Cape Fear region

The highway begins at Florida Avenue (SR 1555), in Topsail Beach, and goes northeast through the southern half of Topsail Island to Surf City, where it crosses over the Intracoastal Waterway and onto the mainland, in concurrency with NC 210. Entering Onslow County, it connects with US 17 at Holly Ridge. Entering back into Pender County, it crosses NC 53 at Maple Hill and skirts nearby Angola Bay State Game Land. In an event of emergency, NC 50 is designated and signed as an evacuation route for the coastal area. On Topsail Island, the highway is flanked predominantly by houses, with some view to Onslow Bay. Bicycle lanes also flank the highway in and around Surf City. North of Holly Ridge, the highway traverses through the Holly Shelter Swamp, Great Sandy Run Pocosin and Angola Swamp; most of which drains into the Cape Fear River.

With a brief overlap with NC 41 at Chinquapin, NC 50 goes northwest to Kenansville, where it overlaps with NC 24 Business and begins its parallel with I-40. Continuing northwest, it connects with Warsaw and switches concurrency with US 117 to Faison. Continuing solo till Dobbersville, where it overlaps with NC 55, it goes west into Newton Grove then splits with NC 55 after crossing I-40 to go northwest again. At Benson, it overlaps briefly with both NC 242 and NC 27. Taking a more northerly direction now, it eventually enters Wake County, passing by Lake Benson and into Garner, where it begins its overlap with US 70.

The route is predominantly surrounded by farmland with the occasional city, where farmers bring their products to market. At McGee Crossroads and continuing northward, the farmland gives way to sleeper communities for the Raleigh area.

Raleigh vicinity

The majority of the highway's route is concurrent with US 70 and to a lesser extent with US 401. At Garner, the highway continues northwest to Fayetteville Road (US 401), then goes north as Wilmington Street and later Saunders Street before crossing the Raleigh Beltline (I-40/US 64). As it nears Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, the highway splits into northbound McDowell and southbound Dawson streets. At the city center, is passes by the Raleigh Convention Center, Depot Historic District, Nash Square, and a block from the State Capital, Legislative Building and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

Leaving north from the city center, the highway's north and southbound lanes merge back together forming Capital Boulevard, which is squeezed between two rail-yards. Exiting from Capital Boulevard (US 401), it briefly overlaps Wade Avenue before connecting onto Glenwood Avenue. Continuing northwest again, it crosses the Raleigh Beltline (I-440/US 1) and enters Midtown Raleigh area. Near the Crabtree Valley Mall, NC 50 splits from US 70 and continues north along Creedmoor Road.

After crossing the Northern Wake Expressway (I-540), NC 50 leaves the Raleigh city limits. Crossing over the Neuse River, inside the Falls Lake State Recreation Area, it soon enters rural Granville County. At Creedmoor, NC 50 goes through the city center and connects with NC 56, before promptly ending .2 miles (0.32 km) later at US 15.

The highway throughout this area is typically four or more lanes with mostly commercial sites along its route.

Dedicated and memorial names

NC 50 features at least one dedicated or memorialized stretch along its route.

• Earl "Easy" Creech, Jr. BridgeOfficial North Carolina name of bridge over Interstate 95.^[2]

North Carolina Highway 13 (1934–1935)

North Carolina Highway 13 (NC 13) was a short primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. it ran from Raleigh to US 15 in Creedmoor. In 1934 the entirety of NC 21 was renumbered to avoid confusion with US 21 to the west. NC 13 is shown on the 1935 state highway map running north from Raleigh to NC 9 southeast of Leesville. The highway then traveled north intersecting NC 91 and crossing the Neuse River before ending at US 15/NC 56 in Creedmoor.^[7][6] The 1936 state highway map shows NC 13 completely renumbered as US 15A.^[8]

North Carolina Highway 221

North Carolina Highway 221 (NC 221) was established as a new primary routing from NC 102/NC 117, in Newton Grove, through Benson, to NC 55, in Coats. By the end of 1934 or early 1935, NC 221 was quickly renumbered as NC 50.