state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
in the U.S. state of
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
. Known as Caratoke Highway, the state highway runs from US 158 in Barco north to the
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
state line in Moyock, where the highway continues as
Virginia State Route 168
State Route 168 is a primary state highway in the South Hampton Roads region of the U.S. state of Virginia. It runs from the border with North Carolina (where it continues as North Carolina Highway 168 towards the Outer Banks) through the inde ...
(SR 168) toward
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
. NC 168 forms part of the primary north–south highway of Currituck County, where it provides access to the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of Currituck. The state highway also provides a crucial link for traffic between the
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's ...
region of Virginia and the
Outer Banks
The Outer Banks (frequently abbreviated OBX) are a string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, on the east coast of the United States. They line most of the North Carolina coastline, separating ...
.
Route description
NC 168 begins at an intersection with US 158 in Barco along Coinjock Bay. US 158 continues south along Caratoke Highway toward
Nags Head Nag's Head or Nags Head may refer to:
;In London
* Nag's Head, London, a locality in Holloway
** Nag's Head Market, a street market
* Nag's Head, Covent Garden, a pub
;Elsewhere in the United Kingdom
* Nag's Head Island, Abingdon-on-Thames
* ...
and west on Shortcut Road toward
Currituck County Airport
Currituck County Regional Airport is a county-owned, public-use airport in Currituck County, North Carolina, United States. It is located four nautical miles (5 mi, 7 km) south of the central business district of Currituck, Nor ...
and
Elizabeth City
Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 18,629. Elizabeth City is the county seat and largest city of Pasquotank County. It is the cultural, economic and educ ...
. NC 168 heads north as a five-lane road (two travel lanes in each direction with a
center turn lane
A reversible lane (British English: tidal flow) is a lane in which traffic may travel in either direction, depending on certain conditions. Typically, it is meant to improve traffic flow during rush hours, by having overhead traffic lights and li ...
) to Currituck, where the highway serves some county offices and has a pair of intersections with SR 1242 (Courthouse Road) on the south and NC 615 on the north. NC 615 provides access to a ferry just east of its terminus to cross
Currituck Sound
Currituck Sound () , from the North Carolina Collection's website at the to
Knotts Island
Knotts Island is a marshy island and a small unincorporated community. The island is shared by Currituck County, North Carolina and Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States, bounded by the Currituck Sound, North Landing River, Back Bay, and Knotts ...
. NC 168 curves west and crosses two of Tull Creek's tributaries before meeting the northern end of NC 34 (Shawboro Road) at
Sligo
Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...
. The state highway continues northwest parallel to the
Chesapeake and Albemarle Railroad
The Chesapeake and Albemarle Railroad is a short-line railroad that operates of track from Chesapeake, Virginia to Edenton, North Carolina.
The railroad was originally part of the Norfolk Southern Railroad, which continued south, crossing the Al ...
, which the highway crosses in Moyock. The highway passes east of the Currituck Welcome Center before reaching its northern terminus at the Virginia state line. The roadway continues as SR 168 (Chesapeake Expressway), which becomes a freeway while passing through
Chesapeake, Virginia
Chesapeake is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 249,422, it is the second-most populous independent city in Virginia, tenth-largest in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 90th ...