NC 213
North Carolina Highway 213 is a primary state highway in the state of North Carolina. It connects Marshall with Walnut and Mars Hill.
NC 213 begins in Walnut, where it soon overlaps with US 25/US 70 to "Hayes Run Road" exit. However, this whole section is disputable because there are no signage along the route to confirm this, except at "Hayes Run Road"; only the State Transportation Map confirms this alignment.
From US 25/US 70, NC 213 goes through the Petersburg community before passing through Bailey Gap (2,390 ft (730 m), highest point on route). The highway enters Mars Hill as Cascade Street, changing to Carl Eller Road after Main Street. At the eastern edge of Mars Hill, NC 213 ends at I-26/US 19/US 23.
Established in 1928 as a renumbering of NC 69, from US 70/NC 20, in Marshall, to US 19/NC 69 near Forks of Ivy. In 1930, NC 213 was realigned around Petersburg, leaving behind several secondary roads; also in same year the highway was extended west onto new routing through Canto and renumbered NC 63 to Trust. In 1934, NC 213 was rerouted northeast from Mars Hill to intersect with US 19/US 23, replacing NC 31, while the route to Forks of Ivy was replaced by NC 36. By 1947, NC 213 was pushed back onto a new realignment of NC 36 near California Creek Road.
In 1951, NC 213 was truncated west again in Marshall, dropping to Canto and NC 63 regaining its original link to Trust. Around 1977, NC 213 was placed on new alignment between Marshall and Petersburg, leaving behind Silver Mill Road. In 1979, NC 213 was extended east to US 19/US 23, replacing part of NC 36. In 1982, NC 213 was rerouted onto the new Marshall Bypass to Walnut.
There was planned, during the 1970s-80s, to extend NC 213 from Walnut to NC 209 in Spring Creek; connecting the communities of Barnard, Worley, and Big Pine. However, because of right-of-way issues at Troublesome Gap, the highway project was halted.
The entire route is in Madison County.
