U.S. Route 158 (US 158) is an east–west

United States highway The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these hi ...

that runs for from Mocksville to

Whalebone Junction Whalebone Junction is an area within Nags Head, North Carolina where three major highways converge. The junction marks the eastern terminus of both U.S. 64 and U.S. Route 158, while NC 12 traverses the junction from north to south. The junction ...

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 * ...

, entirely in the 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 ...

. It is also a critical route that connects the cities of

Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...

, Summerfield, and Reidsville with one another.

Route description

US 158 is a parallel of U.S. Route 58 (which runs generally through southern

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 ...

). The route does not intersect its parent, instead intersecting its sibling, US 258. It currently runs for from Mocksville, at US 64/ US 601 to

in the town of

. A stretch skirts the

Great Dismal Swamp The Great Dismal Swamp is a large swamp in the Coastal Plain Region of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, between Norfolk, Virginia, and Elizabeth City, North Carolina. It is located in parts of the southern Virginia indepe ...

. In Mocksville, it begins and heads north of the US 64/US 601 junction, through the downtown area. Out of town, it turns northeasterly, following in parallel to

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...

(I-40) to

. In the city the route uses the name Stratford Road which is an arterial thoroughfare which enters into a busy commercial district and it passes two folded diamond junctions with Interstate 40 and the

expressway Expressway may refer to: * Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic. * Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road. *Expressway, the fictional s ...

Silas Creek Parkway Silas Creek Parkway is a route in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The road is designed as a partial loop around several neighborhoods, from northwestern Winston-Salem, to the southeast area of the city. The route is an expressway as it has grade-se ...

(

NC 67 North Carolina Highway 67 (NC 67) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The highway travels through Yadkin and Forsyth Counties between its western terminus at U.S. Route 21 Business (US 21 Business) ...

). US 158 leaves the road to merge with the

freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...

Salem Parkway ( US 421) for a short concurrency through the downtown area. Just east of town, it leaves US 421 and turns roughly north, closely paralleling nearby US 311, heading into Walkertown where both routes intersect NC 66. Here, Motorists can use NC 66 to connect between US 158 and US 311 within town. It then passes through Belews Creek, taking on a northeasterly path and effectively bypassing the Kernersville area, and passes thru Stokesdale where it meets two more NC Highways, NC 65, and

NC 68 North Carolina Highway 68 (NC 68) is a north–south state highway in North Carolina. It serves as a connector between Interstate 40 (I-40)/ U.S. Route 421 (US 421) and Piedmont Triad International Airport (via I-73). On its routin ...

. Shortly after, it passes through the north part of Summerfield, intersecting

Interstate 73 Interstate 73 (I-73) is a north–south Interstate Highway, located within the US state of North Carolina. Currently, there is one continuous section of I-73, totaling , first traversing the U.S. Route 220 (US 220) freeway from ...

(which carries

U.S. Route 220 U.S. Route 220 (US 220) is a spur route of US 20. It runs in a north–south layout in the eastern United States, unlike its parent route as well as conventionally even-numbered highways which run east-west. US 220 extends for f ...

along it). It then leads further east to Reidsville, where it links to US 29 Business. From Reidsville, US 158 connects the northern counties of North Carolina, going through the cities and towns of Yanceyville, Roxboro,

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

Henderson Henderson may refer to: People *Henderson (surname), description of the surname, and a list of people with the surname *Clan Henderson, a Scottish clan Places Argentina *Henderson, Buenos Aires Australia *Henderson, Western Australia Canada * H ...

Roanoke Rapids Roanoke Rapids () is a city in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 15,754 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Roanoke Rapids Micropolitan Statistical Area, and is also an anchor city of the Rocky Mo ...

Murfreesboro Murfreesboro is a city in and county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 152,769 according to the 2020 census, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010. Murfreesboro is located in the Nashville metropol ...

, 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 ...

. From

North Carolina Highway 168 North Carolina Highway 168 (NC 168) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Known as Caratoke Highway, the state highway runs from US 158 in Barco north to the Virginia state line in Moyock, where the hi ...

(NC 168) eastward, it carries traffic from the

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

region to 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 ...

. Normally, the route is a four-lane undivided highway with a speed limit of in Dare County, from its eastern terminus to the

Wright Memorial Bridge The Wright Memorial Bridge comprises two automobile bridges spanning the Currituck Sound, between Point Harbor, in Currituck County, and Kitty Hawk, in Dare County. The bridges carry US 158 and are dedicated to the Wright brothers. Hi ...

. Most of the route is otherwise a four-lane divided highway with a speed limit until NC 168 (which carries traffic to

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 ...

), where it turns left at an at-grade intersection. It then returns to being undivided. In Dare County, the highway runs in a north–south direction, although it is signed west–east. It acts as a bypass route for the Virginia Dare Trail ( NC 12), which runs parallel to US 158 to the east. For the entire length of the Outer Banks, US 158 is known as Croatan Highway.

History

US 158 was established in 1932, as a concurrency with NC 48 from Mocksville to

and NC 12, from Murfreesboro to

state line. US 158 also replaced US 117 routing between Murfreesboro to

Franklin, Virginia Franklin is the southwesternmost independent city in Hampton Roads, Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,180. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Franklin with Southampton County for statisti ...

. In 1934, NC 48 and NC 12 were removed from its routing. In 1937 or 1938, US 158's western terminus moved from Depot Street to Main Street in Mocksville. In 1941, US 158 swapped routes with NC 65 between Stokesdale and Reidsville. Also in the same year, US 158 was rerouted east at Murfreesboro, replacing NC 30 to Camden and NC 34 crossing the

Croatan Sound Croatan Sound is an inlet in Dare County, North Carolina. It connects Pamlico Sound with Albemarle Sound, and is bordered to the east by Roanoke Island; Roanoke Sound is on the other side of the island. Its name comes from the Croatan Indians who ...

and ending at NC 345, near Manteo; its old alignment north of Murfreesboro became part of US 258. Between 1945-1949, US 158's western terminus moved to its current location at Main and Lexington Streets, in Mocksville; also in same time period, US 158 was moved onto new routing through Roxboro; its old alignment along Main Street became US 501A. In 1946, US 158 bypassed north of Gatesville, with its old alignment became US 158A. Around 1951, US 158 was removed from

Roanoke Island Roanoke Island () is an island in Dare County, North Carolina, Dare County, bordered by the Outer Banks of North Carolina, United States. It was named after the historical Roanoke (tribe), Roanoke, a Carolina Algonquian people who inhabited the ar ...

and was truncated at its current eastern terminus at Whalebone Junction, on

Bodie Island Bodie Island ( ) is a long, narrow barrier peninsula that forms the northernmost portion of the Outer Banks. The land that is most commonly referred to as Bodie Island was at one time a true island, but in 1811 Roanoke Inlet, which had separated it ...

; its former routing was replaced by US 64/ US 264. In 1951, US 158 was placed on new bypass north of

, leaving behind US 158A along its old alignment. Around 1954, US 158 was placed on one-way streets in downtown

: westbound via Clover Dale Street, Glade Street and fifth street; eastbound via first and fourth streets. In 1955, US 158 was bypassed north of Warrenton, leaving behind US 158A along its former alignment. In 1959, US 158 was moved onto new expressway between Stratford to Marshall and Cherry Streets, in Winston-Salem. In 1960, US 158 was moved onto its current routing in Bodie Island, leaving behind US 158 Business. By 1962, US 158 had completed its transition onto the

in Winston-Salem, leaving behind US 158 Business. Between 1963-1967, US 158 was routed onto one-way streets in Weldon. In 1968, US 158 was rerouted in

. In 1971, US 158 was placed onto the Yanceyville bypass; its old routing through the downtown area was partly replaced by NC 62, with Main Street downgraded to secondary road. In 1973, US 13/US 158 was placed on new western bypass of Winton, its old alignment became part of NC 45. In 1979, US 158 was placed on bypass north of Reidsville, via US 29 Bus. and NC 14; its old alignment became mostly secondary roads, with just part remaining as NC 87. In 1984, US 17/US 158 was rerouted again in Elizabeth City. In 1995, US 158 was rerouted onto new bypass south of Murfreesboro, leaving behind US 158 Business. In May 2016, NCDOT's applied to AASHTO to change US 158's route in the Reidsville area. Instead of following Bus. US 29 and NC 87 north to NC 14 and then South-east on NC 14 to US 29, the route would bypass the City by taking US 158 south along Bus. US 29/NC 87 to where they split and then following NC 87 South to US 29. US 158 would then run concurrent with US 29 to the NC 14 exit where it would resume its old alignment. AASHTO approved the change on May 24 at the meeting of the Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering in Waterloo, Iowa. NCDOT passed its ordinance approving the change on March 5, 2018.

U.S. Route 117

U.S. Route 117 (US 117) was established in 1926 to run for from Norlina, through the towns of Warrenton,

, and

; from there it went north into

through

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

, and

Virginia Beach Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

. It was cut back to Franklin in 1931 or 1932, being replaced by US 58 east of there, and soon afterwards the remainder was renumbered US 158.Virginia Highways Page: US 117
/ref>

Junction list

Special routes

Winston-Salem business loop

U.S. Route 158 Business, was established in 1962 as a renumbering of mainline US 158 in downtown Winston-Salem. The business loop traversed on one-way streets: eastbound used Cherry Street, 4th Street, and Dunleith Street; westbound used Marshall Street and 5th Street. In 1970, it was decommissioned.

Oxford alternate route

U.S. Route 158 Alternate (US 158A), was established in 1954 as a partial bypass of Oxford. As an alternate

spur route A spur route is a short road forming a branch from a longer, more important road such as a freeway, Interstate Highway, or motorway. A bypass or beltway should not be considered a true spur route as it typically reconnects with another or the s ...

, it did not reconnect with US 158, instead going southwest to

US 15 U.S. Route 15 (US 15) is a -long United States highway, designated along South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from U.S. Route 17 Alternate in Walterboro, South Car ...

. In 1971, US 158A was eliminated when

Interstate 85 Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with I-95 in Petersburg, Virginia, n ...

was built over it.

Oxford business loop

U.S. Route 158 Business, established in 1994, is a business loop that followed the original US 158 route through downtown Oxford, via Roxboro Road, College Street, and Williamsboro Street.

Henderson alternate route

U.S. Route 158 Alternate (US 158A), was established in 1951, when mainline US 158 bypassed north of Henderson. US 158A followed the original route through downtown Henderson until 1960, when it was renumbered to US 158 Business.

Henderson business loop

U.S. Route 158 Business, established in 1960, is a business loop through downtown Henderson, via Oxford Road, Danbney Drive, and Garnett Street.

Warrenton alternate route

U.S. Route 158 Alternate (US 158A), was established in 1950, when mainline US 158 bypassed north of Gatesville. US 158A followed the original route through downtown Warrenton until 1960, when it was renumbered to US 158 Business.

Warrenton business loop

U.S. Route 158 Business, established in 1960, is a business loop through downtown Warrenton.

Murfreesboro business loop

U.S. Route 158 Business, established in 1996, is a business loop that followed the original US 158 route through downtown Murfreesboro, via Main Street.

Gatesville alternate route

U.S. Route 158 Alternate (US 158A), was established in 1948, two years after mainline US 158 bypassed north of Gatesville. It followed the original route through downtown Gatesville. In 1960, it was renumbered to US 158 Business.

Gatesville business loop

U.S. Route 158 Business, established in 1960, is a business loop through downtown Gatesville.

Kill Devil Hills business loop

U.S. Route 158 Business, was established in 1960 as a renumbering of mainline US 158 on

. In 1988, US 158 Business was decommissioned, replaced by a northern extension of NC 12.

References

External links

Route description

History

U.S. Route 117

Junction list

Special routes

Winston-Salem business loop

Oxford alternate route

Oxford business loop

Henderson alternate route

Henderson business loop

Warrenton alternate route

Warrenton business loop

Murfreesboro business loop

Gatesville alternate route

Gatesville business loop

Kill Devil Hills business loop

See also

References

External links