NCRoads.com Annex: U.S. 421

U.S. 421 324 miles

The Road:		Enters Watauga County at Zionville from Tennessee. Ends at the Ft. Fisher Ferry below Kure Beach in New Hanover County Nationally, US 421 runs from US 20 Michigan City, IN to Ft. Fisher

Towns and Attractions:		Watauga Co.:Boone, Appalachian State University Wilkes Co.: Wilkesboro Yadkin Co.:Yadkinville Forsythe Co.:Winston-Salem, Kernersville Guilford Co.:Greensboro Randolph Co.:EXIT for Liberty Chatham Co.:EXIT for Siler City Lee Co.:Sanford (Horner Blvd) Harnett Co.:Lillington (Front St and Main St); Buies Creek, Campbell University, Erwin, Dunn (Cumberland St) Sampson Co.:Clinton (Faircloth Fwy) Duplin Co.:NONE (barely clips a piece of the county) Pender Co.: NONE New Hanover Co.:Wilmington (3rd St and Carolina Beach Dr), Silver Lake, Carolina Beach (1st Av); Kure Beach (Ft. Fisher Blvd), Fort Fisher Ferry

History:		US 421 was not created until 1931, and was solely in North Carolina. The 1931 Official Map shows it running only from US 221-321 Boone to US 70-170 in Winston-Salem. This routing was coincidental witn NC 60, which was much, much longer. Specifically, US 421 used today's 421 east out of Boone and to Rutherwood. US 421 used the "old NC 60" route that went near the South Fork New River over to Laxon, then picked back up modern 421 through Deep Gap and descending the Blue Ridge. Once east of Maple Springs, original US 421 veered north on "Old US 421" to Miller's Creek ("Old NC 60 that runs through nearby Purlear is shown as already bypassed by NC 60 on the 1930 Wilkes County Map). After picking up NC 16, US 421 followed today's Old US 421 (Boone Trail) to Cricket, then Forrest Ave east into North Wilkesboro. US 421 then headed south on today's NC 18-268 to Wilkesboro, then used Main St-Old US 421 to exit town to the east. US 421/NC 60 then picked up today's US 421 Business/NC 115 heading south to another Old US 421 which it followed through Call and Antioch. From here, US 421 followed modern 421's alignment to nearly Yadkin County, before picking up another substantial Old US 421 through Cycle and Maler. Approaching US 21, original US 421 followed Main St through Brooks Crossroads and Branon, then continuing on Main St through Yadkinville. From there, US 421 followed East Main St all through Yadkin County, crossing the Yadkin River near Enon. In Forsyth County the road becomes Yadkinville Rd until it meets today's NC 67 near Old Town. US 421 followed today's NC 67 southeast along Reynolda Rd all the way into central Winston-Salem to West End Blvd, then Broad St, then looped east to 5th St, which it used all the way through the city. US 421 then followed Old Greensboro Rd, then Mountain Rd through Guthrie to Taylors Crossing. From there, US 421 followed today's NC 66 to Kernersville . From there, US 421 continued east on today's Mountain Rd (changes to W. Market St at Guilford County Line) to Colfax, Friendship, and Guilford. US 421 first used Walker St to enter Greensboro (Walker runs into Market a little west of Holden Rd). US 421 may have ended at Aycock St, which was being used by US 70-170 in 1931. US 421 might have ended in central Greensboro where US 411 (now US 220) came in at Market and Elm. In 1932, US 421 was extended in both directions: West from Boone on today's US 421 to Lovill and Villas, then west along today's US 321 to Sugar Grove. US 421 then headed north on "Old US 421" to Amantha, Mast, and Mabel, before meeting back up with today's US 421 in Zionville at the Tennessee State Line. This westward extension took the place of US 321's original routing, which had gone to Bristol, VA. This route was also part of NC 60. South all the way to Wilmington, as an add-on route to NC 60. US 421 followed Aycock Rd in Greensboro north from Walker to Market St, then to Edgewood St, then south to Washington St, then east to Elm St, then south to Asheboro St (ML King Blvd today), which US 421 used to exit Greensboro to the southeast. US 421 followed today's Liberty Rd to Julian, then continued southeast on Old 421 Road. Near Liberty, it followed Greensboro Rd and S. Fayetteville St, before exiting to the southeast on yet another Old 421 Rd. US 421 went through Staley and Siler City on this road. Just before this road meets back up with modern 421, the original US 421 headed out on "Old US 421" to the communities of Bonlee and Bear Creek. US 421 continued to Main St through Goldston, then Murchison St through Gulf. It then picked up modern US 421 into Sanford on Horner Blvd. US 421 went to Jonesboro Heights, then followed today's NC 42 east to Broadway Rd. US 421 headed east on Broadway Road to Main St through Broadway, which turns into Seminole Rd at the Harnett County Line. US 421 picked up modern 421 again until the settlement of Ryes, where it veered south on "old US 421" to Arlington and Mamers. It appears this route met up with today's NC 27 to enter Lillington, then followed Main St north over the Cape Fear River. US 421 followed its present route to Buies Creek. It is unclear whether NC60 used Old Stage Rd to Erwin or modern 421 to Erwin, but by 1930 it used modern 421. From Erwin US 421 followed Erwin Rd to get to Dunn. From Dunn, US 421 more or less followed today's 421 through Spiveys Corner and down towards Clinton. US 421 used McKay Rd and Lisbon Av to go through Clinton, then followed today's US 701 Bus back down to today's US 421. US 421 followed modern 421 down to Quewiffle Rd, which original 421 used to go through Taylors Bridge, then back on modern 421 through Delway. US 421 then followed modern 421 down to Harrells, using Wildcat Rd, and a piece of NC 41-411 before continuing south on modern 421. US 421 veered east at today's NC 210 and followed it through Long Creek to NC 133, then along today's NC 133 to Castle Hayne and Wrightsboro. US 421 ended at where NC 133 leaves Castle Hayne Rd to cross the Northeast Cape Fear River. At that time, the crossing carried US 17, US 74, US 76 and NC 20 and NC 30 which also continued south on 3rd St to downtown Wilmington. Also ending at this intersection in 1932 were US 117 and NC 60. In 1933,US 421/NC 60 was given a straighter alignment between Boone and Laxon along today's US 421 leaving behind today's Old NC 60. Also, US 421 was given a new western approach to Greensboro, using Market St all the way from Guilford without using Walker St (went unnumbered) or Aycock St (remained part of US 29-70 for a while). In late 1934,NC 60 was removed from the entirety of US 421. . In 1936, US 421 was extended south to Carolina Beach using 3rd St through Downtown Wilmington, then picking up today's US 421 all the way to its southern end. This replaced the last shred of original NC 40 that had survived the 1933-34 Great Renumbering. In 1951 or 1952, US 421 was rerouted in the Wilkesboro Area, to use Bridge Rd into Wilkesboro, then Main St and "Old US 421" east to meet the previous route at NC 18-268. The old route through N. Wilkesboro was largely unnumbered save for part of NC 18-268, although today's US 421 Business now runs on some of it. Also, US 421 received its western bypass of Clinton, using today's Faircloth Fwy ROW and NC 24's southern bypass over to today's US 701 Business. The old route on McKay St and Lisbon Av became US 421-A (unnumbered today). . In 1954 or 1955, US 421 was given its direct routing from NC 210 along the west side of the Cape Fear River, using US 17-74-76's bridge over the Northeast Cape Fear River to meet back up with 421's previous alignment on 3rd St. The old route through Castle Hayne became NC 210 and NC 133, plus the last few miles of US 117. In 1957-58, US 421 was given its current straighter alignment between Deep Gap and Wilkesboro (still using Bridge St), leaving behind "Old US 421" and some of NC 16. It appears that US 421-A was assigned to what is now US 421 Business - back through North Wilkesboro. Also, US 421 was given its modern routing from NC 115 to US 601, leaving behind all sorts of "old US 421's" and Main St. The 1958 Official Map shows a 1 mile multiplex with US 601 north to US 421's original Yadkinville to Winston Salem route. Also, US 421 was put on one-way streets through Downtown Winston-Salem, using 4th and 5th Sts. Also, US 421 was taken off its Mountain Rd routing to Kernersville and instead used the newly constructed road (today's I-40 Bus) to Kernersville, before US 421 met back up with Mountain Rd east of Kernersville for its original Greensboro approach. Also, US 421 was rerouted in Greensboro, to follow Market St all the way to the new Henry Blvd freeway, which US 421 follow south to today's modern I-85 before jogging over to Asheboro St. Finally, US 421 was given a new 4-lane route between Erwin and Dunn, leaving behind unnumbered Erwin Rd. In 1962 or 1963, US 421 was given its nodern routing from the US 321 split near Sugar Grove to the Tennessee Line, leaving behind a little of US 321 and Old US 421 through Amantha, Mast, and Mabel. Also, US 421 was given its modern route from US 601 near Yadkinville to Winston-Salem, with the route being a new freeway east of the Yadkin River, and a multiplex with then-I-40 through central Winston-Salem. The old route became largely unnumbered except for some of NC 67, which in 1963 ran along 421's original Reynolds Rd to 5th St route (NC 67 did not touch I-40 at that time). Also, by 1963, US 421 was rerouted to avoid Mamers on its way to Lillington. US 421 moved to Front St in Lillington during this time. Also, US 421 was straightened out in Harrells, leaving behind a piece of NC 41-411. Between 1964-68, US 421 was split into one-way streets in Downtown Greensboro, with SB staying on Market St, while NB used Madison Ave and Gaston Ave west to Aycock St. Also, US 421 was given its full freeway bypass of Clinton, leaving behind a piece of NC 24. In 1969 or 1970, US 421 was given its new construction around Bonlee and Bear Creek, leaving behind Old US 421. Also, US 421 was given its current Wilmington routing, over the new US 17-74-76 bridge over the Cape Fear River directly into Downtown Wilmington. The old route became part of US 117 and NC 133. Between 1971-84, US 421 underwent the following changes: US 421 received its current bypass of Wilkesboro, leaving behind some US 421 Business and some unnumbered route ("Old US 421"). US 421's one-way street routing in Greensboro was shortened slightly on the west end by a couple blocks. Also, US 421 was rebuilt from south of Greensboro to nearly Staley, bypassing Julian and Liberty. The old route became Liberty Rd and Old 421 Rd. Also, the southern half of the US 421 bypass of Siler City was completed, though it is uncertain if it was signed as anything. Also, US 421 was rerouted around Sanford, avoiding Broadway. The old route remained part of NC 42 plus Broadway Rd. Also, US 421 was rerouted to avoid Taylors Bridge, leaving behind Quewiffle Rd. . Between 1987-90, US 421 was rerouted in Greensboro to the north, leaving Market St at Wendover Ave and using that to reach US 29 Henry Blvd. This left behind mostly unnumbered Market St, but did contain briefly a piece of US 70-A before it was decommissioned. Also, the Siler City bypass was completed, leaving behind Old US 421. This means that US 421 was now rebuilt from Greensboro to Lillington save for 11 miles between Gulf and Sanford. Between 1994-99, US 421 was taken off surface streets from Kearnersville to Greensboro, and put onto I-40. This left behind all unnumbered roads except US 220 on part of Wendover Ave, and US 29-70-220 on Henry Blvd. US 421 is now 4-lane or freeway from Boone all the way to Siler City. As you can probably tell, very little of US 421 is on older alignments west of Dunn. Why US 421 was chosen to replace US 321 north of Boone after 321 had been there such a short time is beyond me.

U.S. 421 Business 6 miles

The route:		US 421 Business for North Wilkesboro was created in 1960 as a renumbering of US 421-A. It runs along E St. and C St., plus NC 115. Everything east of Bridge St. was once original NC 60.

U.S. 421 Business disestablished

The route:		US 421 Business for Clinton was created 1960. It replaced US 421-A along McKay St and Lisbon St. (multiplexed with US 701 Business) through Clinton. This route had once been the original NC 60. It appears that by 1963, US 421 Business was eliminated and has been unnumbered since.

U.S. 421 Business disestablished

The route:		US 421 Business for Wilmington was created about 1969 or 1970. It replaced mainline US 421 over the Northeast Cape Fear River (also replacing US 17-74-76) and down 3rd St. This route had once been the original NC 20-30 and for a short time also NC 40. It appears that by 1979, US 421 Business was eliminated. The crossing of the Northeast Cape Fear River became US 117 and NC 133 (now just NC 133) while 3rd Street down to Market St. became unnumbered.