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

Thursday looks like the best day across this list.

Strongest single forecast: Hilton Pier Park on Tuesday (86).

Within 60 mi

Surf City Beach

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

Skip the beach today.

86°F air 8 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (77)

North Topsail Beach

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

Skip the beach today.

88°F air 7 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (76)

Topsail Beach

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

Skip the beach today.

88°F air 5 to 8 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (75)

Wrightsville Beach

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

Skip the beach today.

82°F water 86°F air 7 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (80)

Emerald Isle Beach

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

Skip the beach today.

86°F air 6 to 9 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (79)

Indian Beach

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

Skip the beach today.

86°F air 5 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (78)

Carolina Beach

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

Skip the beach today.

82°F water 88°F air 6 to 9 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (79)

Holden Beach

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

Skip the beach today.

89°F air 8 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (76)

Atlantic Beach (NC)

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

Skip the beach today.

86°F air 6 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (79)

Kure Beach

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

Skip the beach today.

82°F water 86°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (81)

Oak Island Beach

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

Mixed conditions today.

89°F air 8 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (78)

Sunset Beach

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

Mixed conditions today.

88°F air 6 to 9 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (78)

North Myrtle Beach

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

Skip the beach today.

84°F water 90°F air 5 to 8 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (77)

Cape Lookout National Seashore

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

Skip the beach today.

85°F air 5 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Wednesday (80)

Myrtle Beach

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

Skip the beach today.

84°F water 88°F air 6 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (81)

Hilton Pier Park

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

Skip the beach today.

82°F water 80°F air 12 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (86)

Anderson Park

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

Skip the beach today.

82°F water 80°F air 9 to 14 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (85)

Surfside Beach (SC)

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

Skip the beach today.

84°F water 89°F air 7 to 12 mph wind Best this week: Friday (77)

Garden City Beach

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

Skip the beach today.

91°F air 6 to 9 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (74)

Ocean View Beach

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

Skip the beach today.

82°F water 80°F air 14 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (85)

Ocracoke Beach

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

Skip the beach today.

85°F air 9 to 13 mph wind Best this week: Wednesday (79)

Buckroe Beach

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

Skip the beach today.

82°F water 80°F air 16 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (85)

Chic's Beach

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

Skip the beach today.

80°F air 15 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (83)

Corolla Beach

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

Skip the beach today.

80°F air 10 to 15 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (82)

Litchfield Beach

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

Skip the beach today.

90°F air 7 to 13 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (79)

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.