Traveling from the coastal community of Sneads Ferry to the capital city of Raleigh covers approximately 135.4 miles of North Carolina landscape. You should anticipate a travel time of roughly 2 hours and 20 minutes for this journey. Because the total trip is manageable within a single day, there is no need to plan for overnight stays unless you have a packed itinerary in Raleigh. Budgeting around $22 for fuel will cover your transit across the Southeast region. This trip serves as a straightforward connection between the coast and the state's interior, offering a practical alternative to more heavily trafficked interstate routes.
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
67 miles from Sneads Ferry, NC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 33m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
NC 24
60.5 mi
1h 5m
Catherine Lake Road
14.4 mi
21m
I 40
12.6 mi
13m
Wilmington Highway
11.7 mi
16m
Jackson Store Road
6.3 mi
8m
NC 50
5.1 mi
6m
Richlands Highway
5 mi
7m
Hallsville Road
4.4 mi
5m
Longest stretch:
NC 24
— 60.5 mi, about 1h 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sneads Ferry, NC and Raleigh, NC.
1
Start on Country Club Road
0.6 mi·46 sec·Country Club Road
2
Continue on Country Club Road
0.8 mi·1 min·Country Club Road
3
Turn left onto NC 172
1.0 mi·1 min·NC Highway 172
4
Turn right onto NC 210
0.9 mi·1 min·NC Highway 210
5
Continue on NC 210
3.1 mi·4 min·Dixon-Sneads Ferry Road
6
Turn slight right
133 ft·2 sec
7
Merge onto US 17
12 mi·16 min·Wilmington Highway
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi·51 sec
9
Merge onto NC 24; NC 53
0.7 mi·1 min·NC 24; NC 53
10
Continue on US 258; NC 24
5.0 mi·7 min·Richlands Highway
11
Turn left onto NC 111
14 mi·21 min·Catherine Lake Road
12
Turn right onto SR 1800
6.3 mi·8 min·Jackson Store Road
13
At end of road, turn left onto Hallsville Road
4.4 mi·5 min·Hallsville Road
14
At end of road, turn right onto NC 50
5.1 mi·6 min·NC 50
15
Turn left onto D S Williams Road
1.0 mi·1 min·D S Williams Road
16
Turn left onto NC 24; NC 903
3.9 mi·5 min·South Kenansville Bypass
17
Take the exit onto NC 24
60 mi·1 hr 4 min·NC 24
Use the right lane.
18
Keep slight left at fork onto I 40
13 mi·13 min·I 40
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Take the exit
0.3 mi·37 sec
Toward Rock Quarry Rd NorthUse the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Turn straight onto Rock Quarry Road
0.4 mi·49 sec·Rock Quarry Road
21
Turn left onto Rock Quarry Road
0.3 mi·41 sec·Rock Quarry Road
22
Turn left onto Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
1.2 mi·2 min·Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
23
Turn right onto South Wilmington Street
0.2 mi·41 sec·South Wilmington Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
24
Turn left onto East South Street
24 ft·0 sec·East South Street
25
Arrive at destination
East South Street
Trip Plan
Since this is a relatively short drive, you have the flexibility to leave whenever suits your schedule best. With no required stops listed for this 135.4-mile path, you can easily complete the journey in one push, though you should keep an eye on your fuel gauge before leaving Sneads Ferry to ensure you stay within your $22 budget. Be mindful that because you are traveling on local roads like Highway 210 and Highway 172, your average speed will be lower than what you might see on a major interstate. Use this flexibility to time your departure to avoid peak traffic hours when approaching the Raleigh metro area. Planning your departure to coincide with mid-morning or mid-afternoon light can make navigating the turns on these local roads much more comfortable.
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 67 miles from Sneads Ferry, NC, or about 1h 33m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 60.5 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 42m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 67 miles or 1h 33m 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 19m
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 Sneads Ferry, 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 Sneads Ferry, NC
This is one driving day of about 133.9 miles and 2h 49m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 29 miles from Sneads Ferry, 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 NC 24 for about 60.5 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 18
5 decision points cluster between mile 59.1 and 133.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
59.1 mi into trip|~1h 25m in|NC 24
Take the exit onto NC 24
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
118.9 mi into trip|~2h 29m 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
131.5 mi into trip|~2h 43m 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
132.5 mi into trip|~2h 45m in|Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Turn left onto Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
133.7 mi into trip|~2h 48m in|South Wilmington Street
Turn right onto South Wilmington Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$20.94 one way
$41.88 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg47 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$22.89
$45.79
premium
$4.70
$24.78
$49.56
diesel
$5.61
$29.56
$59.13
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: 46.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
40.2
0
$14.06
$6.43
Efficient EV
33.5
0
$11.72
$5.36
EV Truck/SUV
53.6
0
$18.75
$8.57
Gas CO2
47 kg
EV CO2
16 kg (66% 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
Sneads Ferry, NC
Morning
in Sneads Ferry on Tuesday
Local time
7:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Raleigh, NC
Morning
in Raleigh on Tuesday
Local time
7:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
78°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
27 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
2h 49m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate cruise on this route. You will navigate a series of local roads, including Country Club Road, Highway 172, and Highway 210, which means your highway share for this trip is 0%. The road’s personality is defined by these winding stretches rather than long, high-speed highway segments. Because the route relies entirely on regional roads, you should prepare for a more hands-on driving experience where your focus remains on the road layout. It is a steady, consistent transition from the coast toward the center of the state.
60% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 60.5 mi on NC 24.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 59.1 miles in near NC 24.
Driving Effort7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 18 significant decision points across 133.9 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 59.1 miles (NC 24): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 118.9 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 131.5 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 49m. Total distance: 133.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (60%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 60.5 miles on NC 24. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Raleigh, NC before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 59.1 miles (NC 24): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 118.9 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 131.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Raleigh, NC before heading back.
