U.S. 221 South - Watauga / Avery Counties

U.S. 221 travels one mile south from the Ashe County line to U.S. 421 at Deep Gap. U.S. 421 represents a four lane corridor running west ten miles to Boone and east 20 miles to Wilkesboro.

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Deep Gap represents a community and geographic feature north of the Blue Ridge Mountains along Gap Creek. U.S. 421 exits its overlap with U.S. 221 through Deep Gap, meeting the Blue Ridge Parkway at the mountain cut. The highway otherwise provides a high speed corridor east to Yadkinville and Winston-Salem from Boone and the Appalachian Mountains.

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U.S. 221 south / U.S. 421 north follow a four lane bypass of old U.S. 221/421 and rural communities along that route into Boone. Once in the home of Appalachian State University, U.S. 221 leaves U.S. 421 for an overlap with U.S. 321 south.

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Entering the parclo A2 interchange with Blue Ridge Parkway on U.S. 221/321 south near Blowing Rock.

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Maintained by the National Park Service, the Blue Ridge Parkway travels 469 miles between areas near Cherokee, North Carolina and Waynesville, Virginia. A controlled access road, the scenic highway is restricted to passenger vehicles and motorcycles.

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U.S. 221/321 south enter the town of Blowing Rock after Blue Ridge Parkway.

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Possum Hollow Road ties into U.S. 221/321 opposite the Shoppes on the Parkway center on the north side of Blowing Rock.

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U.S. 221 parts ways with U.S. 321 for Downtown Blowing Rock along U.S. 321 Business (Main Street). U.S. 321 stays east of the town center along Valley Boulevard, a commercialized route south to the county line.

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Southbound Valley Boulevard at the partition of U.S. 321 Business/U.S. 221 south from U.S. 321. U.S. 321 Business/221 follow Main Street to Chetola Lake on a 0.75 mile shared alignment. U.S. 321 continues 1.3 miles south to the end of Main Street en route to Lenoir and Hickory.

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U.S. 321 Business southbound shield posted after U.S. 221 leaves U.S. 321 (Valley Drive).

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Main Street weaves westward to Yonahlossee Road and the split of U.S. 221 south from U.S. 321 Business south.

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U.S. 221 bends northwest toward Moses Cone and Sandy Flat Gap while U.S. 321 Business continues south along Main Street to Laurel Park.

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U.S. 221 and the adjacent Blue Ridge Parkway parallel one another on the south side of Grandfather Mountain to a split at Beacon Heights. U.S. 221 continues from there west into Linville, meeting NC 105 and Linville Road.

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NC 105 begins in Linville and heads north 19 miles back to Boone. Connections with NC 184 north lead drivers to Banner Elk and the Sugar and Beech Mountain ski resorts.

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Linville Road represents the original route of U.S. 221/NC 181 south through Linville east of Pixie Mountain. U.S. 221 follows Newland Highway (old NC 181 west of NC 105) to Linville Bypass. Linville Bypass allows NC 181 to completely circumvent the town west of Pixie Mountain.

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Southbound reassurance marker posted along Newland Highway after the end of NC 105.

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0.6 miles west of Linville Road and NC 105, U.S. 221 (Newland Highway) reaches NC 181 (Linville Bypass). NC 181/U.S. 221 combine along the bypass south to Pineola.

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NC 181 links Linville and U.S. 221 with Newland (NC 194) 3.4 miles to the west. U.S. 221 continues south from town to Crossnore and Marion (U.S. 70).

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Merging with NC 181 south on U.S. 221 (Newland Highway) at Linville Bypass. The two overlap for 2.9 miles.

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U.S. 221 and NC 181 split at Pineola within the shadow of Anthony Mountain. NC 181 ventures southward to Jones Ridge and Morganton to complete its 40 mile journey.

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Pineola lies south of a sprawling golf course community, west of U.S. 221/NC 181 and north of U.S. 221 beyond the split. NC 181 (Jonas Ridge Highway) meets Blue Ridge Parkway and NC 183 over the next 3.4 miles.

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West of Pineola, U.S. 221 meets NC 194 for a second overlap at Snakeden Mountain.

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NC 194 enters U.S. 221 south by way of Newland and U.S. 19W near Elk Park.

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Heading south toward Crossnore on the 4.9 mile overlap between U.S. 221 & NC 194. The two highways leave one another at Three Knobs south of Altamont. NC 194 connects U.S. 221 with U.S. 19W at Ingalls; U.S. 221 meanwhile continues to Linville Falls.

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