The number 301 has been used three times on state highways in North Carolina.

NC 301 #1: Appeared by 1922 as a branch off the original NC 30. NC 301 began at its parent NC 30 (predecessor to today's US 17) in Jacksonville and proceeded west to Catherine Lake and Hallsville before ending at NC 11 and the original NC 40 in Kenansville. This NC 301 didn't last too long and in 1925 was renumbered as an extension of NC 24, which previously had ended in Clinton.
Checking the map today, one can see there is no primary highway that does this today. NC 301 followed today's US 258-NC 24 from Jacksonville to NC 111, then along 111 to Lyman. From there NC 301 used SR 1800 Jackson Store Rd. to Hallsville, the SR 1901 Hallsville Rd. to NC 50 on to Kenansville.

NC 301 #2: Apparently for a short period of time, there was a NC 301 that ran from US 17-NC 30 in Vanceboro (today's US 17 Business) northwest to NC 11-NC 91 in Greenville. It is shown explicitly on the 1928 General Drafting map. Prior to the 301 designation, this road existed unnumbered (the 1927 and 1930 Clason's Atlases show it as unnumbered). At any rate, this route became NC 43 by 1932, which it remains today except north of the US 264 ALT loop around Greenville.

NC 301 #3: By 1932, a third NC 301 existed. It was a short spur off US 17-NC 30 from Folkstone to Sneads Ferry. Previously this spur had not been numbered as anything. This 301 was also short lived, as the last phase of thr Great Renumbering eliminated the coincidence numbering with US 301. So, in late 1934, this became the first NC 38. Later on in the 30's it became the first NC 86, but today it is part of NC 172.