Wilmington, one of the few deep-water ports on the southeastern seaboard, is about 50 miles from the South Carolina state line. We’ve listed a few distances and driving times below to give a feel for how easy it is to get here.

Myrtle Beach, SC:  75 mi. — 1½ hrs.

Raleigh, NC:  127 mi. — 2 hrs.

Charlotte, NC:  197 mi. — 3½ hrs.

Asheville, NC:  310 mi. — 6½ hrs.

Charleston, SC:  170 mi. — 3½ hrs.

Columbia, SC:  210 mi. — 4 hrs.

Washington, DC:  375 mi. — 7½ hrs.

Atlanta, GA:  416 mi. — 8 hrs.

Nashville, TN:  622 mi —  9½ hrs.

New York, NY:   618 mi. — 9½ hrs.

Cleveland, OH:   750 mi. — 14 hrs.

Interstates and Highways

For those wanting to take a really long drive to get here, Wilmington is linked to Barstow, California, via 2,554 miles of Interstate Highway 40, the longest interstate highway in the nation. The final leg from Raleigh to Wilmington, while scenic, is devoid of towns or distractions. Get some coffee before you start, and gas up because there are few gas stations or service plazas adjacent to the highway. There are a number of towns a few miles off I-40, but they tend to roll up the sidewalks early, so be prepared to run this leg without stopping if you are traveling at night. However, there is one rest area about 55 miles north of Wilmington, where fast food and gas are nearby — Exit 364, Clinton/Warsaw.

From the south, U.S. Highway 17 roughly parallels the Atlantic Ocean shoreline, but is a number of miles inland, so there are no views of the ocean. If you are not stopping in Myrtle Beach, you can avoid the congestion of U.S. 17 by taking the six-lane bypass, S.C. Highway 31. Pick it up west of U.S. 17 at either S.C. Highway 544 or U.S. Highway 501 and breeze through the 25 miles to where it ends at S.C. Highway 9. When you exit, go east, following the signs back to U.S. 17 at Little River, SC. Travel north and you'll cross the state line into North Carolina. Just off U.S. 17 on N.C. 179 is Calabash, famous for it's seafood restaurants. Continuing north on U.S. 17 you'll reach Supply, NC. Here you have the option of taking N.C. 211 into Southport, a historic fishing village at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. From Southport, you can take N.C. 133 or N.C. 87 north to rejoin U.S. 17 or take the state ferry to Fort Fisher on Pleasure Island. On U.S. 421 north of the ferry dock are Fort Fisher State Historic Site, Fort Fisher State Recreation Area and the North Carolina Aquarium, the largest of the state aquariums.

From the west, U.S. 74 from Charlotte and Interstate 20, becoming U.S. 76 from Columbia, SC, merge near Whiteville and continue toward Wilmington. They junction with U.S. 17 just west of the N.C. 133 north exit to the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial. The majority of these roads are easy-to-drive, four-lane highways through gently rolling countryside and coastal plains.

Streets of East Coast colonial-era towns are notorious for being directionally challenging, and Wilmington's streets are no exception. Situated on a tapering peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and the Cape Fear River, the area's streets, except for downtown, do not follow an orderly grid pattern. As a result, getting around for the tourist or newcomer is best accomplished by following route numbers whenever possible. Because the area lacks a freeway system, city streets must carry all of the traffic flow. Surprisingly, even without freeways, traffic moves fairly well except during rush hours or heavy shopping periods, and even then, only a few streets are involved in the congestion.

Traffic from the west on U.S. Highways 17, 74 and 76 enters Wilmington via the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, a high, platform-type lift-bridge that allows large ocean-going vessels to navigate up the Cape Fear River to the industrial area north of town. The three routes continue east for several blocks on Dawson Street before splitting at 16th Street. Here U.S. 17 and U.S. 74 turn north to follow 16th Street to Market Street, traditionally the main east-west route to and from downtown. Just east of College Road, Market Street crosses Eastwood Road, which on the north side of Market turns into Martin Luther King Parkway. Follow U.S. 74 south on Eastwood to proceed to Wrightsville Beach. Market Street continues northeast as U.S. 17 N. to access Figure Eight Island and the Topsail Island beaches on its way to Pender and Onslow counties, Jacksonville and Camp Lejeune.

After the split at Dawson and 16th, U.S. 76 meanders on a southerly route toward the ocean on Dawson Street, then on Oleander Drive, a major shopping thoroughfare. At its western end, Oleander crosses Wrightsville Avenue, and then becomes Military Cutoff Road, which then crosses Eastwood and extends north past several shopping plazas, to end at N. Market Street. U.S. 76 leaves Oleander at Wrightsville Avenue and rejoins U.S. 74 at Eastwood Road which continues into Wrightsville Beach. Be aware that delays can occur at the drawbridge on U.S. 74 and 76 going onto Harbor Island. Once there, U.S. 74 heads to the north end of Wrightsville Beach and U.S. 76 goes to the south end.

Market Street, Oleander Drive and College Road are not only the most heavily traveled streets in Wilmington, they also have the greatest concentration of commercial establishments. Restaurants, strip malls and shopping centers proliferate on all three thoroughfares. The largest indoor mall, Independence Mall, is located on Oleander Drive at Independence Boulevard, and the largest shopping plaza is Mayfaire Towncenter off of Military Cutoff Road. Traffic from the north enters Wilmington on Interstate Highway 40, which ends its long journey when I-40 becomes N.C. Highway 132, which is also College Road, the main north-south route through town. College Road crosses Market Street and Oleander, and continues south until it ends at Monkey Junction where it joins with U.S. Highway 421, which is also Carolina Beach Road, coming southeast from downtown. Carolina Beach Road continues south to Pleasure Island, where both Carolina Beach and Kure Beach are located. U.S. 421 ends at the southern tip of Pleasure Island, the location of the state ferry to Southport. Just before College Road crosses Market Street from the north, it crosses Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, which runs from Eastwood Road to N. Third Street, on the north side of town and is the quickest way to get from one side of town to the other. Just west of Kerr Avenue, it becomes a wide open six-lane, limited-access highway, but be sure to obey the speed limit. Cars sitting on the side of the road with a police car parked behind them are a common sight. MLK also connects to U.S. Highway 117, which crosses the Isabel Holmes Bridge just north of downtown and goes to U.S. Highway 421 west of the river, where it meets U.S. Highway 17 from the south. The route serves as a bypass for traffic from both the south headed north to I-40, and the north and the west headed for the southern coast beaches.

The beaches of Brunswick County can be accessed either by taking U.S. 17 South from Wilmington and using the various feeder roads, or by taking the ferry from Fort Fisher on Pleasure Island to Southport and using N.C. Highways 133 and 211 until N.C. 211 merges with U.S. 17 South.

The Cape Fear region is blessed with a flat landscape and predominantly well-maintained roads, which makes touring the coastal plain by bicycle a pleasurable experience. Bicycle facilities link many of the area's popular attractions, however, there are few dedicated independent biking and hiking paths and trails. Be aware of sharing the road with motor vehicles and take all necessary safety precautions.

U.S. Highway 421 on Pleasure Island has about 4 feet of roadway on each side marked and identified as a bike path for about 4½ miles, from the ferry dock at Fort Fisher to just north of Kure Beach. This segment connects the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher, the Fort Fisher State Historic Site and Fort Fisher State Park. The path also connects with one that starts at the state boat launch area on Snow's Cut just east of Bridge Barrier Road in Carolina Beach. The entire 16-mile round trip route, known as the Pleasure Island Pedal Route, connects the Fort Fisher Ferry Terminal with Carolina Beach State Park, and is part of the Ports of Call Route (see below).

Bikers also can ride the quiet roadways within Carolina Beach State Park. Four-foot-wide bike lanes also run along each side of River Road from U.S. 421 just north of Snow's Cut Bridge to Greenfield Lake on the south side of downtown Wilmington. This pleasant trip of 10 miles (one way) offers beautiful views of the Cape Fear River.

For visitors pedaling to downtown, you'll find bicycle racks, designed by a local artist, throughout the downtown area. Tired of peddling? All Wave Transit buses are equipped with racks to carry two bicycles (no extra charge). For information on this program, call (910) 343-0106 or go to www.wavetransit.com/wave-services.asp.

The River-to-Sea Bike Route (signed as Bike Route 1) stretches from Riverfront Park at the foot of Market Street in Wilmington to Johnny Mercer's Pier in Wrightsville Beach, a ride of just over 10 miles. The bikeway follows the route of the historic trolley line, which ran from downtown Wilmington to Wrightsville Beach in the early 20th century. Most of the bikeway follows quiet tree-lined residential streets. However, portions of the route are along off-road bicycle paths and there are a few busy roadway crossings. On the west side of town, a new 1.2-mile multi-use pathway along Eastwood Road has been constructed between Rogersville Road and Military Cutoff Road and an additional 1.6-mile extension of the pathway to Cardinal Drive is currently in design. Another 3.2-mile multi-use pathway is nearing completion along Military Cut Off Road between Drysdale Drive and Gordon Road.

A number of other bike routes using city streets and county roads have been developed by the New Hanover Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC). The Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization, (www.wmpo.org), in cooperation with Cape Fear Breeze (www.capefearbreeze.com), has recently developed a bicycle facilities and routes map for the Cape Fear area. The map identifies off-road paths, on-road bicycle lanes, local roads, minor roads and major roads as well as BAC routes. Public parks, schools, public buildings and major employers are also on the map. This and other local maps and route descriptions are available at www.bikewilmington.com, by writing to the City of Wilmington, Transportation Planning Section, P.O. Box 1810, Wilmington, NC 28402, (910) 341-3258.

Some state-funded bicycling routes pass through Wilmington and along the neighboring coast using existing streets and roadways. They're marked by rectangular road signs bearing a green ellipse, a bicycle icon and the route number. The Ports of Call Route (N.C. Bike Route 3), is a 319-mile seaside excursion from the South Carolina border to the Virginia state line. Approximately 110 miles of it are along the southern coast, giving access to miles of beaches, the Southport/Fort Fisher Ferry, and downtown Wilmington. The Cape Fear portion follows U. S. Highway 421 from the ferry north on Pleasure Island to River Road, then to Burnett Boulevard, Third Street, Princess Street, Princess Place Drive, North 23rd Street, Blue Clay Road, and Holly Shelter Road to Hampstead. The Cape Fear Run (signed as N.C. Bike Route 5), links Raleigh to Southport. This 166-mile route follows U. S. Highway 421 from Currie and crosses the Cape Fear River at the Isabel Holmes Bridge. Entering downtown Wilmington at Third Street, it merges with the Ports of Call Route and follows it to the Fort Fisher Ferry where it crosses the lower Cape Fear River into Brunswick County.

Brunswick County, which is essentially rural with small towns, has many biking opportunities on lesser-traveled roads through the countryside, in the towns and residential developments. In addition, there is a designated route of 32 miles from the historic fishing village of Southport to Orton Plantation and Brunswick Town Historic Site. A 3-mile segment of paved shoulder bike paths links the state ferry dock to downtown Southport. At the Oak Island Recreation Center, you can obtain a pocket-sized booklet of bicycle trail maps. In it you will find 11 maps, including text description and trail length, with names like Heron Loop, Crab Dock Loop and Scenic Walkway Loop. Bald Head Island features an eight-mile loop trail that includes Old Baldy Lighthouse. This island is accessible only by private ferry from Southport; the fare is $15 per person plus $15 per bicycle for a round trip. Primarily residential with fine beach homes, Bald Head Island has a unique maritime forest and an excellent marina. No automobiles are permitted, so golf carts and bicycles are popular modes of travel.

Pender County is primarily rural and is traversed by both North Carolina Bicycling Highways 3 and 5. There are also many lesser-traveled roadways available for bike touring. In Onslow County there are two designated bicycle-touring routes: the Richlands Loop Bicycle Route and the Jacksonville City to the Sea Route. The Richlands route can be 50 or 20 miles, depending on your preference. The route is marked by green and white bike route signs. The terrain is level, and all roads are paved. The Jacksonville trip takes you from the Jacksonville Mall to Hammock's Beach State Park. This route intersects with the Ports of Call Route. Brochures and information can be obtained from Onslow County Tourism or Onslow County Parks & Recreation, 1244 Onslow Pines Road, Jacksonville, NC 28540; (910) 347-5332, www.co.onslow.nc.us/parks.

WAVE Transit Authority
1110 Castle St., Wilmington
(910) 343-0106

WAVE Transit Authority operates the Wilmington-area public bus lines and offers a variety of services. The adult one-way fare is $1. The fare is 50¢ for handicapped individuals with a Medicare card and for seniors older than 65. Transfers are free. Children younger than 5 ride free when accompanied by a paying adult. Kindergarten through grade 12 students pay 50¢; high school students must show student ID. UNCW students and faculty with valid IDs ride free. Drivers do not carry change, so have your exact fare ready when you board the bus.

Buses run from 6 AM until about 9:30 PM weekdays. On Saturdays, some routes may start later; on Sundays buses run 9:30 AM to 6 PM. There is no service on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, July Fourth, Labor Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. All buses are handicapped accessible.

Buses run from 6 AM until about 9:30 PM weekdays. On Saturdays, some routes may start later; on Sundays buses run 9:30 AM to 6 PM. There is no service on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. All buses are handicapped accessible.

• Route 1: East Wilmington - Long Leaf Park
• Route 2: Marketplace Mall - UNCW
• Route 3: Oleander Shopping Centers
• Route 4: Eastwood Road - Mayfaire
• Route 5: New Hanover Regional Medical Center
• Route 6: Independence Mall and Long Leaf Mall, UNCW - downtown Wilmington; this connects with a shuttle which runs from Long Leaf Mall to Lowe's Home Improvement at Monkey Junction.
• The Castle Hayne shuttle runs from Castle Hayne to downtown Wilmington.
• The Brunswick Connector runs from the Leland area to downtown Wilmington.

WAVE Transit Authority also offers Paratransit Service to meet the needs of the elderly, disabled and other special populations. Services include Travel Training, the Taxi Travel Voucher Program for the visually impaired and Dial-A-Ride Transportation or DART. DART is a curb-to-curb service with specially equipped vans that can accommodate both wheelchairs and semi-ambulatory passengers. Service is available Monday through Saturday from 6 AM to 8 PM and Sunday 9:30 AM to 6 PM. The fare is $2 one way and exact change is required. A personal care attendant may ride free of charge. Call (910) 343-0106 for an appointment at least 24 hours, but preferably four or five days, in advance and speak with the ADA contact person.

UNCW shuttle and fixed route services are free to all UNCW students and faculty who show a valid UNCW identification card. Four Seahawk Shuttles (blue, yellow, green and red) run within and around the campus area continuously Monday through Friday from 7 AM to 6:30 PM.

The Wilmington Public Transit Guide, which contains a map and a table of schedules, is available at the Cape Fear Visitors Information Center, 24 N. Third Street in Wilmington, and on buses. For more information call the WTA at (910) 343-0106 Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4:30 PM or TDD at (910) 763-9011, or stop by the WTA office at 1110 Castle Street, between 11th and 12th streets. A complete and detailed listing of route maps, schedules and information is available on the website: www.wavetransit.com.

Brunswick Transit System, Inc.
Dial-A-Ride
(910) 253-7800, (910) 754-2764
(877) 754-2764, TTY - (800) 855-2764

Brunswick County's Dial-A-Ride program provides safe, reliable and efficient non-emergency transportation throughout Brunswick County for those who either cannot or do not drive. Even for those who do, it can be a handy service. At a cost of $1.50 to $5 one way, the service is definitely more affordable than other available services, and the vans are quite comfortable. All that's necessary is a little planning, as reservations are required 48 hours in advance.

Long-Distance Bus Lines

The Wilmington bus terminal, (910) 762-6073 or (910) 762-6625, 201 Harnett Street, between N. Third and N. Front streets, provides long-distance bus service through Greyhound, (800) 231-2222, and Carolina Trailways. Hours are 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM and 4:15 PM to 6:15 PM daily. When phoning, use either local number, as one agent handles both bus lines. The toll-free number for Greyhound provides helpful recorded information, but is not local.
 

Front St. Free Trolley
WAVE Transit Authority, 1110 Castle St., Wilmington
(910) 343-0106

A fun way to see the riverfront area and some of the city is to take the Free Downtown Trolley. The trolley runs continuously from 7:20 AM to 9:20 PM Monday through Friday, 11 AM to 9:20 PM on Saturday and 11 AM to 6 PM on Sunday. Trolley stops are marked along the route, which goes along Front, Water and Second streets, and you can look for the trolley to stop approximately every 20 minutes. A route map, schedule and information are available on the website: www.wavetransit.com.

In New Hanover County, taxis, shuttles, sedans and limos abound. Along the rest of the southern coast, these services are available, but are not as plentiful. Some companies provide strictly taxi service, some provide limousine, sedan or shuttle van service, and some companies provide a combination of some or all services. Within the city, taxi fares are uniform. The drop rate is $2 plus 35¢ per one-sixth of a mile. Outside the city limits, fares are a set rate depending on destination; for example, fares from the airport to downtown or the beaches are usually on a flat-fee basis. Some of the many available services are listed below. You can find others in local phone books.

A & K Limo Services, (910) 790-3128

Azalea Limousine Service, (910) 452-5888

Beach Buggy Taxi, (910) 792-0232

Carolina Limo, (843) 294-5466 (serves Wilmington and the southern coast)

Classic Limousine Service, (910) 793-8843

Coastal Yellow Cab, (910) 762-3322 or (910) 762-4464

Dolphin Taxi, (910) 228-8294 or (800) TAXICAB (829-4222)

Kat's Taxi, (910) 763-5003 or (910) 763-5014

Pleasure Island Taxi, (910) 458-2222

Port City Taxi Inc., (910) 762-1165 or (910) 762-5230

Prestige Limousine Service, (910) 799-4484

Ray's Let's Roll Taxi Service, (910) 233-5164

In Brunswick County the following services are available:

A-1 Transport, (910) 269-1214, (910) 278-6464 (limousine service)

A-Cab, (910) 278-6373

A & E Cab Company, Inc., (910) 278-9100

A Step Above Limousine, (910) 579-0861

All Events Limousine & Transport Service, (910) 250-6225

Easy Way Transport Service, (910) 579-9926 (airport shuttle by reservation)

Oak Island Cab, (910) 754-2515

Southport Limousine, (910) 368-7550

The following limo services and cab companies serve the Topsail Island area.

A-1 Taxi, (910) 353-0365

Beach Buggy of Topsail Island, (910) 620-3388 or (910) 328-1375

Chico's Cab, (910) 346-1900

Diamond Limousine Service, (800) 840-4070

Dynamic Cab, (910) 347-5757

Kat's Taxi, (910) 763-5003

Limousines 'R' Us, (910) 938-2486

Tarheel Taxi, (910) 455-2222

Topsail Taxi, (910) 329-4545

Along with the national chains and independent car rental services listed here, several new car dealerships also lease cars long-term.

Alamo & National Car Rental, Wilmington International Airport, (910) 762-8000, (910) 762-0143, (800) 227-7368

Avis Rent A Car, Wilmington International Airport, Main Terminal, Wilmington, (910) 763-1993, (800) 331-1212

Enterprise Rentals, 1930 Castle Hayne Road, Wilmington, (910) 772-1560; 4911 Market Street, Wilmington, (910) 350-0435; 5601-B Market Street, Wilmington, (910) 799-4042; 1437 S. College Road, Wilmington, (910) 397-9110; Reservations (800) 736-8222  

Capital Ford, 4222 Oleander Drive, Wilmington, (910) 790-0421; 3722 Carolina Beach Road, Wilmington, (910) 791-8201; 4019 Long Beach Road, Southport, (910) 454-8943; 5660 Main Street, Shallotte, (910) 754-7175

Hertz, Wilmington International Airport, (910) 762-1010, (800) 654-3131

Thrifty Car Rental, Wilmington International Airport, (910) 343-1411, (800) 847-4389

Triangle Rent A Car, 4124 Market Street, Wilmington, (910) 251-9812, (800) 643-7368