Origin
Leland, NC
Late night in Leland on Tuesday
Local time
4:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Leland, NC to Wilmington, 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
11m
Distance
6.6 mi
11 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 10m
★
6 AM
0h 11m
8 AM
0h 13m
10 AM
0h 12m
12 PM
0h 12m
3 PM
0h 12m
5 PM
0h 13m
8 PM
0h 11m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Leland, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transition between Leland and Wilmington, this 8.7-mile connection is as straightforward as it gets. Expect to spend only about 11 minutes behind the wheel, making this a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. You will navigate primarily via Lincoln Road Northeast, Village Road, and River Road Southeast. Because the entire journey is local, you can budget just $1 for fuel, keeping your travel costs incredibly low. Since both towns are nestled within the Southeast region of North Carolina, the environment remains consistent throughout your brief transit. This drive is best suited for those needing a practical, no-fuss route rather than a long-distance excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Village Road | 3.1 mi | 5m |
| Ocean Highway East | 2 mi | 2m |
| Cape Fear Memorial Bridge | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| NC 133 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| River Road Southeast | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South 3rd Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Post Office Road Northeast | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Lincoln Road Northeast | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Village Road
— 3.1 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Leland, NC and Wilmington, NC.
1
Start on Post Office Road Northeast
282 ft
·
13 sec
·
Post Office Road Northeast
2
Turn right onto Lincoln Road Northeast
272 ft
·
8 sec
·
Lincoln Road Northeast
3
Turn left onto Village Road
3.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Village Road
4
Continue on River Road Southeast
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
River Road Southeast
5
Take the ramp onto NC 133
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
NC 133
6
Merge onto US 17; US 74; US 76; NC 133
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Ocean Highway East
7
Continue on US 17; US 76; US 421
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Cape Fear Memorial Bridge
8
Turn left onto US 421; US 17 Business
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
South 3rd Street
9
Arrive at destination
US 17 Business
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 6.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Lincoln Road Northeast
Turn right onto Lincoln Road Northeast
Navigation decision point
3
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Village Road
Turn left onto Village Road
Navigation decision point
3
3.5 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
NC 133
Take the ramp onto NC 133
Navigation decision point
3
3.7 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
US 17; US 74; US 76; NC 133 / Ocean Highway East
Merge onto US 17; US 74; US 76; NC 133 / Ocean Highway East
Merge point - match speed before joining
3
6.5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
US 421; US 17 Business / South 3rd Street
Turn left onto US 421; US 17 Business / South 3rd Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.03 one way
$2.06 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
2 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $1.13 | $2.26 |
| premium | $4.70 | $1.22 | $2.44 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.46 | $2.91 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 50% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2 | 0 | $0.69 | $0.32 |
| Efficient EV | 1.7 | 0 | $0.58 | $0.26 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.6 | 0 | $0.92 | $0.42 |
Gas CO2
2 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (50% 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
Wilmington, NC
Late night in Wilmington on Tuesday
Local time
4:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Mostly Clear
SW 3 mph
0% chance
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
18 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
11m 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?
Forget about monotonous highway cruising; this route is a turn-heavy local drive through and through. With a highway share of 0%, you won’t find any high-speed interstate stretches here. Instead, you will navigate local surface streets that require your full attention as you move through the area. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 0 miles on Lincoln Road Northeast, meaning you should anticipate frequent turns and changing road conditions. It is a functional, technical drive that demands a steady pace rather than heavy acceleration. Expect a very different feel than an open highway, as you stay grounded on local roads for the duration of your 11-minute trip.
Only 4% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.1 mi on Village Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Lincoln Road Northeast.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 11m drive. You will face about 5 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 (Lincoln Road Northeast): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Village Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.5 miles (NC 133): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting in Leland, NC
Full guide →Arriving in Wilmington, NC
Full guide →Wilmington is a city in the southeastern part of North Carolina. It is the county seat of New Hanover County, and home to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, the U.S.S. North Carolina Battleship Memorial, the Cape Fear Museum, Airlie Gardens, and a large historic district. It is convenient to nearby beaches, and is a relatively short drive from the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill), Charlotte, Myrtle Beach, SC, and the I-95 corridor.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
This 6.6-mile drive is perfect for a quick weekend escape, easily doable as a same-day round trip with no breaks needed.
Family Friendly
With only 11 minutes of driving and very few highway miles, this route is short enough to keep kids happy and easy to navigate.
Solo Traveler
At just 6.6 miles and 11 minutes, this route is incredibly manageable for a solo traveler looking for a very short drive.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
This is a great first-time drive, with only 6.6 miles and a 3/10 complexity rating, it's a straightforward local road experience.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 3.1 miles on Village Road. 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 (Lincoln Road Northeast): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Village Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.5 miles (NC 133): Navigation decision point.
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 Wilmington, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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