How far is Chapel Hill, NC from Carolina Beach, NC?
The driving distance from Chapel Hill, NC to Carolina Beach, NC is about 371.5 miles (597.8 km), with a travel time of about 07h 57m by car.
- The straight-line flight distance is about 302.7 miles (487.2 km).
- For a round trip, plan for roughly 15h 54m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
- A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM EDT.
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.
This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.
Flight Distance
Driving Distance
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 07h 57m.
Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.
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.
City in and county seat of Union County, North Carolina, United States
Route Weather Snapshot
Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.
Sunny
Driving Route Map
The map below follows the saved road route between Chapel Hill and Carolina Beach.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chapel Hill and Carolina Beach.
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1
Start on the route
8 m · 5 sec
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2
Turn right onto Chapel Hill Road
1.6 mi · 6 min · Chapel Hill Road
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3
Continue on Guntertown Road
2.2 mi · 5 min · Guntertown Road
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4
At the end of the road, turn left
3.5 mi · 6 min
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5
Continue straight
20.9 mi · 32 min
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6
Take the exit slight right
3.9 mi · 5 min
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7
Continue straight
4.2 mi · 5 min
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8
Keep slight right to continue on I 26 East, US 74A West: West Asheville
1238 ft · 21 sec
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9
Merge slight left onto Billy Graham Freeway
2585 ft · 44 sec · Billy Graham Freeway
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10
Keep slight right to continue on Billy Graham Freeway
26.2 mi · 32 min · Billy Graham Freeway
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11
Keep slight left to continue on Andrew Jackson Highway
12 mi · 14 min · Andrew Jackson Highway
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12
Take the exit slight right toward US 74 East, NC 108: Columbus, Rutherfordton
1433 ft · 19 sec · Sgt W Dean Arledge Memorial Highway
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13
Keep slight left to continue on Sergeant W Dean Arledge Memorial Highway
810 ft · 11 sec · Sergeant W Dean Arledge Memorial Highway
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14
Continue on Sgt W Dean Arledge Memorial Highway
17.9 mi · 20 min · Sgt W Dean Arledge Memorial Highway
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15
Continue on James A. Callahan Highway
15.2 mi · 17 min · James A. Callahan Highway
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16
Take the exit slight right toward West Dixon Boulevard
12.4 mi · 18 min · West Dixon Boulevard
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17
Continue on Andrew Jackson Highway
1.8 mi · 3 min · Andrew Jackson Highway
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18
Continue on Senator J. Ollie Harris Highway
6.8 mi · 8 min · Senator J. Ollie Harris Highway
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19
Take the exit straight toward I 85, US 29 South: Charlotte, Spartanburg
572 ft · 8 sec
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20
Keep slight left to continue on I 85 North: Gastonia, Charlotte
1.3 km · 56 sec
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21
Merge slight left onto Senator Marshall Arthur Rauch Highway
17.6 mi · 21 min · Senator Marshall Arthur Rauch Highway
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22
Continue on Cameron Morrison Bridge
8.5 mi · 10 min · Cameron Morrison Bridge
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23
Take the exit slight right toward NC 16: Brookshire Boulevard, Downtown Charlotte
1104 ft · 27 sec
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24
Keep slight right to continue on NC 16 South: Downtown Charlotte, Brookshire Boulevard, Charlotte, Bank of America Stadium
118 m · 11 sec
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25
Merge slight left onto Brookshire Boulevard
1677 ft · 22 sec · Brookshire Boulevard
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26
Continue on Brookshire Freeway
3.6 mi · 5 min · Brookshire Freeway
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27
Take the exit slight left toward US 74 East, NC 27 East: Independence Boulevard
2261 ft · 55 sec
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28
Merge slight right onto East Independence Expressway
3.3 mi · 4 min · East Independence Expressway
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29
Keep slight right to continue on East Independence Boulevard
109 m · 5 sec · East Independence Boulevard
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30
Continue on East Independence Expressway
2.1 mi · 2 min · East Independence Expressway
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31
Continue on East Independence Boulevard
2.4 mi · 4 min · East Independence Boulevard
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32
Continue on Independence Boulevard
4.5 mi · 6 min · Independence Boulevard
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33
Keep slight left to continue on Monroe Expressway
18.7 mi · 22 min · Monroe Expressway
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34
Merge slight right onto Carroll M. Edwards Highway
1804 ft · 28 sec · Carroll M. Edwards Highway
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35
Continue on West Marshville Boulevard
2.9 mi · 5 min · West Marshville Boulevard
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36
Continue on Carroll M. Edwards Highway
2.5 mi · 3 min · Carroll M. Edwards Highway
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37
Continue on W. Cliff Martin Highway
6.1 mi · 8 min · W. Cliff Martin Highway
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38
Keep slight right to continue on W. Cliff Martin Highway
6.7 mi · 9 min · W. Cliff Martin Highway
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39
Continue on Salisbury Street
1.1 km · 1 min · Salisbury Street
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40
Continue on West Caswell Street
2.4 mi · 5 min · West Caswell Street
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41
Continue on Andrew Jackson Highway
10.2 mi · 13 min · Andrew Jackson Highway
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42
Keep slight left to continue on Andrew Jackson Highway
1.1 mi · 1 min · Andrew Jackson Highway
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43
Continue on G R Kindley Freeway
14.9 mi · 16 min · G R Kindley Freeway
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44
Continue on Andrew Jackson Highway
9.7 mi · 12 min · Andrew Jackson Highway
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45
Keep slight right to continue on Andrew Jackson Highway
10.3 mi · 11 min · Andrew Jackson Highway
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46
Continue on American Indian Highway
33.6 mi · 37 min · American Indian Highway
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47
Continue on Andrew Jackson Highway
59.8 mi · 1 hr 13 min · Andrew Jackson Highway
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48
Continue on Ocean Highway East
3.1 mi · 4 min · Ocean Highway East
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49
Continue on Cape Fear Memorial Bridge
2537 ft · 48 sec · Cape Fear Memorial Bridge
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50
Take the exit slight right
6.9 mi · 13 min
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51
Continue on Carolina Beach Road
6.1 mi · 9 min · Carolina Beach Road
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52
Continue on North Lake Park Boulevard
1.3 mi · 3 min · North Lake Park Boulevard
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53
Turn left
14 m · 3 sec
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54
Arrive at your destination
0 m · 1 sec
Car Route Details
A richer read on the saved driving route between Chapel Hill and Carolina Beach.
Long-distance drive
This route is long enough that fuel, rest stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single maneuver.
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.
Better with a longer stop
This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.
Mostly Clear leaving Chapel Hill and Sunny near Carolina Beach.
Trip Questions
Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.
How long does it take to drive from Chapel Hill to Carolina Beach?
The road trip is about 371.5 miles (597.8 km) and usually takes 07h 57m in normal driving conditions.
Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?
This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.
What is the halfway point on this route?
Monroe is a useful midpoint, sitting about 185.6 miles from Chapel Hill and 185.9 miles from Carolina Beach.
How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?
The direct path is about 302.7 miles (487.2 km), while the road route adds roughly 68.8 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 7:30 AM EDT. Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.
How much will gas cost for this route?
Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $51.93 one way or $103.86 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 116.5 kg one way.
What should you check before leaving?
Before you leave, expect Mostly Clear around Chapel Hill and Sunny near Carolina Beach.
Stop Ideas Near Monroe
Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.
Transit and Meeting Points
Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Monroe.
Charlotte
Kannapolis
Gastonia
Salisbury
Flight Path Map
This map shows the direct air route between Chapel Hill and Carolina Beach. Straight-line distance: 302.71 mi (487.17 km).
#1 Chapel Hill
Town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States
| Population | 63,705 |
| Coordinates | 35.9428800, -82.7087500 |
| Altitude | 658 |
| Country | United States |
#2 Carolina Beach
Town of the United States
| Population | 6,369 |
| Coordinates | 34.0351700, -77.8936000 |
| Altitude | 2 |
| Country | United States |
End: Carolina Beach (-77.8936, 34.03517)
Estimated Travel Time
Distance: 598 km by road
| Speed | Time |
|---|---|
| 30 mph (48.3 km/h) | 12h 22m |
| 40 mph (64.37 km/h) | 09h 17m |
| 50 mph (80.47 km/h) | 07h 25m |
| 60 mph (96.56 km/h) | 06h 11m |
| 70 mph (112.65 km/h) | 05h 18m |
| 80 mph (129 km/h) | 04h 38m |
Fuel, Round Trip and CO2
Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.
| Fuel | $/gal | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular gas | $3.96 | $51.93 | $103.86 |
| Mid-grade | $4.43 | $58.06 | $116.13 |
| Premium | $4.78 | $62.64 | $125.28 |
| Diesel | $5.62 | $73.73 | $147.46 |
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 · Apr 15, 2026
Distance to Other Cities
Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.