Origin
Stedman, NC
Late night in Stedman on Tuesday
Local time
5:16 AM
EDT
Current temp
80°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Stedman, NC to Raleigh, 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 19m
Distance
61.6 mi
99 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 13m
★
6 AM
1h 19m
8 AM
1h 32m
10 AM
1h 24m
12 PM
1h 22m
3 PM
1h 24m
5 PM
1h 31m
8 PM
1h 15m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Stedman, NC
Mark Stebnicki
Raleigh, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Stedman to Raleigh is 61.6 miles and takes about 1 hour 19 minutes via I-40, I-95, and Wade-Stedman Road, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip connects two points within North Carolina's Southeast region. Given its mostly highway profile, it's a straightforward connection, ideal for a quick commute or a brief excursion. Plan for a simple transition as you head northeast towards the state capital.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 40 | 26.7 mi | 29m |
| I 95 | 18.9 mi | 21m |
| Wade-Stedman Road | 10.9 mi | 17m |
| Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Rock Quarry Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| NC 24 | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| Goldsboro Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Wilmington Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 40
— 26.7 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Stedman, NC and Raleigh, NC.
1
Start on SR 1971
490 ft
·
14 sec
·
Clinton Road
2
Turn right onto Wade-Stedman Road
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Wade-Stedman Road
3
Turn right onto NC 24
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
·
NC 24
4
Take the exit
304 ft
·
17 sec
Toward NC 24 West
5
Turn left onto NC 24
0.4 mi
·
30 sec
·
NC 24
Use the straight lane.
6
Turn right onto Wade-Stedman Road
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Wade-Stedman Road
Use the right lane.
7
Continue on Wade-Stedman Road
6.7 mi
·
9 min
·
Wade-Stedman Road
8
At end of road, turn right onto US 13
0.3 mi
·
27 sec
·
Goldsboro Road
9
Turn left onto Wade-Stedman Road
2.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Wade-Stedman Road
10
Enter roundabout
22 ft
·
0 sec
11
Continue
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
12
Merge onto I 95
19 mi
·
21 min
·
I 95
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward I 40: Raleigh, Wilmington
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 40 West: Raleigh
15
Merge onto I 40
14 mi
·
15 min
·
I 40
16
Keep slight left at fork onto I 40
13 mi
·
13 min
·
I 40
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward Rock Quarry Rd North
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Turn straight onto Rock Quarry Road
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Rock Quarry Road
19
Turn left onto Rock Quarry Road
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Rock Quarry Road
20
Turn left onto Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
21
Turn right onto South Wilmington Street
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
South Wilmington Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
22
Turn left onto East South Street
24 ft
·
0 sec
·
East South Street
23
Arrive at destination
East South Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
31 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 30.8 miles from Stedman, 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 185 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 61.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
NC 24
Turn left onto NC 24
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
31.3 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Take the exit toward I 40: Raleigh, Wilmington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 40: Raleigh, Wilmington
6
46.6 mi into trip
|
~59m 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
59.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m 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
6
61.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 18m in
|
South Wilmington Street
Turn right onto South Wilmington Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.63 one way
$19.27 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $10.53 | $21.07 |
| premium | $4.70 | $11.40 | $22.80 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.60 | $27.20 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 21.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.5 | 0 | $6.47 | $2.96 |
| Efficient EV | 15.4 | 0 | $5.39 | $2.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 24.6 | 0 | $8.62 | $3.94 |
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
Raleigh, NC
Late night in Raleigh on Tuesday
Local time
5:16 AM
EDT
Current temp
78°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
78°F
Benson, NC
31 mi in
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
2 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 19m 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?
This drive is primarily on highways, with 75% of the 61.6 miles utilizing major roads like I-40 and I-95. You'll encounter a significant stretch of 26.7 miles on I-40 without needing to exit. Expect frequent exits and merges as you navigate these interstate sections. The route transitions to surface roads, specifically Wade-Stedman Road, for the remaining portion.
75% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 26.7 mi on I 40.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 40 and I 95. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in near NC 24.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 61.6 miles you will encounter 18 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 0.7 miles (NC 24): Lane positioning matters here; at 31.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 46.6 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Stedman, NC to Raleigh, NC, road signs begin pointing toward Wilmington along the way.
Wilmington
31.3 mi in
|
~41m
About the Cities
Arriving in Raleigh, NC
Full guide →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.
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 19m. Total distance: 61.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 19m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 26.7 miles on I 40. 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.
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 0.7 miles (NC 24): Lane positioning matters here; at 31.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 46.6 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Raleigh, NC
More from Stedman, NC
More trips to Raleigh, NC
Explore more options from Stedman, NC or browse trips ending in Raleigh, NC.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NC road trips.