U.S. Route 15 in North Carolina

This article is about the section of U.S. Route 15 in North Carolina. For the entire length of the highway, see U.S. Route 15.

U.S. Route 15
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length:	159 mi (256 km)
Existed:	1927 – present
Major junctions
South end:	US 15 / US 401 at the SC line near McColl, SC
	I-74 / US 74 in Laurinburg US 421 in Sanford I-40 in Durham NC 147 in Durham I-85 / US 70 in Durham
North end:	US 15 at the VA line near Clarksville, VA
Location
Counties:	Scotland, Hoke, Moore, Lee, Chatham, Orange, Durham, Person
Highway system
United States Numbered Highways List Bannered Divided Replaced North Carolina Highway System ← NC 14 NC 16 →

U.S. Route 15 is a north–south United States highway that traverses the majority of North Carolina in concurrency with U.S. Route 501, known as the "15-501" ("Fifteen Five-o-one").

Route description

US 15-501 turns left in Durham

From the South Carolina state line, US 15 is in concurrency with US 401 to Laurinburg. Merging with US 501, it becomes what is known as the "15-501" ("Fifteen Five-o-one"), a concurrency that extends for 106 miles (171 km) across central North Carolina; US 15 also the dominant partner, using its mile markers along the route. After Laurinburg it goes north to Aberdeen, linking briefly with US 1 before continuing to Pinehurst. In Pinehurst, 15-501 goes through a rare roundabout, then continues north, through Carthage, back to US 1. After another brief concurrency with US 1 through Sanford, it exits off the freeway and goes due north to Pittsboro. After Pittsboro, 15-501 becomes an expressway, connecting the cities of Chapel Hill and Durham; this section of the route is famous because of the two universities it connects: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University. Though the road is a symbol of the separation of the Carolina-Duke rivalry, NCDOT has been trying to remedy that by making the route a superstreet for better traffic flow. In Durham, 15-501 upgrades to an urban freeway, allowing for quick access from south Durham to north; the freeway ends merging into Interstate 85. At exit 176B (on I-85), US 501 splits off towards Roxboro, while US 15 continues with I-85 towards Oxford.

After Durham, US 15 continues to follow I-85 till exit 186A, where it goes first to Creedmoor, then on into Oxford. After going through downtown Oxford, it continues north, near Mayo Lake, to Clarksville, Virginia.

History

Established in 1927, it was aligned along NC 75 from the South Carolina state line, through Rockingham, Pinehurst and Durham, to the Virginia state line.

Junction list

County	Location	Mile	#	Destinations	Notes
Scotland	Laurinburg	5		US 15 Bus. north / US 401 Bus. north
		6		I-74 / US 74 / US 501 south – Rockingham, Lumberton, Wilmington	South end of US 501 overlap
		7		US 74 Bus. (Church Street)
		9		US 401 north / US 15 Bus. south / US 501 Bus. south – Fayetteville	North end of US 401 overlap
		12		NC 144 (Old Wire Road) – Wagram
Moore	Aberdeen	31.8		NC 211 east – Raeford	East end of NC 211 overlap
		32		US 1 south – Rockingham	South end of US 1 overlap
		32.2		NC 5 – Pinehurst
		34		US 1 north – Southern Pines	North end of US 1 overlap
	Pinehurst	38		NC 2 / NC 211 west – Southern Pines, West End	Roundabout, west end of NC 211 overlap
		41.5		NC 73 west – West End
	Carthage	45		NC 22 south – Southern Pines	South end of NC 22 overlap
		46		NC 22 north (McNiell Street)	North end of NC 22 overlap
		48		NC 24 east / NC 27 east (Monroe Street)	East end of NC 24/NC 27 overlap
		50		NC 24 east / NC 27 east – Cameron	West end of NC 24/NC 27 overlap
Lee		59		US 1 south – Cameron, Southern Pines	South end of US 1 overlap
	Tramway	61		NC 78 east (Tramway Road) – Cameron
	Sanford	63.5		US 1 Bus. north / NC 42 – Asheboro, Fuquay-Varina
		65		Spring Lane
		65.5	69A	US 421 / NC 87 south – Dunn, Greensboro	South end of NC 87 overlap
		66	69B*	Burns Drive
		66.5	70	Oscar Keller Jr Highway – Fuquay-Varina	Future US 421
		67.5	71	US 1 north / US 1 Bus. south – Cary, Raleigh	North end of US 1 overlap
Chatham	Pittsboro	81		NC 87 north – Graham, Burlington	North end of NC 87 overlap
		82		US 64 Bus.
		84		US 64 – Siler City, Apex
Orange	Chapel Hill	97		NC 54 west – Graham	West end of NC 54 overlap
		99		NC 54 east (Raleigh Road)	East end of NC 54 overlap
		102		Franklin Street
Durham	Durham	103		I-40 – Greensboro, Raleigh
		105	105	US 15 Bus. north / US 501 Bus. north (Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard)
		106	106	Cornwallis Road
		107	107	NC 751 (Cameron Boulevard)
		108	108	NC 147 (Durham Freeway) / Hillsborough Road	Signed as exits 108A (east), 108B (west), 108C (Hillsbrough Road)
		109		I-85 south – Greensboro	South end of I-85 overlap; southbound exit and northbound entrance
US 15 overlaps with Interstate 85 (exits 174A to 186A)
Granville		122		I-85 north – Petersburg	North end of I-85 overlap
	Creedmoor	127		NC 56 – Butner, Franklinton
		139		I-85 – Durham, Petersburg
	Oxford	142		US 158 Bus. east (Williamsboro Street) / NC 96 south (Linden Avenue) – Henderson	East end of US 158 Business overlap, south end of NC 96 overlap
		143		US 158 Bus. west (Roxboro Road) / NC 96 north – Roxboro	West end of US 158 Business overlap, north end of NC 96 overlap
		144		US 158 (Oxford Loop Road) – Roxboro, Henderson
Concurrency terminus       Closed/former       HOV only       Incomplete access       Tolled/ETC       Unopened

Bannered routes

Laurinburg–Raleigh alternate route

U.S. Route 15A
Location:	Laurinburg–Raleigh, North Carolina
Length:	135.0 mi (217.3 km)
Existed:	1936–1957

Established in 1936 as a renumbering of U.S. Route 401, from the South Carolina state line to Creedmore, going through the cities of Laurinburg, Raeford, Fayetteville, Lillington, and Raleigh. In 1950, South Carolina discontinued the US 15A concurrency with US 15, but was not till 1953 when North Carolina followed and moved US 15A's southern terminus in Laurinburg. In 1957, US 15A was renumbered back to US 401.

Laurinburg business loop

U.S. Route 15 Business
Location:	Laurinburg, North Carolina
Length:	3.6 mi (5.8 km)
Existed:	1962–present

Established between 1960-1962 following the original mainline US 15 route through Laurinburg. US 15 Business, in concurrency partly with US 401 Business and US 501 Business, traverses along Main Street and Aberdeen Road.

The entire route is in Laurinburg, Scotland County.

Mile	km	Destinations	Notes
0.0	0.0	US 15 / US 401 (McColl Road) – McColl	South end of US 401 Business overlap
0.5	0.8	I-74 / US 74 – Hamlet, Rockingham, Lumberton
1.3	2.1	US 501 Bus. south – Raemon, Rowland	South end of US 501 Business overlap
2.0	3.2	US 74 Bus. (Church Street) – Hamlet, Maxton
2.9	4.7	US 401 Bus. north (Main Street)	North end of US 401 Business overlap
3.6	5.8	US 15 / US 401 / US 501 – Aberdeen, Wagram, Raeford	North end of US 501 Business overlap
Concurrency terminus       Closed/former       HOV only       Incomplete access       Tolled/ETC       Unopened

Sanford alternate route

U.S. Route 15A
Location:	Sanford, North Carolina
Length:	6.5 mi (10.5 km)
Existed:	1957–1960

Established in 1957 when mainline US 15 was bypassed west of Sanford. US 15A, in concurrency with US 1A and US 501A, traversed on Carthage Street and Hawkins Avenue. In 1960, it was renumbered as US 15 Business.

Sanford business loop

U.S. Route 15 Business
Location:	Sanford, North Carolina
Length:	6.5 mi (10.5 km)
Existed:	1960–1978

Established in 1960 as a renumbering of US 15A along Carthage Street and Hawkins Avenue, in concurrency with US 1 Business and US 501 Business. Between 1976-1978, US 1 Business was rerouted along NC 42 on Wicker Street; it is believed that both US 15 Business and US 501 Business were decommissioned by that time.

Chapel Hill alternate route

U.S. Route 15A
Location:	Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Length:	4.3 mi (6.9 km)
Existed:	1953–1960

Established in 1953 when mainline US 15 was bypassed around Chapel Hill. US 15A, in concurrency with US 501A, traversed on Columbia Street and Franklin Street. In 1960, it was renumbered as US 15 Business.

Chapel Hill business loop

U.S. Route 15 Business
Location:	Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Length:	4.3 mi (6.9 km)
Existed:	1960–1987

Established in 1960 as a renumbering of US 15A along Columbia and Franklin Streets, in concurrency with US 501 Business. It was decommissioned between 1985-1987.

Durham business loop

U.S. Route 15 Business
Location:	Durham, North Carolina
Length:	6.4 mi (10.3 km)
Existed:	1960–present

Established in 1960 as a renumbering of mainline US 15, along University Drive and Roxboro Street, through downtown Durham. It is in concurrency with US 501 Business for majority of its route and has relativity unchanged since inception.

The entire route is in Durham, Durham County.

Mile	km	Destinations	Notes
0.0	0.0	US 15 / US 501 – Chapel Hill, Durham Downtown	South end of US 501 Business overlap
1.6	2.6	NC 751 (Academy Road)	To Duke University
4.5	7.2	NC 147 (Durham Freeway) – RTP
5.0	8.0	US 70 Bus. / NC 98 (Ramseur Street/Holloway Street)	Brief overlap of eastbound US 70 Business and NC 98
6.4	10.3	I-85 / US 15 / US 70 / US 501 Bus. – Roxboro, Greensboro, Oxford, Raleigh	North end of US 501 Business overlap
Concurrency terminus       Closed/former       HOV only       Incomplete access       Tolled/ETC       Unopened

Popularity

• Fifteen501 is a magazine devoted to life in Durham, Orange and Chatham counties, named after the highway that connects these areas. It is published quarterly.
• The highway is mentioned in The Mountain Goats' song "Wild Sage", from the album Get Lonely.

See also

• Carolina-Duke rivalry
• Duke University
• Eno River
• Eno River State Park
• Fort Bragg Military Reservation

• Franklin Street
• Mayo Lake
• Pinehurst Resort
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

References

U.S. Route 15
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