Heading north from Fort Fisher, U.S. 421 runs through the town of Kure Beach. Founded in 1947 at the crossroads of U.S. 421 and K Avenue, Kure Beach spread out along both roadways through the rest of the 20th century. The opening of Interstate 40 is cited as one reason why Kure Beach grew dramatically in the 1990s and 2000s. The town's webpage features three items: government, tourism, and hurricanes.
U.S. 421 (Carolina Beach Road) meets NC 132 (S College Road) at Monkey Junction between the communities of Silver Lake and Myrtle Grove. A local legend that may have inspired a similar concept in the novel Prince of Tides, the name "Monkey Junction" is based on a colorful past. The owner of a gas station at the forthcoming intersection brought live monkeys to his business, which encouraged people to stop there for a break. The station was a stop along the bus to Carolina Beach in the 1920s, and the driver referred to the area as "Monkey Junction." While the monkeys are long gone, the name stuck with locals, despite the area name of Myrtle Grove.1
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| U.S. 421 begins at Federal Point in Fort Fisher. Nearby coastal areas by the mouth of the Cape Fear River are located within Zeke's Island Unit of the North Carolina National Estuarine Reserve Sanctuary. 05/31/05 |
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| An array of signs appear at the exit from the Fort Fisher-Southport Ferry at U.S. 421. 05/31/05 |
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| The first confirming marker for U.S. 421 north stands just beyond Southport-Fort Fisher Ferry. 05/31/05 |
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| Several guide signs provide the distance to U.S. 17 via northbound U.S. 421. This sign follows the Fort Fisher-Southport Ferry, 22 miles from U.S. 17 near Downtown Wilmington. 05/31/05 |
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| NC 132 (South College Road) north to U.S. 17 and U.S. 70 east to NC 12 north connects motorists along U.S. 421 with the Cedar Island Ferry. The Cedar Island Ferry offers a connection between Cedar Island and Ocracoke near the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and it is popular for trips from southeastern North Carolina to the Outer Banks. 05/31/05 |
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| A pair of bicycle route trailblazers precede the Loggerhead Road south to the North Carolina Aquarium along northbound. 05/31/05 |
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| Battle Acre Road loops east from U.S. 421 (Fort Fisher Boulevard) to a beach access area as the highway northbound enters Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. Located at the southern tip of Pleasure Island, the recreation area is well known for swimming, sun bathing and similar recreational pursuits. 05/31/05 |
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| Trees line both sides of U.S. 421 by the entrance to Fort Fisher, a Civil War-era military installation. The Confederate States of America used this location to guard the entrance to Wilmington's port via the Cape Fear River starting in 1861. Union armies took over the fort in 1865, three months before the end of the Civil War. 05/31/05 |
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| Leaving the state recreation area, U.S. 421 enters the town of Kure Beach. 05/31/05 |
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| Storm surge and wind from hurricanes can cause widespread damage and destruction to the region, and Pleasure Island is vulnerable by approaching storms. 05/31/05 |
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| Another distance sign indicates that U.S. 17 is now 18 miles further north on U.S. 421, only four miles since the previous assembly in Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. 05/31/05 |
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| A series of beachfront homes in Kure Beach are painted in pastel colors (light peach, light blue, yellow, light green), typical of coastal communities. 05/31/05 |
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| Numerous overhead utility lines span across U.S. 421, lessening the visual aesthetics along this particular stretch. The Atlantic Ocean otherwise lies east of adjacent beach homes and Fort Fisher Boulevard. 05/31/05 |
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| Kure Beach abuts the town of Carolina Beach at Alabama Avenue. Carolina Beach spreads across northern reaches of Pleasure Island between Carolina Beach State Park and the Atlantic Ocean. 05/31/05 |
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| Continuing north through Wilmington Beach in the town of Carolina Beach. Most beachfront homes along this stretch have primary occupancy on the second floor, so that the living space is above storm surge from hurricanes and nor'easters. 05/31/05 |
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| U.S. 421 shifts one block away from the beachfront through an S-curve by Carolina Lake. 05/31/05 |
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| Entering the Carolina Beach business district along U.S. 421 (Lake Park Boulevard) at Cape Fear Boulevard. Carolina Beach Boardwalk lies just to the east. 05/31/05 |
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| U.S. 421 expands into a four lane, divided arterial ahead of Dow Road (SR 1573) west to Carolina Beach State Park. 05/31/05 |
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| The succeeding traffic light operates at the entrance to a shopping center along the west side of U.S. 421 and Access Road (SR 1533) to residential areas in north Carolina Beach. 05/31/05 |
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| U.S. 421 leaves Pleasure Island across the 1962-built Snow's Cut Bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. 05/31/05 |
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| Lowering from the Snow's Cut Bridge, U.S. 421 intersects River Road west and South Seabreeze Road east. River Road loops southwest and runs along the Cape Fear River north to Silver Lake. 05/31/05 |
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| Reassurance marker for U.S. 421 north posted after River Road. 05/31/05 |
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| U.S. 421 continues north toward Myrtle Grove and NC 132 (S College Road) at Monkey Junction. 05/31/05 |
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| U.S. 421 (Carolina Branch Road) branches northwest from NC 132 (South College Road) at Monkey Junction. NC 132 commences a 15 mile route northward to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, U.S. 117 and Interstate 40. 05/31/05 |
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| U.S. 421 combines with U.S. 17/76 west across the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge from 3rd and Wooster Streets. U.S. 17 Business continues 3rd Street north eight blocks into Downtown Wilmington. 11/11/06 |
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| Wooster Street shifts onto an expressway west to the Cape Fear River Memorial Bridge. The lone shield assembly for U.S. 17-76-421 was posted just beyond 3rd Street. With completion of Martin Luther King, Jr. Parkway in September 2005, U.S. 74 was relocated northward onto the Parsley Street Bridge. 06/01/05 |
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| A loop ramp joins the Cape Fear River Memorial Bridge westbound from Front Street. U.S. 421 departs from U.S. 17/76 west at the ensuing interchange on Eagle Island to combine with U.S. 74 and NC 133 north. 01/19/19 |
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| This signal regulates traffic crossing the lift bridge. The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge opened to traffic on October 1, 1969. 01/19/19 |
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| U.S. 17/76 combine with U.S. 74 west and NC 133 south to Leland. U.S. 421 joins U.S. 74 east and NC 133 north to Battleship NC and the Isabel Holmes Bridge. 01/19/19 |
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| U.S. 421 north combines with U.S. 74 east / NC 133 north just ahead of the turn off for the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial. 06/24/10 |
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| The USS North Carolina Battleship is permanently moored across from Downtown Wilmington as a floating memorial. U.S. 74-421 / NC 133 cross the New Hanover County line at USS North Carolina Road east. 06/24/10 |
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| U.S. 74-421 span the Cape Fear River across the four lane wide S. Thomas Rhodes Bridge. 06/24/10 |
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| The Cape Fear River converges with the mouth of the Northeast Cape Fear River just northwest of Downtown Wilmington. 06/24/10 |
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| U.S. 74 east / NC 133 north separate from U.S. 421 north for the Isabel Holmes Bridge across the NE Cape Fear River. The two overlap an additional 1.8 miles to an interchange where NC 133 turns north to Wrightsboro and Castle Hayne. 06/24/10 |
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| U.S. 74 provides a bypass of Wilmington for drivers bound for Wrightsville Beach via Martin Luther King, Jr. Parkway. U.S. 421 continues another 2.7 miles north to Interstate 140. 06/24/10 |
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| Trailblazers for I-40/140 stand beyond U.S. 74/NC 133 along U.S. 421 north. 06/24/10 |
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| A small guide sign precedes the parclo interchange with Interstate 140. 06/24/10 |
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| Interstate 140 rises onto the Dan Cameron Bridge over the NE Cape Fear River. The Wilmington Bypass extends east from I-40 east to U.S. 17 ahead of Scotts Hill. 06/24/10 |
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| Topsail Beach lies beyond the I-140 east end off U.S. 17 in Pender County. I-140 west to Leland opened to traffic on December 19, 2017. 06/24/10 |
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| U.S. 421 follows a freeway west from Winston-Salem to Wilkesboro. The freeway meets Windsor Road at a diamond interchange west of Interstate 77. 07/09/10 |
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| Windsor Road connects U.S. 421 with two former alignments, Old US Hwy 421 to the north and Yadkin Wilkes Highway to the south. The road otherwise arcs southeast from Cycle and Windsors Crossroads. 07/09/10 |
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| Exit 267 departs U.S. 421 north to Windsor Road.
Swan Creek Road stems north from Old US Hwy 421 at Pea Ridge to Swan Creek and Jonesville. There is no direct access to the road from the U.S. 421 freeway. 07/09/10 |
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| Ridgeview Road lines the north side of U.S. 421 from Swan Creek Road and Old US Hwy 421 northwest to become Old 60 Hwy ahead of Dennyville Road. Dennyville Road connects the freeway with the adjacent road at a folded diamond interchange (Exit 270). 07/09/10 |
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| U.S. 421 travels by Redding Mountain ahead of Exit 272 for Clingman Road. Clingman Road leads north to Clingman and NC 268 (Elkin Highway) at Ronda. 07/09/10 |
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| U.S. 421 enters the diamond interchange (Exit 272) with Clingman Road. Clingman Road becomes Somers Road south of Wilkes-Yadkin Road (old U.S. 421) en route to Osbornville. 07/09/10 |
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| U.S. 421 passes the Brushy Mountains and next meets Red White & Blue Road at diamond interchange (Exit 276). 07/09/10 |
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| U.S. 421 overtakes the former alignment to the south and ahead of Exit 277 for Antioch. Speedway Road (former U.S. 421) leads west from Windy Gap Road and U.S. 421 to North Wilkesboro Speedway and Call. 07/09/10 |
Page Updated 07-11-2020.
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