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North Carolina Highway 50 (NC 50) is a primary
state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either Route number, numbered or maintained by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered ...
in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
. It goes from Topsail Beach in the south to Creedmoor in the north, connecting the cities of
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
, Newton Grove, Benson, and
Raleigh Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...
.


Route description

From the
Coast A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...
to the
Triangle A triangle is a polygon with three corners and three sides, one of the basic shapes in geometry. The corners, also called ''vertices'', are zero-dimensional points while the sides connecting them, also called ''edges'', are one-dimension ...
area, NC 50 serves to directly link several cities in the Cape Fear region to the Research Triangle and
North Carolina State Capitol The North Carolina State Capitol is the former seat of the legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina which housed all of the state's government until 1888. The Supreme Court and State Library moved into a separate building in 1888, and th ...
. However, because it parallels I-40 along the majority of its route, the highway is typically relegated to local traffic except at its southern end.


Cape Fear region

The highway begins at Florida Avenue (SR 1555), in Topsail Beach, and goes northeast through the southern half of Topsail Island to Surf City, where it crosses over the
Intracoastal Waterway The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a Navigability, inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States, running from Massachusetts southward along the Atlantic Seaboard and around the southern tip of Florida, the ...
and onto the mainland, in concurrency with NC 210. Entering Onslow County, it connects with US 17 at Holly Ridge. Entering back into
Pender County Pender County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,203. Its county seat is Burgaw. Pender County is part of the Wilmington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The count ...
, it crosses NC 53 at Maple Hill and skirts nearby Angola Bay State Game Land. In an event of emergency, NC 50 is designated and signed as an evacuation route for the coastal area. On Topsail Island, the highway is flanked predominantly by houses, with some view to Onslow Bay. Bicycle lanes also flank the highway in and around Surf City. North of Holly Ridge, the highway traverses through the Holly Shelter Swamp, Great Sandy Run Pocosin and Angola Swamp; most of which drains into the
Cape Fear River The Cape Fear River is a blackwater river in east-central North Carolina. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The river is formed at the confluence of the Haw River and the Deep River in the town of ...
. With a brief overlap with NC 41 at Chinquapin, NC 50 goes northwest to Kenansville, where it overlaps with NC 24 Business and begins its parallel with I-40. Continuing northwest, it connects with
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
and switches concurrency with US 117 to Faison. Continuing solo till Dobbersville, where it overlaps with NC 55, it goes west into Newton Grove then splits with NC 55 after crossing I-40 to go northwest again. At Benson, it overlaps briefly with both NC 242 and NC 27. Taking a more northerly direction now, it eventually enters
Wake County Wake County, officially the County of Wake, is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,129,410, making it North Carolina's most populous county. From July 2005 to July 2006, Wake Count ...
, having an interchange with NC 540 before passing by Lake Benson and into Garner, where it begins its overlap with US 70. The route is predominantly surrounded by farmland with the occasional city, where farmers bring their products to market. At McGee Crossroads and continuing northward, the farmland gives way to sleeper communities for the Raleigh area.


Raleigh vicinity

The majority of the highway's route is concurrent with US 70 and to a lesser extent with US 401. At Garner, the highway continues northwest to Fayetteville Road (US 401), then goes north as Wilmington Street and later Saunders Street before crossing the Raleigh Beltline (I-40/ US 64). As it nears Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, the highway splits into northbound McDowell and southbound Dawson streets. At the city center, is passes by the Raleigh Convention Center, Depot Historic District, Nash Square, and a block from the State Capital,
Legislative Building A legislative building is referred to as a building in which a legislature sits and makes laws for its respective Polity, political entity. The term used for the building varies between the political entities, such as "building", "capitol", "hall ...
and the
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS) is a natural history museum in Raleigh, North Carolina. The museum is the oldest in the state, and the largest natural history museum in the Southeastern United States. The museum is made up o ...
. Leaving north from the city center, the highway's north and southbound lanes merge back together forming Capital Boulevard, which is squeezed between two rail-yards. Exiting from Capital Boulevard (US 401), it briefly overlaps Wade Avenue before connecting onto Glenwood Avenue. Continuing northwest again, it crosses the Raleigh Beltline ( I-440/ US 1) and enters Midtown Raleigh area. Near the
Crabtree Valley Mall Crabtree is a shopping mall in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. The mall spans of selling space, making it the largest mall in the Research Triangle area. , the mall is anchored by Belk (separate women's and men's stores) and Macy's. ...
, NC 50 splits from US 70 and continues north along Creedmoor Road. After crossing the Northern Wake Expressway ( I-540), NC 50 leaves the Raleigh city limits. Crossing over the
Neuse River The Neuse River ( , Tuscarora: Neyuherú·kęʔkì·nęʔ) is a river rising in the Piedmont of North Carolina and emptying into Pamlico Sound below New Bern. Its total length is approximately , making it the longest river entirely contained in N ...
, inside the
Falls Lake State Recreation Area Falls Lake State Recreation Area is a North Carolina state park in Durham and Wake counties, North Carolina in the United States. Near Wake Forest, North Carolina, it covers along the shores of Falls Lake. History Prior to 1978, flooding o ...
, it soon enters rural
Granville County Granville County is a county located on the northern border of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,992. Its county seat is Oxford. The county has access to Kerr Lake and Falls Lake and is part of the ...
. At Creedmoor, NC 50 goes through the city center and connects with NC 56, before promptly ending later at
US 15 U.S. Route 15 or U.S. Highway 15 (US 15) is a United States Numbered Highway, serving the states of South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from US  ...
. The highway throughout this area is typically four or more lanes with mostly commercial sites along its route.


Dedicated and memorial names

NC 50 features at least one dedicated or memorialized stretch along its route. * Earl "Easy" Creech, Jr. BridgeOfficial North Carolina name of bridge over Interstate 95.


History

Established in 1935 as a renumbering of NC 221, the second and current NC 50 traversed from Newton Grove to Coats, through Benson. In 1937, NC 50 was rerouted on new primary routing north from Benson to US 70, in Garner; its old alignment to Coats was replaced by NC 40. In 1952, NC 50 was extended through Newton Grove to Dobbersville, overlapping with NC 55, then going southeast on a new primary routing to Faison. In 1953, its northern terminus was clipped from Garner Road (SR 1004) to a new routing of US 70. Between 1956-1958, NC 50 was extended south to its current southern terminus in Topsail Beach; extending south along US 117 to
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
, then along NC 24 to Kenansville, then on new primary routing southeast to the coast, with short overlaps with NC 41 and NC 210. In 1957, NC 50 was extended north to its current northern terminus in Creedmoor; overlapping west along US 70 through Raleigh, then replacing US 15A north to Creedmoor. In 1967, northbound US 70/US 401/NC 50 was adjusted around Wilmington Street and South Street, in downtown Raleigh. In 1972, US 70/NC 50 was rerouted from Glenwood Avenue (downgraded to secondary road) to stay along Capital Boulevard then go west along the Raleigh Beltway back to Glenwood Avenue. In 1984, US 70/US 401/NC 50 were taken off downtown Raleigh streets and was rerouted going counter-clockwise along the Raleigh Beltway. In 1991, NC 50, and US 70/US 401, returned to downtown Raleigh; routed along Saunders Street, Dawson/McDowell Streets and Connector, Capital Boulevard, Wade Avenue and finally Glenwood Avenue. The first NC 50 was an original state highway that ran from the
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
state line north through Rockingham,
Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
,
Southern Pines Southern Pines is a town in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 15,545 as of the 2020 census, up from 12,334 in 2010. History Founded as a winter health resort for Northerners,Southern Pines North Carolina 2040 Com ...
, Sanford, Raleigh, Wake Forest,
Henderson Henderson may refer to: People *Henderson (surname), description of the surname, and a list of people with the surname * Clan Henderson, a Scottish clan Places Argentina *Henderson, Buenos Aires Australia *Henderson, Western Australia Canada *H ...
, Warrenton and finally
Roanoke Rapids Roanoke Rapids () is a city in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 15,229 at the 2020 census and is the largest community in Halifax County. It is the principal city of the Roanoke Rapids Micropolitan Statistical ...
, ending at NC 4] (Weldon Road). In 1923, the section between Norlina, North Carolina, Norlina and Roanoke Rapids was renumbered to NC 48; NC 50 was then rerouted north to
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
. In 1925, NC 50 replaced part of NC 204 at Marston. In 1926, US 1 was established through the state and was routed entirely along NC 50. In 1934, NC 50 was decommissioned in favor of US 1.


North Carolina Highway 13 (1934–1935)

North Carolina Highway 13 (NC 13) was a short primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. it ran from Raleigh to US 15 in Creedmoor. In 1934 the entirety of NC 21 was renumbered to avoid confusion with US 21 to the west. NC 13 is shown on the 1935 state highway map running north from Raleigh to NC 9 southeast of Leesville. The highway then traveled north intersecting NC 91 and crossing the Neuse River before ending at US 15/NC 56 in Creedmoor. The 1936 state highway map shows NC 13 completely renumbered as US 15A.


North Carolina Highway 221

North Carolina Highway 221 (NC 221) was established as a new primary routing from NC 102/ NC 117, in Newton Grove, through Benson, to NC 55, in Coats. By the end of 1934 or early 1935, NC 221 was quickly renumbered as NC 50.


Major intersections


References


External links

*{{commons category-inline, North Carolina Highway 50
NCRoads.com: N.C. 50
Transportation in Pender County, North Carolina Transportation in Onslow County, North Carolina Transportation in Duplin County, North Carolina Transportation in Wayne County, North Carolina Transportation in Sampson County, North Carolina Transportation in Johnston County, North Carolina Transportation in Wake County, North Carolina Transportation in Granville County, North Carolina Transportation in Raleigh, North Carolina 050 U.S. Route 15