North Carolina Highway 18

NC 18
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length:	145 mi (233 km)
Existed:	1924 – present
Major junctions
North end:	NC 89 near Lowgap
	US 21 in Sparta US 421 in Wilkesboro US 64 in Lenoir US 321 in Lenoir US 64 in Morganton US 70 in Morganton I-40 in Morganton US 74 in Shelby
South end:	NC 180 / SC 18 near Earl, NC
Location
Counties:	Surry, Alleghany, Wilkes, Caldwell, Burke, Catawba, Lincoln, Cleveland
Highway system
North Carolina Highway System ← US 17 US 19 →

NC 18 is a 145-mile (233 km) North Carolina state highway that travels north–south through the Foothills and Mountain regions of the state.

Route

Surry County

NC 18's northern terminus is at NC 89, just shy of the North Carolina/Virginia state line near the independent city of Galax, Virginia. From this point, NC 18 travels in a westerly direction (signed south) for approximately one-half mile before meeting the Blue Ridge Parkway at the Surry/Alleghany county line.

Alleghany County

From the Blue Ridge Parkway, NC 18 continues westerly to the town of Sparta. Traveling through the heart of the town, NC 18 crosses US 21, and then exits Sparta in a more southerly direction. Curving through the Blue Ridge Mountains, NC 18 meets the termini of NC 113 and NC 88 in the small community of Laurel Springs. Shortly after crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway again, NC 18 hugs the Ashe/Alleghany county line before entering Wilkes County.

A 1920s map of North Carolina Highway 18.

Wilkes County

NC 18 curves around the mountainous terrain and continues south into Mulberry and then North Wilkesboro. NC 268 joins NC 18 (and later US 421 Business) through the town of North Wilkesboro, where both routes are also known at various points as Second Street, Main Street, and Wilkesboro Boulevard. After crossing the Yadkin River into Wilkesboro, NC 18 and NC 268 wind through the town's streets (Wilkesboro Avenue, East Main Street), splitting near the center of town; NC 18 continues south as South Cherry Street. Joining with NC 16 at a junction with the US 421 Bypass freeway, the routes exit the town to the south. Arriving in the community of Moravian Falls, NC 18 splits from NC 16 to the southwest. NC 18 hugs the Yadkin River and southern shores of the W. Kerr Scott Reservoir on its way to Lenoir in Caldwell County.

Caldwell County

Entering the city of Lenior as Wilkesboro Boulevard, NC 18 joins US 64 through the heart of the city. The two routes cross US 321 (Hickory Boulevard), turn left onto Morganton Boulevard, cross US 321 Alternate (Norwood Street), and continue through downtown. US 64 and NC 18 stay joined after exiting Lenior, through the town of Gamewell, and after exiting Caldwell County.

Burke County

Entering Burke County, US 64 and NC 18 bypass Rhodhiss Lake and enter into the city of Morganton. Shortly crossing the Catawba River, US 64 splits between a bypass route and a business route. NC 18 follows US 64 Business and Lenoir Road into downtown Morganton. After sharing Lenoir Street and Avery Avenue, both routes meet a terminus of NC 118, and then split between two one-way streets: Green Street and Sterling Street. In downtown, US 64 Business joins US 70 Business, while NC 18 continues southeasterly. After crossing a few railroad tracks, both streets join into a normal 2-lane road still known as Sterling Street. The state highway then meets US 70 and eventually arrives at an interchange with Interstate 40 (exit 105). Exiting Morganton, NC 18 travels through rural Burke County to the Catawba County line.

Catawba, Lincoln, and Cleveland counties

Shortly after entering Catawba County, NC 18 exits it, entering into Lincoln County. There, in the small community of Laurel Hill, NC 18 meets NC 10 and NC 27 before entering Cleveland County. Heading in a nearly due south direction, NC 18 travels through Belwood and Fallston, where it intersects with NC 182. Further south, the route meets the northern terminus of NC 180 before entering the city of Shelby. Routed along the city streets of Fallston Road, Grover Street, and Lafayette Street, NC 18 crosses US 74 Business and joins NC 150. After crossing US 74 Bypass/NC 226, both NC 150 and NC 18 exit the city to the south before splitting shortly after. NC 18 then heads due south, picking up NC 180 on its way to the South Carolina border, where both routes terminate; SC 18 begins at this terminus, near the town of Earl, North Carolina.

Major intersections

County	Location	Destinations	Notes
Cleaveland	Earl	SC 18 south (Shelby Highway) – Gaffney	Southern terminus
	Patterson Springs	NC 180 north (Post Road) – Shelby	Southern terminus of NC 180
	Shelby	NC 150 west (College Avenue) – Boiling Springs	South end of concurrency with NC 150
		US 74 / NC 226 (Dixon Boulevard) – Mooresboro, Polkville, Kings Mountain, Grover
		US 74 Bus. / NC 150 (Marion Street) – Lincolnton	North end of concurrency with NC 150
		NC 180 south (Post Road) – Patterson Springs
	Fallston	NC 182 (Stage Coach Trail) – Polkville, Lincolnton
Lincoln	Toluca	NC 27 (Poe Road) – Lincolnton, Charlotte
	Laurel Hill	NC 10 south – Casar	South end of concurrency with NC 10
		NC 10 north – Newton	North end of concurrency with NC 10
Catawba	No major intersections
Burke	Morganton	I-40 – Black Mountain, Hickory	Exit 105; Partial cloverleaf interchange
		US 70 (Fleming Drive) – Glen Alpine, Valdese
		US 64 west (Union Street) / US 70 Bus. west (Meeting Street) – Rutherfordton	South end of very short concurrency on one-way pair eastbound Business US 70; South end of concurrency with US 64
		US 70 Bus. east (Union Street)	North end of concurrency with Business US 70
Caldwell	Lenoir	NC 18 Bus. north (Harper Avenue)	Diamond interchange
		NC 18 Bus. south / NC 90 west (Harper Avenue) – Collettsville	South end of concurrency with NC 90
		US 321 (Hickory Boulevard) – Hickory, Blowing Rock	Diamond interchange
		US 64 east / NC 90 east (Taylorsville Road) – Taylorsville, Statesville	North end of concurrency with US 64 and NC 90
Wilkes	Moravian Falls	NC 16 south – Taylorsville	South end of concurrency with NC 16
	Wilkesboro	US 421 / NC 16 north (Watson Brame Expressway) – Yadkinville, Boone, Jefferson	North end of concurrency with NC 16
		NC 268 west (Main Street) – Lenoir	South end of concurrency with NC 268
	North Wilkesboro	US 421 Bus. north (6th Street)	South end of concurrency with Business US 421
		US 421 Bus. south / NC 115 south – Statesville, Troutman	North end of concurrency with Business US 421
		NC 268 east (Elkin Highway) – Ronda	North end of concurrency with NC 268
Alleghany		Blue Ridge Parkway
	Laurel Springs	NC 88 west – Jefferson	Eastern terminus of NC 88
		NC 113 north – Scottville	Southern terminus of NC 113
	Sparta	US 21 (Main Street) – Elkin, Independence
Surry	Lowgap	Blue Ridge Parkway
		NC 89 (Pine Street) – Mount Airy, Galax	Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi      Concurrency terminus •      Closed/former •      Incomplete access •      Unopened

References and external links

• NC Roads (mirror) - NC 18
• State Ends - NC 18