North Carolina Highway 251 (NC 251) is a north/south

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 western

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 ...

. Its southern terminus at an interchange with

U.S. Route 19 U.S. Route 19 (US 19) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the Eastern United States. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul road, connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Erie. The highway's southern ...

(US 19), US 23, and US 70 (future

Interstate 26 Interstate 26 (I-26) is a main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. Nominally east–west, as indicated by its even number, I-26 runs from the junction of U.S. Route 11W (US 11W) and US 23 in ...

or I-26) on the border of

Asheville Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...

and Woodfin. The road largely follows the east bank of the

French Broad River The French Broad River is a river in the U.S. states of North Carolina and Tennessee. It flows from near the town of Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into Tennessee, where its confluence with the Holston River at Knoxville forms ...

until its northern terminus at US 25/US 70 near

Marshall Marshall may refer to: Places Australia * Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Islands * Marshall Islands, an i ...

in Madison County.

Route description

NC 251 begins in

Buncombe County Buncombe County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is classified within Western North Carolina. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census reported the population was 269,452. Its county seat is A ...

on the border of Asheville and Woodfin near the

University of North Carolina at Asheville The University of North Carolina Asheville (UNC Asheville, UNCA, or simply Asheville) is a public liberal arts university in Asheville, North Carolina, United States. UNC Asheville is the designated liberal arts institution in the University of N ...

campus. The starting point is along Broadway at exit 25 of the freeway currently carrying U.S. Routes 19, 23, and 70 (soon to also carry I-26). After passing Riverside Drive, NC 251 assumes this name as it begins to travel north paralleling a railroad and the French Broad River. Fully in Woodfin, the road travels past numerous commercial businesses located along the river with woods and some residences on the east side of it. Near the northern town limit, NC 251 breaks away from the riverbank to cut through a wooded area dotted with numerous county offices and buildings. After exiting Woodfin, the road remains near the river for the rest of its length. Cliffs and woods are along the east side of the road but only some small houses and small businesses line the west side of the road. After entering Madison County, NC 251 crosses the Ivy River and immediately afterwards, forms a brief

concurrency Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to: Law * Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea'' * Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...

with U.S. Route 25 Business (US 25 Bus.) and US 70 Bus. After the two

business route A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route connected to a ''parent'' numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or ...

s break off of NC 251 to head to Marshall, NC 251 continues north climbing a hill to end at an intersection with US 25 and US 70 Bypass. The road continues ahead as Tillery Branch Road.

History

Junction list

References

External links

* {{commonscat-inline
NCRoads.com: N.C. 251

251 __NOTOC__ Year 251 ( CCLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Traianus and Etruscus (or, less frequently, year 1004 ' ...

Transportation in Buncombe County, North Carolina Transportation in Madison County, North Carolina