Origin
Lillington, NC
Late night in Lillington on Sunday
Local time
3:30 AM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lillington, NC to Cary, 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
31.9 mi
51 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 48m
★
6 AM
0h 52m
8 AM
1h 1m
10 AM
0h 55m
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.
Lillington, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Cary, NC
C k
Trip Overview
This straightforward 31.9-mile drive from Lillington, NC to Cary, NC takes about 52 minutes, making it an easy day trip. You'll navigate primarily on local roads, with only a small portion on highways. The estimated fuel cost for this short journey is around $5, so you won't need to budget much for gas. This route stays within the Southeast region, offering a familiar landscape throughout. Given its brevity, this trip is perfect for a quick excursion or an addition to a larger travel plan.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Cornelius Harnett Boulevard | 8.8 mi | 12m |
| Piney Grove-Wilbon Road | 6 mi | 10m |
| GB Alford Highway | 5.8 mi | 8m |
| Kildaire Farm Road | 3.1 mi | 6m |
| Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| South Main Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Piney Grove-Rawls Road | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| McKinney Parkway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
West Cornelius Harnett Boulevard
— 8.8 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lillington, NC and Cary, NC.
1
Start on this road
13 ft
·
2 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto US 401; US 421; NC 27; NC 210
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
South Main Street
3
Turn left onto McKinney Parkway
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
McKinney Parkway
4
Turn left onto US 401
8.8 mi
·
12 min
·
West Cornelius Harnett Boulevard
5
Turn left onto Piney Grove-Rawls Road
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Piney Grove-Rawls Road
6
Continue on Piney Grove-Wilbon Road
6.0 mi
·
10 min
·
Piney Grove-Wilbon Road
7
Continue on South Main Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Turn left onto NC 55
5.8 mi
·
8 min
·
GB Alford Highway
Use the left lane.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
15 sec
Toward US 1 North: Raleigh
Use the right lane.
10
Merge onto US 1
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward Tryon Road
12
Turn straight onto Tryon Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Tryon Road
Use the straight lane.
13
Turn left onto Kildaire Farm Road
3.1 mi
·
6 min
·
Kildaire Farm Road
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto South Academy Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Academy Street
Use the right lane.
15
Arrive at destination
North Academy Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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
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 95 decision points cluster between mile 18.4 and 31.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
18.4 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
NC 55 / GB Alford Highway
Turn left onto NC 55 / GB Alford Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
24.2 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward US 1 North: Raleigh
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward US 1 North: Raleigh
5
24.5 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
US 1 / Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway
Merge onto US 1 / Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
27.2 mi into trip
|
~42m in
Take the exit toward Tryon Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Tryon Road
6
31.3 mi into trip
|
~50m in
|
South Academy Street
Turn right onto South Academy Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.99 one way
$9.98 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $5.45 | $10.91 |
| premium | $4.70 | $5.90 | $11.81 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.04 | $14.09 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.35 | $1.53 |
| Efficient EV | 8 | 0 | $2.79 | $1.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.8 | 0 | $4.47 | $2.04 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Cary, NC
Late night in Cary on Sunday
Local time
3:30 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Mostly Clear
SW 1 to 5 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
11 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
52m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, with limited highway time. You'll spend most of your time on roads like West Cornelius Harnett Boulevard and Piney Grove-Wilbon Road, with a section of GB Alford Highway mixed in. The longest stretch without a turn is 8.8 miles on West Cornelius Harnett Boulevard. With only a 2% highway share, this drive feels more like navigating through towns and countryside than a high-speed transit.
Only 2% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.8 mi on West Cornelius Harnett Boulevard.
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 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 18.4 miles in near NC 55 / GB Alford Highway.
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 31.9 miles you will encounter 9 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: at 18.4 miles (NC 55 / GB Alford Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 24.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.5 miles (US 1 / Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 52m. Total distance: 31.9 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.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.8 miles on West Cornelius Harnett Boulevard. 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 Cary, 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 18.4 miles (NC 55 / GB Alford Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 24.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.5 miles (US 1 / Claude E. Pope Memorial 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 Cary, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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