michael Ken

Downtown Bird Cage, NC, NC

Bird Cage, NC

Magda Ehlers

Trip Overview

Lake Waccamaw, NC to Bird Cage, NC is 21.4 miles and takes about 28 minutes via Andrew Jackson Highway and US 76, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within North Carolina's Southeast region, offering a straightforward connection between two points. It's a quick drive that doesn't demand much in terms of time or resources, making it ideal for a brief excursion or a simple transit. You'll likely find it to be a functional route without significant detours, perfect for when you just need to get from point A to point B efficiently.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Andrew Jackson Highway 15.7 mi 17m
US 76 1.9 mi 3m
Sam Potts Highway 1.3 mi 2m
Old Highway 74 1.1 mi 1m
Chauncey Town Road 0.6 mi 1m
Pecan Lane 0.2 mi <1m
West Oak Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Andrew Jackson Highway — 15.7 mi, about 17m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Lake Waccamaw, NC and Bird Cage, NC.

1

Start on West Oak Street

36 ft · 5 sec · West Oak Street
2

Turn left onto Pecan Lane

0.2 mi · 51 sec · Pecan Lane
3

Turn left onto NC 214

1.3 mi · 2 min · Sam Potts Highway
4

Turn right onto Chauncey Town Road

0.4 mi · 38 sec · Chauncey Town Road
5

Keep slight right at fork onto Chauncey Town Road

293 ft · 5 sec · Chauncey Town Road
6

Enter roundabout onto Chauncey Town Road

134 ft · 2 sec · Chauncey Town Road
7

Continue on Chauncey Town Road

0.2 mi · 18 sec · Chauncey Town Road
8

Keep slight right at fork onto Chauncey Town Road

96 ft · 1 sec · Chauncey Town Road
9

Enter roundabout

252 ft · 5 sec
10

Continue

0.4 mi · 56 sec
11

Merge onto US 74; US 76

16 mi · 17 min · Andrew Jackson Highway
12

Take the exit onto US 76

1.9 mi · 3 min · US 76
13

Turn right onto Old Highway 74

1.1 mi · 1 min · Old Highway 74
14

Arrive at destination

Old Highway 74

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 2.1 — 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 | Pecan Lane

Turn left onto Pecan Lane

Navigation decision point

4
1.8 mi into trip | ~3m in | Chauncey Town Road

Keep slight right at fork onto Chauncey Town Road

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

6
1.9 mi into trip | ~3m in | Chauncey Town Road

Enter roundabout onto Chauncey Town Road

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

5
2.1 mi into trip | ~4m in | Chauncey Town Road

Keep slight right at fork onto Chauncey Town Road

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

5
2.1 mi into trip | ~4m in

Enter roundabout

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.40 one way

$6.81 round trip

$4.04/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.41 $3.71 $7.42
premium $4.78 $4.03 $8.05
diesel $5.35 $4.51 $9.01

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 57% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6.4 0 $2.25 $1.03
Efficient EV 5.4 0 $1.87 $0.86
EV Truck/SUV 8.6 0 $3.00 $1.37

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (57% 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 Jun 1, 2026

Origin

Lake Waccamaw, NC

Evening in Lake Waccamaw on Wednesday

Local time

5:31 PM

EDT

Current temp

83°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

S 2 mph 58% chance Live forecast

Beach Hazards Statement

Beach Hazards Statement issued June 1 at 8:31AM EDT until June 1 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Newport/Morehead City NC

Destination

Bird Cage, NC

Evening in Bird Cage on Wednesday

Local time

5:31 PM

EDT

Current temp

85°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 2 mph 54% chance Live forecast

Beach Hazards Statement

Beach Hazards Statement issued June 1 at 8:31AM EDT until June 1 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Newport/Morehead City NC

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

28m 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?

This drive is primarily on surface roads, with only 14% of the 21.4 miles on highways like Andrew Jackson Highway and US 76. You'll experience a longest stretch of 15.7 miles on Andrew Jackson Highway before transitioning to local roads. Expect a more rural cruising feel for the majority of the trip, rather than rapid highway travel. The road surface will likely feel consistent throughout, with fewer exits and more direct navigation.

Only 14% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.7 mi on Andrew Jackson Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Pecan Lane.

Driving Effort 6/10

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 21.4 miles you will encounter 10 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 (Pecan Lane): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles (Chauncey Town Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 1.9 miles (Chauncey Town Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

99 ft 52 ft

Total Climb

77 ft

Total Descent

38 ft

Highest Point

99 ft

~19.8 mi in

Elevation Range

48 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Lake Waccamaw, NC

Full guide →

Top landmarks

  • • Lake Waccamaw Depot — railway station in Lake Waccamaw, the United States of America

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 28m. Total distance: 21.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

28m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 15.7 miles on Andrew Jackson Highway. 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 Bird Cage, 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: near the start (Pecan Lane): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles (Chauncey Town Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 1.9 miles (Chauncey Town Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

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 Bird Cage, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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