The Highways of North Carolina
U.S. 117 
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Photo: US 117 ending at the NC Port in Wilmington (Mapmikey)
US 117
U.S. 117  84 miles
The Road: Begins at River Rd at the NC State Ports Authority in Wilmington (New Hanover County) and ends at US 301 south of Wilson (Wilson County).
Towns and Attractions: New Hanover Co.: Port Authority, Wilmington, Castle Hayne  
Pender Co.: Burgaw  
Duplin Co.: Wallace, Rose Hill, Magnolia, Warsaw, Faison  
Wayne Co.: Mount Olive, Goldsboro, Fremont  
Wilson Co.: None  
History: Current US 117 was born in 1932, replacing US 17-1/NC 40 from US 301 near Wilson south to Wilmington.

1928 Gen Draft
US 17-1 Wilmington to Wilson
1928 Gen Draft
1934 Gen Draft
US 117 Wilmington to Wilson
1934 Gen Draft

Additionally, US 117 was added to NC 30 southwest to South Carolina via Shalotte on its way to Myrtle Beach and Conway, SC.

1929 Official
NC 30 Wilmington via Shalotte to South Carolina
1929 Official
1933 Official
US 117 Wilmington via Shalotte to South Carolina
1933 Official

US 117 followed today's US 17 from the South Carolina line north to the Brunswick River except it used US 17 Business routes in Shalotte and Bolivia, plus SR 1701 Zion Church Rd in the Town Creek area and SR 1551 Blackwell Rd and a closed causeway in Belleville.
US 117 followed today's NC 133 past the USS North Carolina and across the Cape Fear River, then used Parsely St to Nixon St east to McRae St. to leave the Wilmington area (none of these streets US 117 originally used in Wilmington is primary highway now).
US 117 proceeded north on Castle Hayne Rd. At Castle Hayne US 117 used Old Bridge Site Rd to cross the NE Cape Fear River. US 117 followed current US 117 and US 117 Business to Burgaw and Wallace. Then US 117 followed NC 11 to Kenansville and NC 50 back to today's US 117 Warsaw north to Faison and Calypso. US 117 picked us today's US 117-A into Mt. Olive.
US 117 followed today's US 117 Bus through Goldsboro, then US 117 through Pikeville and Fremont. US 117 used Great Swamp Loop and Banana Loops and US 117 ended at today's Dixie Inn Rd which was US 301 at the time.
Between 1931-36, US 117 was rerouted in Goldsboro to use Chestnut St and Center St to go from George St to Ash St. The direct George to Ash routing became NC 102-A (now part of US 117 Business).
In late 1934, US 117 south was truncated to Wilmington, as US 17 was placed on the route through Shalotte to South Carolina. US 117's south end was either Nixon and Parsley or 3rd at Market. I think it was 3rd and Market but maps do not explicitly show this until the 1957 New Hanover County map.

1935 Official
US 17 replaces US 117 south of Wilmington
1935 Official

Between 1939-44, US 117 was removed from Great Swamp Loop and Banana Loop north of Fremont.
In 1940, US 117 was rerouted to run directly from wallace to Warsaw as new primary routing. The old route became NC 24 to Kenansville, then the short NC 11-A cutoff (now SR 1383), then NC 11 south to Wallace/Tin City area.

1936 Official
US 117 via Kenansville
1936 Official
1941 Official
US 117 straightened out
1941 Official

Between 1950-52, US 117 was taken off SR 1340 Old Bridge Site Rd in Castle Hayne.
About 1952, US 117 was given its bypass of Goldsboro, leaving behind US 117-A (now US 117 Business).

1930 Wayne County
US 117/NC 102 using George to Ash
1930 Wayne County
1938 Wayne County
US 117/NC 102 using Chestnut/Center Sts.
1938 Wayne County
1957 Wayne County
US 117 Bypasses Goldsboro
1957 Wayne County

Between 1950-53, US 117 north was extended from Dixie Inn Rd to the rerouted US 301.

1949 Wilson County
US 117 original North end
1949 Wilson County
1953 Wilson County
US 117 nudged north
1953 Wilson County

About 1953, US 117 was given its bypass of Burgaw, leaving behind US 117-A (now US 117 Business).

1949 Pender County
US 117 through Burgaw
1949 Pender County
1953 Pender County
US 117 bypasses Burgaw
1953 Pender County

In 1960, US 117 was given its bypass of Mount Olive and Calypso, leaving behind US 117 Business (now US 117-A).
In 1969, US 117 south was rerouted away from downtown Wilmington and instead crossed the Cape Fear west to end at US 421 north of the USS North Carolina Battleship.
In August 1973 (NCDOT), US 117's south end was moved northward along US 421 by using then-SR 2026 at the west end of the Northeast Cape Fear River bridge.
In 1989, US 117 received its bypass of Dudley, leaving behind US 117-A.

1957 Wayne County
US 117 through Mount Olive
1957 Wayne County
1962 Wayne County
US 117 bypasses Mount Olive
1962 Wayne County
1990 Official
US 117 bypasses Dudley too
1990 Official

In March 2003 (NCDOT), US 117 south was rerouted at Castle Hayne to instead follow NC 132 to East Wilmington, then replaced SR 1101 Shipyard Rd west to the NC Port Authority. The old route over to US 421 remained part of NC 133 (some of this is now just city streets).

1957 New Hanover County
US 117 ends at Market St.
1957 New Hanover County
1972 New Hanover County
US 117 removed from 3rd
Not labeled but now ends where
US 421 Bus dips south to US 421
(note SR 2026 label)
1972 New Hanover County
1980 New Hanover County
US 117 south end shifts northward
1980 New Hanover County
2009 Official
US 117 south end shifts to NC Port
2009 Official

In Feb 2003 (NCDOT), US 117 north was changed to cut west to US 301 just after Dixie Inn Rd, then extended north with US 301, then extended west along the new US 264 freeway before ending at I-95.
In Sept 2006 (NCDOT), US 117 was placed onto new freeway between Goldsboro and US 264. The old route became US 117-A.
In April 2009 (NCDOT), US 117 was removed from the freeway routings from Goldsboro to I-95 and replaced by I-795. US 117 then replaced US 117-A from US 301 south through Fremont to Goldsboro.

2003 Official
US 117 north of Goldsboro
2003 Official
2007 Official
US 117 on new freeway north of Goldsboro
2007 Official
2009 Official
US 117 removed from freeway
2009 Official

The 1st US 117 in North Carolina was an original US Highway. It began at US 1 Norlina, then used US 158 Business through Warrenton. US 117 picked up SR 1318 Old Macon Hwy through Macon and Vaughn and this road stayed north of the railroad all the way to Littleton (no road east of Vaughn anymore) entering on North Main St.
US 117 followed current US 158 to NC 48 north to Wilson St east back to US 158 which it appears to have followed through Weldon, Garysburg, Jackson, and Conway. It then used US 158 Business into Murfreesboro, then Hart St to cross Meherrin River. The route picked up Old US 258 north of the river, then current US 258 into Virginia where the route continued to Virginia Beach.
Norlina to Murfreesboro was an addition to NC 48 while north to Virginia was an addition to NC 485.
It appears that by 1928, US 117 was removed from Old Macon Hwy and placed on current US 158.
In 1932, US 117 was renumbered as US 158.

1926 Official
NC 48 and NC 485 Norlina-Murfreesboro-Virginia
1926 Official
1928 Gen Draft
Original US 117
1928 Gen Draft
1932 Texaco
US 117 becomes US 158
1932 Texaco

Comments: US 117 has been usurped by I-795 and I-40 for much of its run and is not all that useful as a through route anymore.


Last Update: 23 June 2012

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