North Carolina Highway 27
North Carolina Highway 27 (NC 27) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The route traverses 198 miles (319 km) through southern and central North Carolina, about 100 miles (160 km) of it as a concurrency with NC 24.
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 Route of NC 27 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by NCDOT | ||||
| Length | 198.0 mi[1] (318.7 km) | |||
| Existed | 1922–present | |||
| Tourist routes |  Pee Dee Valley Drive Sandhills Scenic Drive | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  NC 10 near Toluca | |||
 US 321 in Lincolnton I-485 in Charlotte I-85 in Charlotte  I-77 / US 21 in Charlotte  I-277 / NC 16 in Charlotte US 74 in Charlotte   I-73 / I-74 / US 220 in Biscoe | ||||
| East end |    US 301 / NC 50 / NC 242 in Benson | |||
| Location | ||||
| Counties | Cleveland, Lincoln, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Stanly, Montgomery, Moore, Harnett, Johnston | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Route description
NC 27 begins in Cleveland County near the unincorporated community of Toluca at a T-intersection with NC 10. From there it runs southeast to the city of Lincolnton. In Lincolnton, it serves as Main Street, and runs past the Lincoln County courthouse. From Lincolnton, it runs southeast again to Stanley where it follows Main Street. It enters Charlotte along Mount Holly Road, and follows several major thoroughfares through Charlotte, including Freedom Drive, Morehead Street, and Independence Boulevard.
On the east side of Charlotte, it begins its 100-mile (160 km) long concurrency with NC 24, approximately 1/2 of its total length. The two highways leave the city along Albemarle Road and remain joined until the unincorporated community of Johnsonville. Along this segment, they pass through the cities of Midland, Locust, Albemarle, Troy, Biscoe, and Carthage. They share further concurrencies with NC 109, NC 22, and US 15.
From the split with NC 24, the road runs northeast to Lillington where it follows Main Street, and leaves town as a concurrency with US 421. It passes Campbell University in Buies Creek before entering Johnston County and ending in Benson just short of I-95. NC 50 continues east of NC 27's terminus at US 301.
History
NC 27 is one of North Carolina's original state highways.[2] Its original routing connected Charlotte to Lincolnton. It used several streets through Charlotte, but followed roughly the same route. The road was extended several times:
- 1923: east to Albemarle
- 1928: west to Toluca (current terminus)
- 1934: east to Carthage (using the concurrency with NC 24)
- 1948-50: east to Cameron
- 1958: east to Benson (current terminus)
NC 27 has had a tumultuous history through Charlotte. It has always served as a major east–west route through the city, but it has been rerouted numerous times on different city streets as traffic patterns changed. All of the following roads have carried NC 27 at one time or another:
- Rozelles Ferry Rd. (1923–1936)
- Mount Holly Road (1923–present)
- Trade St.(1923-?)
- Hawthorne Lane(1924–1936)
- Central Ave.(1924–1955)
- Albemarle Rd.(1924–present)
- Mint St.(1936–1946)
- Morehead St. (1936–present)
- Thrift Rd.(1936–1946)
- McDowell St. (1946–1955)
- Independence Blvd. (1955–present)
- Freedom Dr. (?-Present)
Major intersections
| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | Toluca | 0.0 | 0.0 | NC 10 (Casar Road) | Western terminus |
| Lincoln | 0.7 | 1.1 |  NC 18 (Fallston Road) – Shelby, Morganton | ||
| Hulls Crossroads | 4.1 | 6.6 |  NC 274 south – Cherryville | Northern terminus of NC 274 | |
| | 15.0 | 24.1 |  NC 182 west – Fallston, Lawndale | Eastern terminus of NC 182 | |
| Lincolnton | 15.3 | 24.6 |  To NC 150 west (West Highway 150) | ||
| 17.2 | 27.7 |    US 321 Bus. / NC 150 west (Generals Boulevard) – Cherryville, Gastonia, Shelby, Maiden | West end of NC 150 overlap | ||
| 17.8 | 28.6 | US 321 – Dallas, Gastonia, Hickory | |||
| Boger City | 19.3 | 31.1 | NC 150 east – Mooresville | East end of NC 150 overlap | |
| | 21.0 | 33.8 |  NC 73 east – Lowesville | Western terminus of NC 73 | |
| Gaston | Stanley | 30.5 | 49.1 |  NC 275 west (Chestnut Street) – Dallas | Eastern terminus of NC 275 |
| Mount Holly | 36.9 | 59.4 |  NC 273 (Highland Street) – Belmont | ||
| Mecklenburg | Charlotte | 40.0 | 64.4 | I-485 – Pineville, Huntersville | I-485 exit 14 |
| 45.0 | 72.4 | I-85 – Spartanburg, Concord | I-85 exit 34 | ||
| 47.2 | 76.0 |  US 29 south (Morehead Street) / Freedom Drive | South end of US 29 overlap | ||
| 47.5 | 76.4 | I-77 / US 21 north – Statesville | I-77 exit 10A | ||
| 48.1 | 77.4 |  US 29 / NC 49 north (Mint Street) | North end of US 29/NC 49 overlap | ||
| 48.3 | 77.7 | NC 49 south (South Tryon Street) | South end of NC 49 overlap | ||
| 50.5 | 81.3 | US 74 west (Independence Freeway) to I-277 / NC 16 | West end of US 74 overlap US 74 exit 243; eastbound entrance and westbound exit | ||
| 52.2 | 84.0 | Briar Creek Road – Bojangles' Coliseum | US 74 exit 244; to Ovens Auditorium | ||
| 53.0 | 85.3 | Wendover Road/Eastway Drive | US 74 exit 245; signed as exits 245A (Wendover) and 245B (Eastway) | ||
| 53.8 | 86.6 | US 74 east (Independence Boulevard) – Monroe | East end of US 74 overlap US 74 exit 246; eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
| 56.5 | 90.9 |  NC 24 west (WT Harris Boulevard) | West end of NC 24 overlap | ||
| Mint Hill | 61.3 | 98.7 | I-485 – Pineville, Huntersville | I-485 exit 41 | |
| 62.5 | 100.6 |  NC 51 south (Blair Road) | |||
| Cabarrus | Midland | 70.3 | 113.1 |  US 601 – Monroe, Concord | |
| Stanly | Locust | 74.8 | 120.4 |  NC 200 (Central Avenue) – Stanfield, Monroe, Concord | |
| Red Cross | 79.0 | 127.1 |  NC 205 south – Oakboro | ||
| Albemarle | 89.6 | 144.2 |   US 52 / NC 73 west (Aquadale Road) to NC 138 – Wadesboro, Salisbury | West end of NC 73 overlap | |
| 89.9 | 144.7 | US 52 Bus. (Second Street) | |||
| 91.7 | 147.6 |  NC 740 north – Badin | Southern terminus of NC 740 | ||
| Pee Dee River | 97.7 | 157.2 | James B. Garrison Bridge | ||
| Montgomery | | 97.9 | 157.6 | NC 73 east – Mount Gilead | East end of NC 73 overlap |
| | 106.0 | 170.6 |  NC 109 south – Mount Gilead | South end of NC 109 overlap | |
| Troy | 109.4 | 176.1 | NC 109 north (Bilhen Street) / NC 109 Bus. begin – Denton | North end of NC 109 and south end of NC 109 Bus. overlap | |
| 109.9 | 176.9 |  NC 134 / NC 109 Bus. north (Main Street) | North end of NC 109 Bus. overlap | ||
| Biscoe | 116.5 | 187.5 |  US 220 Alt. (Main Street) | ||
| 117.3 | 188.8 | I-73 / I-74 / US 220 – Rockingham, Asheboro | I-73 exit 49 | ||
| Moore | Robbins | 129.1 | 207.8 |  NC 705 (Pottery Highway) – Eagle Springs, Robbins | |
| | 134.2 | 216.0 |  NC 22 north – Ramseur, Greensboro | North end of NC 22 overlap | |
| Carthage | 139.3 | 224.2 | NC 22 south (McNeill Street) | South end of NC 22 overlap | |
| 140.3 | 225.8 |   US 15 / US 501 south – Pinehurst, Aberdeen | South end of US 15/US 501 overlap | ||
| | 142.3 | 229.0 | US 15 / US 501 north – Sanford | North end of US 15/US 501 overlap | |
| Cameron | 149.0 | 239.8 |  US 1 Bus. – Vass | ||
| | 150.7 | 242.5 | US 1 – Southern Pines, Sanford | ||
| Harnett | Johnsonville | 159.1 | 256.0 | NC 24 east – Fayetteville | East end of NC 24 overlap |
| Pineview | 161.4 | 259.7 |  NC 87 – Fayetteville, Sanford | ||
| Lillington | 178.8 | 287.8 |   US 401 / NC 210 south (Main Street) – Fayetteville | South end of US 401/NC 210 overlap | |
| 179.2 | 288.4 |  US 421 north (Front Street) – Sanford | North end of US 421 overlap | ||
| 180.8 | 291.0 | US 401 north (Cornelius Harnett Boulevard) / NC 210 north (Main Street) – Fuquay-Varina | North end of US 401/NC 210 overlap | ||
| | 185.8 | 299.0 | US 421 south (Paul Green Memorial Highway) – Dunn | South end of US 421 overlap; Harnett County Airport at intersection | |
| Coats | 190.0 | 305.8 |  NC 55 (McKinley Street) – Erwin, Angier | ||
| Johnston | Benson | 196.9 | 316.9 | NC 50 north – Garner | North end of NC 50 overlap |
| 197.5 | 317.8 | US 301 (Wall Street) / NC 50 south / NC 242 south (Main Street) – Dunn, Smithfield | Eastern terminus, South end of NC 50 overlap | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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Special routes
Lincolnton truck route
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|---|---|
| Location | Lincolnton, North Carolina |
| Length | 6.0 mi[3] (9.7 km) |
North Carolina Highway 27 Truck (NC 27 Truck) is a 6.0-mile (9.7 km) route that takes truck traffic south around downtown Lincolnton, via West Highway 150 and NC 150. Signage along the route only appears at key intersections.
Thrift–Charlotte alternate route
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|---|---|
| Location | Thrift–Charlotte, NC |
| Length | 8.6 mi[4] (13.8 km) |
| Existed | 1932–1936 |
North Carolina Highway 27A (NC 27A) was established as a renumbering of NC 271. Starting at the former community of Thrift (located in present-day Paw Creek neighborhood), it went south from Mount Holly Road, entering Charlotte along Tuckaseegee/Thrift Roads. It then overlapped with US 29/US 74/NC 20 on Morehead Street and US 74 on McDowell Street, before reconnecting with mainline NC 27 at 7th Street. In 1936, NC 27A was replaced by mainline NC 27.
Pee Dee–Wadeville alternate route
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|---|---|
| Location | Pee Dee–Wadeville, NC |
| Length | 12.1 mi[5] (19.5 km) |
| Existed | 1960–1967 |
North Carolina Highway 27A (NC 27A) was established when mainline NC 27 was rerouted on a more direct route between Lake Tillery and Troy, in Montgomery County. NC 27A follows NC 73 east, through Pee Dee, then continues straight along Pee Dee Road, connecting with NC 109, in Wadeville. Going back north, it reconnected with NC 27 west from Troy. In 1967, NC 27A was decommissioned, with Pee Dee Road only section to drop to a secondary road. From Lake Tillery to Wadeville, NC 27A formed the southern edge of the Uwharrie National Forest.[6]
See also
- North Carolina Bicycle Route 5 - concurrent with NC 27 near Buies Creek
- North Carolina Bicycle Route 6 - concurrent with NC 27 from Lincolnton to NC 73
References
- Google (2011-02-05). "NC 27" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2011-02-05.
- NCRoads.com Annex: N.C. 25 to 29 Archived March 7, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- Google (December 1, 2013). "NC 27 Truck - Lincolnton, North Carolina" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
- Google (July 13, 2013). "North Carolina Highway 27A - Charlotte" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
- Google (July 13, 2013). "North Carolina Highway 27A - Pee Dee" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
- "NC 27A Route Change (1967-11-03)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. November 3, 1967. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
External links
Media related to North Carolina Highway 27 at Wikimedia Commons- NCRoads.com: N.C. 27
- NCRoads.com: N.C. 27-A