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Transportation in North Carolina facts for kids

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This article helps you understand how people and goods move around in North Carolina. It covers everything from planes flying high to trains rolling on tracks, and buses driving through cities.

Airports in North Carolina

Commercial Airports in North Carolina
Commercial Airports in North Carolina

Airports are super important for travel. North Carolina has many airports, some for regular passenger flights and others for different uses.

Airports for Travelers

These airports are where you catch flights to other cities or even other countries!

Other Airports

These airports are not usually for regular passenger flights. They might be used for private planes or cargo.

  • Hickory Regional Airport in Hickory
  • Kinston Regional Jetport in Kinston

Trains in North Carolina

Trains are a great way to travel across North Carolina and beyond. Amtrak is the main passenger train service.

Amtrak Passenger Trains

Amtrak runs several train lines through North Carolina every day.

  • The Carolinian travels between New York and Charlotte. It stops at many cities in North Carolina, like Raleigh and Greensboro.
  • The Piedmont runs twice a day between Raleigh and Charlotte. It stops at the same places as the Carolinian.
  • The Crescent goes all the way from New York to New Orleans. In North Carolina, it stops in cities like Charlotte and Greensboro.
  • The Palmetto travels between New York and Savannah, Georgia. It stops in places like Rocky Mount and Fayetteville.
  • The Silver Meteor connects New York and Miami, Florida. It stops in Rocky Mount and Fayetteville.
  • The Silver Star goes from New York to Tampa, Florida. It stops in cities like Raleigh and Cary.

North Carolina helps pay for the Piedmont and Carolinian trains. There are also plans for a new high-speed rail line. This line would connect Raleigh to Richmond, Virginia, making train travel even faster!

Public Transportation

LYNX Car 104 at TremontStation
LYNX light rail train in Charlotte

Many cities in North Carolina have public transportation systems. These systems help people get around without needing a car.

City Transit Systems

  • The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) has buses and a light rail line called LYNX. The LYNX light rail connects Charlotte with nearby Pineville. There are plans to make the LYNX system even bigger!
  • GoRaleigh runs buses in Raleigh. They even have a special trolley for tours of downtown Raleigh. North Carolina State University also has its own bus system for students and staff.
  • GoCary operates bus routes in Cary.
  • GoDurham provides bus service in Durham.
  • The Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST) has buses and shuttles in Fayetteville.
  • GoTriangle connects the bus systems of Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill. This helps people travel between these cities.
  • The Greensboro Transit Authority (GTA) runs buses in Greensboro. There's also a special HEAT system for college students in the area.
  • The Winston-Salem Transit Authority (WSTA) has many bus routes in Winston-Salem. They even have a new downtown transportation center.
  • Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART) helps with transportation across 10 counties in the Triad area. They have express buses and are looking into new train services.
  • Wave Transit operates buses and a downtown trolley in Wilmington.
  • The Asheville Transit System runs buses in Asheville and to nearby Black Mountain.
  • Greenville has Greenville Area Transit (GREAT). East Carolina University and Vidant Medical Center also have their own shuttles.

Major Roads and Highways

North Carolina has a huge network of roads and highways. These roads connect cities and towns all over the state.

North Carolina's Road Network

The state has many Interstate Highways, which are major roads that cross state lines. These include:

  • Interstate 26
  • Interstate 40
  • Interstate 73
  • Interstate 74
  • Interstate 77
  • Interstate 85
  • Interstate 95

North Carolina also has many U.S. Highways and state highways. In fact, North Carolina has the largest state-maintained highway network in the United States! This means the state takes care of about 77,400 miles (124,560 km) of roads.

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