This straightforward 89.8-mile journey from Wilmington, NC, to Brices Creek, NC, will take you about 2 hours and 6 minutes. Designed as a single-day trip, it's a convenient drive within the Southeast region, staying entirely within North Carolina. You'll primarily navigate US-17 and New Bern Highway, with a portion on John Jay Burney Jr Freeway contributing to the 54% highway share. The estimated fuel cost for this trip is around $14, making it an economical option for a short excursion. This route offers a mixed driving experience, suitable for a relaxed day trip.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
44.9 miles from Wilmington, NC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 1m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 17
30.6 mi
42m
New Bern Highway
16.7 mi
21m
John Jay Burney Jr Freeway
11.8 mi
12m
Market Street
9.1 mi
14m
Island Creek Road
6.9 mi
9m
US 421
4.3 mi
5m
South Marine Boulevard
4 mi
6m
Brices Creek Road
2.1 mi
5m
Longest stretch:
US 17
— 30.6 mi, about 42m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wilmington, NC and Brices Creek, NC.
1
Start on US 17 Business
372 ft·14 sec·South 3rd Street
2
Continue on US 17 Business
508 ft·23 sec·South 3rd Street
3
Turn right onto US 17; US 76; US 421
0.8 mi·1 min·US 17; US 76; US 421
4
Take the exit onto US 421
4.3 mi·5 min·US 421
5
Take the exit
0.4 mi·45 sec
Toward I 140 East: Topsail Island, Jacksonville, New Bern
6
Merge onto I 140
12 mi·12 min·John Jay Burney Jr Freeway
7
Continue on US 17
9.1 mi·14 min·Market Street
Use the straight lane.
8
Continue on US 17; NC 210
30 mi·41 min·US 17; NC 210
Use the straight lane.
9
Continue on US 17 Business; NC 24 Business
4.0 mi·6 min·South Marine Boulevard
10
Keep slight right at fork onto US 17
0.9 mi·1 min·North Marine Boulevard
11
Continue on US 17
17 mi·21 min·New Bern Highway
Use the straight lane.
12
Take the exit
285 ft·8 sec
Use the right lane.
13
Turn straight onto Lee's Chapel Road
498 ft·11 sec·Lee's Chapel Road
14
Continue on Old US 17
1.8 mi·2 min·Old US 17
Use the straight lane.
15
Continue on US 17 Business
0.4 mi·49 sec·US 17 Business
Use the straight lane.
16
Turn right onto Beaufort Road
0.7 mi·1 min·Beaufort Road
17
Continue on Island Creek Road
6.9 mi·9 min·Island Creek Road
18
Continue on Brices Creek Road
2.1 mi·5 min·Brices Creek Road
19
Turn right onto Perrytown Loop Road
170 ft·7 sec·Perrytown Loop Road
20
Arrive at destination
Perrytown Loop Road
Trip Plan
With a total duration of just over 2 hours, this route is easily manageable in a single day, offering flexibility for when you depart. Consider leaving in the morning to maximize your daylight hours and avoid potential afternoon traffic. You won't need extensive stops for this distance, but keep an eye on your fuel; the $14 estimated cost suggests a full tank should be more than sufficient. The longest stretch of 30.6 miles on US-17 means you can settle in for a good portion of the drive without frequent turns.
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.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 44.9 miles from Wilmington, NC, or about 1h 1m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 30.6 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 20 miles or 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 44.9 miles or 1h 1m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 45m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Brices Creek, NC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Wilmington, 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 Wilmington, NC
This is one driving day of about 89.8 miles and 2h 6m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 20 miles from Wilmington, NC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on US 17 for about 30.6 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 8
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 89.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|US 17; US 76; US 421
Turn right onto US 17; US 76; US 421
Navigation decision point
6
5.2 mi into trip|~7m in
Take the exit toward I 140 East: Topsail Island, Jacksonville, New Bern
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 140 East: Topsail Island, Jacksonville...
4
60.2 mi into trip|~1h 23m in|US 17 / North Marine Boulevard
Keep slight right at fork onto US 17 / North Marine Boulevard
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
77.8 mi into trip|~1h 47m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
89.8 mi into trip|~2h 6m in|Perrytown Loop Road
Turn right onto Perrytown Loop Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$14.04 one way
$28.09 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg31 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$15.35
$30.71
premium
$4.70
$16.62
$33.24
diesel
$5.61
$19.83
$39.65
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$14
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$39–$64
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 31.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging
· 0 stops
· 65% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
26.9
0
$9.43
$4.31
Efficient EV
22.5
0
$7.86
$3.59
EV Truck/SUV
35.9
0
$12.57
$5.75
Gas CO2
31 kg
EV CO2
11 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.
Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026
Origin
Wilmington, NC
Late night
in Wilmington on Sunday
Local time
12:43 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Mostly Clear
SW 3 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Brices Creek, NC
Late night
in Brices Creek on Sunday
Local time
12:43 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
73°F
Jacksonville, NC
45 mi in
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
15 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 6m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
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...
14 mi from route
~35 min detour
Free
near mile 6.2
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
The drive unfolds as a mixed bag, featuring a 54% highway share that includes stretches of faster-paced travel. You'll encounter the longest uninterrupted segment on US-17, spanning 30.6 miles, which offers a consistent pace. As you progress, the road transitions between these more direct highway portions and the character of New Bern Highway and John Jay Burney Jr Freeway. Expect a blend of efficient travel and more local road conditions as you approach your destination.
54% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 30.6 mi on US 17.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near US 17; US 76; US 421.
Driving Effort6/10
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 89.8 miles you will encounter 8 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 (US 17; US 76; US 421): Navigation decision point; at 5.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 60.2 miles (US 17 / North Marine Boulevard): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Wilmington, NC and Brices Creek, NC, road signs point toward Jacksonville and New Bern.
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.
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 6m. Total distance: 89.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 6m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (54%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 30.6 miles on US 17. 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 Brices Creek, 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. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (US 17; US 76; US 421): Navigation decision point; at 5.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 60.2 miles (US 17 / North Marine Boulevard): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
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 Brices Creek, NC before heading back.
