North Carolina Highway 12

North Carolina Highway 12
Route of NC 12 highlighted in red; approximate ferry routes in blue
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length	148.0 mi[1] (238.2 km)
Existed	1962–present
Tourist routes	Outer Banks Scenic Byway
Major junctions
South end	US 70 in Sea Level
Major intersections	NC 45 in Ocracoke US 64 / US 158 in Nags Head US 158 in Kitty Hawk
North end	North Beach Access Ramp in Corolla
Location
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Counties	Carteret, Hyde, Dare, Currituck
Highway system
North Carolina Highway System Interstate US State Scenic
← NC 11 → US 13

North Carolina Highway 12 (NC 12) is a 148.0-mile-long (238.2 km) primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina, linking the peninsulas and islands of the northern Outer Banks. Most sections of NC 12 are two lanes wide, and there are also two North Carolina Ferry System routes which maintain continuity of the route as it traverses the Outer Banks region. NC 12 is part of the Outer Banks Scenic Byway, a National Scenic Byway. The first NC 12 appeared on the 1924 North Carolina Official Map and at its greatest length ran from NC 30 in Pollocksville to NC 48 near Murfreesboro. Over time it was replaced by both U.S. Route 258 (US 258) and NC 58 and ceased to exist in 1958. The current NC 12 first appeared on the 1964 state highway map running from US 158 in Nags Head to Ocracoke. In 1976 NC 12 was extended to US 70 on the mainland and in 1987 was extended north to Corolla.