How far is Canton, NC from Wilmington, NC?

The driving distance from Canton, NC to Wilmington, NC is about 335.2 miles (539.4 km), with a travel time of about 05h 28m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 291.6 miles (469.3 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 10h 57m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM EDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
335.17 mi
05h 28m
Flight
291.62 mi
469.31 km direct

This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Canton.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
291.62 mi
Kilometers
469.31 km
Flight Time
00h 35m

Driving Distance

Road route
335.17 mi
Kilometers
539.4 km
Drive Time
05h 28m

Gas Cost Calculator

Leave and Arrive Planner

Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.

Drive time stays fixed at 05h 28m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Wilmington
Sun, May 17, 3:10 AM EDT
Return by in Canton
Sun, May 17, 8:38 AM EDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Canton
2026-05-16T21:41
Arrive Wilmington
Sun, May 17, 3:10 AM EDT
Route Timing
05h 28m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
6:00 AM to 8:00 AM EDT
Leave early for more breathing room
Arrive between
11:29 AM to 1:29 PM EDT

An early departure helps you fit a real stop into the day without turning the return into a late-night drive.

Leave by
6:02 AM EDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 04h 00m at the destination.
Back in Canton
9:00 PM EDT
Early departure recommended

You are leaving earlier than the recommended window, which gives you extra margin for breaks and traffic.

Halfway Point

A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.

Mid-route stop
Marshville
NC

Town in Union County, North Carolina, United States

From Canton
165 mi
02h 44m
To Wilmington
170.1 mi
02h 44m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
49°F
Overnight

Mostly Clear

Starts
Sat, May 16 12:00 AM EDT
Wind
2 mph SSW
Destination
80°F
Saturday

Sunny

Starts
Sat, May 16 6:00 AM EDT
Wind
1 to 10 mph S

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Canton and Wilmington.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Canton and Wilmington.

  1. 1

    Start on the route

    14 m · 5 sec

  2. 2

    Turn right onto Church Street

    1161 ft · 51 sec · Church Street

  3. 3

    Continue on Ashville Highway

    763 ft · 19 sec · Ashville Highway

  4. 4

    Continue on Asheville Highway

    3.7 mi · 5 min · Asheville Highway

  5. 5

    Continue on Smokey Park Highway

    1.3 km · 1 min · Smokey Park Highway

  6. 6

    Turn left onto Wiggins Road

    60 m · 5 sec · Wiggins Road

  7. 7

    Take the ramp right

    1155 ft · 28 sec

  8. 8

    Merge slight left onto Andrew Jackson Highway

    8 mi · 10 min · Andrew Jackson Highway

  9. 9

    Take the exit slight right toward I 26 East, US 74 East, US 64 Truck East: Hendersonville, Spartanburg

    22.8 mi · 28 min

  10. 10

    Keep slight left to continue on Andrew Jackson Highway

    12 mi · 14 min · Andrew Jackson Highway

  11. 11

    Take the exit slight right toward US 74 East, NC 108: Columbus, Rutherfordton

    1433 ft · 19 sec · Sgt W Dean Arledge Memorial Highway

  12. 12

    Keep slight left to continue on Sergeant W Dean Arledge Memorial Highway

    810 ft · 11 sec · Sergeant W Dean Arledge Memorial Highway

  13. 13

    Continue on Sgt W Dean Arledge Memorial Highway

    17.9 mi · 20 min · Sgt W Dean Arledge Memorial Highway

  14. 14

    Continue on James A. Callahan Highway

    15.2 mi · 17 min · James A. Callahan Highway

  15. 15

    Take the exit slight right toward West Dixon Boulevard

    12.4 mi · 18 min · West Dixon Boulevard

  16. 16

    Continue on Andrew Jackson Highway

    1.8 mi · 3 min · Andrew Jackson Highway

  17. 17

    Continue on Senator J. Ollie Harris Highway

    6.8 mi · 8 min · Senator J. Ollie Harris Highway

  18. 18

    Take the exit straight toward I 85, US 29 South: Charlotte, Spartanburg

    572 ft · 8 sec

  19. 19

    Keep slight left to continue on I 85 North: Gastonia, Charlotte

    1.3 km · 56 sec

  20. 20

    Merge slight left onto Senator Marshall Arthur Rauch Highway

    17.6 mi · 21 min · Senator Marshall Arthur Rauch Highway

  21. 21

    Continue on Cameron Morrison Bridge

    8.5 mi · 10 min · Cameron Morrison Bridge

  22. 22

    Take the exit slight right toward NC 16: Brookshire Boulevard, Downtown Charlotte

    1104 ft · 27 sec

  23. 23

    Keep slight right to continue on NC 16 South: Downtown Charlotte, Brookshire Boulevard, Charlotte, Bank of America Stadium

    118 m · 11 sec

  24. 24

    Merge slight left onto Brookshire Boulevard

    1677 ft · 22 sec · Brookshire Boulevard

  25. 25

    Continue on Brookshire Freeway

    3.6 mi · 5 min · Brookshire Freeway

  26. 26

    Take the exit slight left toward US 74 East, NC 27 East: Independence Boulevard

    2261 ft · 55 sec

  27. 27

    Merge slight right onto East Independence Expressway

    3.3 mi · 4 min · East Independence Expressway

  28. 28

    Keep slight right to continue on East Independence Boulevard

    109 m · 5 sec · East Independence Boulevard

  29. 29

    Continue on East Independence Expressway

    2.1 mi · 2 min · East Independence Expressway

  30. 30

    Continue on East Independence Boulevard

    2.4 mi · 4 min · East Independence Boulevard

  31. 31

    Continue on Independence Boulevard

    4.5 mi · 6 min · Independence Boulevard

  32. 32

    Keep slight left to continue on Monroe Expressway

    18.7 mi · 22 min · Monroe Expressway

  33. 33

    Merge slight right onto Carroll M. Edwards Highway

    1804 ft · 28 sec · Carroll M. Edwards Highway

  34. 34

    Continue on West Marshville Boulevard

    2.9 mi · 5 min · West Marshville Boulevard

  35. 35

    Continue on Carroll M. Edwards Highway

    2.5 mi · 3 min · Carroll M. Edwards Highway

  36. 36

    Continue on W. Cliff Martin Highway

    6.1 mi · 8 min · W. Cliff Martin Highway

  37. 37

    Keep slight right to continue on W. Cliff Martin Highway

    6.7 mi · 9 min · W. Cliff Martin Highway

  38. 38

    Continue on Salisbury Street

    1.1 km · 1 min · Salisbury Street

  39. 39

    Continue on West Caswell Street

    2.4 mi · 5 min · West Caswell Street

  40. 40

    Continue on Andrew Jackson Highway

    10.2 mi · 13 min · Andrew Jackson Highway

  41. 41

    Keep slight left to continue on Andrew Jackson Highway

    1.1 mi · 1 min · Andrew Jackson Highway

  42. 42

    Continue on G R Kindley Freeway

    14.9 mi · 16 min · G R Kindley Freeway

  43. 43

    Continue on Andrew Jackson Highway

    9.7 mi · 12 min · Andrew Jackson Highway

  44. 44

    Keep slight right to continue on Andrew Jackson Highway

    10.3 mi · 11 min · Andrew Jackson Highway

  45. 45

    Continue on American Indian Highway

    33.6 mi · 37 min · American Indian Highway

  46. 46

    Continue on Andrew Jackson Highway

    59.8 mi · 1 hr 13 min · Andrew Jackson Highway

  47. 47

    Continue on Ocean Highway East

    3.1 mi · 4 min · Ocean Highway East

  48. 48

    Continue on Cape Fear Memorial Bridge

    1.2 km · 1 min · Cape Fear Memorial Bridge

  49. 49

    Turn left onto South 3rd Street

    551 ft · 15 sec · South 3rd Street

  50. 50

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · South 3rd Street

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Canton and Wilmington.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Long-distance drive

This route is long enough that fuel, rest stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single maneuver.

Directions
50 steps
3 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
12
5 merges, 7 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
14.9 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Andrew Jackson Highway
113 mi · 34%
American Indian Highway
33.6 mi · 10%
I 26 East
22.8 mi · 7%
Monroe Expressway
18.7 mi · 6%
Sgt W Dean Arledge Memorial Highway
18.1 mi · 5%
Senator Marshall Arthur Rauch Highway
17.6 mi · 5%
Longest Stretch

Andrew Jackson Highway

Continue on Andrew Jackson Highway

59.8 mi · 01h 13m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

A longer out-and-back drive

This is still possible in one day, but it becomes a long driving day. Leaving early and planning your stop window matters more here.

Drive Time
05h 28m
Long day trip
Same-Day Return
10h 58m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+43.6 mi
291.6 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Marshville
02h 44m from Canton
Leave By
6:02 AM EDT
Early departure recommended
Weather Watch

Mostly Clear leaving Canton and Sunny near Wilmington.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Canton to Wilmington?

The road trip is about 335.2 miles (539.4 km) and usually takes 05h 28m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This is still possible in one day, but it becomes a long driving day. Leaving early and planning your stop window matters more here.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Marshville is a useful midpoint, sitting about 165 miles from Canton and 170.1 miles from Wilmington.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 291.6 miles (469.3 km), while the road route adds roughly 43.6 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.

When is the best time to leave for this route?

A good departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM EDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 6:02 AM EDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $46.86 one way or $93.72 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 105.1 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Mostly Clear around Canton and Sunny near Wilmington.

Stop Ideas Near Marshville

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Marshville, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Marshville.

RAIL

Charlotte

50 mi away
1914 North Tryon St.
RAIL

Kannapolis

62 mi away
201 South Main St.
RAIL

Hamlet

62 mi away
West Main St. and North Bridges St.
RAIL

Salisbury

77 mi away
Depot and Liberty Sts.

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Canton and Wilmington. Straight-line distance: 291.62 mi (469.31 km).

Canton

#1 Canton

Town in Haywood County, North Carolina, United States

Population4,369
Coordinates35.5328800, -82.8373600
Altitude797
CountryUnited States
Wilmington

#2 Wilmington

The largest city in the state of North Carolina.

Population124,794
Coordinates34.2257300, -77.9447100
Altitude9
CountryUnited States
Start: Church Street (-82.837474, 35.532948)
End: South 3rd Street (-77.944833, 34.225717)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 539 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)11h 10m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)08h 22m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)06h 42m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)05h 35m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)04h 47m
80 mph (129 km/h)04h 10m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
11.83 gal
44.77 L · about $46.86
Round trip
$93.72
23.66 gal · 89.54 L
Estimated CO2
105.1 kg one way
Round trip: 210.3 kg / 464 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.96 $46.86 $93.72
Mid-grade $4.43 $52.40 $104.79
Premium $4.78 $56.52 $113.05
Diesel $5.62 $66.53 $133.06

Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.

Prices in North Carolina · May 17, 2026

There is no time difference between Canton and Wilmington. The current time is 21:41:15.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.