How far is Wilmington, NC from Columbus, OH?

The driving distance from Wilmington, NC to Columbus, OH is about 603.7 miles (971.5 km), with a travel time of about 11h 40m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 484.2 miles (779.2 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 23h 20m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 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
603.66 mi
11h 40m
Flight
484.18 mi
779.21 km direct

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

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Wilmington.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
484.18 mi
Kilometers
779.21 km
Flight Time
00h 58m

Driving Distance

Road route
603.66 mi
Kilometers
971.49 km
Drive Time
11h 40m

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 11h 40m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Columbus
Sat, Aug 1, 5:56 AM EDT
Return by in Wilmington
Sat, Aug 1, 5:36 PM EDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Wilmington
2026-07-31T18:16
Arrive Columbus
Sat, Aug 1, 5:56 AM EDT
Route Timing
11h 40m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
6:00 AM to 7:30 AM EDT
Treat this as a longer travel day
Arrive between
5:40 PM to 7:10 PM EDT

Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.

Leave by
12:40 PM EDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 08h 00m at the destination.
Back in Wilmington
8:00 PM EDT
Overnight-style route

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
Hillsville
VA

Town in Carroll County, Virginia, United States

From Wilmington
301.9 mi
05h 50m
To Columbus
301.8 mi
05h 50m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
89°F
Friday

Sunny

Starts
Fri, Jul 31 6:00 AM EDT
Wind
1 to 7 mph E
Destination
90°F
This Afternoon

Partly Sunny

Starts
Fri, Jul 31 1:00 PM EDT
Wind
3 mph S

Driving Route Map

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

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

  1. 1

    Start on South 3rd Street

    1.7 mi · 4 min · South 3rd Street

  2. 2

    Keep slight right to continue on Martin Luther King Jr Parkway

    4.7 mi · 7 min · Martin Luther King Jr Parkway

  3. 3

    Turn left onto North College Road

    1.2 mi · 2 min · North College Road

  4. 4

    Continue on Michael Jordan Highway

    107.3 mi · 1 hr 55 min · Michael Jordan Highway

  5. 5

    Keep slight left

    86.1 mi · 1 hr 39 min

  6. 6

    Keep slight right

    7.7 mi · 9 min

  7. 7

    Keep slight right

    12.6 mi · 15 min

  8. 8

    Keep slight right to continue on Salem Parkway

    6.5 mi · 8 min · Salem Parkway

  9. 9

    Take the exit slight right toward NC 74 West

    1.3 km · 2 min

  10. 10

    Continue on Winston-Salem Northern Beltway

    11.1 mi · 13 min · Winston-Salem Northern Beltway

  11. 11

    Keep slight left to continue on US 52 North: Mount Airy

    1.8 mi · 2 min

  12. 12

    Merge slight left onto John Gold Memorial Expressway

    20.9 mi · 24 min · John Gold Memorial Expressway

  13. 13

    Keep slight right to continue on South Andy Griffith Parkway

    10.7 mi · 13 min · South Andy Griffith Parkway

  14. 14

    Continue on Fancy Gap Highway

    9.4 mi · 11 min · Fancy Gap Highway

  15. 15

    Turn left

    1.1 km · 48 sec

  16. 16

    Take the exit slight right

    1276 ft · 31 sec

  17. 17

    Merge slight left

    30.7 mi · 35 min

  18. 18

    Continue straight

    1.3 mi · 1 min

  19. 19

    Keep slight right to continue on I 77 North: Bluefield, Charleston W. Va.

    127.1 mi · 2 hr 25 min

  20. 20

    Keep slight right to continue on I 77 North: Parkersburg

    1.9 mi · 2 min

  21. 21

    Keep slight left to continue on I 77 North: Parkersburg

    43 mi · 46 min

  22. 22

    Take the exit slight right toward US 33 West, WV 2 South: Silverton, Ravenswood

    680 ft · 17 sec

  23. 23

    Turn left

    2.3 mi · 3 min

  24. 24

    Take the exit slight right

    103 m · 9 sec

  25. 25

    Merge slight left

    2102 ft · 45 sec

  26. 26

    Continue straight

    18.5 mi · 26 min

  27. 27

    Take the exit slight right toward US 33 West: Athens, Columbus

    20.7 mi · 27 min

  28. 28

    Keep slight left

    31.9 mi · 37 min

  29. 29

    Continue on Logan-Lancaster Road Southeast

    2.6 mi · 3 min · Logan-Lancaster Road Southeast

  30. 30

    Continue on Logan-Lancaster Road

    3.8 mi · 5 min · Logan-Lancaster Road

  31. 31

    Keep slight left to continue on Lancaster Bypass

    13.3 mi · 14 min · Lancaster Bypass

  32. 32

    Continue on Columbus-Lancaster Road Northwest

    7.8 mi · 9 min · Columbus-Lancaster Road Northwest

  33. 33

    Continue on Southeast Expressway

    8.5 mi · 11 min · Southeast Expressway

  34. 34

    Keep slight left to continue on Southeast Expressway

    2200 ft · 31 sec · Southeast Expressway

  35. 35

    Continue on College Avenue

    740 ft · 13 sec · College Avenue

  36. 36

    Continue on College Avenue

    1624 ft · 28 sec · College Avenue

  37. 37

    Take the exit slight right toward I 70 West: Columbus

    1554 ft · 38 sec

  38. 38

    Merge slight left onto East Freeway

    3.6 mi · 5 min · East Freeway

  39. 39

    Take the exit slight right toward Downtown

    1663 ft · 26 sec

  40. 40

    Continue on East Mound Street

    1466 ft · 56 sec · East Mound Street

  41. 41

    Turn right onto South Grant Avenue

    1971 ft · 1 min · South Grant Avenue

  42. 42

    Turn left onto East State Street

    2066 ft · 1 min · East State Street

  43. 43

    Turn right

    27 m · 7 sec

  44. 44

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec

Car Route Details

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

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
44 steps
6 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
11
4 merges, 7 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
7.3 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Michael Jordan Highway
214 mi · 35%
I 77 North
172 mi · 28%
US 33 West
71.6 mi · 12%
Fancy Gap Highway
41.7 mi · 7%
John Gold Memorial Expressway
20.9 mi · 3%
Lancaster Bypass
13.3 mi · 2%
Longest Stretch

I 77 North

Keep slight right to continue on I 77 North: Bluefield, Charleston W. Va.

127 mi · 02h 25m

Route Summary

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

Trip Read

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.

Drive Time
11h 40m
Overnight route
Same-Day Return
23h 20m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+119.5 mi
484.2 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Hillsville
05h 50m from Wilmington
Leave By
12:40 PM EDT
Overnight-style route
Weather Watch

Sunny leaving Wilmington and Partly Sunny near Columbus.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

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

The road trip is about 603.7 miles (971.5 km) and usually takes 11h 40m 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?

Hillsville is a useful midpoint, sitting about 301.9 miles from Wilmington and 301.8 miles from Columbus.

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

The direct path is about 484.2 miles (779.2 km), while the road route adds roughly 119.5 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 $84.37 one way or $168.74 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 189.3 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Sunny around Wilmington and Partly Sunny near Columbus.

Stop Ideas Near Hillsville

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

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Hillsville, 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 Hillsville.

BUS

Blacksburg, VA

59 mi away
291 Alumni Mall -- Transit Concourse
BUS

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

86 mi away
100 West 5th Street
BUS

Winston-Salem State Univ, Winston-Salem, North Car

88 mi away
601 South Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr
BUS

Roanoke

91 mi away
710 Williamson Road NE

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Wilmington and Columbus. Straight-line distance: 484.18 mi (779.21 km).

Wilmington

#1 Wilmington

The largest city in the state of North Carolina.

Population124,794
Coordinates34.2257300, -77.9447100
Altitude9
CountryUnited States
Columbus

#2 Columbus

The fifteenth most populous city in the United States and the center of the Columbus metropolitan area.

Population884,356
Coordinates39.9611800, -82.9987900
Altitude235
CountryUnited States
Start: Wilmington (-77.94471, 34.22573)
End: Columbus (-82.99879, 39.96118)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 971 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)20h 06m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)15h 05m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)12h 04m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)10h 03m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)08h 37m
80 mph (129 km/h)07h 31m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
21.3 gal
80.63 L · about $84.37
Round trip
$168.74
42.6 gal · 161.26 L
Estimated CO2
189.3 kg one way
Round trip: 378.6 kg / 835 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.96 $84.37 $168.74
Mid-grade $4.43 $94.34 $188.68
Premium $4.78 $101.77 $203.54
Diesel $5.62 $119.79 $239.58

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 · Jul 31, 2026

There is no time difference between Wilmington and Columbus. The current time is 18:16:05.

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.