Traveling from Silver Lake to Raleigh covers 132.8 miles and typically takes about 2 hours and 10 minutes. Because this is a straightforward journey, you can easily complete it in a single day without needing an overnight stay. Expect to spend approximately $21 on fuel for the trip, making it a budget-friendly way to move between these two Southeast locations. You will navigate primarily via local roads rather than major interstates. It is a practical route for those who prefer a consistent pace over long-distance highway cruising.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
65.9 miles from Silver Lake, NC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 19m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Michael Jordan Highway
107.3 mi
1h 55m
I 40
12.6 mi
13m
South College Road
6.9 mi
11m
Saint Andrews Drive
1.4 mi
3m
Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
1.2 mi
2m
Rock Quarry Road
0.7 mi
1m
South 17th Street
0.5 mi
1m
Silver Terra Drive
0.3 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Michael Jordan Highway
— 107.3 mi, about 1h 55m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Silver Lake, NC and Raleigh, NC.
1
Start on Yulan Drive
33 ft·6 sec·Yulan Drive
2
Turn left onto Cornus Drive
0.2 mi·50 sec·Cornus Drive
3
Turn left onto Carya Drive
439 ft·20 sec·Carya Drive
4
Turn right onto Ilex Drive
513 ft·27 sec·Ilex Drive
5
Turn left onto Silver Terra Drive
0.3 mi·1 min·Silver Terra Drive
6
Turn left onto US 421
0.2 mi·24 sec·Carolina Beach Road
7
Turn right onto Saint Andrews Drive
1.4 mi·3 min·Saint Andrews Drive
8
Turn right onto South 17th Street
0.5 mi·1 min·South 17th Street
9
Turn left onto NC 132
6.9 mi·11 min·South College Road
10
Continue on I 40; US 117; NC 132
107 mi·1 hr 55 min·Michael Jordan Highway
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 40
13 mi·13 min·I 40
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi·37 sec
Toward Rock Quarry Rd NorthUse the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Turn straight onto Rock Quarry Road
0.4 mi·49 sec·Rock Quarry Road
14
Turn left onto Rock Quarry Road
0.3 mi·41 sec·Rock Quarry Road
15
Turn left onto Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
1.2 mi·2 min·Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Turn right onto South Wilmington Street
0.2 mi·41 sec·South Wilmington Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Turn left onto East South Street
24 ft·0 sec·East South Street
18
Arrive at destination
East South Street
Trip Plan
Since this 132.8-mile trip is relatively short, you have plenty of flexibility to plan your departure time based on your personal schedule. With zero planned stops listed, you can drive straight through, though you should keep an eye on your fuel gauge to ensure you stay within your $21 budget. Given the nature of this turn-heavy local route, double-check your GPS settings before you head out to ensure you stay on the correct sequence of Cornus, Carya, and Ilex drives. Avoiding peak traffic hours on these local roads will help keep your travel time closer to the 2-hour and 10-minute estimate.
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.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 65.9 miles from Silver Lake, NC, or about 1h 19m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 107.3 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 29 miles or 40m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 65.9 miles or 1h 19m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 5m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Raleigh, NC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Silver Lake, NC so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Silver Lake, NC
This is one driving day of about 131.9 miles and 2h 34m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 29 miles from Silver Lake, NC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Michael Jordan Highway for about 107.3 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 14
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 131.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|Carya Drive
Turn left onto Carya Drive
Navigation decision point
6
116.9 mi into trip|~2h 14m in|I 40
Keep slight left at fork onto I 40
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
129.4 mi into trip|~2h 28m in
Take the exit toward Rock Quarry Rd North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Rock Quarry Rd North
5
130.4 mi into trip|~2h 30m in|Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Turn left onto Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
131.7 mi into trip|~2h 33m in|South Wilmington Street
Turn right onto South Wilmington Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$20.63 one way
$41.25 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg46 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$22.55
$45.11
premium
$4.70
$24.41
$48.82
diesel
$5.61
$29.12
$58.24
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$21
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$46–$71
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 46.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
39.6
0
$13.85
$6.33
Efficient EV
33
0
$11.54
$5.28
EV Truck/SUV
52.8
0
$18.47
$8.44
Gas CO2
46 kg
EV CO2
15 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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Silver Lake, NC
Late night
in Silver Lake on Sunday
Local time
3:46 AM
EDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Raleigh, NC
Late night
in Raleigh on Sunday
Local time
3:46 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°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
3 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
2h 34m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Moores Creek National Battlefield
National Battlefield
In the early morning hours of February 27, 1776, Loyalist forces charged across a partially dismantled Moores Creek Bridge. Beyond the bridge, nearly 1,000 North Carolina Patriots waited quietly with...
13 mi from route
~33 min detour
Free
near mile 22.7
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel. Unlike a monotonous interstate slog, this route relies entirely on local roads, meaning your highway share is 0%. You will traverse Cornus Drive, Carya Drive, and Ilex Drive as your primary navigation points. Because the longest stretch on any single road is 0 miles on Cornus Drive, the route requires frequent attention to your turns and navigation. It offers a hands-on driving experience that differs significantly from the typical high-speed highway commute.
Only 10% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 107.3 mi on Michael Jordan Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 14 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Carya Drive.
Driving Effort5/10
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 131.9 miles you will encounter 14 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 0.2 miles (Carya Drive): Navigation decision point; at 116.9 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 129.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The capital of North Carolina and the largest city of the Research Triangle, Raleigh is the primary political and economic driver of the metro area. Indeed, business and politics are the main draws to Raleigh, which lacks the more trendy feel or active arts scene of Durham or Chapel Hill to the west. However, a concerted effort to expand the residential base and move events downtown has led to significantly expanded retail and restaurant options in the downtown core. Also, visitors will find many of the state's cultural institutions here, namely a major performing arts center downtown and three state museums, and a college town atmosphere in the neighborhood around the campus of North Carolina State University, the state's largest university.
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 34m. Total distance: 131.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (10%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 107.3 miles on Michael Jordan Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Carya Drive): Navigation decision point; at 116.9 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 129.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Raleigh, NC before heading back.
