Origin
Rocky Mount, NC
Late night in Rocky Mount on Sunday
Local time
3:49 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rocky Mount, NC to Kinston, 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 24m
Distance
57 mi
92 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 18m
★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 37m
10 AM
1h 29m
12 PM
1h 28m
3 PM
1h 30m
5 PM
1h 37m
8 PM
1h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rocky Mount, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Kinston, NC
Mark Stebnicki
Trip Overview
This straightforward 57-mile journey from Rocky Mount, NC to Kinston, NC can be completed in about 1 hour and 24 minutes, making it an ideal day trip. You'll primarily navigate US 13, Moyton Drive, and North Hathaway Boulevard. With only a 31% highway share, expect a mixed driving experience. The estimated fuel cost for this short trip is around $9, which is quite budget-friendly. Since it's a relatively quick drive within the Southeast region of North Carolina, you won't need to worry about overnight stays, offering plenty of flexibility for your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 13 | 17.1 mi | 26m |
| Moyton Drive | 13.4 mi | 18m |
| North Hathaway Boulevard | 12.3 mi | 17m |
| Nash Street East | 8.4 mi | 11m |
| South Church Street | 3.5 mi | 5m |
| South Wesleyan Boulevard | 1 mi | 1m |
| East Raleigh Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| M.L.K. Jr Parkway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 13
— 17.1 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rocky Mount, NC and Kinston, NC.
1
Start on Cokey Road
425 ft
·
18 sec
·
Cokey Road
2
Turn sharp right onto Hill Street
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Hill Street
3
Turn left onto East Raleigh Boulevard
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East Raleigh Boulevard
4
Turn left onto US 301 BUS
214 ft
·
3 sec
·
South Franklin Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
Turn straight onto US 301 BUS
490 ft
·
12 sec
·
West Bassett Street
6
Turn right onto US 301 BUS
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
South Church Street
7
Turn left onto US 301
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
South Wesleyan Boulevard
8
Continue on US 301
12 mi
·
17 min
·
North Hathaway Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Turn left onto US 264 Alternate; NC 58
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
M.L.K. Jr Parkway
10
Continue on US 264 Alternate; NC 58
8.4 mi
·
11 min
·
Nash Street East
11
Continue on NC 58
13 mi
·
18 min
·
Moyton Drive
12
At end of road, turn left onto US 13; NC 58
17 mi
·
26 min
·
US 13; NC 58
13
Turn right onto West Blount Street
264 ft
·
16 sec
·
West Blount Street
14
Turn left onto Walls Street
315 ft
·
19 sec
·
Walls Street
15
Turn left
102 ft
·
7 sec
16
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 28.5 miles from Rocky Mount, 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 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 57 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Hill Street
Turn sharp right onto Hill Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
US 301 BUS / South Franklin Street
Turn left onto US 301 BUS / South Franklin Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
4
4.4 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
US 301 / South Wesleyan Boulevard
Turn left onto US 301 / South Wesleyan Boulevard
Navigation decision point
5
56.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 23m in
|
Walls Street
Turn left onto Walls Street
Navigation decision point
5
57 mi into trip
|
~1h 24m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.91 one way
$17.83 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $9.75 | $19.49 |
| premium | $4.70 | $10.55 | $21.10 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.58 | $25.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.1 | 0 | $5.98 | $2.74 |
| Efficient EV | 14.3 | 0 | $4.99 | $2.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.8 | 0 | $7.98 | $3.65 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 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
Kinston, NC
Late night in Kinston on Sunday
Local time
3:49 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
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
7 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 24m 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?
The character of this drive is largely defined by its mixed nature, with only 31% of the route on highways. You'll experience stretches on US 13, the longest of which is 17.1 miles, offering a consistent pace. The roads will transition, moving from more direct highway segments to local roads like Moyton Drive and North Hathaway Boulevard as you approach your destination. This blend means you'll have opportunities for both steady travel and more localized navigation, keeping the drive engaging without being overly demanding.
31% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.1 mi on US 13.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 0.1 miles in near Hill Street.
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 24m drive. You will face about 10 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 (Hill Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 0.8 miles (US 301 BUS / South Franklin Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles (US 301 / South Wesleyan Boulevard): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting in Rocky Mount, NC
Full guide →Rocky Mount is a city in North Carolina. Its dawning days were more or less centered around cotton mills in the early 19th century, though it was settled as early as the 1700s by Europeans. Eventually tobacco became the prized crop and warehouses and rail stations sprung up to export this commodity. Rocky Mount, though with a reputation tarnished somewhat by crime and urban decay, is the birthplace of Mike Tyson and Hardee's fast food restaurants and where Jim Thorpe debuted with the Rocky Mountain Railroaders and Jack Kerouac wrote parts of "The Dharma Bums" during his visits there.
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 24m. Total distance: 57 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (31%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.1 miles on US 13. 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 (Hill Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 0.8 miles (US 301 BUS / South Franklin Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles (US 301 / South Wesleyan Boulevard): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Kinston, 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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