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

This Afternoon looks like the best day across this list.

Strongest single forecast: Corolla Beach on Tuesday (86).

Within 60 mi

Surf City Beach

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 82°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (85)

North Topsail Beach

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 84°F air 8 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (80)

Topsail Beach

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 84°F air 8 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (85)

Wrightsville Beach

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 82°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (85)

Emerald Isle Beach

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 83°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (85)

Indian Beach

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 84°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (80)

Carolina Beach

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 84°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (84)

Holden Beach

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 86°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (79)

Atlantic Beach (NC)

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 83°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (85)

Kure Beach

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 82°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (81)

Oak Island Beach

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 85°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (84)

Sunset Beach (North Carolina)

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 82°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (83)

North Myrtle Beach

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

83°F water 85°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (83)

Cape Lookout National Seashore

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

83°F air 8 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (79)

Myrtle Beach

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

83°F water 82°F air 12 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (76)

Hilton Pier Park

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

Great day for a beach walk.

82°F water 87°F air 13 mph wind Best this week: Monday (80)

Anderson Park

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

Great day for a beach walk.

82°F water 88°F air 12 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (84)

Surfside Beach (SC)

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

83°F water 81°F air 13 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (71)

Garden City Beach

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

83°F water 85°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (70)

Ocean View Beach

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 88°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Monday (84)

Ocracoke Beach

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

83°F air 8 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (80)

Buckroe Beach

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 83°F air 12 mph wind Best this week: Monday (83)

Chic's Beach

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 83°F air 14 mph wind Best this week: Monday (84)

Corolla Beach

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

Ideal for swimming.

80°F water 81°F air 13 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (86)

Litchfield Beach

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

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F air 14 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (81)

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.