The first 210 was a short road in WNC, in Madison County near Tennessee. It spurred from the original N.C. 20 (U.S. 25/70) west of Hot Springs, and ran north from 20 to at least the settlement of Paint Rock. It was probably signed over the modern-day Kock Road (SR 1300). 

This 210 is shown on at least two different 1924 maps, but it's not clear whether the road continued across the French Broad River into Tennessee. There appears to be no bridge across the river in that area today, but there is a road on the north bank of the French Broad (Paint Creek Road) that runs into Tennessee. 

The original 210 was denumbered by the end of 1926, and by 1928, the second 210 was christened. This new 210 originally ran north-south over today's N.C. 55, between U.S. 401 in Wake County and the center of Erwin in Harnett County. This road was previously unnumbered. 401 was N.C. 21 back then, so 210 still obeyed the original numbering system. 

The second 210 didn't last very long. By 1932, it was renumbered to N.C. 55 and today's 210 started to form. Originally it ran only from northern Cumberland County to U.S. 70 near Smithfield. This is the northernmost segment of what we have now, with these differences: 210's northern terminus was then called mainline 70 instead of Business 70; its southern terminus was called N.C. 53 then, instead of N.C. 87 as today; and the southernmost few miles of 210 (in Cumberland County) ran over Manchester Road, so that 210 hit 87 (nee 53) a few miles north of where it does now. 

Around 1946, 210 was rerouted to hit N.C. 87 at Spring Lake, and sent into Fayetteville. In the early 1950s, it was extended much further, to U.S. 421 in Pender County. Most of this long extension was previously unnumbered, save for the short segment between Moores Creek National Battlefield and 421. That was previously N.C. 602. 

Around 1955, 210 was extended a few miles further east, to U.S. 117. This road (between 421 and 117) was previously part of 421; the extension of 210 was the upshot of finishing construction of a more direct 421 to Wilmington. 

By late 1956, 210 was extended to Topsail Island. At first its terminus was at the northern end of the island, near the New River Inlet. In 1968 or 1969, a new bridge was built connecting the northern end of the island to the mainland, and by 1970, N.C. 210 was signed over it to its current terminus at U.S. 17.

210 is like N.C. 42: a road nobody in his right mind would ever drive from one end to the other at once. With all the lengthenings over the years, 210 has no real direction or single purpose anymore.

In 1930, 211 was extended east from U.S. 701 to end at U.S. 74/76 (or N.C. 20) in Bolton. 

By 1932, 211 was extended northwest from Lumberton over a previously unnumbered road to Red Springs. 

In late 1934 or early 1935, 211 was extended further northwest, to end at U.S. 1 near Aberdeen. 

In 1939 or 1940, 211 was extended all the way to its current western terminus at U.S. 220, which today is U.S. 220A. North of Aberdeen, it was signed along U.S. 15/501 to Pinehurst; today this alignment is part of N.C. 5. West of Pinehurst it replaced part of an older, longer N.C. 2. 

In 1956, 211 was extended south of U.S. 74/76 to U.S. 17. A year or two later, it was extended to Southport, over the former alignment of N.C. 130. 

In the early 1970s, the bypass around Bladenboro was built, and around 1990, 211 was extended the few miles from Southport to the ferry docks.

Business 211 was mainline 211 until about 1973. When the bypass was completed, the old 211 originally wasn't numbered as any kind of state highway, but by 1976 it was given the Business designation.

This road is still pretty interesting, if a bit short. Forms a triumverate of "throwback roads" with nearby N.C. 209 and 208. 

Other things N.C. 213 may have done: 

By 1952, the westernmost 13 miles of 213 were renumbered as part of N.C. 63. A few years later, if not at the same time, 213 west of Marshall was demoted to a secondary road. 

From Mars Hill, 213 originally continued northeast, partially along Main Street, to hit U.S. 19/23. This was so by 1935. By the early 1940s, all of Main Street was renumbered to N.C. 36A, thus superseding 213 east of Mars Hill. Eventually 36A became N.C. 36 (without the A), but by the mid-1970s, 36 was eliminated and 213 was given its current routing along Cascade Street through Mars Hill.

In the late 1980s, the four-lane 74/76 north of Lake Waccamaw was under construction. As the road was completed, 214 was signed over the old 74/76. Around 1989 (see Map #2), 214 was taken off the half-loop and routed onto the old 74/76 for the first time. 214 is only the black line; the red lines are (were) 74/76, and the blue lines are (were) secondary roads. 
 

By 1992 (Map #3), more of the four-lane 74/76 was finished, and 214 was sent through Bolton over the old U.S. routes as a result. 
 

Finally, by early 1995 (Map #4), 214 was extended west, almost all the way to Whiteville. That gave us the 214 we know today.