Interstate 85
I-85 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length	234.6 mi[1] (377.6 km)
Existed	1958–present
NHS	Entire route
Major junctions
South end	I-85 at the South Carolina line near Blacksburg, SC
Major intersections	I-485 in Charlotte (twice) I-77 / US 21 in Charlotte I-285 / US 29 / US 52 / US 70 near Lexington I-74 near Archdale I-73 / US 421 in Greensboro I-40 / I-785 / I-840 in Greensboro I-40 in Hillsborough US 15 / US 501 in Durham I-885 / US 70 in Durham US 1 / US 158 in Henderson
North end	I-85 at the Virginia line near Bracey, VA
Location
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Counties	Cleveland, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Rowan, Davidson, Randolph, Guilford, Alamance, Orange, Durham, Granville, Vance, Warren
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future North Carolina Highway System Interstate US State Scenic
← NC 84 → NC 86

Interstate 85 (I-85) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Montgomery, Alabama, to Petersburg, Virginia. In North Carolina, I-85 travels 231.23 miles (372.13 km) from the South Carolina state line near Grover to the Virginia state line near Wise. Despite being signed north–south, I-85 physically travels in a southwest–northeast direction across the state. The major landscapes traversed by I-85 include urban and rural pockets of the Piedmont region, with views of Kings Pinnacle seen from its southernmost stretch. The Interstate Highway connects the three most populous metropolitan areas of North Carolina: the Charlotte metropolitan area, Piedmont Triad, and Research Triangle, as well as nine of the 20 largest municipalities in the state. Outside of North Carolina, I-85 connects the state with Richmond, Virginia, to the north and Upstate South Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia, to the south. I-85 parallels several US Highways including US Highway 29 (US 29) between South Carolina and Greensboro, US 70 between Greensboro and Durham, US 15 between Durham and Oxford, and US 1 between Henderson and Virginia.

Route description

I-85 is maintained by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) for its entire length in the state and designated as a Blue Star Memorial Highway.^[2] The Interstate carries an average annual daily traffic volume of approximately 65,000 vehicles a day; roughly 25-40% of that traffic is commercial vehicles.^[3] Traffic varies from as much as 181,000 vehicles through Mecklenburg County to as little as 19,000 in Vance County.^[4] All of I-85 is a part of the National Highway System, a network of roads important for the country's economy, defense, and mobility.^[5][6]

South Carolina to Charlotte

I-85 enters Cleveland County, North Carolina from Cherokee County, South Carolina near the small town of Grover. Most of the Interstate for its first few miles is generally rural in nature and remains four lanes. It has its first interchange with NC 216, which provides access to Kings Mountain National Military Park, with a welcome center shortly after. Later, the southbound lanes have an exit for US 29, which quietly merges onto I-85 and begins a concurrency. At milemarker 10, the Interstate meets US 74 at a unique weave interchange and US 29 splits off from I-85 for US 74 east. Both routes also enter Kings Mountain.^[7]

At this point, I-85 crosses into Gaston County and expands to six lanes from four. It enters suburban areas and traffic begins increasing from here. The Interstate then reaches Gastonia and has an exit for NC 274 (Bessemer City Road). Then it has its first major interchange with US 321, signed north for Lincolnton and south for the city's main business district. Traffic from US 321 south before 2017 was often congested due to I-85, and a new interchange was developed to help relieve it.^[8] Past it, I-85 turns southeast, then east as it goes through more suburban areas, with restaurants, businesses, churches, and car dealerships lining the road. Along here, it intersects more state highways serving as Gastonia's main thoroughfares, including NC 7 (Ozark Avenue), NC 279 (New Hope Road), and NC 7 (McAdenville Road/Main Street) again; NC 7 provides access to the town of McAdenville.^[9] Here, many major retail stores and supermarkets are seen along I-85 as it continues on its eastward track to Belmont and expands even more to eight lanes. It reaches the main exit for Belmont at NC 273 near milemarker 27, then crosses the Catawba River on the Cameron Morrison Bridge, entering Mecklenburg County.^[10]

Charlotte to Greensboro

Right after entering Mecklenburg County, I-85 reaches a weigh station occasionally serving trucks in both directions. Access to the U.S. National Whitewater Center can be done from Sam Wilson Road, its first interchange in the county. After that, I-85 meets I-485 at a stack interchange. This portion of I-85 is often congested due to the lanes merging into one.^[11] As of 2024, from the US 321 interchange to I-485, the lanes are being widened to accommodate larger amounts of traffic.^[12] Drivers wanting to access I-77 can get off at the interchange, or simply keep driving on I-85 to reach the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. A couple of miles later, I-85 has an exit for the airport via Little Rock Road at a single-point urban interchange and enters the city of Charlotte. It has interchanges with Billy Graham Parkway, as well as two more single-point urban interchanges with NC 27 (Freedom Drive) and NC 16 (Brookshire Boulevard).^[13]

I-85 then directly intersects with I-77 and US 21 at milemarker 38 with a hybrid interchange and then traverses the northern portion of Charlotte. The routing through this portion is generally more suburban than urban in nature, with light industries such as truck terminals, warehouses, small manufacturing facilities, and small office parks lining the highway. More interchanges with minor but significant thoroughfares through the city such as Graham Street, Sugar Creek Road, and North Tryon Street appear. Here, I-85 turns northward and enters the University City area. it meets NC 24 (Harris Boulevard) in this stretch and has an interchange with I-485 again, this time at a turbine interchange.^[14]

I-85 then crosses into Cabarrus County, immediately entering the city of Concord and dense commercial development. It passes exit 49 (Bruton Smith Boulevard/Concord Mills Boulevard), which is signed for several major attractions such as the Concord Mills Mall and Charlotte Motor Speedway.^[15] Several miles later, it has a diverging diamond interchange with NC 73 and then crosses Coddle Creek.^[16] It meets US 29 a second time as well as US 601 nearing Kannapolis, the exit of which US 29 provides access to the North Carolina Research Campus.^[17] US 601 merges onto I-85, forming another concurrency as the two routes continue northward and meet a rest area. They do not enter Kannapolis but have several exits signed for it. They cross the Cold Water Creek, which parallels them, before entering Rowan County and mostly rural areas. North of China Grove, the highway passes exit 74 (Julian Road) for an outlet containing several stores. Just before Salisbury, US 601 splits from I-85 at exit 75 for Jake Alexander Boulevard, and I-85 enters Salisbury where it meets US 52 at exit 76 with a single-point urban interchange. US 52 merges onto I-85 and the highway exits Salisbury. At Spencer, I-85/US 52 enters Davidson County and crosses the Yadkin River on the Yadkin River Veterans Memorial Bridge.^[18] The route then meets with US 29, US 70, and NC 150 near the unincorporated community of Linwood at an unusual interchange. The interchange allows for direct access to NC 150 northbound and US 29/US 70 southbound. US 29 and US 70 converge with I-85/US 52 for a very brief distance, about two miles (3.2 km), before I-85 reaches an interchange that is accessible northbound only: I-285. At this point, all three U.S. Highways that overlapped I-85 leave the Interstate, and I-85 narrows back down to six lanes.^[19]

The landscape becomes more rural as I-85 reaches just outside of Lexington and intersects NC 47 (Hargrave Road). Because the previous exit is northbound-only, drivers going southbound must use NC 47 to access I-285. After its interchange with NC 8 (Cotton Grove Road), which is the main exit for Lexington, I-85 enters a large forest with tree-lined medians and crosses Abbotts Creek, then has an interchange with US 64. Past Holly Grove Road on milemarker 96, the northbound lanes cut under the southbound lanes and cross Hamby Creek. The reversed lanes of I-85 then pass over Squire Bowers Road and reach a rest area, as well as access to the North Carolina Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park. Once the lanes pass under Johnsontown Road around milemarker 102, the northbound lanes cross above the southbound lanes and return to the normal direction.^[20][21]

The tree-lined median then gives way to the city of Thomasville, where I-85 meets NC 109. It crosses into Randolph County as it enters the city of Archdale and intersects NC 62. I-85 enters High Point and has a parclo interchange with I-74 and the former routing of US 311. The exits are signed east for Asheboro and west for Winston-Salem. I-85 then passes through another forest with more trees lining the median and crosses the Randolph and Guilford branches of the Richland Creek as it enters Guilford County. Just outside Greensboro, it has a southbound interchange with US 29 and US 70 again. US 29 and US 70 form a brief concurrency with I-85 before the route enters suburban areas once more and reaches a very large and complex interchange with Groometown Road, Grandover Parkway, I-73, US 220, and US 421. US 29 and US 70 split off through the interchange, while US 421 joins I-85 from I-73 in a wrong-way concurrency. Because I-85 was rerouted around Greensboro after February 2004, it now follows the southern half of the Greensboro Urban Loop.^[22][23]

Greensboro to Durham

Leaving the massive interchange, I-85/US 421 expands to eight lanes again and stays connected for just 4 miles (6.4 km) before US 421 departs the concurrency at exit 126 to head southeast for Sanford. Prior to the Greensboro Urban Loop, US 421 used to run along exit 126B, which is now signed for just Greensboro itself. Meanwhile, I-85 maintains its northeastward track and passes by a couple more exits before reaching I-785 (its third auxiliary route), I-40, and I-840, the former and latter of which have their southern and eastern terminus at I-85 respectively.^[24] I-40 merges onto I-85 and the two routes share a rather long concurrency which travels entirely east–west for 31 miles (50 km). The concurrency here uses I-85's mileage instead of I-40's. I-40/I-85 enters more industrial areas and meets NC 61 before entering Alamance County. It travels right through the heart of Burlington upon mile marker 141, intersecting several of the city's main state highways, including NC 62 again, NC 49, NC 87, and NC 54. Businesses, restaurants, parks, and buildings can be seen lining the sides of the highway.^[25] Past a diverging diamond interchange with NC 119 (Mebane-Oaks Road), the highway enters Orange County and reaches another truck weigh station. I-40 then splits off southeast from I-85 to serve the southern portion of Durham and downtown Raleigh while I-85 continues eastward and narrows back down to four lanes.^[26]

The following interchanges of I-85 before Durham County are rather substandard in quality due to the interstate retaining its original design. It meets NC 86 and later US 70, which forms another concurrency once again before entering Durham County. At milemarker 172, it meets the northern terminus of NC 147 (Durham Freeway), which connects to downtown Durham. I-85/US 70 then widens to six lanes again and then ten as it reaches the main city center and becomes urban in nature.^[27] It then has an interchange with US 15 and US 501, which both also join the concurrency. The highway passes NC 157 (Guess Road), and then US 501 splits off at Duke Street to head north. The other three highways continue on their way before meeting the western terminus of NC 55 (Avondale Drive). Just before exiting Durham, US 70 also departs the concurrency to head east alongside I-85's fourth and final auxiliary route, I-885, for the Raleigh–Durham International Airport and Raleigh itself while I-85 and US 15 remain joined.^[28]

Durham to Virginia

North of Durham, I-85/US 15 narrows down to four lanes and passes several more minor interchanges before entering Granville County and suburban areas. The landscape gives way to rural areas and another forest, this time without trees lining the median as the highway crosses Falls Lake.^[29] US 15 departs I-85 at exit 186 to serve the town and city of Butner and Creedmoor respectively, whereas I-85 bypasses these areas. From here to Oxford, US 15 parallels I-85. The Interstate then intersects NC 56 outside of Butner and continues to make its way through the forest for about 10 miles (16 km) without any other interchanges. I-85 then crosses the Tar River and comes to another rest area. It meets US 15 at another interchange just near milemarker 202 nearing Oxford. Interchanges with NC 96 and US 158 immediately follow, then I-85 cuts into Vance County.^[30]

It immediately reaches the city limits of Henderson before meeting up with US 158 (Dabney Drive), and US 158 merges on I-85 to follow a short concurrency with it. The highway intersects NC 39, the main exit for Henderson, then US 158 splits off from the concurrency shortly after. At milemarker 218, I-85 has a southbound exit for US 1, which begins paralleling it for the rest of the Interstate's length.^[31] I-85 passes just west of Middleburg and has a parclo interchange with US 1/US 158 (Flemingtown Road) for the town of Norlina. I-85 then enters its final county in the state, Warren County. Before long, it bypasses Manson and continues to go through a wooded forest with no development along the road. Just before exiting the state, I-85 has its final interchange in the state with US 1 and the northern terminus of US 401 near the unincorporated community of Wise.^[32] After that, it exits North Carolina and crosses the state line into Mecklenburg County, Virginia.^[33]

Dedicated and memorial names

I-85 in North Carolina features a few dedicated or memorialized stretches of freeway.

• Blue Star Memorial Highway: The official North Carolina honorary name of I-85 throughout the state that was approved on May 5, 1967.^[34][35]
• Senator Marshall Arthur Rauch Highway: The official North Carolina name of I-85 through Gaston County that was approved on October 3, 1997.^[35]
• William James Pharr Bridge: The official North Carolina name of the bridge over the South Fork River on I-85 in Gaston County that was approved on August 5, 1994.^[35]
• Cameron Morrison Bridge: The official North Carolina name of the bridge over the Catawba River on I-85 between Gaston and Mecklenburg counties that was approved on March 11, 1983. It is named in honor of Cameron A. Morrison, known as the Good Roads Governor.^[35]
• Julius Chambers Highway: The official North Carolina name of I-85 between I-77/US 21 and the I-85 Connector (four miles [6.4 km]), in Charlotte. It is named in honor of Julius L. Chambers, who was a lawyer, civil rights leader, and educator, and was dedicated on May 24, 2018.^[36][37]
• Jeff Gordon Expressway: The official North Carolina name of I-85 from the Charlotte city limit to the Mecklenburg/Cabarrus county line in Northeast Mecklenburg County (1.6 miles [2.6 km]).^[38] It is named in honor of NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon and was dedicated on May 25, 2012.^{[39][40][41][42]}
• Yadkin River Veterans Memorial Bridge: The official North Carolina name of the bridge over the Yadkin River on I-85 between Rowan and Davidson counties that was approved on May 11, 2011.^[43]
• Bob Timberlake Freeway: The official North Carolina name of I-85 from exit 92 to exit 96 in Davidson County.^[44]
• Richard Childress Freeway: The official North Carolina name of I-85 from exit 96 to exit 102 in Davidson County.^[44]
• Congressman J. Howard Coble Highway: The official North Carolina name of I-85 from Alamance Church Road to I-40 in Guilford County that was approved on December 1, 2016. It is named in honor of Representative Howard Coble, who represented North Carolina's 6th congressional district for 30 years.^[45]
• Sam Hunt Freeway: The official North Carolina name of I-85/I-40 from the Guilford–Alamance county line to one mile (1.6 km) east of NC 54 in Graham that was approved on September 5, 1997.^[35]
• Dr. John H. Franklin Highway: The official North Carolina name of I-85/US 70, between Cole Mill Road (exit 173) and US 70 (exit 178), in Durham. It is named in honor of John Hope Franklin, an American historian and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.^[46]
• Andrea L. Harris Highway: The official North Carolina name of I-85 between the Vance and Warren county line. It is named after Andrea Harris, a civil rights activist from the state. It was approved on December 15, 2023, by Roy Cooper.^[47]

History

Parts of I-85 were already constructed before federal aid was available in the 1950s, as the state had been constructing sections of the Interstate Highway System since 1949. The Lexington Bypass north of Lexington—which at the time was signed US 29 and US 70—is now a part of I-85 Bus.^[48] This was part of an 80-mile (130 km) expressway completed in 1955 between Lexington and Hillsborough.^[49]

One planned road was the Salisbury bypass, 15 miles (24 km) long with a $1-million (equivalent to $8.88 million in 2023^[50]) 880-foot (270 m) twin-span bridge over the Yadkin River. Construction on the bridge started in 1955 (this date is shown on a plaque, and most sources have used the date), but the lanes were not as wide as federal standards required, and the road had a sharp curve north of the bridge. Both of these characteristics saved money.^[51]

The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 provided for 90 percent federal funding of highways that would become part of the Interstate Highway System, and the North Carolina Highway Commission used the funds to build the rest of the highway, which opened as I-85 in 1958. The bridge, finished a year earlier, was grandfathered despite not meeting standards.^[51]

Another section of I-85 opened to traffic on September 9, 1958, when an 11.3-mile (18.2 km) stretch in Mecklenburg County was opened.^[48]

The year 1960 saw several sections of the highway open to traffic:^[48]

• An 18.3-mile (29.5 km) section of I-85 between Henderson and the Virginia border as well as a 46-mile (74 km) section between Greensboro and western Durham opened to traffic.
• A 15.4-mile (24.8 km) portion of US 29/US 70 between Salisbury and Greensboro was incorporated into I-85 when further grade separations and access control were completed.
• A 14-mile (23 km) segment of I-85 known as the "Charlotte Bypass" in Charlotte.
• A 13.8-mile (22.2 km) segment between Greensboro and Whitsett.

By 1965, I-85 from the South Carolina border to Charlotte was complete, while it took until 1970 for the section between Charlotte and Durham to be completed. However, the "Temporary 85" designation would remain on the segment between Lexington and Greensboro until 1984 because there were too many access roads. That year, a new six-lane section opened, resulting in the "Temporary 85" designation to be dropped.^[52]

Since its completion, many widening projects have been undertaken on I-85, particularly along the stretch of highway between Gastonia and Durham. By 1988, widening I-85 to six lanes from Greensboro to Burlington was being considered.^[53] The plan was later changed to eight lanes.^[54] The $175-million (equivalent to $374 million in 2023^[50]) project began in 1989. With the opening of a 2.3-mile (3.7 km) section in Alamance County on November 23, 1994, 21 miles (34 km) of I-85/I-40 were eight lanes. An additional 14 miles (23 km) were to be ready by 1996, giving the Interstate eight lanes to where I-40 turned southward at Hillsborough.^[55]

In addition, I-85 was relocated in 2004, south of Greensboro, forming part of the Greensboro Urban Loop, allowing through traffic to bypass that city's downtown area.^[56] Between 2004 and 2008, I-85 was widened to eight lanes around Salisbury.^[51]

The I-85 Corridor Improvement Project, located in Rowan and Davidson counties, was a two-phase project to replace the narrow bridge over the Yadkin River and widen the freeway from four to eight lanes.^[57] In the first phase, all traffic from the old bridge moved to a new $201-million (equivalent to $264 million in 2023^[50]) bridge in August 2012.^[51] On March 9, 2013, all eight lanes of the I-85 bridge opened to the public.^[58] The project finished eight months ahead of schedule and $44 million (equivalent to $57.7 million in 2023^[50]) under budget.^[59]

From May 2010 through April 2014, I-85 was widened from four to eight lanes between exit 49 (near Charlotte Motor Speedway and Concord Mills) and exit 55.^[60]

Current projects

Following the completion of the widening of I-85 between exits 49 and 55, a new project was started to widen I-85 from exit 55 (NC 73) in Concord, Cabarrus County northward to exit 68 (NC 152) in China Grove, Rowan County. Like the prior project, I-85 is being doubled in capacity, expanding from two travel lanes in each direction to four travel lanes in each direction. The project is now complete as of May 2021. The first phase (from exit 55 to exit 63) began in early 2014, and the second phase (from exit 63 to exit 68) began in early 2017.^[61] Construction was completed by December 2017,^[62] which left I-85 with at least six lanes of highway between exits 10 (US 29 north/US 74—Kings Mountain and Shelby) and 164 (I-40 in Hillsborough).

Exit list

County	Location	mi[63]	km	Exit	Destinations[64]	Notes
Cleveland	Grover	0.00	0.00		I-85 south – Spartanburg	Continuation from South Carolina
	​	1.8	2.9	2	NC 216 – Kings Mountain National Military Park
	​	3.6	5.8	4	US 29 south	Southern end of US 29 concurrency; southbound exit and northbound entrance
	​	4.8	7.7	5	Kings Mountain Blvd / Dixon School Road	To be converted into diverging diamond interchange[65]
	Kings Mountain	7.6	12.2	8	NC 161 – Kings Mountain
Gaston		10.0	16.1	10A	US 29 north / US 74 east	Northern end of US 29 concurrency
	​			10B	US 74 west – Kings Mountain, Shelby
	Bessemer City	12.8	20.6	13	Edgewood Road – Bessemer City
	Gastonia	14.5	23.3	14	NC 274 – East Bessemer City, West Gastonia
		17.0	27.4	17	US 321 – Gastonia, Lincolnton	Signed as exits 17A (south) and 17B (north) southbound
		19.0	30.6	19	NC 7 – East Gastonia
		19.7	31.7	20	NC 279 (New Hope Road) – Dallas
		20.6	33.2	21	Cox Road – Ranlo
	Lowell	22.3	35.9	22	Main Street – Cramerton, Lowell
		23.2	37.3	23	NC 7 – Lowell, McAdenville
	Belmont	25.7	41.4	26	Belmont–Mount Holly Road – Belmont, Mount Holly	To Belmont Abbey College
		26.9	43.3	27	NC 273 – Belmont, Mount Holly
Catawba River				Cameron Morrison Bridge – Good Roads Governor (1921-1925)
Mecklenburg	​	29.4	47.3	29	Sam Wilson Road	To U.S. National Whitewater Center
	​	30.3	48.8	30	I-485 to I-77 – Pineville, Huntersville	Signed southbound as exits 30B (north/inner) and 30A (south/outer); I-485 exit 10
	Charlotte	32.0	51.5	32	Little Rock Road – CLT Airport	Single-point urban interchange
		33.2	53.4	33	Billy Graham Parkway (Charlotte Route 4) – Farmers Market	To Billy Graham Library
		34.7	55.8	34	NC 27 (Freedom Drive) / Tuckaseegee Road	Tuckaseegee Road only directly accessible northbound
		35.4	57.0	35	Glenwood Drive
		36.2	58.3	36	NC 16 (Brookshire Boulevard) to US 74 east – Downtown Charlotte	Single-point urban interchange
		37.8	60.8	37	Beatties Ford Road – Johnson C. Smith University
		38.2	61.5	38	I-77 / US 21 – Statesville, Columbia	Hybrid interchange; I-77 exits 13A-B; southbound exit ramp and northbound entrance ramp include access to/from I-77 Express Lanes south
		38.8	62.4	39	Statesville Avenue / Statesville Road
		40.5	65.2	40	Graham Street
		41.3	66.5	41	Sugar Creek Road (Charlotte Route 4)
		42.3	68.1	42	To US 29 / NC 49 (N. Tryon Street)	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; access via I-85 Connector
		43.0	69.2	43	University City Boulevard to NC 49 / Ikea Boulevard
		44.5	71.6	45	NC 24 (W.T. Harris Boulevard)	Signed as exits 45A (east) and 45B (west)
		46.2	74.4	46	Mallard Creek Church Road	Signed northbound as exits 46A (east) and 46B (west)
		47.5	76.4	48	I-485 to I-77 north – Huntersville, Matthews	Turbine interchange; I-77 not signed northbound; I-485 exit 30
Cabarrus	Concord	49.2	79.2	49	Bruton Smith Boulevard / Concord Mills Boulevard	To Concord Mills and Charlotte Motor Speedway
		51.8	83.4	52	Poplar Tent Road	Diverging diamond interchange[66]
		53.6	86.3	54	George W. Liles Parkway / Kannapolis Parkway	To North Carolina Research Campus and Atrium Health Ballpark
		55.0	88.5	55	NC 73 – Concord, Huntersville	To Rowan-Cabarrus Community College South Campus; DDI[67]
		58.0	93.3	58	US 29 / US 601 south – Kannapolis, Concord	Southern end of US 601 concurrency; to North Carolina Research Campus
	Kannapolis	59.9	96.4	60	Dale Earnhardt Boulevard / Copperfield Boulevard	Signed as exits 60A (Copperfield) and 60B (Dale Earnhardt) northbound
		62.5	100.6	63	Lane Street – Kannapolis
Rowan	Landis	65.0	104.6	65	Old Beatty Ford Road – Landis	Opened November 14, 2019[68]
	China Grove	68.0	109.4	68	NC 152 to US 29 – China Grove, Rockwell
	Salisbury	70.4	113.3	70	Webb Road
		71.5	115.1	71	Peeler Road
		72.3	116.4	72	Peach Orchard Road
		73.7	118.6	74	Julian Road
		74.5	119.9	75	US 601 north (Jake Alexander Boulevard)	Northern end of US 601 concurrency; to Rowan–Cabarrus CC North Campus
		76.0	122.3	76	US 52 south (Innes Street) – Albemarle, Salisbury	Southern end of US 52 concurrency; formerly signed as exits 76A (south) and 76B (north)
	East Spencer	79.0	127.1	79	Andrews Street – Spencer, East Spencer
	Spencer	80.4	129.4	81	Long Ferry Road – Spencer
Yadkin River		82.2	132.3	Yadkin River Veterans Memorial Bridge
Davidson	​	82.7	133.1	82	US 29 south / US 70 west / NC 150 east – Spencer	Permanently closed as of April 2010[57][69][70][71]
	​	83.1	133.7	83	NC 150	Permanently closed as of May 2013[57][70][71]
	​	83.4	134.2	84	US 29 south / US 70 west to NC 150 – Spencer	Southern end of US 29/US 70 concurrency
	​	84.4	135.8	85	Clark Road	Permanently closed as of November 2012[72]
	​	85.5	137.6	86	Belmont Road
	Lexington	87.2	140.3	87	I-285 north / US 52 north (US 29 north / US 70 east) – Lexington, Winston-Salem	Northern end of US 29/US 52/US 70 concurrency; northbound exit and southbound entrance; former I-85 BL north
		88.0	141.6	88	NC 47 (Hargrave Road) to I-285 north / US 52 north
		91.1	146.6	91	NC 8 – Lexington, Southmont
		93.7	150.8	94	Old US 64
		96.0	154.5	96	US 64 – Asheboro, Lexington
	Thomasville	101.5	163.3	102	Lake Road
		103.4	166.4	103	NC 109 – Thomasville
Randolph	Trinity	105.5	169.8	106	Finch Farm Road
		107.5	173.0	108	Hopewell Church Road – Trinity
	Archdale	111.0	178.6	111	Main Street – Archdale, Downtown High Point
Guilford		112.7	181.4	113A	NC 62 – Archdale	Southbound access via C/D lanes originating from I-74 exit
		113.4	182.5	113B-C	I-74 – Asheboro, Winston-Salem	Signed as exits 113B (east) and 113C (west); I-74 exit 71B; former US 311
	Greensboro	118.1	190.1	118	US 29 south – High Point	Southern end of US 29 concurrency; former I-85 BL south / US 70 west
		119.5	192.3	119	Groometown Road to Grandover Parkway	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; US 29 exit 33A; I-73 exit 97C
		120.0	193.1	120A	US 29 north to I-73 south – Greensboro	Northern end of US 29 concurrency; northbound exit and southbound entrance; former I-85 BL north / US 70 east
		120.4	193.8	120B	I-73 north / US 421 north – Winston-Salem, Martinsville	Western end of US 421 concurrency; signed as exit 121 southbound; I-73 exit 97B
		121.7	195.9	122	I-73 south / US 220 – Asheboro, Greensboro	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; signed as exits 122B (south) and 122C (north); I-73 exit 95A; US 220 exit 95B
		123.7	199.1	124	South Elm–Eugene Street
		126.0	202.8	126A	US 421 south – Sanford	Eastern end of US 421 concurrency
				126B	Greensboro	Former US 421 north
		128.2	206.3	128	Alamance Church Road
		130.2	209.5	129	Youngs Mill Road
		131.9	212.3	131	I-785 north / I-840 west to I-40 west – Greensboro, Danville	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; southern terminus of I-785, eastern terminus of I-840
		132.6	213.4	132	Mount Hope Church Road	Northbound exit only
		133.3	214.5	131	I-40 west to I-785 north / I-840 west – Greensboro, Winston-Salem	Western end of I-40 concurrency; no northbound exit; I-40 exit 227; former I-85 BL south
	​	133.7	215.2	132	Mount Hope Church Road	No northbound exit
	Whitsett	136.3	219.4	135	Rock Creek Dairy Road
		138.6	223.1	138	NC 61 – Gibsonville
Alamance	Burlington	141.5	227.7	140	University Drive – Elon	To Elon University
		142.5	229.3	141	Huffman Mill Road
		144.2	232.1	143	NC 62 – Downtown Burlington, Alamance
		146.3	235.4	145	NC 49 – Downtown Burlington, Liberty
	Graham	148.0	238.2	147	NC 87 – Graham, Pittsboro
		149.0	239.8	148	NC 54 – Chapel Hill, Carrboro
	Haw River	150.8	242.7	150	Jimmie Kerr Road – Haw River, Roxboro
	Mebane	153.2	246.6	152	Trollingwood Road
		154.0	247.8	153	NC 119 – Mebane
		155.5	250.3	154	Mebane–Oaks Road – Mebane
Orange	​	158.2	254.6	157	Buckhorn Road
	Efland	161.3	259.6	160	Mount Willing Road – Efland
		161.9	260.6	161	NC 86 Truck north to US 70 east	Western end of NC 86 Truck concurrency
	Hillsborough	164.0	263.9	163	I-40 east – Raleigh	Eastern end of I-40 concurrency; I-40 exit 259
		165.2	265.9	164	Hillsborough	Former NC 86
		166.5	268.0	165	NC 86 Truck ends / NC 86 – Chapel Hill, Hillsborough	Eastern end of NC 86 Truck concurrency
	Eno	170.8	274.9	170	US 70 west / US 70 Bus. east to NC 751 – Duke University	Southern end of US 70 concurrency; to Bennett Place
Durham	Durham	173.3	278.9	172	NC 147 south – Downtown Durham, Research Triangle Park	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; to North Carolina Central University
		174.2	280.3	173	Cole Mill Road
		174.7	281.2	174A	US 15 south / US 501 south to US 70 Bus. / NC 751 / Hillsborough Road – Chapel Hill	Southern end of US 15/US 501 concurrency; southbound exit and northbound entrance
		175.3	282.1	174B	Hillandale Road
		176.0	283.2	175	NC 157 (Guess Road)	To NC School of Science & Math and Duke Homestead
		177.2	285.2	176	US 501 north (Duke Street) / Gregson Street – Roxboro	Northern end of US 501 concurrency; signed northbound as exits 176A (Gregson Street) and 176B (Roxboro)
		178.2	286.8	177	US 15 Bus. south / US 501 Bus. (Roxboro Street) / NC 55 east (Avondale Drive)	To North Carolina Central University
		179.2	288.4	178	I-885 south / US 70 east – RDU Airport, Raleigh	Eastern end of US 70 concurrency; I-885 exit 13; northern terminus of I-885
		180.6	290.6	179	E. Club Boulevard
		181.3	291.8	180	Glenn School Road
	Gorman	183.0	294.5	182	Red Mill Road
		184.5	296.9	183	Redwood Road
	Falls Lake			Bridge
Granville	​	186.7	300.5	186	US 15 north – Creedmoor, Butner	Northern end of US 15 concurrency; signed northbound as exits 186A (US 15) and 186B (Butner)
	Butner	189.7	305.3	189	Gate Two Road – Butner
		192.0	309.0	191	NC 56 – Butner, Creedmoor
	​	202.8	326.4	202	US 15 – Oxford, Clarksville
	Oxford	205.1	330.1	204	NC 96 – Oxford
		207.5	333.9	206	US 158 – Oxford, Roxboro
Vance	​	210.6	338.9	209	Poplar Creek Road	To Vance–Granville Community College
	Henderson	213.0	342.8	212	Ruin Creek Road
		214.0	344.4	213	US 158 Byp. west / Dabney Drive	Western end of US 158 concurrency
		215.5	346.8	214	NC 39 – Downtown Henderson
		216.4	348.3	215	US 158 Byp. east / Parham Road	Eastern end of US 158 concurrency
		218.0	350.8	217	Satterwhite Point Road	To Satterwhite Point
		219.0	352.4	218	US 1 south – Raleigh	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	Middleburg	221.0	355.7	220	US 1 / US 158 / Flemingtown Road – Norlina
Warren	Manson	224.5	361.3	223	Manson-Drewry Road
	​	226.8	365.0	226	Ridgeway-Drewry Road
	​	229.7	369.7	229	Oine Road
	​	233.8	376.3	233	US 1 / US 401 – Warrenton, Louisburg	Northern terminus of US 401
	​	234.6	377.6		I-85 north – Petersburg	Continuation into Virginia
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Closed/former       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

Related routes

There are four auxiliary routes and one business loop in the state. I-285 runs concurrently with US 52 connecting I-85 to I-40 in the Winston-Salem metropolitan area.^[73] I-485 forms a beltway around Charlotte, serving as a bypass for I-85 and I-77.^[74][75] I-785 serves as a spur route, forming a portion of the eastern part of the Greensboro Urban Loop and in the future will connect to Danville, Virginia.^[76] I-885 connects I-85 to I-40 in the Durham area.^[77]

I-85 Bus. used to be a partial controlled-access highway, bypassing Lexington, Thomasville, High Point, and Greensboro which was demolished in 2019.^[78]

See also

• Crowders Mountain State Park
• Eno River State Park
• Haw River
• Kerr Lake
• Lake Wylie
• Northgate Mall

References

External links

• Media related to Interstate 85 in North Carolina at Wikimedia Commons
• I-85 Corridor Improvement Project

Interstate 85
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