Origin
Shallotte, NC
Late night in Shallotte on Sunday
Local time
12:19 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Shallotte, NC to Wilmington, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
47m
Distance
33.8 mi
54 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 44m
★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 51m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 46m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Shallotte, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Shallotte to Wilmington is a quick, 33.8-mile journey that typically takes about 47 minutes. Since this trip is entirely within the Southeast region of North Carolina, it is best suited as an easy day trip rather than an overnight excursion. You should budget approximately $5 for fuel, making this a very affordable connection between these two coastal-area communities. Because the drive is short, you have plenty of flexibility to plan your schedule around local traffic patterns. It is a straightforward route that bypasses the need for complex multi-day planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean Highway West | 27.7 mi | 37m |
| Ocean Highway East | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| Main Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Cape Fear Memorial Bridge | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| South 3rd Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Mulberry Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Ocean Highway West
— 27.7 mi, about 37m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Shallotte, NC and Wilmington, NC.
1
Start on Mulberry Street
75 ft
·
8 sec
·
Mulberry Street
2
Turn left onto US 17 Business; NC 130
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Main Street
3
Turn right onto US 17
28 mi
·
37 min
·
Ocean Highway West
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
37 sec
Toward US 17
5
Continue on US 17; US 74; US 76
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Ocean Highway East
6
Continue on US 17; US 76; US 421
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Cape Fear Memorial Bridge
7
Turn left onto US 421; US 17 Business
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
South 3rd Street
8
Arrive at destination
US 17 Business
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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 33.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 16.9 miles from Shallotte, 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
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 33.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 17 Business; NC 130 / Main Street
Turn left onto US 17 Business; NC 130 / Main Street
Navigation decision point
5
1.6 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
US 17 / Ocean Highway West
Turn right onto US 17 / Ocean Highway West
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
29.3 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 17
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward US 17
3
33.7 mi into trip
|
~47m 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
$5.29 one way
$10.57 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $5.78 | $11.56 |
| premium | $4.70 | $6.26 | $12.51 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.46 | $14.93 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.55 | $1.62 |
| Efficient EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.96 | $1.35 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.5 | 0 | $4.73 | $2.16 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (67% 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 Sunday
Local time
12:19 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
47m 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 turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. You will spend your time navigating Ocean Highway West, Ocean Highway East, and Main Street, as the route contains zero percent highway travel. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 27.7 miles along Ocean Highway West, which serves as the backbone of your journey. Because you are sticking to local roads, you should remain alert for frequent changes in direction and pace. This is a practical, functional drive that keeps you off major high-speed corridors.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 27.7 mi on Ocean Highway West.
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 early in the drive near US 17 Business; NC 130 / Main 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 47m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 17 Business; NC 130 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (US 17 / Ocean Highway West): Lane positioning matters here; at 29.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
52 ft
9 ft
Total Climb
88 ft
Total Descent
67 ft
Highest Point
52 ft
~16.9 mi in
Elevation Range
43 ft
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 47m. Total distance: 33.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
47m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 27.7 miles on Ocean Highway West. 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: near the start (US 17 Business; NC 130 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (US 17 / Ocean Highway West): Lane positioning matters here; at 29.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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