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Trip from Wilson, NC to Raleigh, NC

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

59m

Distance

47.4 mi

76 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Fair

3 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 55m ★
6 AM
0h 59m
8 AM
1h 9m
10 AM
1h 3m
12 PM
1h 2m
3 PM
1h 3m
5 PM
1h 9m
8 PM
0h 57m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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city and the county seat of Wilson County, North Carolina, United States

Wilson, NC

Wikimedia Commons

city in and state capital of North Carolina, United States of America

Raleigh, NC

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are planning to travel from Wilson to Raleigh, you can expect a quick 47.4-mile trek that typically takes about 59 minutes to complete. This straightforward trip is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, as it requires no overnight stops to manage the distance. With a fuel budget of approximately $8, it is a very economical route for a quick change of scenery. You will be traveling entirely within the Southeast region of North Carolina, moving from Wilson toward the state capital. Because the drive is so efficient, it offers excellent flexibility for your schedule, whether you are heading out for business or a brief visit. You won't need to overthink the logistics for this simple, short-haul transit.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US 264 34 mi 36m
Raleigh Road Parkway West 6.4 mi 10m
I 87 2.7 mi 3m
Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard 1.2 mi 2m
Hines Street West 0.8 mi 1m
Rock Quarry Road 0.7 mi 1m
Thomas Bradshaw Freeway 0.4 mi <1m
South Wilmington Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US 264 — 34 mi, about 36m

Traffic on I-440

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 10 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~5,012 veh/hr typical · worst 5,775

Quietest

2 AM

~270 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

18.6×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 102 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Wilson, NC and Raleigh, NC.

1

Start on Hines Street South

0.2 mi · 20 sec · Hines Street South
2

Continue on Hines Street West

0.8 mi · 1 min · Hines Street West
3

Continue on Raleigh Road Parkway West

6.4 mi · 10 min · Raleigh Road Parkway West
Use the straight lane.
4

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 1 min
5

Merge onto US 264

34 mi · 36 min · US 264
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Merge onto I 87; I 440; US 64

2.7 mi · 3 min · I 87; I 440; US 64
7

Merge onto I 40; US 64

0.4 mi · 29 sec · Thomas Bradshaw Freeway
8

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 37 sec
Toward Rock Quarry Rd North Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Turn straight onto Rock Quarry Road

0.4 mi · 49 sec · Rock Quarry Road
10

Turn left onto Rock Quarry Road

0.3 mi · 41 sec · Rock Quarry Road
11

Turn left onto Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard

1.2 mi · 2 min · Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
12

Turn right onto South Wilmington Street

0.2 mi · 41 sec · South Wilmington Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
13

Turn left onto East South Street

24 ft · 0 sec · East South Street
14

Arrive at destination

East South Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Zebulon, NC, NC

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Zebulon, NC

24 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

Lucama, NC

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Zebulon, NC

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23.7 miles from Wilson, 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 8

5 decision points cluster between mile 7.8 and 47.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
7.8 mi into trip | ~13m in | US 264

Merge onto US 264

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
44.9 mi into trip | ~53m 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
46 mi into trip | ~55m in | Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard

Turn left onto Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
6
47.2 mi into trip | ~58m in | South Wilmington Street

Turn right onto South Wilmington Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
5
47.4 mi into trip | ~59m in | East South Street

Turn left onto East South Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.85 one way

$13.70 round trip

$3.67/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.14 $7.73 $15.47
premium $4.55 $8.49 $16.99
diesel $5.65 $10.55 $21.10

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.6 kg one way.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.2 0 $4.98 $2.28
Efficient EV 11.9 0 $4.15 $1.90
EV Truck/SUV 19 0 $6.64 $3.03

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 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 Oct 17, 2026

Origin

Wilson, NC

Morning in Wilson on Sunday

Local time

8:28 AM

EDT

Current temp

59°F

Rain

N 14 to 17 mph 98% chance Live forecast

Coastal Flood Watch

Coastal Flood Watch issued October 17 at 5:51AM EDT until October 20 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued October 17 at 5:41AM EDT until October 18 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Blacksburg VA

Destination

Raleigh, NC

Morning in Raleigh on Sunday

Local time

8:28 AM

EDT

Current temp

59°F

Rain

N 15 mph 98% chance Live forecast

Coastal Flood Watch

Coastal Flood Watch issued October 17 at 5:51AM EDT until October 20 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued October 17 at 5:41AM EDT until October 18 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Blacksburg VA

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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

59m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a very efficient, highway-focused experience with 92% of your journey spent on high-speed roads. Your trip relies primarily on US 264, Raleigh Road Parkway West, and I-87 to move you between cities. The longest uninterrupted stretch occurs during the 34-mile segment on US 264, which allows you to maintain a steady pace for the majority of the trip. The road feels functional and direct, prioritizing speed and connectivity over winding backroads. You will find that the transitions between these thoroughfares are seamless, keeping you moving steadily toward your destination without the need for complex navigation.

92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 34 mi on US 264.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 264 and Raleigh Road Parkway West. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 7.8 miles in near US 264.

Driving Effort 5/10

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 47.4 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 7.8 miles (US 264): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 44.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 46 miles (Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

316 ft 109 ft

Total Climb

384 ft

Total Descent

179 ft

Highest Point

316 ft

~23.7 mi in

Elevation Range

207 ft

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 Wilson, NC to Raleigh, NC, road signs begin pointing toward Rock Quarry Rd North along the way.

Rock Quarry Rd North

44.9 mi in | ~53m

About the Cities

Starting in Wilson, NC

Full guide →

Founded 1849

Wilson is a city in North Carolina that is home to a diverse collection of historic homes in its center city along beautiful tree-lined streets. Some say it has North Carolina's finest collection of bungalows. Wilson's arts scene is growing and is home to the Theater of the American South.

Top landmarks

  • • Branch Banking & Trust Company Building — historic building in Wilson, North Carolina, USA
  • • Wilson Central Business-Tobacco Warehouse Historic District — human settlement in North Carolina, United States of America

Arriving in Raleigh, NC

Full guide →

Founded 1770

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.

Top landmarks

  • • North Carolina Museum of Art — state art museum in Raleigh, North Carolina
  • • North Carolina State Capitol — state capitol building of the U.S. state of North Carolina
  • • Dorton Arena — arena in Raleigh, North Carolina

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 59m. Total distance: 47.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

59m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 34 miles on US 264. 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 7.8 miles (US 264): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 44.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 46 miles (Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard): 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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