The Highways of North Carolina
U.S. 321 
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Photo: An improved US 321 heading for Blowing Rock at NC 268 (Mapmikey)
US 321
U.S. 321  107 miles
The Road: Begins at the South Carolina below Gastonia (Gaston County) and ends at the Tennessee line near Sugar Grove (Watauga County).
Towns and Attractions: Gaston Co.: Gastonia  
Lincoln Co.: Lincolnton, Boger City 
Catawba Co.: Maiden, Newton, Conover, Hickory  
Burke Co.: None  
Caldwell Co.: Granite Falls, Hudson, Lenoir  
Watauga Co.: Blowing Rock, Boone  
Avery Co.: Pisgah Nat'l Forest  
History: US 321 appeared in 1930 as an addition to NC 16 from the South Carolina line below Gastonia to Hickory, then attached to NC 17 from there to Boone, then attached to NC 60 northwest to the Tennessee line heading for Bristol.

1924 Official
NC 16 Gastonia to Conover
1924 Official
1930 Official
1930 Official
US 321 added to NC 16

1924 Official
NC 17 Hickory to Boone
1924 Official
1930 Official
1930 Official
US 321 added to NC 17

In 1932, US 321 north was truncated to US 421/NC 60 Boone. US 321 northwest to Tennesee became part of an extended US 421 (North of Sugar Grove this was on "Old US 421").
In late 1934, NC 16 and NC 17 were removed from US 321.
Between 1931-36, US 321 was removed from SR 2412/2413 Old York Rd in South Gastonia.
Between 1937-38, US 321 was rerouted in Gastonia. Initially it used York Rd north to 2nd St west to Chester north to Airline east to Marietta St north. Now it used Chester St directly instead of York-2nd.
In 1941, US 321 was given its bypass of Patterson, leaving behind an extended NC 268 and today's SR 1360 Yadkin River Rd.
In 1947 or 1948, US 321 was placed on current US 70 west from Conover and NC 127 north to Hickory, leaving behind a little NC 16 (now 16 Business) plus US 70-A (now 1st St and Highland Ave).
In 1948, US 321 was placed on the original Lenoir Bypass which was opened in 1941 as US 321-A.
Between 1945-49, US 321 was removed from SR 1371 Waterfall Rd north of Patterson.
About 1949, US 321 was given a western bypass of Newton, leaving behind College Ave, D St and Main St. D and Main Sts remained part of NC 16 (now 16 Business).

1944 Catawba County
US 321 through Newton/Conover
1944 Catawba County
1949 Catawba County
US 321 bypasses Newton/Conover
1944 Catawba County

Between 1949-53, US 321 was removed from SR 1542 Old Blowing Rock/Jordan Cook Rds and SR 1545 Meadowview Dr. south of Boone.
In 1953, US 321 was removed from Marietta St and Old Dallas Rd and instead remained on Chester St due north to connect to US 321 west of Dallas. This left behind NC 275 through Dallas.
In 1954, US 321 was removed from central Hickory by remaining with US 70 further west to the current US 321 routing. The old route became NC 127 Center St and secondary 3rd Ave.

1936 Catawba County
US 321 original Hickory route
1936 Catawba County
1949 Catawba County
US 321 removed from Highland Blvd
1949 Catawba County
1957 Catawba County
US 321 removed from central Hickory
1957 Catawba County

Also in 1954, US 321 was given its bypass of Blowing Rock. It appears the west half of the old route was not primary for a time but is now US 321 Business. The west half remained part of US 221.

1949 Watauga County
US 321 through Blowing Rock
1949 Watauga County
1957 Watauga County
US 321 bypasses Blowing Rock
1957 Watauga County

In 1956, US 321 was given an eastern bypass of Lincolnton, leaving behind US 321-A (now SR 1405/1406 Aspen St).

1953 Lincoln County
US 321 through Lincolnton
1953 Lincoln County
1957 Lincoln County
US 321 bypasses Lincolnton
1957 Lincoln County

Between 1954-57, US 321 was removed from SR 1572 Old US 321/Roaring River Rd north of the Blue Ridge Pkwy.
In 1957, US 321 was given its bypass of Hudson and Granite Falls. McLean Rd. (the original south end of the Lenoir bypass) became SR 1180 (now it is the north end of US 321-A. The rest of the old route became an extended US 321-A.

1940 Official
US 321 Caldwell County
1940 Official
1944 Caldwell County
US 321 bypasses Patterson
1944 Caldwell County
1949 Caldwell County
US 321 bypasses Lenoir
1949 Caldwell County
1957 Official
US 321 bypasses Hudson/Granite Falls
1957 Official

In 1961, US 321 was extended west from Boone to Sugar Grove with US 421, then replaced NC 603 west to the Tennessee Line.

1931 Official
US 321 northwest of Boone
1931 Official
1933 Official
US 321 truncated to Boone
1933 Official
1963 Official
US 321 replaces NC 603
1963 Official


In May 1962 (NCDOT), US 321 was placed on one-way alignments in Gastonia: SB used the current Chester Rd routing while NB used SR 2602 York Rd to NC 7 west back to Chester.

1932 Texaco
US 321 original Gastonia route
1932 Texaco
1944 Gaston County
US 321 on Chester s of US 29-74
1944 Gaston County
1953 Gaston County
US 321 removed from Marietta
1953 Gaston County
1968 Gaston County
US 321 on one-way splits
1968 Gaston County

In 1989 or 1990, US 321 was placed on its freeway from Gastonia past Dallas and High Shoals leaving behind secondary routing on Dallas-High Shoals Hwy and Lincoln St (now US 321 Business).
In 1995, US 321 was placed on more new freeway from High Shoals and bypassing the original Lincolnton bypass, leaving behind NC 155 (now US 321 Business).
In June 1999 (NCDOT), US 321 replaced SRs 1844/2009 on existing freeway north of Lincolnton, then continued on new freeway to NC 127, then replaced long-existing SR 2913 freeway across I-40 to meet back up with US 321 Hickory. The old route through Maiden, Newton, and Conover back to Hickory became US 321 Business.

1993 Official
US 321 freeway to High Shoals
1993 Official
1996 Official
US 321 freeway past Lincolnton
1996 Official
2000 Official
US 321 freeway to Hickory
2000 Official

Comments: US 321 is now a major thoroughfare from Gastonia to Boone. Technically it is not a freeway at I-85, with stoplights at the ramps.
I don't understand why US 321 was initially sent to Bristol, Virginia then two years later retracted for US 421 instead. What did that accomplish?


Last Update: 1 March 2013

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