U.S. 17
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Photo: An old brick segment of US 17 still survives in the Ernul area (Mapmikey)
| U.S. 17 284 miles | |||
| The Road: | Enters from South Carolina near Calabash (Brunswick County) and ends at the Virginia state line above South Mills (Camden County). Nationally the road runs from US 41 Punta Gorda, FL to US 11-50-522 Winchester, VA | Towns and Attractions: | Brunswick Co.: Shalotte, USS North Carolina Battleship
New Hanover Co.: Wrightsboro, Wilmington Pender Co.: Hampstead Onslow Co.: Holly Ridge, Jacksonville Jones Co.: Maysville, Pollocksville Craven Co.: New Bern, Vanceboro Beaufort Co.: Chocowinity, Washington Martin Co.: Williamston Bertie Co.: Windsor Chowan Co.: Edenton Perquirmans Co.: Hertford Pasquotank Co.: Elizabeth City Camden Co.: South Mills, Great Dismal Swamp |
History: |
US 17 is an original US Highway from late 1926, running from South Carolina at Fair Bluff to Wilmington (had been US 76 in the 1925 plan) then northward through Jacksonville, New Bern, Williamston, and Elizabeth City into Virginia. US 17 was added to NC 202 from SC to Chadbourn; NC 20 to Wilmington; NC 30 to Windsor; NC 342 to Elizabeth City; NC 34 to Morgans Corner; NC 341 to Virginia.
It entered from South Carolina at Fair Bluff using Causey Rd and headed east to Chadbourn along today's US 76. Then US 17 headed east with today's US 74-76 Bus through Chadbourn and Whiteville (except used "old US 74" loop at Pine Log Branch. East of Whiteville, US 17 followed today's NC 214 through Hallsboro, Lake Waccamaw and Bolton. Then US 17 followed today's US 74-76 through Delco. At Leland, US 17 followed Old Mill Rd to Village Rd NE. US 17 followed this to Belville, then used the closed causeway just south of current US 17-74-76 across the Brunswick River. US 17 used a ferry directly across into Wilmington onto Market St out of town. Leaving Wilmington US 17 used today's 17 Business and US 17 to Jacksonville except it used Old US 17 through Verona. US 17's original Jacksonville routing used SR 1402 Old Bridge St east to Court St north to Chaney Ave east which curls north back to today's US 17 Business. North of Jacksonville, US 17 followed its current route except used US 17 Business through Maysville and Main St to US 17 Business through Pollocksville to the Trent River. US 17 used the Old Pollocksville Road segments and approached New Bern on Trent Blvd and Pollock St. to Front St, then north to Johnson St east across the river to Bridgeton via Bridge St then B St north. US 17 then followed Old Vanceboro Rd (2 segments); Forest Rd; Old Brick Rd. The 1930 Craven County map clearly shows US 17/NC 30 using these old alignments. NC 30 used most of 17 Business through Vanceboro. If US 17 used Old Washington Rd to nearly Beaufort County it stopped doing so before 1929. US 17 followed US 17 Business through Chocowinity and Washington, with only a slight alignment change east between the Tar-Pamlico Bridge and Wichards Beach Rd. US 17 followed its current routing to Williamston, then used today's US 17 Business through town except used Riverside Dr at the north end. US 17 then picked back up US 13-17 to Windsor, using US 13 Business to downtown, then NC 308 east to current US 17. US 17 then followed this out and on over to the Chowan River. US 17 used US 17 Business through Edenton, then US 17 towards Hertford. There, US 17 followed US 17 Bus into town, then NC 37 to Winfall. US 17 then used Main St Ext east back out to US 17. US 17 used Old US 17 through Woodville. US 17 used the original US 17 bypass of Elizabeth City to today's US 158 east to US 17 Business, then north out of town. US 17 followed Road St out to US 158, then used Northside Dr to Morgans Corner (except an abandoned brick segment halfway there), then Old US 17, a bit of US 17, then US 17 Business through South Mills. From here, US 17 followed current US 17 to Virginia except it stayed behind the current welcome center. In 1929, US 17 was rerouted onto today's US 76 from the SC line to Fair Bluff.
About 1953, US 17 was placed on a bypass of central Elizabeth City, leaving behind US 17-A (now US 17 Bus).
About 1954, US 17 was placed on a new bypass around Williamston. The old route became US 17-A (now 17 Business). In 1957, US 17 was placed on a bypass around the east side of Windsor, leaving behind US 17-A (Now US 13 Bus and NC 308). On Feb 2, 1958 South Carolina submitted an application to AASHO to renumber US 17 as US 5. None of the other states that would've been involved submitted an application, which SC was expecting. In 1960, US 17 was removed from Trent Blvd and Pollock St in New Bern and put on the current US 17 Bus and Broad St (partly NC 55 today). In 1961, US 17 was placed on an eastern bypass of Vanceboro leaving behind US 17 Business.
In 1966, US 17 was placed on its southern bypass of Hertford leaving behind US 17 Business.
In April 1966 (NCDOT), US 17 was removed from now-SR 1243 Mullen St along the Dismal Swamp canal in South Mills and instead replaced SRs 1241 Main St, SR 1242, and a bit of NC 343 to curl around the north end of South Mills.
In Sept 1969 (NCDOT), US 17 was rerouted to enter Wilmington on a new bridge directly from Belville to downtown Wilmington. NB US 17 then used Dawson St and 17th St to Market St. SB used 16th St and Wooster St. 16th and 17th had been part of US 76 but the rest was new primary routing. The old route became US 421 north, then NC 133 across the Cape Fear and NE Cape Fear Rivers. 3rd St and Market St out to 16th became unnumbered for a while. In Feb 1972 (NCDOT), US 17 was given its bypass of Woodville leaving behind Old US 17 Rd and Marian Av. In Sept 1975 (NCDOT), US 17 was rerouted at Belville to its current US 74-76 approach, leaving behind SR 1551 Blackwell Rd. In Aug 1977 (NCDOT), US 17 was given its northern bypass of Edenton leaving behind US 17 Business.
In Jan 1978 (NCDOT), US 17 was placed on new construction in the vicinity of what is now the south end of US 17 Business for Wilmington west of the Cape Fear River. In June 1980 (NCDOT), US 17 was put on a new alignment in the Town Creek area, leaving behind SR 1701 Zion Church Rd. In Sept 1984 (NCDOT), US 17 was placed on new alignment west of South Mills. This left behind US 17 Business. In Nov 1984 (NCDOT), US 17 was placed on new alignment north of Elizabeth City bypassing Morgans Corner. This left behind Northside Dr and Old US 17 Morgans Corner Rd.
In July 1991 (NCDOT), US 17 was placed on a new bypass of Bolivia leaving behind US 17 Business. In Aug 1992 (NCDOT), US 17 was placed on a new bypass to the north of Shalotte leaving behind US 17 Business
In July 2006 (NCDOT), US 17 was rerouted again at Belville to proceed north with US 421/NC 133 to the new I-140, then US 17 followed I-140 all the way over to the longtime US 17 near the Pender County line. The old route into downtown became an extended US 17 Bus; Wooster/Dawson remained US 76; 16th/17th became unnumbered; Market St east of 16th out to the new US 17 freeway became more extended US 17 Business. In Nov 2006 (NCDOT), US 17 was put on the existing NC 24 freeway around the east of Jacksonville and continued on new freeway back to US 17 near Western Blvd. The old route became US 17 Business. In 2008, US 17 was sent around the west side of Windsor with US 13, then used new freeway to the north of Windsor. This left behind the current Windsor US 17 Business.
In Feb 2011 (NCDOT), US 17 was placed on new freeway around the east of Chocowinity and around the west of Washington. The old route through these cities became US 17 Business.
In July 2011 (NCDOT), US 17 was placed on new freeway constructed from just south of the Craven/Jones line near Rhems to US 70, then added to more US 70 freeway. The old route through Rhems and suburban New Bern became US 17 Business.
In 2018, US 17 was placed on a new bypass of Mayesville with the old route becoming US 17 Business. Also in 2018, US 17 was placed on a partially completed bypass of Pollocksville to NC 58, then follows NC 58 east back to the original routing. The old routing did not become a business route. In November 2019, US 17 was placed on new freeway connecting the Pollocksville and New Bern Bypasses. The old route became more US 17 Business.
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Comments: |
US 17 is a major north-south corridor in eastern North Carolina...only about 45 miles are still 2-lane, with 10 of those under construction to widen as of March 2025. US 17 has mileposts at least from S.C. to Wilmington and from near Woodville to Virginia. Freeway locations in between also have them. The US 17-70 interchange east of New Bern is partially over the Neuse River and is a treat to drive through. For years there was a US 17 Truck signed on US 76 and Military Cutoff east of Wilmington. This was removed when US 17 was placed onto the new freeway that includes I-140. |
Last Update: 1 March 2025
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