U.S. 421

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Although U.S. 421 is signed with north/south cardinal directions, the majority of the highway across North Carolina travels east to west. The 320 mile long route originates at Fort Fisher in southern New Hanover County along the Atlantic Coast and crosses into Tennessee at Zionville.

U.S. 421 North Carolina Guides

North - 45 photos

North - Winston-Salem - 58 photos

South - 49 photos

South - Winston-Salem - 45 photos

Traveling north from Pleasure Island, U.S. 421 joins Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and other coastal communities with Wilmington. North from the port city, U.S. 421 parallels the I-40 corridor to Clinton and Dunn. The two diverge west of I-95, with U.S. 421 traveling to Sanford and Siler City along the Future I-685 corridor.

U.S. 421 and Interstate 40 reconvene at Greensboro. Prior to 2008, U.S. 421 overlapped with Interstate 40 west from Joseph M. Hunt Expressway in Greensboro. This changed in September 2008, when U.S. 421 was realigned to bypass the city along I-85 and I-73 (Painter Boulevard). The relocation occurred simultaneously with the return of Interstate 40 through Greensboro over what was briefly posted as Business Loop I-40.

Historically through Greensboro, U.S. 421 followed Liberty Road (SR 3549) north to I-40/85, where it turned east alongside U.S. 29/70 (O' Henry Boulevard) to Market Street west through Downtown.

U.S. 421 connects with I-40 west from I-73 near Piedmont Triad International Airport (GBO). The two run concurrently for 5.3 miles to Kernersville. There U.S. 421 shifts northward onto Salem Parkway, which was the alignment of Interstate 40 through Winston-Salem until 1992, and Business Loop I-40 until 2018.

Construction through 2020 upgraded a substandard portion of Salem Parkway west of Downtown Winston-Salem. Upon completion, Business Loop I-40 was retired and the 19 mile long freeway along U.S. 421 between Winston-Salem and Kernersville was formally rebranded as Salem Parkway.

U.S. 421 and Interstate 40 converge again just west of Winston Salem. The part ways on respective courses to Yadkinville and Statesville. U.S. 421 extends west along a freeway to I-77 and Wilkesboro. The remainder of the highway traverses increasingly mountainous areas to Deep Gap across the Blue Ridge.

U.S. 421 combines with U.S. 221 west 9.5 miles to Boone and 6.7 miles with U.S. 321 west from Boone around Rich Mountain. The westernmost stretch of U.S. 421 travels north to Silverstone and the Tennessee state line by Poplar Ridge.

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3 photos

Jonestown Road connects with U.S. 421 at a parclo interchange (Exit 240) west of Interstate 40 and Salem Parkway in west Winston-Salem.

12/15/16

S Main Street (SR 4315) crosses U.S. 421/NC 150 (Salem Parkway) along a four lane commercial boulevard east into the town of Kernersville.

07/30/26

S Main Street is the former alignment of NC 150 across Kernersville. NC 150 overlaps with U.S. 421 (Salem Parkway) between Peters Creek Parkway in Winston-Salem and Macy Grove Road in Kernersville.

07/30/26

Joseph M. Hunt, Jr. Expressway / Old North

Joseph M. Hunt Jr. Expressway (former U.S. 421) north at I-40/U.S. 29-70-220. The eastbound entrance partitions into respective ramps to I-40 east to Burlington, Durham and Raleigh and U.S. 29-220 north / U.S. 70 east to Wendover Avenue and Reidsville.

07/24/04

The westbound entrance ramp falls between the freeway mainline and the merging ramp from U.S. 29-220 south / U.S. 70 west. U.S. 421 previously combined with I-40 westward through Winston-Salem here.

07/24/04

Joseph M. Hunt Jr. Expressway transitions into Martin Luther King Jr. Drive as it advances northward into Downtown Greensboro. Historically U.S. 29-70-220-421 traveled north through Downtown to Wendover Avenue.

07/24/04

Connect with:

Interstate 40

Interstate 73

Interstate 77

Interstate 85

Interstate 95

Interstate 140

U.S. 17

U.S. 64

U.S. 70

U.S. 74

U.S. 76

U.S. 301

U.S. 401

Page Updated Friday August 14, 2026.