List of state highways in North Carolina

North Carolina Highway System
NC primary state route shields
System information
Length:	79,328 mi (127,666 km)
Notes:	Largest state-maintained highway network in the United States; state roads maintained by the NCDOT.
Highway names
Interstates:	Interstate X (I-X)
US Highways:	U.S. Highway X (US X)
State:	North Carolina Highway X (NC X)
System links
North Carolina Highway System Interstate U.S. State Scenic

State highways in North Carolina are owned and maintained by the U.S. state of North Carolina, through the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).

Since its establishment, there have been countless removals and reestablishment of routes in the state (check notes for current or last form count). Typically, it is one route wins favor over another; while the other route is either absorbed or downgraded to a secondary road. Added to this, there have been four events that have forced route number changes/eliminations in the state: 1933–1934 elimination of duplicate and renumbering of state routes along or that share with U.S. Routes, 1937 renumbering for contiguous routes with South Carolina, 1940 renumbering for contiguous routes with Virginia and 1961 renumbering of routes that share with Interstate highways in the state.

North Carolina alternate routes have been utilized in a multitude of ways, including business, bypass, cut-thru and spurs. After 1960, nearly all have been decommissioned or converted to business loops, and establishing new alternate routes have been prohibited. Today, only three alternate routes are currently active in the state.

North Carolina business routes were first established in 1960 with the conversation of some alternate routes. All business routes in the state are set up as a loop, meaning it will separate then converge back to the main highway. Typically, they serve to connect downtown areas in cities and towns in the state.

North Carolina, on rare occasion, will utilize other uniquely special routes in the state. Listed here are bypass, connector, divided and spur routes.