North Carolina Highway 24 (NC 24) is the longest primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It travels east–west between the Charlotte metropolitan area and the Crystal Coast, connecting the cities of Charlotte, Fayetteville, Jacksonville and Morehead City.

Quick Facts Route information, Length ...

North Carolina Highway 24
NC 24 in red, business routes in blue
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length	279.4 mi[1] (449.7 km)
Existed	1921–present
Tourist routes	Pee Dee Valley Drive Sandhills Scenic Drive
Major junctions
West end	I-485 in Charlotte
Major intersections	I-77 in Charlotte I-85 in Charlotte US 52 / NC 73 in Albemarle I-73 / I-74 / US 220 in Biscoe US 1 near Cameron I-295 in Fayetteville I-95 BL / US 301 in Fayetteville I-95 near Fayetteville I-40 in Warsaw US 17 in Jacksonville
East end	US 70 in Morehead City
Location
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Counties	Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Stanly, Montgomery, Moore, Harnett, Cumberland, Sampson, Duplin, Onslow, Carteret
Highway system
North Carolina Highway System Interstate US State Scenic
← US 23 → US 25

Close

Prior to the western terminus of NC 24 at Interstate 485 (I-485), the road begins as an unmarked street named W.T. Harris Boulevard at Mount Holly-Huntersville Road. The road was named for William Thomas Harris, better known as one of the founders of Harris Teeter. Along the way NC 24 provides access to I-77, U.S. Route 21 (US 21), NC 115, I-85, US 29, and NC 49. At NC 27 (Albemarle Road) NC 24 makes a sharp left turn and joins that route in a concurrency, while W.T. Harris Boulevard continues further south unmarked towards US 74.^[2]

NC 24 is both one of the longest and most concurrent routes in the state. Besides the approximately 100-mile (160 km) concurrency with NC 27 between Johnsonville and Charlotte, this route also shares long stretches of pavement with:

• US 258 between Richlands and Jacksonville (16.5 miles)
• NC 50 between Kenansville and Warsaw (7.5 miles)
• NC 87 between Fayetteville and Spout Springs (18 miles)
• Shorter concurrencies with I-40, NC 903, US 421, US 701, US 17, NC 210 (twice), NC 22, NC 109, and NC 73. It also runs briefly concurrent with US 15/US 501 in Carthage.

All told, about half of the total length of NC 24 runs concurrent with other routes.

As a route, it is designated as a "High Priority Corridor" for North Carolina, and much of it is highly traveled, providing the most direct access between Charlotte, Fayetteville and Jacksonville. It passes near or through three major Military installations (Fort Liberty, Pope Field, and Camp Lejeune), as well as Morrow Mountain State Park, Lake Tillery and the Uwharrie National Forest. Most of the route east of I-40 is at least four lanes, with sections at or near freeway grade.

Along its eastern portions, NC 24 is known as Lejeune Boulevard thru Jacksonville, Freedom Way from the Camp Lejeune Main Gate to Swansboro, Corbett Avenue through Swansboro, Cedar Point Boulevard through Cedar Point, the W. B. McLean Highway through much of central Carteret County from JCT NC 58 to its terminus in Mansfield at US 70.

• 1922: NC 24 runs from Warsaw to Laurinburg, through Fayetteville. Most of this routing west of Fayetteville is now US 401.
• 1925: NC 24's western terminus is extended to the South Carolina line and its eastern terminus is extended to Kenansville.
• 1930: The route is extended east to Swansboro, using part of US 17. Also, NC 24 is rerouted through Kenansville, Beaulaville, Richlands, and Jacksonville; NC 24 still uses most of this route today. Furthermore, NC 24 is given a more direct route from Laurinburg to Wagram.
• 1930s: NC 24 is rerouted numerous times after the introduction of new U.S. Highways to North Carolina.
• 1941: NC 24 west of Fayetteville is truncated; NC 87 and NC 78 take control of the truncated route.
• 1963: The western terminus of NC 24 is moved and extended to Charlotte; this produced the 106-mile (171 km) concurrency with NC 27.
• Mid 1960s: NC 24 is routed around Clinton and its routing through Fayetteville changed.
• Early 1970s: The construction of the Cape Fear River bridge at Fayetteville removed many zigzags of NC 24 in Fayetteville.
• 1982: NC 24 is routed along a four-lane bypass around Vander to access the newly built I-95.
• 2000: NC 24 is routed onto I-40 for a segment between exits 364 and 373 and onto NC 11 around Kenansville and Warsaw. The old route was signed as Business NC 24.
• 2003: NC 24 splits from NC 27 in eastern Charlotte to follow Harris Boulevard to a new western terminus at I-77.
• 2006: NC 24 is rerouted onto the Jacksonville Bypass US 17 for 4 miles (6.4 km). The old route is signed as Business Route 24.
• 2008: NC 24 western terminus is extended from I-77 to I-485 on December 8, 2008. The extension added 1 mile (1.6 km) to the route.
• 2015: NC 24 was removed with NC 87 from Bragg Blvd from the city of Spring Lake, south to the I-295, instead it was placed onto I-295 over to NC 210 then follows NC 210 north to Spring Lake.
• 2017: NC 24 was placed on a bypass of Stedman leaving behind Clinton Rd through town.
• 2018: NC 24 was placed on bypasses of Autryville and Roseboro, leaving behind NC 24 business routes.
• 2019: NC 24 was placed on a bypass around Troy, leaving behind NC 24-27 business routes.

• North Carolina Bicycle Route 6 - Concurrent with NC 24 briefly east and west of Albemarle