Origin
Wrightsville Beach, NC
Morning in Wrightsville Beach on Sunday
Local time
11:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wrightsville Beach, NC to Wilmington, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
19m
Distance
9.7 mi
16 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 18m
★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 23m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 21m
5 PM
0h 23m
8 PM
0h 18m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wrightsville Beach, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 9.7-mile trip from Wrightsville Beach to Wilmington, North Carolina, is a quick 19-minute journey that stays entirely within the Southeast region. Given its brief duration and minimal fuel cost of around $2, it's perfectly suited as a single-day excursion rather than needing an overnight stay. You'll primarily navigate local streets like Oleander Drive, Wrightsville Avenue, and Wooster Street, making it a straightforward local drive. This route is ideal if you're looking for a simple transition between two points in coastal North Carolina without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Oleander Drive | 6.1 mi | 11m |
| Wrightsville Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Wooster Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Causeway Drive | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Eastwood Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Military Cutoff Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| South 3rd Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Oleander Drive
— 6.1 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wrightsville Beach, NC and Wilmington, NC.
1
Start on US 76
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Causeway Drive
2
Continue on US 74; US 76
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Wrightsville Avenue
3
Continue on US 74; US 76
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Eastwood Road
4
Turn left onto Wrightsville Avenue
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Wrightsville Avenue
5
Turn left onto US 17; US 76
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
Military Cutoff Road
6
Continue on US 17; US 76
6.1 mi
·
11 min
·
Oleander Drive
Use the straight lane.
7
Continue on US 17; US 76
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Wooster Street
8
Turn right onto US 17 Business
92 ft
·
2 sec
·
South 3rd Street
9
Arrive at destination
US 17 Business
Heads-up: tricky spots
3 of 33 decision points cluster between mile 1.5 and 9.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Wrightsville Avenue
Turn left onto Wrightsville Avenue
Navigation decision point
3
2.3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
US 17; US 76 / Military Cutoff Road
Turn left onto US 17; US 76 / Military Cutoff Road
Navigation decision point
3
9.6 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
US 17 Business / South 3rd Street
Turn right onto US 17 Business / South 3rd Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.52 one way
$3.03 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $1.66 | $3.32 |
| premium | $4.70 | $1.80 | $3.59 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.14 | $4.28 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.02 | $0.47 |
| Efficient EV | 2.4 | 0 | $0.85 | $0.39 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.36 | $0.62 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (67% 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
Wilmington, NC
Morning in Wilmington on Sunday
Local time
11:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
4 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
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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, with 0% of the journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 6.1 miles along Oleander Drive. As you make your way from Wrightsville Beach to Wilmington, the road will feel like a typical urban and suburban commute, characterized by frequent turns and changes in speed limits. This is not a route for high-speed cruising but rather a gradual progression through local neighborhoods and commercial areas.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.1 mi on Oleander Drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in near Wrightsville Avenue.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Wrightsville Beach, NC to Wilmington, NC is easy. At 19m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles (Wrightsville Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles (US 17; US 76 / Military Cutoff Road): Navigation decision point; at 9.6 miles (US 17 Business / South 3rd Street): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving in Wilmington, NC
Full guide →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.
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 19m. Total distance: 9.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
19m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.1 miles on Oleander Drive. 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 1.5 miles (Wrightsville Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles (US 17; US 76 / Military Cutoff Road): Navigation decision point; at 9.6 miles (US 17 Business / South 3rd Street): 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 Wilmington, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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