North Carolina Highway 15

North Carolina Highway 49
Route of NC 49 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length:	177.8 mi (286.1 km)
Existed:	1934 – present
Major junctions
South end:	SC 49 at Lake Wylie, SC
	I‑485 in Charlotte I‑77 / US 21 in Charlotte I‑485 near Harrisburg I‑73 / I‑74 / US 220 in Asheboro US 421 near Liberty I‑40 / I‑85 in Burlington
North end:	SR 49 / SR 96 at Virgilina, VA
Location
Counties:	Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Stanly, Rowan, Davidson, Randolph, Alamance, Orange, Caswell, Person, Granville
Highway system
North Carolina Highway System Interstate U.S. State Scenic ← NC 48 NC 50 →

North Carolina Highway 49 (NC 49) is a state highway in the North Carolina Highway System that traverses much of the Piedmont region of North Carolina.

The highway is part of a three-state highway 49 system, entering North Carolina near Lake Wylie, south of Charlotte, and exiting the state near Virgilina on the Virginia state line.

The route is an important corridor for traffic as it forms a part of the shortest route between the two largest cities in the Carolinas: Charlotte, and the North Carolina state capital of Raleigh. in Asheboro, NC 49 meets US 64, which forms the majority of the Charlotte-Raleigh link.

From where it enters the state, the highway passes through Charlotte and after crossing the more suburban portions of western Cabarrus County, heads northeast into Stanly County. From uptown Charlotte to University City NC 49 is concurrent with US 29. After passing Mount Pleasant in eastern Cabarrus County, the road becomes a designated North Carolina Scenic Byway. The route passes close to Pfeiffer University in Stanly County before crossing the Yadkin River near the Tuckertown Reservoir. After crossing the river, the road skirts the northern foothills of the ancient Uwharrie Mountains and then drops down into the Asheboro area.