Interstate 85 in North Carolina

Interstate 85 Main route of the Interstate Highway System
Length:	233 mi (374.98 km)
South end:	I-85 at South Carolina state line
Major junctions:	US 74 / US 29 near Kings Mountain US 321 in Gastonia I-485 in Charlotte (twice) I-77 in Charlotte US 52 near Lexington I-85 Bus. near Lexington I-73 in Greensboro US 421 in Greensboro I-40 east of Greensboro and west of Durham US 15 / US 501 in Durham US 1 in Henderson
North end:	I-85 at Virginia state line
North Carolina highways < NC 84 NC 86 >

In North Carolina, Interstate 85 scales the state for 233 miles (337 kilometers) from the South Carolina border to the Virginia border. As the second-longest interstate in the state (behind Interstate 40), it provides an important link between the cities of Atlanta, Georgia, Charlotte, Greensboro, Richmond, Virginia and Washington, D.C..

Route description

I-85 enters the state from Cherokee County, South Carolina near Grover in Cleveland County. After only a few miles, the highway enters Gaston County, which is part of the Charlotte metropolitan area.

Near Kings Mountain, I-85 turns from a northeast trajectory to an eastward one and goes through Gastonia before crossing the Catawba River and entering Charlotte. At Gastonia, the highway widens from four to six lanes and keeps the number of lanes until it reaches Belmont, where the highway widens again to eight lanes.

In Charlotte, I-85 passes north of Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and goes by a number of retail centers before turning northeastward again just west of Uptown Charlotte. The highway bypasses the downtown area, but several exits do provide access to the area. A partial wrong-way interchange exists at the exit with Interstate 77 north of Uptown.

The highway actually lies within the city limits of Charlotte for most of its route through Mecklenburg County. As a result, none of the exit signs list "Charlotte" as a destination for the intersecting routes. This can be confusing to motorists not familiar with the region, who often don't realize that they are actually within the city limits of Charlotte when searching for an exit that will take them to Bank of America Stadium, Time Warner Cable Arena, or other destinations in Uptown Charlotte. The route through Charlotte traverses a heavily commercialized section of the city that is more suburban than urban in character, with light industry such as truck terminals, warehouses, small manufacturing facilities, and small office parks lining the highway.

After Charlotte, I-85 continues northeastward into Cabarrus County, passing by the cities of Concord and Kannapolis. It drops from 8 lanes to 4 lanes between exit 49 (near Lowe's Motor Speedway and Concord Mills Mall) and exit 68 near the Rowan County town of China Grove, at which point it increases to 8 lanes again.

Approximately 70 miles (110 km) northeast of the Charlotte area is the Triad area, anchored by the cities of Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point. I-85 bypasses High Point and also largely bypasses Greensboro. Up until February 2004, I-85 went through the heart of Greensboro and joined Interstate 40 near downtown. Today, I-85 is routed along the Greensboro Urban Loop and meets I-40 east of downtown. Its former route is now known as Business 85.

Interstates 85 and 40 remain joined as they continue eastward to the Triangle region, anchored by the cities of Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh. West of Durham near Hillsborough, the two highways split, with I-40 heading southeast toward Chapel Hill and Raleigh while I-85 continues eastward through Durham, then northeastward as it exits the city. The highway bypasses Oxford and Henderson before crossing into Mecklenburg County, Virginia.

Major cities

Interstate 85 passing through Durham, North Carolina.

Due to the North Carolina Department of Transportation's tendency to use small cities as control cities, Interstate 85 has more control cities in North Carolina than in any other state, with an average of a new control city every 20 miles. Bolded cities are control cities for signs officially designated by AASHTO:

• Spartanburg, South Carolina (southwest of Charlotte)
• Gaffney, South Carolina (southwest of Gastonia)
• Gastonia
• Charlotte
• Concord
• Kannapolis
• Salisbury
• Lexington
• High Point
• Greensboro
• Burlington
• Durham
• Oxford
• Henderson
• Petersburg, Virginia and Richmond, Virginia (northeast of Durham; I-85 ends in Petersburg, but motorists may continue towards Richmond via I-95)

History

Parts of Interstate 85 were already constructed before federal aid was available in the 1950s, as the state had been constructing sections of the Interstate Highway System since 1949. The Lexington Bypass south of Lexington - which at the time was signed U.S. 29 and U.S. 70 - is now a part of I-85.^[1]

The first section of I-85 opened to traffic on September 9, 1958 when an 11.3-mile (18.2 km) stretch in Mecklenburg County was opened.

The year 1960 saw several sections of the highway open to traffic:^[1]

• An 18.3-mile (29.5 km) section of Interstate 85 between Henderson and the Virginia border as well as a 46-mile (74 km) section between Greensboro and western Durham opened to traffic.
• A 15.4-mile (24.8 km) portion of the U.S. 29/U.S. 70 Salisbury Bypass between Salisbury and Greensboro was incorporated into I-85 when further grade separations and access control was completed
• A 14-mile (23 km) segment of I-85 known as the "Charlotte Bypass" in Charlotte.
• A 13.8-mile (22.2 km) segment between Greensboro and Whisett.

By 1965, I-85 from the South Carolina border to Charlotte was complete, while it took until 1970 for the section between Charlotte and Durham to be completed. However, the "Temporary 85" designation would remain on the segment between Lexington and Greensboro until 1984 because there were too many access roads. That year, a new six-lane section opened, resulting in the "Temporary 85" designation to be dropped.^[2]

Since its completion, many widening projects have been undertaken on I-85, particularly along the stretch of highway between Gastonia and Durham. In addition, Interstate 85 has recently been relocated onto the new, but unfinished Greensboro Urban Loop in the Greensboro area, having through traffic bypass that city's downtown area.

Auxiliary routes

• Interstate 285, a future spur route that will originate near Lexington and travel north along U.S. Highway 52 to meet Interstate 40 in Winston-Salem.
• Interstate 485, a 46-mile (74 km) partially complete beltway that will emcompass Charlotte in Mecklenburg County when completed in the mid- to late-2010s.
• Interstate 785, a future spur route that will originate from Greensboro and end in Danville, Virginia. Construction is slated to begin in 2011.

Exit list

County	Location	#	Destinations	Notes
Cleveland		2	NC 216 – Kings Mountain National Military Park
		4	US 29 south (NC 216)	South end of US 29 overlap; southbound exit and northbound entrance
		5	Dixon School Road
		8	NC 161 – Kings Mountain
Gaston		10	US 29 north / US 74 – Kings Mountain, Shelby	North end of US 29 overlap; signed as exits 10A (north/east) and 10B (west)
		13	Edgewood Road - Bessemer City
	Gastonia	14	NC 274 – East Bessemer City, West Gastonia
		17	US 321 – Gastonia, Lincolnton
		19	NC 7 – East Gastonia
		20	NC 279 (New Hope Road) – Dallas
		21	Cox Road - Ranlo
		22	Cramerton, Lowell
		23	NC 7 – Lowell, McAdenville
	Bridge over the South Fork of the Catawba River
		26	Mount Holly, Belmont, Belmont Abbey College (NC 7)	Former NC 273
		27	NC 273 – Belmont, Mount Holly
	Bridge over the Catawba River (Lake Wylie)
Mecklenburg
		29	Sam Wilson Road
		30	I-485 to I-77 – Pineville	Signed as exits 30A (south) and 30B (north) westbound
	Charlotte	32	Little Rock Road
		33	Billy Graham Parkway (Route 4) - Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
		34	NC 27 (Freedom Drive) / Tuckaseegee Road
		35	Glenwood Drive
		36	NC 16 (Brookshire Boulevard) to US 74 east – Downtown Charlotte
		37	Beatties Ford Road - Johnson C. Smith University
		38	I-77 / US 21 – Statesville, Columbia
		39	Statesville Avenue/Road	Former US 21
		40	Graham Street
		41	Sugar Creek Road (Route 4)
		42	To US 29 / NC 49	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		43	City Boulevard
		45	NC 24 (Harris Boulevard)	Signed as exits 45A (east) and 45B (west)
		46	Mallard Creek Church Road	Signed as exits 46A (east) and 46B (west) northbound
		48	I-485 south - Rock Hill
Cabarrus	Concord	49	Speedway Boulevard, Concord Mills Boulevard
		52	Poplar Tent Road
		54	George W. Liles Parkway, Kannapolis Parkway
		55	NC 73 – Concord, Huntersville
		58	US 29 / US 601 south – Kannapolis, Concord	South end of US 601 overlap
		60	Dale Earnhardt Boulevard, Copperfield Boulevard
		63	Kannapolis
Rowan		68	US 29 / NC 152 – China Grove, Rockwell	This exit is split and signed differently depending on direction. The exit from northbound I-85 and entrance to southbound I-85 connects directly to NC 152. As northbound I-85 approaches this exit, the exit signs show the route number "NC 152". The exit from southbound I-85 and entrance to northbound I-85 is via a 4 lane unsigned connector that has an interchange with NC 152 and US 29. As southbound I-85 approaches this exit, the exit signs show the route numbers "NC 152" and "US 29". The exit from southbound I-85 is located approximately one-half mile north of the exit from northbound I-85. The northern portion of this exit is the south end of the 8 lane portion of the highway and the north end of the 4 lane portion of the highway.
		70	Webb Road
		71	Peeler Road
		72	Peach Orchard Road
		74	Julian Road
	Salisbury	75	US 601 north (Jake Alexander Boulevard) – Rowan-Cabarrus Community College North Campus	North end of US 601 overlap
		76	US 52 south – Albemarle, Salisbury	South end of US 52 overlap; signed as exits 76A (south) and 76B (north)
		79	Spencer, East Spencer
		81	Spencer
	Bridge over the Yadkin River
Davidson
		83	US 29 south / US 70 west / NC 150 west – Spencer	South end of US 29/US 70/NC 150 overlap; southbound exit and northbound entrance
		83	NC 150 east	North end of NC 150 overlap; northbound exit and southbound entrance
		85	Clark Road
		86	Belmont Road
		87	I-85 Bus. north / US 52 north (US 29 north, US 70 east) – Lexington, Winston-Salem	North end of US 29/US 52/US 70 overlap; northbound exit and southbound entrance
	Lexington	88	NC 47 east – High Rock Lake, Linwood
		91	NC 8 – Lexington, Southmont
		94	Old US 64
		96	US 64 – Asheboro, Lexington
	Thomasville	102	Lake Road
		103	NC 109 – Thomasville
Randolph		106	Finch Farm Road
		108	Hopewell Church Road - Trinity
		111	US 311 – Archdale, Downtown High Point
Guilford		113	NC 62 – Archdale
		118	I-85 Bus. south / US 29 south / US 70 west – High Point	South end of I-85 Bus./US 29/US 70 overlap
		119	Groometown Road to Grandover Parkway	Signed as exit 122A southbound
		120A	I-85 Bus. north / US 29 north / US 70 east – Greensboro	North end of I-85 Bus./US 29/US 70 overlap; northbound exit and southbound entrance
		120B	I-73 north / US 421 north to I-40 west – Winston-Salem	Signed as exit 121 southbound; south end of US 421 overlap
		122	US 220 – Greensboro, Asheboro	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; signed as exits 122B (south) and 122C (north); future I-73 south
		124	South Elm-Eugene Street
		126	US 421 south – Sanford	Signed as exits 126A (US 421 South) and 126B (to Greensboro); north end of US 421 overlap
		128	Alamance Church Road
		129	Youngs Mill Road
		131	I-40 west / I-85 Bus. south to US 70 (via I-840) – Greensboro, Winston-Salem	South end of I-40 overlap
		132	Mount Hope Church Road
		135	Rock Creek Dairy Road
		138	NC 61 – Gibsonville
Alamance		140	University Drive - Elon
	Burlington	141	Huffman Mill Road
		143	NC 62 – Downtown Burlington, Alamance
		145	NC 49 – Downtown Burlington, Liberty
	Graham	147	NC 87 – Graham, Pittsboro
		148	NC 54 – Chapel Hill, Carrboro
	Bridge over the Haw River
		150	Haw River
		152	Trollingwood Road
		153	NC 119 – Mebane
		154	Mebane-Oaks Road - Mebane
Orange		157	Buckhorn Road
		160	Efland
		161	To US 70 / NC 86 north
		163	I-40 east – Raleigh	North end of I-40 overlap
		164	Hillsborough	Old NC 86
		165	NC 86 – Chapel Hill, Hillsborough
		170	US 70 west	West end of US 70 overlap; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		170	To NC 751 (US 70 Bus. east) – Duke University	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
Durham	Durham	172	NC 147 south – Downtown Durham, Research Triangle Park–North Carolina Central University	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		173	Cole Mill Road
		174B	US 15 south / US 501 south – Chapel Hill	South end of US 15/US 501 overlap; southbound exit and northbound entrance
		174A	Hillandale Road
		175	NC 157 (Guess Road)
		176A	North Gregson Street
		176B	US 501 north (Duke Street) – Roxboro	North end of US 501 overlap
		177	US 15 Bus. south / US 501 Bus. (North Roxboro Street) / NC 55 east (Avondale Drive) –North Carolina Central University
		178	US 70 east – RDU Airport, Raleigh	North end of US 70 overlap
		179	East Club Boulevard
		180	Glenn School Road
		182	Red Mill Road
		183	Redwood Road
	Bridge over the Neuse River (Falls Lake)
Granville		184	US 15 north – Creedmoor, Butner	North end of US 15 overlap; signed as exits 184A (US 15) and 184B (Butner) northbound, and as exit 186 southbound
		189	Butner
		191	NC 56 – Butner, Creedmoor
		202	US 15 – Oxford, Clarksville
		204	NC 96 – Oxford
		206	US 158 – Oxford, Roxboro
Vance		209	Poplar Creek Road
	Henderson	212	Ruin Creek Road
		213	Dabney Drive - Henderson	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		213	US 158 Byp. west / Dabney Drive	South end of US 158 Byp. overlap; southbound exit and northbound entrance
		214	NC 39 – Downtown Henderson
		215	US 158 Byp. east	North end of US 158 Byp. overlap; northbound exit and southbound entrance
		215	Parham Road	No northbound exit
		217	Satterwhite Point
		218	US 1 south – Raleigh	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		220	US 1 / US 158 / Fleming Road – Norlina
Warren		223	Manson Road
		226	Ridgeway Road
		229	Oine Road
		233	US 1 / US 401 – Wise, Norlina

References

External links

• State Travel Map Insets (Cities) - courtesy of the NCDOT.
• State Travel Map Images By County - courtesy of the NCDOT.
• North Carolina @ SouthEastRoads.com - Interstate 85 Southbound
• North Carolina @ SouthEastRoads.com - Interstate 85 (has extra links to various segments of I-85 north

v · d · eMajor highways of Metro Charlotte
Interstates
	Interstate 77		Brookshire/John Belk		Interstate 85		I-485 (Outerbelt)
Major U.S. Highways
	Wilkinson/North Tryon		US 74 (Wilkinson/Independence)		US 321
Major North Carolina State/Charlotte City Highways
	Brookshire/Providence		W.T. Harris Boulevard		NC 27		Billy Graham

Interstate 85
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