Closest Beaches

Beaches Near Raleigh, NC

Raleigh is roughly two hours inland from the North Carolina coast. Wrightsville Beach is the closest full ocean beach at about 130 miles southeast, with Carolina Beach and Kure Beach just south of it. The Outer Banks — Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills — sit a similar distance east through Rocky Mount.

Plan This Week

Veterans Day looks like the best day across this list.

Strongest single forecast: North Myrtle Beach on Tuesday (84).

Within 60 mi

Surf City Beach

112 mi · ~2 hr 41 min drive · Pender County, NC

Great day for a beach walk.

69°F water 67°F air 12 mph wind Best this week: Veterans Day (77)

North Topsail Beach

112 mi · ~2 hr 42 min drive · Onslow County, NC

Great day for a beach walk.

69°F water 68°F air 6 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (75)

Topsail Beach

113 mi · ~2 hr 43 min drive · Pender County, NC

Great day for a beach walk.

69°F water 69°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Veterans Day (80)

Wrightsville Beach

119 mi · ~2 hr 51 min drive · New Hanover County, NC

Great day for a beach walk.

69°F water 67°F air 12 mph wind Best this week: Monday (75)

Emerald Isle Beach

119 mi · ~2 hr 51 min drive · Carteret County, NC

Great day for a beach walk.

69°F water 68°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: Veterans Day (77)

Indian Beach

124 mi · ~2 hr 59 min drive · Carteret County, NC

Great day for a beach walk.

69°F water 68°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Veterans Day (75)

Carolina Beach

128 mi · ~3 hr 4 min drive · New Hanover County, NC

Great day for a beach walk.

69°F water 70°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (78)

Holden Beach

130 mi · ~3 hr 8 min drive · Brunswick County, NC

Great day for a beach walk.

69°F water 71°F air 7 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (79)

Atlantic Beach (NC)

131 mi · ~3 hr 8 min drive · Carteret County, NC

Great day for a beach walk.

69°F water 68°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: Veterans Day (76)

Kure Beach

131 mi · ~3 hr 8 min drive · New Hanover County, NC

Great day for a beach walk.

69°F water 67°F air 12 mph wind Best this week: Monday (74)

Oak Island Beach

133 mi · ~3 hr 11 min drive · Brunswick County, NC

Great day for a beach walk.

69°F water 71°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: Monday (81)

Sunset Beach (North Carolina)

133 mi · ~3 hr 11 min drive · Brunswick County, NC

Great day for a beach walk.

69°F water 69°F air 7 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Monday (79)

North Myrtle Beach

136 mi · ~3 hr 15 min drive · Horry County, SC

Great day for a beach walk.

74°F water 72°F air 6 to 9 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (84)

Cape Lookout National Seashore

144 mi · ~3 hr 27 min drive · Carteret County, NC

Great day for a beach walk.

74°F water 66°F air 9 to 14 mph wind Best this week: Veterans Day (74)

Myrtle Beach

144 mi · ~3 hr 28 min drive · Horry County, SC

Great day for a beach walk.

74°F water 69°F air 8 to 12 mph wind Best this week: Monday (81)

Hilton Pier Park

148 mi · ~3 hr 33 min drive · Newport News County, VA

Great day for a beach walk.

70°F water 62°F air 12 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (72)

Anderson Park

149 mi · ~3 hr 35 min drive · Newport News County, VA

Great day for a beach walk.

70°F water 63°F air 12 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (73)

Surfside Beach (SC)

151 mi · ~3 hr 38 min drive · Horry County, SC

Great day for a beach walk.

74°F water 68°F air 12 mph wind Best this week: Veterans Day (81)

Garden City Beach

153 mi · ~3 hr 40 min drive · Horry County, SC

Great day for a beach walk.

74°F water 71°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: Monday (84)

Ocean View Beach

156 mi · ~3 hr 45 min drive · Norfolk County, VA

Great day for a beach walk.

70°F water 61°F air 12 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (71)

Ocracoke Beach

156 mi · ~3 hr 45 min drive · Hyde County, NC

Great day for a beach walk.

74°F water 64°F air 10 to 15 mph wind Best this week: Veterans Day (72)

Buckroe Beach

157 mi · ~3 hr 47 min drive · Hampton County, VA

Great day for a beach walk.

70°F water 61°F air 13 mph wind Best this week: Veterans Day (71)

Chic's Beach

161 mi · ~3 hr 51 min drive · Virginia Beach County, VA

Great day for a beach walk.

70°F water 60°F air 15 mph wind Best this week: Veterans Day (70)

Corolla Beach

162 mi · ~3 hr 54 min drive · Currituck County, NC

Great day for a beach walk.

63°F water 62°F air 12 to 15 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (67)

Litchfield Beach

162 mi · ~3 hr 54 min drive · Georgetown County, SC

Great day for a beach walk.

78°F water 68°F air 12 mph wind Best this week: Monday (82)

Distance is straight-line, drive times are estimates

Mileage shown is straight-line distance from the center of Raleigh. Real drive times depend on highway routing, weekend traffic, and where in the metro you start. For summer Saturdays, plan 20–40 minutes longer than the estimates here. The range slider above filters by the same straight-line distance.