U.S. Route 64 in North Carolina

This article is about the section of U.S. Route 64 in North Carolina. For the entire length of the highway, see U.S. Route 64.

U.S. Route 64
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length:	604 mi (972 km)
Existed:	1932 – present
Major junctions
West end:	US-64 / US-74 / SR-40 at the TN line near Ducktown, TN
	I-26 / US 25 / US 74 in Hendersonville I-40 (numerous times) US 52 in Lexington I-85 near Lexington I-73 / I-74 / US 220 in Asheboro US 421 in Siler City I-40 / I-440 / US 1 in Cary I-440 / US 264 / US 64 Bus. in Raleigh I-540 near Knightdale I-95 near Rocky Mount
East end:	US 158 / NC 12 in Nags Head
Location
Counties:	Cherokee, Clay, Macon, Jackson, Transylvania, Henderson, Rutherford, McDowell, Burke, Caldwell, Alexander, Iredell, Davie, Davidson, Randolph, Chatham, Wake, Franklin, Nash, Edgecombe, Martin, Washington, Tyrell, Dare
Highway system
United States Numbered Highways List • Bannered • Divided • Replaced North Carolina Highway System ← NC 62 NC 67 →

U.S. Route 64 is the longest numbered route in the U.S. state of North Carolina, running 604 miles (972 km) from the Tennessee state line to the Outer Banks. The route passes through the westernmost municipality in the state, Murphy, and one of the most easternmost municipalities, Manteo, making US 64 a symbolic representation of the phrase "from Murphy to Manteo" which is used to refer to the expanse of the state. The highway is a major east-west route through the central and eastern portion of the state.

Route description

U.S. Route 64 near Siler City.

US 64 enters North Carolina in Cherokee County, west of Murphy. The highway serves the cities of Hendersonville, Brevard, Rutherfordton, Morganton, Lenoir, Statesville, Lexington, Asheboro, Siler City, Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Tarboro, Williamston, and Manteo.

The segment from Franklin to Highlands is a mountainous two-lane road limited to moderate-sized trucks. Large trucks are routed via Truck US 64 (US 23/441 and US 74) to Sylva, and Asheville.

Within the Raleigh city limits US 64 follows the southern section of the Beltline. In 2006 a major section known as the Knightdale Bypass opened to ease traffic. After it was completed, US 64 became a divided freeway between Cary and Williamston, and carries at least four lanes between Asheboro and Columbia.

US 64 serves as a gateway to the Outer Banks, ending at Nags Head where it meets U.S. Route 158 and NC 12.

Scenic byways

US 64 is part of four scenic byways in the state (indicated by a Scenic Byways sign).

Waterfall Byway is an 98-mile (158 km) byway from Murphy to Rosman; it is known for its more than 200 waterfalls that surround the route. US 64 overlaps almost the entire route, except near Murphy, continues along Brasstown Road and Harshaw Road. This byway also connects to the Nantahala Byway (North of Murphy via US 19), Whitewater Way (NC 281 at Sapphire), and Forest Heritage Scenic Byway (NC 215 at Rosman). Tractor-Trailers are prohibited on this road and it is also not recommended for recreational vehicles or buses.

Black Mountain Rag is an 31-mile (50 km) byway centered at Bat Cave that goes north to Black Mountain via NC 9, south to Edneyville via US 64, and east to Lake Lure via US 64/US 74A. It is named after old fiddle tune, the Black Mountain Rag, for its full of twists, turns, ups and downs. Chimney Rock State Park and Hickory Nut Falls are also located along the byway. This byway also connects to Drovers Road byway by taking west on US 74A at Bat Cave. This byway is not recommended for recreational vehicles or buses.

Alligator River Route is an 71-mile (114 km) byway from New Holland to Manteo; it is known for its expansive wetlands, open farmlands, and Lake Mattamuskeet. US 64 overlaps 36 miles (58 km), from Columbia to Manteo. This byway also connects to the Pamlico Scenic Byway on US 264 in Manns Harbor.

Roanoke Voyages Corridor is an 9-mile (14 km) byway on Roanoke Island; it is known for Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (site of the first English settlement in North America), the North Carolina Aquarium, and Roanoke Island Festival Park. US 64 and US 64 Business overlaps the entire route. This byway also connects to the Outer Banks Scenic Byway in Nags Head.

History

US 64 was established in 1932; from Tennessee, following NC 28 to Old Fort, overlapping with US 70/NC 10 to Statesville, then finally NC 90 to end at Fort Landing, in Tyrrell County. In late 1934, NC 28, NC 10, and NC 90 were dropped along the route.

Wake County

Originally, US 64 followed Salem Road, north of Apex; near Cary, it followed Chatham Street and Hillsborough Street before meeting NC 54 on Western Boulevard, after which both go into Raleigh via Hillsborough Street. In central Raleigh, US 64 used Salisbury Street, Edenton Street, East Street, and finally New Bern Avenue. The final section followed the current US 64 Business to Wendell and Zebulon. Between 1950-53, US 64 was removed from central Raleigh and followed then US 70 Alternate via Western Boulevard (in Cary) east to Boylan Avenue, then northeast to South Street before ending back on New Bern Avenue.

In 1960, US 64 was placed on a bypass around Wendell; the old route became US 64 Business. In 1965, US 64 was given its modern routing from Apex to US 1; after concurrency, US 64 followed US 1 north around Raleigh to New Bern Avenue. In 1984, US 64 was removed from the northern arc of the beltline, migrating south to the completed southern arc.

Knightdale Bypass

The Knightdale Bypass is a six-lane freeway in Wake County, North Carolina that was finished in July 2005. It is also frequently called the "64 Bypass", although it is only signed as such at the intersection of old US-64 (current US-64 business) and I-440. The 11-mile (18 km) freeway bypasses the town of Knightdale, North Carolina, allowing traffic to flow easier in and out of the Raleigh metropolitan area. U.S. Highway 64 and U.S. Highway 264 have been rerouted onto the Knightdale Bypass which traverses from Raleigh's Inner Loop (Interstate 440) to the US 64/264 freeway in Wendell, North Carolina. An interchange with the eastern segment of Raleigh's Outer Loop (Interstate 540) opened in January 2007. This interchange makes the Knightdale Bypass a key connector between Raleigh's two loops.

US 64 and US 264's previous alignment has been given the designation Business US 64; a business route of US 264 was not included. It travels from I-440 in Raleigh eastward through the town of Knightdale, crossing US 64 in Wendell and rejoining it at the business route's eastern terminus in Zebulon. In order for the business route to be a complete loop, it must share a short one-mile (1.6 km) segment with I-440; however, there are no signs that indicate this concurrency.

Junction list

County	Location	Mile	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Cherokee		12		NC 294 – Suit, Hiwassee Dam
		14		NC 60 – Culberson
		15		US 19 south (Blairsville Highway) / US 129 south – Blairsville	South end of US 19/129 overlap
	Murphy	20		US 19 Bus. north (Hiwassee Street)
		20.5		US 19 north / US 74 east / US 129 north – Andrews, Bryson City	North end of US 19/129 overlap, east end of US 74 overlap
		24.5		NC 141 north – Marble
Clay	Hayesville	33		US 64 Bus. east – Hayesville
		33.5		NC 69
		34		US 64 Bus. west – Hayesville
	Elf	38.5		NC 175 south
Macon		63		Patton Road	To Nantahala Lake
	Franklin	66.5		US 23 south / US 441 south / US 441 Bus. north – Clayton, Atlanta	South end of US 23/441 overlap
		69		US 23 north / US 441 north / NC 28 north – Sylva	North end of US 23/441 and NC 28 overlap
	Highlands	85.5		NC 106 south – Dillard
		86		NC 28 south – Walhalla	South end of NC 28 overlap
Jackson	Cashiers	96		NC 107 – Glenville, Sylva, Walhalla	To Western Carolina University
Transylvania		106		NC 281 south	South end of NC 281 overlap; to Whitewater Falls
		109		NC 281 north – Lake Toxaway	North end of NC 281 overlap
		116		NC 215 north
		117		US 178 east – Rosman, Pickens
	Brevard	124.5		US 64 Bus. east (Caldwell Street)
		125		US 276 east (Main Street)	East end of US 276 overlap
		125.5		US 64 Bus. west (Caldwell Street)	Brevard College at intersection
	Pisgah Forest	128		US 276 west / NC 280 east – Asheville, Waynesville	West end of US 276 overlap
Henderson	Hendersonville	145		US 25 Bus. (Church Street/King Street)
		147		I-26 / US 25 / US 74 – Asheville, Columbus, Spartanburg
	Bat Cave	160		US 74A / NC 9 – Asheville, Black Mountain	West end of US 74A overlap and north end of NC 9 overlap
Rutherford	Lake Lure	167		NC 9 south – Mill Spring	South end of NC 9 overlap
	Rutherfordton	183		US 221 (Main Street) – Marion
	Ruth	183.5		US 74A east – Spindale	East end of US 74A overlap
McDowell		200		NC 226 – Marion, Shelby
Burke	Morganton	214		I-40 – Asheville, Statesville
		214.5		US 70 east / US 64 Bus. east	East end of US 70 overlap
		215		US 70 west / US 70 Bus. east – Marion	West end of US 70 overlap
		216.5		NC 181 – Linville, Newland
		218		US 64 Bus. / NC 18	South end of NC 18 overlap
Caldwell	Lenoir	233		US 321 / NC 90 west	West end of NC 90 overlap
		234		NC 18 – Wilkesboro	North end of NC 18 overlap
Alexander		248		NC 127 south – Hickory
	Taylorsville	251		NC 90 east	East end of NC 90 overlap
		254	254	NC 16 – Taylorsville, Conover
Iredell	Statesville	270		NC 90 west (Taylorsville Highway) – Stony Point, Taylorsville	West end of NC 90 overlap
		270.5		I-40 – Hickory, Winston-Salem
		272		NC 90 east (West End Avenue)	East end of NC 90 overlap
		274		US 21 south / NC 90 west (Water Street) / NC 115 (Center Street)	US 64 zig-zags through downtown Statesville; south end of US 21 overlap
		275		US 21 north (Sullivan Avenue) – Harmony	North end of US 21 overlap
		277		I-40 / Old Mocksville Road – Statesville, Winston-Salem	Eastbound must take Old Mocksville Road to access I-40
	Cool Spring	286		I-40 – Statesville, Winston-Salem
Davie		289		NC 901 north – Harmony, Union Grove
		294		I-40 – Statesville, Winston-Salem
	Mocksville	297		US 601 north – Yadkinville	North end of US 601 overlap
		298		US 158 east (Main Street) / US 601 south – Clemmons, Winston-Salem, Cooleemee, Salisbury	South end of US 601 overlap
	Fork	305		NC 801 – Advance, Cooleemee
Davidson	Reeds Crossroads	312		NC 150 – Salisbury, Winston-Salem
	Lexington	315		US 52 – Salisbury, Winston-Salem
		316		I-85 Bus. south / US 29 south / US 70 west – Salisbury	South end of I-85 Business/US 29 overlap, west end of US 70 overlap
		317		NC 8 (Winston Road) – Lexington, Winston-Salem
		318		I-85 Bus. north / US 29 north / US 70 east – Thomasville, High Point	North end of I-85 Business/US 29 overlap, east end of US 70 overlap
		321		I-85 – Greensboro, Salisbury, Charlotte
		327		NC 109 – Thomasville, Denton
Randolph	Asheboro	343		NC 49 – Richfield, Mount Pleasant	South end of NC 49 overlap
		343.5		I-73 / I-74 / US 220 – Greensboro, High Point, Rockingham
		344		Fayetteville Street
		344.5		NC 159 south (Zoo Parkway)	To North Carolina Zoo
		346		NC 42 – Coleridge
	Ramseur	354		NC 22 – Franklinville, Coleridge	Brief .2 miles (0.32 km) concurrency
		355		NC 49 north – Liberty, Burlington	North end of NC 49 overlap
Chatham	Siler City	367		US 421 – Greensboro, Sanford
	Pittsboro	378	378	US 64 Bus. east – Pittsboro
		381	381	NC 87 – Pittsboro, Eli Whitney
		383	383	US 15 / US 501 – Chapel Hill, Sanford, Carthage
		386	386	US 64 Bus. west – Pittsboro
		396		NC 751 north – Durham
Wake	Apex	400		NC 55 (Williams Street) – Apex, Durham
		401		Salem Street – Apex Downtown
	Cary	404	404	US 1 south / Tryon Road – Sanford	South end of US 1 overlap; signed as exits 404A (US 1 south) and 404B (US 1 north/US 64)
		406	99*	Cary Parkway
		407	101*	Walnut Street, Buck Jones Road, Crossroads Boulevard	Signed as exits 101A (Walnut Street) and 101B (Buck Jones Road, Crossroads Boulevard) westbound
		408	1A**	I-40 west / I-440 east / US 1 north – RDU Airport, Durham	West end of I-40 overlap, north end of US 1 overlap
	Raleigh	US 64 overlaps with Interstate 40 (exits 293A to 301) and Interstate 440 (exits 16 to 14).
		419	419	I-440 west / US 64 Bus. east – Wake Forest	East end of I-440 overlap; west end of US 264 overlap
		420	420	New Hope Road
	Knightdale	422	422	Hodge Road
		423	423	I-540 west – Wake Forest, RDU Airport
		425	425	Smithfield Road
	Wendell	427	427	Taylor Road
		429	429	US 64 Bus. (Wendell Boulevard) – Knightdale
		430	430	Rolesville Road – Rolesville	Eastbound entrance and westbound exit
		432	432	Lizard Lick Road – Wendell
	Zebulon	435	435	US 64 Bus. west / NC 96 – Zebulon, Oxford
		436	436	US 264 east to NC 97 – Wilson, Greenville	East end of US 264 overlap
Franklin		439	439	NC 39 – Louisburg
		442		SR 1737 (Tant Road)
Nash		447		NC 231 to NC 98 / US 64 Alt. east – Spring Hope, Middlesex, Wake Forest
		451		NC 581 – Spring Hope, Bailey
		453		Old Franklin Road – Momeyer
	Nashville	458	458	US 64 Alt. west / US 64 Bus. east – Nashville, Momeyer	Route is signed as US 64 Bypass until exit 461
		459	459	NC 58 – Nashville, Castalia
		461	461	US 64 Bus. west (Red Oak Road) – Nashville, Red Oak
		463	463	Old Carriage Road – Red Oak
	Rocky Mount	464	464	I-95 – Wilson, Fayetteville, Richmond	Signed as exits 464A (south) and 464B (north)
		466	466	Winstead Avenue
		467	467	US 64 Bus. east (Buck Leonard Boulevard) / Sunset Avenue	Route is signed as US 64 Bypass until exit 472
		468	468A	US 301 (Wesleyan Boulevard) – Wilson
		468.5	468B	NC 43 north (Benvenue Road) to NC 48 / Peachtree Street	West end of NC 43 overlap
		469	469	US 301 Bus. (Church Street)
Edgecombe		470	470	NC 97 (Atlantic Avenue)
		472	472	US 64 Alt. east / US 64 Bus. west / NC 43 south – Rocky Mount	East end of NC 43 overlap
		478	478	Kingsboro Road
	Tarboro	484	484	McNair Rd. – Edgecombe Community College
		485	485	US 258 south / US 64 Alt. west / NC 111 south / NC 122 south – Tarboro, Farmville	West end of US 258/NC 111/NC 122 overlap
	Princeville	486	486	US 258 north / NC 111 north / NC 122 north (US 64 Alt. east) – Princeville, Scotland Neck	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; east end of US 258/NC 111/NC 122 overlap
		487	487	NC 33 – Greenville
		488	488	Shiloh Farm Road
		491	491	SR 1524 (Chinquapin Road)
		494	494	NC 42 – Ahoskie, Wilson
		496	496	US 13 south / NC 11 – Bethel, Greenville	South end of US 13 overlap
Martin		502	502	NC 903 – Robersonville, Hamilton
		505	505	Robersonville Products Road
	Everetts	507	507	US 64 Alt. – Everetts
		512	512	NC 125 – Williamston
		514	514	US 17 south / US 17 Bus. north – Williamston, Washington	South end of US 17 overlap
		515	515	US 64 Alt. west / US 13 north / US 17 north – Williamston, Windsor	North end of US 13/US 17 overlap; ramp to stay on US 64 is signed as exit 515 in both directions
		524		US 64 Bus. east
	Jamesville	525		NC 171 – Washington
		526		US 64 Bus. west
Washington	Plymouth	533		NC 149 north (Ken Trowbridge Road)
		536		NC 32 south (Washington Street) – Washington	South end of NC 32 overlap
		538		NC 45 – Colerain, Winton	Brief .1 miles (0.16 km) concurrency
		539		NC 32 north – Roper	North end of NC 32 overlap
		544	544	Mill Pond Road – Roper
		548	548	Tyson Road
		554	554	To NC 94 – Edenton
	Creswell	557	557	Old US 64 – Creswell	Eastbound exit only
		558	558	Alligood Road – Creswell
Tyrrell		562	562	Travis Road
		565		NC 94 north	North end of NC 94 overlap
	Columbia	566		US 64 Bus. east / NC 94 south – Fairfield	South end of NC 94 overlap
		566.5		US 64 Bus. west
	Alligator	574		Old US 64
Dare	East Lake	585		Lake Dr.
	Manns Harbor	594		US 264 west – Stumpy Point, Engelhard
		596		US 64 Bus. east – Manns Harbor
	Manteo	602		US 64 Bus. west / NC 345 south – Manteo, Wanchese	To Roanoke Island Festival Park
	Nags Head	604		US 158 west – Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Southern Shores, Duck To NC 12 – Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Nags Head Beaches, Hatteras Island, Ocracoke Island	US 64 ends at whalebone junction
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi      Concurrency terminus •      Closed/former •      Incomplete access •      Unopened

Note – Exit numbers with one asterisk (*) are numbered by US 1; exit numbers with two asterisks (**) are numbered by I-440.

See also

• Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
• Bannered routes of U.S. Route 64
• Catawba River
• Chatuge Dam
• Chimney Rock State Park
• French Broad River
• Intracoastal Waterway

• Jordan Lake
• North Carolina Bicycle Route 2
• Nantahala National Forest
• Pamlico Sound
• Pisgah National Forest
• Tar River
• Yadkin River

References

U.S. Route 64
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