Origin
Richlands, NC
Morning in Richlands on Tuesday
Local time
6:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Richlands, 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
1h 32m
Distance
64 mi
103 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 26m
★
6 AM
1h 33m
8 AM
1h 47m
10 AM
1h 38m
12 PM
1h 36m
3 PM
1h 39m
5 PM
1h 46m
8 PM
1h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Richlands, NC
Mark Stebnicki
Trip Overview
This 64-mile drive from Richlands, NC, to Wilmington, NC, is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 1 hour and 32 minutes. You'll spend about 57% of your time on highways, with the longest continuous stretch being 21.6 miles on I-40. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $10, making it a budget-friendly option. The route offers a mixed driving experience, connecting the Southeast regions of North Carolina. Given its short duration and straightforward path, no overnight stops are necessary.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
32 miles from Richlands, NC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 51m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 40 | 21.6 mi | 23m |
| NC 53 | 13.4 mi | 18m |
| Cypress Creek Road | 9.5 mi | 13m |
| Back Swamp Road | 3.7 mi | 5m |
| Fowler Manning Road | 3.2 mi | 9m |
| Market Street | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Catherine Lake Road | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| Richlands Highway | 2 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
I 40
— 21.6 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Richlands, NC and Wilmington, NC.
1
Start on South Wilmington Street
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
South Wilmington Street
2
Turn left onto US 258; NC 24
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Richlands Highway
3
Turn right onto Gregory Fork Road
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Gregory Fork Road
4
Turn left onto Fowler Manning Road
3.2 mi
·
9 min
·
Fowler Manning Road
5
Turn right onto NC 111
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Catherine Lake Road
6
Turn left onto Cypress Creek Road
3.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Cypress Creek Road
7
Continue on Back Swamp Road
3.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Back Swamp Road
8
At end of road, turn left onto Cypress Creek Road
5.8 mi
·
7 min
·
Cypress Creek Road
9
At end of road, turn left onto NC 50
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
NC 50
10
Turn right onto NC 53
13 mi
·
18 min
·
NC 53
11
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
12
Merge onto I 40
22 mi
·
23 min
·
I 40
13
Continue on US 117; NC 132
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
North College Road
14
Turn right onto US 74
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Martin Luther King Jr Parkway
15
Turn left onto North Kerr Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North Kerr Avenue
16
Turn right onto US 17 Business
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Market Street
17
Turn left onto South 16th Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South 16th Street
18
Turn right onto US 17; US 76
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Wooster Street
19
Turn right onto US 17 Business
92 ft
·
2 sec
·
South 3rd Street
20
Arrive at destination
US 17 Business
Trip Plan
For this 1 hour and 32-minute trip covering 64 miles, flexibility is your best friend. You can leave anytime, but consider departing mid-morning to avoid potential rush hour congestion around Wilmington. With minimal stops recommended and a low fuel cost of $10, you won't need to plan extensive breaks. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, but extensive refueling stops are unlikely. A specific tip for this route: familiarize yourself with the transition from I-40 to NC-53, as this is where the drive's character shifts most noticeably.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 32 miles from Richlands, NC, or about 51m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 21.6 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 14 miles or 26m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 32 miles or 51m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 17m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Wilmington, NC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Richlands, NC so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Richlands, NC
This is one driving day of about 64 miles and 1h 32m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 14 miles from Richlands, NC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 40 for about 21.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 32 miles from Richlands, 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 155 decision points cluster between mile 2.2 and 21.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
2.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Gregory Fork Road
Turn right onto Gregory Fork Road
Navigation decision point
4
2.9 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
Fowler Manning Road
Turn left onto Fowler Manning Road
Navigation decision point
4
15.7 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
Cypress Creek Road
At end of road, turn left onto Cypress Creek Road
Navigation decision point
4
21.4 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
NC 50
At end of road, turn left onto NC 50
Navigation decision point
4
21.6 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
NC 53
Turn right onto NC 53
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.01 one way
$20.02 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $10.94 | $21.89 |
| premium | $4.70 | $11.85 | $23.69 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.13 | $28.26 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$10
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$35–$60
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.2 | 0 | $6.72 | $3.07 |
| Efficient EV | 16 | 0 | $5.60 | $2.56 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.6 | 0 | $8.96 | $4.10 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% 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
Morning in Wilmington on Tuesday
Local time
6:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
80°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
33 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
1h 32m 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 mixed drive on this route, blending highway speeds with local road navigation. With 57% of the journey on highways like I-40, you'll experience some faster stretches, including a notable 21.6-mile segment on I-40 without significant interruptions. The drive transitions through NC-53 and Cypress Creek Road, offering a change of pace from the interstate. This variety means you won't be stuck in a monotonous highway grind but will also have opportunities to pick up the pace.
57% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.6 mi on I 40.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 2.2 miles in near Gregory Fork Road.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 32m drive. You will face about 15 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.2 miles (Gregory Fork Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles (Fowler Manning Road): Navigation decision point; at 15.7 miles (Cypress Creek Road): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
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
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 32m. Total distance: 64 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (57%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 21.6 miles on I 40. 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 2.2 miles (Gregory Fork Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles (Fowler Manning Road): Navigation decision point; at 15.7 miles (Cypress Creek Road): Navigation decision point.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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