Wave Transit buses, Wilmington International Airport (ILM), downtown parking rules (meters 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday) and the main roads.

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Facts come from NCDOT, Wave Transit, Wilmington International Airport and the City of Wilmington’s Parking page.

Most people get around Wilmington by car, on a road network built around U.S. 17, U.S. 74, U.S. 421, College Road and I-40. Wave Transit runs the buses, Wilmington International Airport (ILM) is in the city, and downtown parking runs on meters and five city decks.

Who to call

Main roads

NCDOT maintains the numbered highways through the city:

  • U.S. 17, U.S. 76 and U.S. 421 cross the Cape Fear River on the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, the main crossing west toward Brunswick County.
  • College Road (U.S. 117/N.C. 132) is the main north-south road through the middle of the city. NCDOT’s College Road and MLK Parkway project proposes turning the College Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway (U.S. 74) intersection into an interchange.
  • Market Street (U.S. 17 Business), Oleander Drive (U.S. 76), Eastwood Road (U.S. 74) and Carolina Beach Road are the other main routes across the city.
  • I-140, the Wilmington Bypass, is the city’s urban loop. NCDOT’s environmental record lists its interchanges at U.S. 17, U.S. 74/76 and U.S. 421, and its first section, from U.S. 421 to I-40, opened in 2006.
  • Military Cutoff Road now runs from Market Street to the bypass; NCDOT’s extension opened Sept. 28, 2023.

For evacuation routes in a storm, see NCDOT’s evacuation route maps and our hurricane prep guide.

Wave Transit buses

Wave Transit runs fixed-route buses across Wilmington from two hubs, Forden Station, 505 Cando St., and Padgett Station. Its routes include:

Route Serves
101 Princess Place
105 Randall Parkway, Medical Center
106 Independence Boulevard, Medical Center
107 College Road
108 Market Street
109 Kerr Avenue
201 Carolina Beach Road
203 Port City Trolley, downtown (ended for 2026 on Sept. 26; returns spring 2027)
205 Greenfield, Shipyard
206 Oleander Drive
210A and 210M Greenfield, 17th Street; 210M trips continue to Monkey Junction
712 Teal

Routes 105, 107, 109 and 712 changed in August 2026; see Wave’s route changes page. Each route’s map and timetable is a printable brochure on Wave’s site and at the stations.

  • Plan a trip: Wave links a Google Maps trip planner and real-time bus tracking.
  • Passes: sold at Forden and Padgett stations.
  • Other services: RideMICRO on-demand rides, the Seahawk Shuttle, and DART dial-a-ride for riders with disabilities.
  • Customer service: Forden Station, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday; phone 910-343-0106.

Greyhound runs six daily routes from Forden Station, where Wave Transit is the company’s agent, according to Wave’s Greyhound and Amtrak page.

Wilmington International Airport (ILM)

The airport is at 1740 Airport Blvd. Its route map lists nonstop flights from American, Avelo, Breeze, Delta, JetBlue, Sun Country and United to about 25 cities, including Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago O’Hare, New York and Boston. Getting there:

Biking and walking

The 15-mile Gary Shell Cross-City Trail runs from Wade Park through Halyburton and Empie parks to the Heide-Trask Drawbridge at the Intracoastal Waterway, and the Riverwalk follows the river downtown. Maps are in our parks and trails guide and on the city’s Walking and Biking page.

Downtown parking

The city’s Parking page sets the rules:

  • On-street meters: enforced 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with a two-hour limit downtown. Free after 6:30 p.m. every day, all day Sunday and on city holidays such as New Year’s Day, Christmas and Thanksgiving weekend. A broken meter is not free parking; pay by mobile instead.
  • Time-limited free spaces: move before the posted limit runs out.
  • City decks, enforced 24 hours a day, seven days a week:
  • Skyline Deck, 155 Brunswick St.
  • Wilmington Convention Center Deck, North Water Street at Estell Lee Drive, next to 515 Nutt St.
  • River Place Deck, 14 Grace St.
  • Second Street Deck, 114 N. Second St.
  • Market Street Deck, 115 Market St.
  • Surface lots at 20 S. Second St., 118 S. Second St., 820 N. Second St., 15 Brunswick St. and 115 N. Third St., enforced around the clock unless posted.
  • Tickets: pay or appeal at the city’s citation portal.

Monthly deck passes are sold through Pivot Parking. Questions go to Park Wilmington at 910-762-5678 or cityparking@wilmingtonnc.gov.

Frequently asked questions

Is parking free in downtown Wilmington, NC? On-street meters are free after 6:30 p.m. every day and all day Sunday. Otherwise they are enforced 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday with a two-hour limit. City decks are enforced around the clock.

What bus system serves Wilmington? Wave Transit runs the city’s buses from Forden Station and Padgett Station. Plan a trip with Google Maps from Wave’s site, track buses in real time, or call 910-343-0106.

What airport is in Wilmington, NC? Wilmington International Airport (ILM), 1740 Airport Blvd. Its airlines include American, Avelo, Breeze, Delta, JetBlue, Sun Country and United.

Is there Greyhound or Amtrak service in Wilmington? Greyhound runs six daily routes from Wave Transit’s Forden Station, 505 Cando St., where Wave is Greyhound’s agent. Wave’s Greyhound and Amtrak page has the details.