Origin
Malpass Corner, NC
Late night in Malpass Corner on Sunday
Local time
12:25 AM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Malpass Corner, NC to Surf City, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 5m
Distance
47.6 mi
77 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 0m
★
6 AM
1h 5m
8 AM
1h 16m
10 AM
1h 9m
12 PM
1h 8m
3 PM
1h 9m
5 PM
1h 15m
8 PM
1h 2m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Malpass Corner, NC
Mark Stebnicki
Surf City, NC
Kyle Miller
Trip Overview
Malpass Corner, NC to Surf City, NC is 47.6 miles and takes about 1h 5m via US 421, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, single-day trip that keeps you within North Carolina for its entirety. You'll be spending a good portion of your time on highways, making for a relatively quick transit between these two Southeast locations. Consider this route if you're looking for an efficient way to get from point A to point B without needing an overnight stop.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 421 | 16 mi | 20m |
| John Jay Burney Jr Freeway | 11.8 mi | 12m |
| Market Street | 9.1 mi | 14m |
| US 17 | 5.4 mi | 7m |
| NC 210 | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| Roland Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| NC 50 | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| North New River Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 421
— 16 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Malpass Corner, NC and Surf City, NC.
1
Start on US 421
16 mi
·
20 min
·
US 421
2
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
Toward I 140 East: Topsail Island, Jacksonville, New Bern
3
Merge onto I 140
12 mi
·
12 min
·
John Jay Burney Jr Freeway
4
Continue on US 17
9.1 mi
·
14 min
·
Market Street
Use the straight lane.
5
Continue on US 17; NC 210
5.4 mi
·
7 min
·
US 17; NC 210
Use the straight lane.
6
Turn right onto NC 210
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
NC 210
7
Turn right onto NC 50; NC 210
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Roland Avenue
8
Enter roundabout onto NC 50; NC 210
113 ft
·
2 sec
·
NC 50; NC 210
9
Continue on NC 50; NC 210
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
NC 50; NC 210
10
Enter roundabout onto NC 210
225 ft
·
4 sec
·
North New River Drive
11
Continue on NC 210
126 ft
·
2 sec
·
North New River Drive
12
Continue on North New River Drive
202 ft
·
10 sec
·
North New River Drive
13
Turn left onto Roland Avenue
109 ft
·
12 sec
·
Roland Avenue
14
Continue on Roland Avenue
76 ft
·
1 sec
·
Roland Avenue
15
Arrive at destination
Roland Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 23.8 miles from Malpass Corner, 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 16 and 47.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
16 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward I 140 East: Topsail Island, Jacksonville, New Bern
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 140 East: Topsail Island, Jacksonville...
3
16.4 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
I 140 / John Jay Burney Jr Freeway
Merge onto I 140 / John Jay Burney Jr Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining
3
42.6 mi into trip
|
~55m in
|
NC 210
Turn right onto NC 210
Navigation decision point
4
46.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 2m in
|
NC 50; NC 210
Enter roundabout onto NC 50; NC 210
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
47.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 4m in
|
NC 210 / North New River Drive
Enter roundabout onto NC 210 / North New River Drive
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.44 one way
$14.89 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $8.14 | $16.28 |
| premium | $4.70 | $8.81 | $17.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.51 | $21.02 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.3 | 0 | $5.00 | $2.28 |
| Efficient EV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.17 | $1.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19 | 0 | $6.66 | $3.05 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
Surf City, NC
Late night in Surf City on Sunday
Local time
12:25 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
71°F
Hampstead, NC
24 mi in
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
5 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
1h 5m 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?
Expect a predominantly highway-focused drive for this trip, with 77% of the journey on faster roads. You'll encounter stretches like the 16-mile segment on US 421, which offers a consistent pace. The route incorporates parts of the John Jay Burney Jr Freeway and Market Street, suggesting a blend of open highway and arterial road conditions. This character means you'll likely experience a fairly direct and uninterrupted drive for most of the 47.6 miles.
77% 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: 16 mi on US 421.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 421 and John Jay Burney Jr Freeway. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 16 miles in.
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 1h 5m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 16 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.4 miles (I 140 / John Jay Burney Jr Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 42.6 miles (NC 210): Navigation decision point.
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 Malpass Corner, NC and Surf City, NC, road signs point toward Jacksonville and New Bern.
Jacksonville
16 mi in
|
~20m
New Bern
16 mi in
|
~20m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 5m. Total distance: 47.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (77%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16 miles on US 421. 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 16 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.4 miles (I 140 / John Jay Burney Jr Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 42.6 miles (NC 210): 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 Surf City, 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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