NC 24 original Laurinburg routing

NC 24 extended to SC

NC 24 straightened north

NC 24 straightened south

Also in 1929, NC 24 was rerouted east of Beulaville to go through Richlands (new primary routing) and avoid Catherine Lake and Fountaintown (became secondary though now NC 111 follows a good portion of the old route).

NC 301 Kenansville to Jacksonville

NC 24 Kenansville to Jacksonville

In 1930, NC 24 was extended along US 17 north to the Kellum area, then south on Sawmill Rd to Piney Green Rd, then east at Piney Green on today's NC 24 corridor. NC 24 ended in Swansboro and the 1930 Onslow County Map shows 24 ending where Main St reaches the waterfront. A small part of this had once briefly been part of NC 30.
In 1932, US 401 was assigned to NC 24 from the South Carolina line to Fayetteville, while US 258 was put on 24 from Richlands to Jacksonville.
Also in 1932, NC 24 was extended east to US 70 near Morehead City, but not directly like today. NC 24 was re-routed at Hubert to use SR 1432 Parkerstown Rd, SR 1442 Stella Rd, and NC 58 to go over the White Oak River before heading east along the shore to US 70. The old stretch from Hubert to Swansboro became NC 243.
In 1934, NC 24 was agin routed through Swansboro, replacing NC 243 and extending due east to continue to US 70.
Also in 1934, NC 24 was taken off US 17 and instead headed due east towards Swansboro. The old road from Kellum became secondary and remains so today.

NC 24 extended to Swansboro

NC 24 extended to US 70

NC 24 straightened out Jacksonville to Morehead

In late 1934 the Great Renumbering brought some changes to NC 24. Since a US route existed between South Carolina and Fayetteville (shown as US 15 on my 1935 Gousha), NC 24 was removed from this section. Instead, NC 24 was re-routed to run northwest from Fayetteville to Spring Lake and Jonesboro Heights (along today's NC 87 corridor) and then west over to US 1 Tramway (current NC 78). NC 24 replaced part of NC 53 and all of NC 605 in making this switch. Catch a glimpse of the original NC 24 crossing the Lumber River, where the original bridges still stand.
In 1940, NC 24 west was truncated to Fayetteville, probably ending at US 301 (jct of Clinton and Dunn Rds). The old route northwest became NC 87 to Jonesboro Heights, and the short piece from there west to Tramway became NC 93 (now NC 78).

NC 605

NC 605 becomes NC 24

NC 24 becomes NC 93 in Sanford area

In 1953, NC 24 bypassed Richlands leaving behind secondary routing.
In 1962 or 1963, NC 24 was extended far west to Charlotte - it multiplexed with US 301 Bus (Person St) to US 401 (Gillespie St), then north to NC 87-210 (Rowan St), then west becoming Bragg Blvd. to leave Fayetteville. NC 24 continued with NC 87 through Spring Lake before leaving as an upgraded route at Spout Springs (which had been the east end of NC 27 a few years earlier) northwest to Johsonville, where it picked up NC 27 and multiplexed with it all the way to US 74 in Charlotte (106 miles!), with NC 24 now going to Cameron, Carthage, Biscoe, Troy, and Albermarle. At this time NC 24 was routed over the historic Swift Island Bridge

NC 27 Charlotte to NC 87

NC 24 added to NC 27

NC 24 through Clinton

NC 24 bypasses Clinton

1. NC 24 extended through Fayetteville

2. NC 24 rerouted in Fayetteville in 1966

3. NC 24 rerouted at Cape Fear River

4. NC 24 rerouted at new I-95

Around 2000, NC 24 was moved onto I-40 from Exit 364 to Exit 373, where NC 24 then followed NC 903 to NC 11, and continued on as new construction to meet back up with the existing NC 24 a mile east of Kenansville. The old route through Warsaw and Kenansville became NC 24 Business.

NC 24 through Kenansville

NC 24 rerouted onto I-40

In March 2003 (Adam Prince post to mtr) NC 24 was re-routed in the Charlotte area. NC 24 was placed on Harris Blvd. north from Albermarle Rd. all the way around to I-77. Harris Blvd. had been there a while, but unnumbered as a primary route. Albermarle Rd west from Harris to US 74 continues to be part of NC 27. This last change to NC 24 eliminates the useless multiplex with NC 27 at its endpoint, but it doesn't really get rid of the absurdity of having a 100-mile multiplex.

NC 24 ending at US 74

NC 24 rerouted to I-77

In 2005, NC 24 was placed on new expressway to bypass Jacksonville, leaving behind a second NC 24 Business.

NC 24 through Jacksonville

NC 24 bypasses Jacksonville

In Nov 2008, Chris Curley reported that NC 24 was extended west along Harris Blvd to Mount Holly-Huntersville Rd, which is just west of I-485.
In 2015, NC 24-87 was removed from Bragg Blvd from Spring Lake south to the 295 freeway. Instead it was placed onto 295 over to NC 210 then follows NC 210 north to Spring Lake.
In 2017, NC 24 was placed on a bypass of Stedman leaving behind Clinton Rd through town.
In 2018, NC 24 was placed on bypasses of Autryville and Roseboro, leaving behind NC 24 Business routes in each.
In 2019, NC 24 was placed on a bypass around Troy, leaving behind NC 24-27 Business.