North Carolina Highway 133

North Carolina Highway 133 marker
North Carolina Highway 133
Map
NC 133 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length46.6 mi[1] (75.0 km)
Existed1961[2][3]–present
Major junctions
South endOak Island Drive in Oak Island
Major intersections
North end NC 210 in Bells Crossroads
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountiesBrunswick, New Hanover, Pender
Highway system
← NC 132→ NC 134

North Carolina Highway 133 (NC 133) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It traverses 46.6 miles (75.0 km) from Oak Island Drive in Oak Island to NC 210 in Bells Crossroads. The route serves communities such as Southport, Belville, Leland, Wilmington, and Castle Hayne. Additionally, NC 133 serves as an entry point for Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point located to its east. Much of NC 133 runs parallel to the Cape Fear River and Brunswick River between Southport and Belville. West of Wilmington, NC 133 runs concurrently with U.S. Route 17 (US 17), US 74, and US 76. The road follows another concurrency along US 74 and US 421, west of Downtown Wilmington, and crosses into New Hanover County on the Isabel Holmes Bridge. North of Wilmington, NC 133 exits to the north, serving several suburban communities north of Wilmington. NC 133 runs concurrently with US 117 through Castle Hayne, before bearing northwest toward Bells Crossroads.

As early as 1916, portions of NC 133, particularly between its northern terminus and Wilmington were added to the state's highway system as NC 40 and NC 60. The segment later was used for both U.S. Route 421 (US 421) and US 117. The southern portion between Belville and Southport remained unnumbered until 1951 when it was numbered as part of NC 130. In 1957, NC 40 was added as a primary route from NC 210 to Southport, replacing part of US 421 and NC 130. During this time, NC 40 was also extended south from Southport to Oak Island. Due to the establishment of Interstate 40 (I-40) in North Carolina, NC 40 was renumbered as NC 133 in 1961. Since its establishment, the routing around Wilmington has been adjusted, as new expressways have been built.

  1. ^ "North Carolina Highway 133" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference First 1961 map was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Second 1961 map was invoked but never defined (see the help page).