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 ...
. Known as Caratoke Highway, the state highway runs from US 158 in Barco north to the
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 ...
state line in Moyock, where the highway continues as
Virginia State Route 168
State Route 168 is a primary state highway in the South Hampton Roads region of the U.S. state of Virginia. It runs from the border with North Carolina (where it continues as North Carolina Highway 168 towards the Outer Banks) through the in ...
(SR 168) toward
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...
. NC 168 forms part of the primary north–south highway of
Currituck County
Currituck County () , from the North Carolina Collection's website at the University of North Ca ...
, where it provides access to the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of Currituck. The state highway also provides a crucial link for traffic between the
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...
region of Virginia and the
Outer Banks
The Outer Banks (frequently abbreviated OBX) are a string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, on the east coast of the United States. They line most of the North Carolina coastline, separatin ...
.
Route description
NC 168 begins at an intersection with US 158 in Barco along Coinjock Bay. US 158 continues south along Caratoke Highway toward
Nags Head Nag's Head or Nags Head may refer to:
London
* Nag's Head, London, a locality in Holloway
** Nag's Head Market, a street market
* Nag's Head, Covent Garden, a pub
Elsewhere in the United Kingdom
* Nag's Head Island, Abingdon-on-Thames
* Nagshead ...
Elizabeth City
Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank county, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 18,629. Elizabeth City is the county seat and most populous city of Pasquotank County. It is the cultural, economic and educational h ...
. NC 168 heads north as a five-lane road (two travel lanes in each direction with a
center turn lane
A reversible lane, also known as variable lane, dynamic lane, and tidal flow, is a managed lane in which traffic may travel in either direction, depending on certain conditions. Typically, it is meant to improve traffic flow during rush hours, b ...
) to Currituck, where the highway serves some county offices and has a pair of intersections with SR 1242 (Courthouse Road) on the south and NC 615 on the north. NC 615 provides access to a ferry just east of its terminus to cross
Currituck Sound
Currituck Sound () , from the North Carolina Collection's website at the
Knotts Island
Knotts Island is a marshy island and a small unincorporated community. The island is shared by Currituck County, North Carolina and Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States, bounded by the Currituck Sound, North Landing River, Back Bay, and K ...
. NC 168 curves west and crosses two of Tull Creek's tributaries before meeting the northern end of NC 34 (Shawboro Road) at
Sligo
Sligo ( ; , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of 20,608 in 2022, it is the county's largest urban centre (constituting 2 ...
. The state highway continues northwest parallel to the
Chesapeake and Albemarle Railroad
The Chesapeake and Albemarle Railroad is a short-line railroad that operates of track from Chesapeake, Virginia to Edenton, North Carolina.
History
The railroad was originally part of the Norfolk Southern Railroad, which continued south, cr ...
, which the highway crosses in Moyock. The highway passes east of the Currituck Welcome Center before reaching its northern terminus at the Virginia state line. The roadway continues as SR 168 (Chesapeake Expressway), which becomes a freeway while passing through
Chesapeake, Virginia
Chesapeake is an independent city in Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 249,422, making it the second-most populous city in Virginia, the tenth largest in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 92nd-most populous city in the ...
168
Year 168 ( CLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Apronianus and Paullus (or, less frequently, year 921 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 168 for thi ...