NC 16 was established in 1921 as an original state highway, traveling from
SC 16, at the
South Carolina state line, north through
Gastonia,
Dallas and
Lincolnton, to
NC 10, in
Conover. In 1926, NC 16 was rerouted along Aspen Street in Lincolnton towards
High Shoals, removing it from a short concurrency with
NC 27 to
Boger City. In 1929, NC 16 was extended north through
Taylorsville and
Wilkesboro, replacing
NC 67; then northwest through
Jefferson and then west to the
Tennessee state lane, replacing
NC 68. In 1930,
US 321 was assigned onto NC 16 between the South Carolina state line to Conover. In 1934, NC 16 was truncated at
US 64/
US 70/US 321, in Conover; its former routing south replaced by US 321. In 1937, NC 16 was rerouted to its current alignment between
Millers Creek and
Glendale Springs, leaving behind secondary roads Old North Carolina Highway 16 (SR 1562 and SR 1559 in Wilkes County, SR 1648 in Ashe County) and Trading Post Road (SR 1632). Around 1940, NC 16 was extended south of Conover, via US 321 to
Newton, then southeast through
Denver and
Charlotte, to its current southern terminus at
NC 75, in
Waxhaw; the new routing replaced part of
NC 73 and all of NC 271 and NC 262. In 1940, NC 16 was rerouted to its current northern terminus at the
Virginia state line, in
Grassy Creek, with continuation as
SR 92 to
Mouth of Wilson. Its old alignment, through Jefferson, to the Tennessee state line was replaced by
NC 88; while NC 16 replaced all of NC 681. In 1954, NC 16 was rerouted in Wilkesboro, going west on
NC 268 and then on new primary road bypassing west of
North Wilkesboro. Its old alignment to North Wilkesboro continued on as
NC 18; while Boone Trail (SR 1500), to
Cricket, was downgraded. In 1958, NC 16 was placed on new primary road west from its former alignment, Old North Carolina Highway 16 (SR 1573), bypassing
Crumpler and Grassy Creek. In 1962, NC 16 was rerouted, in Charlotte, along Hawthorne Lane from Casewell Street. In 1969, NC 16 was rerouted onto the new bypass route east of
Moravian Falls; then added onto new
US 421 bypass, in Wilkesboro, going west then onto new primary routing north to
Millers Creek. The old alignment through Cricket were downgraded to secondary roads: Curtis Bridge Road (SR 1185) and Boone Trail (SR 1372). In 1970, NC 16 was converted to
one-way streets in Newton, with northbound on College Avenue and southbound on Main Street. In 1974, NC 16 was rerouted, from Trade Street, onto North Graham Street then northwest onto the Northwest Freeway (future Brookshire Freeway); its old alignment along West Trade Street and Rozzelles Ferry Road were downgraded to secondary roads. In 1977, NC 16 was converted to one-way streets, with northbound along third street and Independence Boulevard, and southbound along Elizabeth Avenue and Hawthorne Lane. Final configuration of NC 16 in
Uptown Charlotte came in 1982, with its removal along Hawthorne Lane, Elizabeth Avenue and Trade Street, rerouted along 3rd/4th streets onto the John Belk Freeway then north on the Brookshire Freeway. In 1989, NC 16 was rerouted onto new Brookshire Boulevard in northwest Mecklenburg County; its former alignment along BellHaven Boulevard and Rozzelles Ferry Road were downgraded to secondary roads. In 1990, NC 16 was placed on new four-lane
expressway between
Mountain Island Lake and
Lucia; part of its old alignment was downgraded to secondary road, while
NC 273 was extended along most of it. In 2007, NC 16 was extended on new four-lane
freeway between Lucia and
NC 73; its old alignment through
Lowesville become NC 16 Business. In 2008, NC 16 was placed on new four-lane
boulevard bypass east of Newton; its old alignment becomes the second NC 16 Business loop. In 2012, NC 16 was placed on new four-lane expressway, from NC 73 to
Killian Crossroads; its old alignment through Denver becomes an extension of NC 16 Business from Lowesville.
North Carolina Highway 262 North Carolina Highway 262 (
NC 262) appeared in 1930 as new primary routing from
NC 25, in Waxhaw, to
US 74/
NC 20 (7th Street), in Charlotte. In 1940, it was entirely replaced by an extension of NC 16.
North Carolina Highway 271 North Carolina Highway 271 (
NC 271) appeared in 1926 running from
Thrift to
NC 20 near
Charlotte. In 1931 the road was extended north to
NC 10 in
Newton. The next year the original section of NC 271 was renumbered as part
NC 27A. Two years later NC 271 was truncated to
Triangle with the routing from Triangle to Newton becoming a part of
NC 73. In 1940 the rest of the road was renumbered as part of NC 16.
North Carolina Highway 681 North Carolina Highway 681 (
NC 681) was established in 1928 as a renumbering of part of
NC 68; traveling from NC 68/
NC 69, in Jefferson, to the Virginia state line, at
Grassy Creek. In 1931, Virginia established
SR 139 to connect with NC 681 at the state line, which continued to
Mouth of Wilson. In 1940, the route was decommissioned in favor of NC 16. ==Major intersections==