In most real estate markets, you measure a commute in miles. In Southeastern North Carolina, you must measure it in stoplights, seasonal tourists, and bridge openings.

Many buyers moving to our region are drawn to the "country life"—more land, lower taxes, and quiet nights in places like Burgaw, Bolivia, or Richlands. But if you work at major hubs like GE, Novant Health, or Camp Lejeune, you need a realistic map, not just a radius search. A 20-mile drive down I-40 is a fundamentally different experience than a 10-mile crawl down Market Street.

Here is the unvarnished reality of commuting from the country to our region's biggest employers.

The "Golden Corridor": I-40 vs. Highway 17

If you are looking for rural acreage but work in Wilmington, Burgaw and Rocky Point (Pender County) are the strategic winners.

The I-40 Advantage: You can live 25 miles away in Burgaw and be at the GE/Corning campus or Wilmington International Airport (ILM) in 30 minutes flat. It is high-speed highway driving with predictable flow.

The Highway 17 Reality: Contrast this with Hampstead or Holly Ridge. While the mileage might look similar, the commute involves dozens of stoplights and heavy school traffic. The future Hampstead Bypass (Northern segment active, Southern segment funded) will eventually help, but for now, I-40 offers a significantly lower blood-pressure commute.

The Military Commute: Gate Logistics Matter

For our military families stationed at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River, "distance to base" is a meaningless metric. The real metric is "distance to your gate."

The Sneads Ferry Strategy: If you are stationed at Stone Bay or MARSOC, living in Sneads Ferry or Holly Ridge makes sense because you utilize the "Back Gate" (Gate 172). However, be warned: during peak PT hours or unexpected closures, this two-lane access point can bottleneck severely.

The Richlands Alternative: Richlands offers significantly more house for your money and a true "small town" feel. The trade-off is the commute down Gum Branch Road or Hwy 24 to the Main Gate or Wilson Gate. It’s a longer physical drive (30–45 minutes), but it separates your work life from your home life more effectively than the dense housing of Jacksonville proper.

The "Digital Commute" Warning

If your plan involves working from home two days a week to offset the drive, you must verify internet infrastructure before you make an offer.

Myth: "It's 2025; everywhere has high-speed internet."
Reality: In rural pockets of Pender and Brunswick counties (specifically around Watha or inland Supply), fiber optic coverage is spotty. While providers like Focus Broadband (formerly ATMC) and Spectrum are expanding aggressively, there are still "dead zones" where satellite internet is your only (slow) option.

The Test: Do not rely on a coverage map. When we view a rural property, check the utility pole for the orange-tagged fiber lines or ask the current owner for a recent speed test.

Sample Realistic Drive Times (Peak Hours)

Forget what the GPS says at 11:00 AM on a Tuesday. Here is the rush-hour reality:

• Burgaw to Downtown Wilmington: 35–45 Minutes (Reliable)
• Bolivia to Novant Health (Brunswick Medical): 10–15 Minutes (Very Easy)
• Holly Ridge to Camp Lejeune (Main Gate): 35–50 Minutes (Variable traffic)
• Rocky Point to GE/Corning: 20–25 Minutes (Fastest rural commute)

Your Next Step

Moving to the country doesn't have to mean spending your life in a car, but it does require choosing the right "spoke" of the hub.

Are you willing to trade 15 minutes of drive time for an extra acre of privacy?

Aspyre Realty Group specializes in listening and communicating people's wants into homes that work for them. We know which back roads flood, which gates back up, and where the fiber optic lines end. Let’s sit down and overlay your workplace with a map of the region’s best rural opportunities.