The Highways of North Carolina
U.S. 264 
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Photo: US 264 leaving US 64 near Manns Harbor. US 264 is empty save for a million bugs for the next 37 miles. (Mapmikey)
US 264
U.S. 264  219 miles
The Road: Begins at I-440/US 64 Raleigh (Wake County) and ends at US 64 Manns Harbor (Dare County).
Towns and Attractions: Wake Co.: Raleigh, Zebulon  
Franklin Co.: None  
Nash Co.: Middlesex, Bailey 
Wilson Co.: Saratoga  
Greene Co.: None  
Pitt Co.: Farmville, Greenville  
Beaufort Co.: Washington, Belhaven  
Hyde Co.: Swanquarter, Englehard  
Dare Co.: Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge  
History: >US 264 was created in 1932, running from US 64/NC 90 Zebulon (this is now the NC 97-Shepards School Rd jct) to the village of Engelhard. US 264 was paired in its entirety with the older NC 91 and was paved everywhere west of Swanquarter at that time. The 1932 Texaco Map shows US 264 at 165 miles.
1932 Texaco
US 264 appears
1932 Gousha

In late 1934, NC 91 was dropped from US 264.
In 1937 or 1938, US 264 was removed from SR 1569 east of Grimesland.
About 1947, US 264 was given its first bypass of Wilson over a road that had been present back to at last 1944, then utilized US 301. The old route through Wilson on Raleigh Rd, Bynum St, Vance St and Pender St became US 264-A. Note that in this timeframe US 264-NC 58 was moved from Nash St to Bynum/Vance. It is unclear whether US 264 was 264-A at that point.
In 1951, US 264 was extended east via existing county roads to US 64 Manns Harbor, then followed today's US 64 Business north to a ferry to Roanoke Island. US 64 then was added to NC 345 south through Manteo, then replaced US 158 across the Roanoke Sound to end at truncated US 158 Whalebone Jct (current NC 12 jct with South Old Oregon Inlet Rd).
In 1955, US 264 was given a bypass south of Farmville over a road that had existed a few years already. The route through Farmville became US 264-A (NC 121 and secondary route today).

1952 Shell
US 264 through Farmville
1952 Shell
1958 Official
US 264 bypasses Farmville
1958 Official

About 1955, US 264's ferry across Croatan Sound was replaced with a bridge. On the Manns Harbor side, US 264 was removed from Old Ferry Dock Rd. on the Manteo side, US 264 was removed from SR 1116 Airport Rd.
Between 1954-57, US 264 was removed from SR 1501 between Washington and Bunyan.
Also Between 1954-57, US 264 received its bypass of Belhaven leaving behind US 264-A (now US 264 Business).

1953 Beaufort County
US 264 through Belhaven
1953 Beaufort County
1957 Beaufort County
US 264 Bypasses Belhaven
1957 Beaufort County

Also, between 1954-57, US 264 received its bypass of Scranton, leaving behind SR 1154.
In 1956 or 1957, US 264 was rerouted onto the new Wilson bypass, leaving behind Pender St and an extended US 264-A.

1944 Wilson County
US 264 through Wilson
1944 Wilson County
1949 Wilson County
US 264 bypasses Wilson
1949 Wilson County
1957 Wilson County
US 264 bypasses more of Wilson
1957 Wilson County

In 1956 or 1957, US 264 was given a southern bypass of Greenville. The old route of Dickinson Ave and 10th St became US 264-A (a little of this is still part of US 13).

1953 Pitt County
US 264 through Greenville
1953 Pitt County
1957 Pitt County
US 264 Bypasses Greenville
1957 Pitt County

In 1956 or 1957, US 264 was given its bypass of Swanquarter, leaving behind SRs 1132 and 1129 (now NC 45 and NC 94 respectively).

1953 Hyde County
US 264 through Swanquarter
1953 Hyde County
1957 Hyde County
US 264 bypasses Swanquarter
1957 Hyde County

About 1960, US 264's east end was truncated to the current US 64 endpoint when the US 158 Bypass was built. The short road east to Whalebone Jct became part of US 158 Business (now part of NC 12).

1957 Dare County
US 264 ends at Whalebone Jct
1957 Dare County
1962 Dare County
US 264 ends a couple blocks west of Whalebone Jct
1962 Dare County

In Aug 1975 (NCDOT), US 264 was placed on new freeway from the new US 64 freeway Zebulon east to about a mile past NC 97.
Also in Aug 1975 (NCDOT), US 264 was rerouted to run directly from Greenville to Washington, replacing SR 1590 and NC 30. The old route via Chocowinity became NC 33 and US 17 remained across the Pamlico River.

1974-75 Official
US 264 via Chocowinity
1974-75 Official
1975-76 Official
US 264 direct to Greenville
1975-76 Official

In Nov 1977 (NCDOT), the US 264 freeway was extended east to NC 581, then US 264 used NC 581 back to original 264 in Bailey. The old route from Bailey west through Middlesex to Wake County became secondary (now US 264 ALT).
In 1978, the US 264 freeway was extended to Sims. It appears the old route from Bailey to Sims became US 264 Business (now 264 ALT).

1976-77 Official
US 264 freeway is started
1976-77 Official
1978-79 official map
US 264 freeway east to Sims
1978-79 Official

In 1988, US 264 was rerouted east of Wilson to follow NC 58 further south, then east as new construction around the north of Saratoga to tie into the existing Farmville Bypass. This left behind NC 91.
Also in 1988, US 264 was placed on new routing to use the northeast segment of the Greenville loop, then followed US 13-NC 11/903 south then west on Farmville Blvd connecting with new construction west to near Farmville. US 264 then cut south on Wesley Church Rd to meet up with existing US 264. The old route around the south of Greenville and the US 13 duplex became US 264 ALT.

1990-91 Official
US 264 freeway segments approaching Farmville
1990-91 Official

In 1992, US 264 was placed on new freeway around the north of Farmville, connecting the two freeway segments opened in 1988. The old route became a bit of NC 121 and more US 264 ALT.
In 1997, US 264 was extended west along US 64 to end at the I-440 Raleigh Beltline.
In Feb 2003 (NCDOT), US 264 was placed on new freeway from Sims around the south of Wilson to NC 58. The old route through Wilson became more US 264 ALT. This completed the freeway conrinuous from US 64 to Greenville.
2005 Official
US 264 freeway continuous to Greenville
2005 Official

In Sept 2003 (NCDOT), US 264 was truncated to US 64 near Manns Harbor, leaving behind US 64.

1948 Official
US 264 ending at Engelhard (1932-50)
1948 Official
1952 Shell
US 264 extended to Outer Banks (1951-2003)
1952 Shell
2004 Official
US 264 truncated to Manns Harbor (since 2003)
2004 Official

In Nov 2006 (NCDOT), US 264 was moved with US 64 onto new freeway bypassing Milburnie and Knightsdale. The old route became US 64 Business only.

1997 Official
US 264 extended to Raleigh Beltline
1997 Official
2009 Official
US 264 bypasses Knightsdale and Milburnie
2009 Official

In Dec 2022 (aaroads forum), US 264 was removed from I-587 from US 264 ALT east of Wilson to Greenville, reclaiming its former routing from US 264 ALT, plus routed north on NC 11 Byp back to the previous US 264 routing on the northwest side of Greenville.

Comments: US 264 east of Engelhard is one of the emptiest places on the eastern seaboard.


Last Update: 20 January 2023

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