Wilmington to Kirkland is 11.4 miles and takes about 23 minutes via Market Street and Porters Neck Road, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within North Carolina's Southeast region, offering a straightforward local drive. It's ideal if you're looking for a quick hop between nearby towns without a significant time commitment. Consider this route for its simplicity and minimal travel time, perfect for a day trip or connecting two points efficiently.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Market Street
10.4 mi
19m
South 3rd Street
0.7 mi
1m
Porters Neck Road
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Market Street
— 10.4 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wilmington, NC and Kirkland, NC.
1
Start on US 17 Business
0.7 mi·1 min·South 3rd Street
2
Turn right onto US 17 Business
10 mi·19 min·Market Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Turn right
499 ft·41 sec
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
At end of road, turn left
0.1 mi·49 sec
5
At end of road, turn left onto Porters Neck Road
250 ft·9 sec·Porters Neck Road
6
Turn right
150 ft·10 sec
7
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 5
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 11.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.7 mi into trip|~1m in|US 17 Business / Market Street
Turn right onto US 17 Business / Market Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
11.1 mi into trip|~21m in
Turn right
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
11.2 mi into trip|~22m in
At end of road, turn left
Navigation decision point
6
11.3 mi into trip|~22m in|Porters Neck Road
At end of road, turn left onto Porters Neck Road
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
5
11.4 mi into trip|~23m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.81 one way
$3.63 round trip
$4.04/gal25.4 MPG avg4 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.41
$1.98
$3.95
premium
$4.78
$2.14
$4.29
diesel
$5.35
$2.40
$4.80
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging
· 0 stops
· 75% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
3.4
0
$1.20
$0.55
Efficient EV
2.9
0
$1.00
$0.46
EV Truck/SUV
4.6
0
$1.60
$0.73
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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 Jun 1, 2026
Origin
Wilmington, NC
Evening
in Wilmington on Wednesday
Local time
5:38 PM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SE 2 to 8 mph37% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued June 1 at 2:04PM EDT by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued June 1 at 8:31AM EDT until June 1 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Newport/Morehead City NC
Destination
Kirkland, NC
Evening
in Kirkland on Wednesday
Local time
5:38 PM
EDT
Current temp
81°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
S 8 mph31% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued June 1 at 2:04PM EDT by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued June 1 at 8:31AM EDT until June 1 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Newport/Morehead City NC
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
1 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
23m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is a turn-heavy local drive with no highway mileage, meaning you'll be navigating city streets and local roads for the entire 11.4 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 10.4 miles on Market Street. Expect to make several turns as you transition from South 3rd Street to Porters Neck Road, characteristic of a local commute rather than an open road journey. The pace will likely be dictated by local traffic, so keep an eye out for frequent changes in speed limits and road conditions.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
7 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.4 mi on Market Street.
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 around 0.7 miles in near US 17 Business / Market Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 23m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (US 17 Business / Market Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 11.2 miles: Navigation decision point.
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.
Top landmarks
•USS North Carolina — 1940 North Carolina-class battleship moored in Wilmington, North Carolina
•Fort Fisher — Confederate fort in Wilmington, North Carolina
•Bellamy Mansion — mansion in Wilmington, North Carolina, US
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.4 miles on Market Street. 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: at 0.7 miles (US 17 Business / Market Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 11.2 miles: Navigation decision point.
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 Kirkland, NC before heading back.
