The reason there’s a sign on Interstate 40 that says Wilmington is seven miles away when you will be greeted by the “Welcome to Wilmington” sign much earlier is simple. The N.C. Department of Transportation determines what mileage to put on the sign based on the distance from the sign to the center of the town, not the city’s outer limits. So as you approach Wilmington from I-40, you are seeing a sign that tells you the center of Wilmington is seven miles from that point.
Date posted: February 1, 2011
User-contributed question by:
Anonymous
What does the NC DOT consider the “center” of the city of Wilmington and will this change with any annexation?
Here’s a link to a previous MyReporter answer that addresses your question: http://www.myreporter.com/?p=7081