North Carolina Highway 280 (NC 280) is a primary
state highway 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 ...
that runs from the city of
Brevard in
Transylvania County
Transylvania County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census the population is 32,986. Its county seat is Brevard.
Transylvania County comprises the Brevard Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included i ...
to the town of
Fletcher
Fletcher may refer to:
People
* Fletcher (occupation), a person who fletches arrows, the origin of the surname
* Fletcher (singer) (born 1994), American actress and singer-songwriter
* Fletcher (surname)
* Fletcher (given name)
Places
United ...
in
Henderson County. It is in length, starting at the intersection with
US 64 and
US 276 north of Brevard to
US 25 and
US 25A in the
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 ci ...
community of
Arden.
Route description
![US64-US276-NC280](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/US64-US276-NC280.jpg)
NC 280 begins at the junction of US 64 and US 276 near the city of Brevard. It then travels northeasterly through the unincorporated community of
Pisgah Forest as a four-lane highway before crossing Little Mountain and entering the Boyd Township community, where it widens to four-lanes with a
center turning lane. It runs for a total of through Transylvania County as Asheville Highway before entering Henderson County at which point it becomes Boylston Highway. It continues as a four-lane highway with a center turning lane for through rural northwestern Henderson County before intersecting
NC 191 (Haywood Road) in the town of
Mills River. NC 280 and NC 191 run
concurrently for . After crossing the
Mills River, a tributary 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 form ...
, NC 191 turns north onto Old Haywood Road, and NC 280 continues as a divided 4-lane,
limited-access road for .
[
After crossing the French Broad River, the highway becomes New Airport Road at the intersection of Fanning Bridge Road in ]Fletcher
Fletcher may refer to:
People
* Fletcher (occupation), a person who fletches arrows, the origin of the surname
* Fletcher (singer) (born 1994), American actress and singer-songwriter
* Fletcher (surname)
* Fletcher (given name)
Places
United ...
, where it resumes the configuration of four-lanes with a center turning lane. Between the French Broad River crossing and an interchange with I-26 and US 74 (exit 40), NC 280 often crosses between Fletcher, Henderson County and the southern reaches of Asheville, Buncombe County
Buncombe County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is classified within Western North Carolina. The 2020 census reported the population was 269,452. Its county seat is Asheville. Buncombe County is part of the Ashevill ...
. From the I-26 interchange, the road continues for another , terminating at the intersection of US 25 (Hendersonville Road) and US 25A (Sweeten Creek Road) in Arden.[
Although the highway runs primarily through rural farming and residential areas for most of its length, the stretch between Fanning Bridge Road and US 25 currently represents the most developed section of the highway. A growing number of national retailers, restaurants, and hotels can be found within a half-mile of the I-26/US 74 interchange.] Landmarks along this section of highway include Asheville Regional Airport and the WNC Agricultural Center, site of the annual North Carolina Mountain State Fair. For of its path through Transylvania and Henderson counties, the highway runs adjacent to the eastern boundary of Pisgah National Forest
Pisgah National Forest is a National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. The Pisgah National Forest is complet ...
.[
]
History
Rerouted from its original path to become a connecting route from I-26 at the Asheville Regional Airport to the city of Brevard, its expanded and current form was originally known as the Brevard/I-26 Connector.
Until 1991, NC 280 ran concurrent with NC 191 from Mills River in Henderson County to the community of Avery Creek in Buncombe County, at which point NC 280 turned onto Long Shoals Road (currently signed NC 146). The former eastern terminus of NC 280 was at US 25 (Hendersonville Road) in the community of Skyland, north of the highway's current terminus at US 25 and US 25A in Arden.
Major intersections
References
External links
*{{commons category-inline
NCRoads.com: N.C. 280
280
__NOTOC__
Year 280 ( CCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Messalla and Gratus (or, less frequently, year 1033 '' ...
Transportation in Transylvania County, North Carolina
Transportation in Henderson County, North Carolina
Transportation in Buncombe County, North Carolina
1931 establishments in North Carolina