Overview
Greenville, one of the fastest growing cities in North Carolina, is the county seat of Pitt County, and is the principal city of the Greenville, North Carolina metropolitan area. Greenville is known as the cultural, economical, and educational hub of North Carolina's Inner Banks, the geographical area east of Raleigh and west of the North Carolina coast.
3 sights · 2 things to do · 4 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés · 4 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Greenville
East Carolina Pirates
Sports teams of East Carolina University, fielding 9 men's and 11 women's NCAA Division I sports, mostly in the American Athletic Conference. The most popular sport is football, in which the Pirates typically make bowl g…
Emerge Gallery & Art Center
Art gallery featuring works from local artists. Periodically holds special community events.
Greenville Museum of Art
River Park North
324 acre park located along the north shore of the Tar River. Has a large open field with a small playground. Offers several nature trails, camp grounds, ponds, and picnic shelters with grills. Picnic shelters and pedal …
Visit the Town Common
A medium sized park that features the Millennium Sundial, the Toyota Amphitheater, the Town Creek Bridge, and an esplanade along the Tar River, which borders the park on its north side.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Mar–May, Oct–Nov. Summer highs reach about 90°F; winter lows dip to about 33°F. Very hot (Jul) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Sep and Aug. (climate data from nearby North Carolina Coastal Plain)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- PGV Pitt-Greenville Airport, Greenville — 2 mi away. Directions
- EWN Coastal Carolina Regional Airport, New Bern — 41 mi away. Directions
- RDU Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Raleigh/Durham — 82 mi away (major hub). Directions
Greenville is in a central relative location, being equidistant from Raleigh (to the west) and the Outer Banks (to the east). It is also approximately midway between the North Carolina-Virginia border and the North Carolina-South Carolina border.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Places to stay listed here: about $59–$140 a night (typical $129), from 5 listed prices.
- Typical meal: about $6 per person at listed restaurants.
- Estimated daily budget per person (room, two meals, local transport and an activity): budget ~$80, mid-range ~$180, comfortable ~$240.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Emerge Gallery & Art Center, Greenville Museum of Art, Visit the Town Common
- Lunch Mi Cabaña
- Afternoon River Park North, East Carolina Pirates
- Dinner Cubbie's
- Evening The Buccaneer Music Hall
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Not to be confused with Greenville, South Carolina, Greenville, North Carolina boasts a vibrant business community including the campus of East Carolina University. Because of these factors, Greenville is often ranked among the top places nationally to play, bike, and study. In 2004, Greenville was named Sportstown USA for the state of North Carolina by Sports Illustrated and the National Parks & Recreation Association. The city is also known as "BMX Pro Town USA", as it is home for many top professional BMX riders, such as Dave Mirra, Ryan Nyquist, Ryan Guettler, Mike Laird, and Josh Harrington. It's also home to famous YouTuber MrBeast.
Get in
Greenville is in a central relative location, being equidistant from Raleigh (to the west) and the Outer Banks (to the east). It is also approximately midway between the North Carolina-Virginia border and the North Carolina-South Carolina border.
By plane
American Airlines operates a charter flight to Greenville and the airline's regional hub in Charlotte, or fly into the Raleigh-Durham International Airport and use a rental car.
But you can also get in from Raleigh-Durham International Airport, the airport that serves the Research Triangle. It's a one-and-a-half hour drive.
By car
From Raleigh, NC, use US Routes 64 East, 264 East, and 13 North to get into town. Charlotte Douglas International Airport is considerably further away, but Greenville can be reached from there via I-277 North, I-77 North, I-85 North, I-40 East (and from that point, one uses the routes used by going from Raleigh to Greenville mentioned earlier). From I-95 North or South, use US 264 East to reach Greenville.
By bus
Greyhound buses are available, as is Amtrak Thruway bus service.
Get around
Rental cars are the preferred mode of transport, and there is the occasional taxi (but they are not simply out-and-about... one must use the Yellow Pages in the back of the phone book to obtain their services). For transportation in and around East Carolina University's campus, university visitors can use its bus system. The City of Greenville operates a mass transit bus system, Greenville Area Rapid Transit or GREAT (the fare is $1.00 with free transfers).
See
See River Park North
324 acre park located along the north shore of the Tar River. Has a large open field with a small playground. Offers several nature trails, camp grounds, ponds, and picnic shelters with grills. Picnic shelters and pedal boats are available by reservation with a fee. Fishing, a private boat dock, and camp sites are all available for a fee.
Do
Do East Carolina Pirates
Sports teams of East Carolina University, fielding 9 men's and 11 women's NCAA Division I sports, mostly in the American Athletic Conference. The most popular sport is football, in which the Pirates typically make bowl games about as often as not, but basketball and baseball are also significant draws (as at most big schools). Almost all athletic venues are on campus, with the most notable being Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium (football) and Minges Coliseum, home to several indoor sports, with basketball in a part of the complex known as Williams Arena. The central ticket office for all ECU sports is near the football stadium.
Buy
Shop Arlington Village
Across Arlington Blvd from the Greenville Mall sits a collection of small fashion boutiques in Arlington Village. If you enjoy fashionable clothing, you'll enjoy these shops.
Shop Greenville Mall
The largest shopping complex in the county. There are many typical mall shops, such as Aeropostale, JC Penney, Belk, American Eagle Outfitters; and a food court with such vendors as Sbarro, Chik-Fil-A, and a few Oriental places.
Eat
Eat Cubbie's
Local lunch-style restaurant known for their unique Cubbie Burgers served "All The Way" and their Freedom Fries with cheese and chili. Carving your initials into the tables does not seem to be discouraged. Restaurant televisions are always tuned to different sporting events. In the traditional diner style, men do the cooking and women wait tables.
Eat Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet
Large inexpensive Chinese and Japanese cuisine buffet. Have your meal cooked fresh hibachi-style or grab some basic types of sushi--both for no extra cost. Go exotic with calamari or stick to the basics with mac & cheese, pizza, or a salad, among other things.
Eat Japan Inn
Spacious Japanese and Chinese cuisine restaurant with a sushi bar. Offers an all-you-can-eat sushi special during lunch hours. Mostly serves sushi with a few authentic-looking Japanese meals. Chinese meals are similar to typical Chinese take-out menus.
Eat Mi Cabaña
A small Mexican cuisine restaurant. Their motto is "Come and enjoy true Mexican food." Offers many authentic Mexican meals as well as the classic Americanized favorites. Fast service and tasty food. Also has a bar if you're into that sort of thing.
- La Rancherita Grill & Tequila Bar of Greenville, 3130 Evans St #101, +1 252 420-8420.
- Chili's Grill & Bar, 3050 Evans St
Drink
Drink The Buccaneer Music Hall
Live music hall.
Sleep
Nearby
Washington
City / town · 13 listings · 18 mi away
Tarboro
City / town · 4 listings · 22 mi away
Kinston
City / town · 9 listings · 26 mi away
Wilson
City / town · 4 listings · 32 mi away
Bath
City / town · 6 listings · 33 mi away
Rocky Mount
City / town · 7 listings · 34 mi away
Windsor
City / town · 4 listings · 36 mi away
Scotland Neck
City / town · 2 listings · 37 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.