Best I-95 Stops in North Carolina | Road Trip Exit Guide

North Carolina’s I-95 corridor runs about 182 miles through the eastern part of the state: mostly flat, rural, and long. Most drivers treat it as a slog to get through. But if you know where to look, NC has some genuinely worthwhile stops including a world-class BBQ scene, a surprising Hollywood connection, and one of the best small-town history destinations in the South.

Planning a stop? Hotels along I-95 in North Carolina book up fast on summer weekends and holiday travel days — locking in a room ahead of time saves you the last-minute scramble.

🎬 Ava Gardner Museum , Smithfield, NC (Exit 95)

Smithfield is the birthplace of Ava Gardner, one of the biggest Hollywood stars of the 1940s and 50s. The museum is intimate and surprisingly excellent, with original film costumes, personal photos, movie memorabilia, and the story of a tobacco farmer’s daughter who became a global icon. About 5 minutes from Exit 95. Admission is around $8. Don’t skip it.

The Ava Gardner Museum has been called “a little gem of a museum that punches way above its weight” by visitors on TripAdvisor, who consistently rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars. Travel writers who stumble across it tend to make it a permanent fixture in their NC itineraries. It’s one of those rare highway-adjacent stops that genuinely surprises people.

🐷 Skylight Inn BBQ , Ayden, NC (near Exit 121)

North Carolina’s eastern-style BBQ (whole hog, vinegar-based sauce) is a religion, and Ayden is one of its holiest sites. Skylight Inn BBQ has been slicing whole-hog BBQ since 1947. No frills, no fancy sides, no pretension. Just pork, slaw, and cornbread, done the same way for over 75 years.

The New York Times food section once called founder Pete Jones “the Pope of Pork” and ranked Skylight Inn among the most important barbecue destinations in America. Southern Living consistently lists it as one of the essential NC BBQ stops, noting its “no-compromise approach to whole-hog cooking” that has made it a pilgrimage destination for serious barbecue lovers. It’s about 15 minutes from I-95 and absolutely worth the detour.

🏺 Halifax Historic District , Halifax, NC (Exit 145)

The site where North Carolina became the first colony to vote for independence from Britain in April 1776, two months before the Declaration. The Historic Halifax State Historic Site preserves original 18th-century buildings including a jail, courthouse, and tavern. Free to visit. Less than 10 minutes from I-95. A surprisingly moving piece of American history that almost nobody knows about.

The North Carolina Historic Sites office describes the Halifax Resolves as “the first official action by an American colony calling for independence,” making it a legitimately significant stop for anyone who cares about the country’s founding. Free to visit, never crowded, and right off the exit.

🌳 Medoc Mountain State Park , near Hollister, NC

About 20 minutes from I-95 near Exit 154, Medoc Mountain offers some of the best day-hiking in eastern NC. Despite the name, these are gentle ridges rather than true mountains, making them perfect for stretching your legs after hours in the car. The Little Fishing Creek trail is especially scenic. Free entry.

🎶 Tobacco Farm Life Museum , Kenly, NC (Exit 107)

Right off I-95 at Exit 107, this museum tells the story of rural North Carolina’s tobacco farming culture in honest, fascinating detail. The restored 1920s farmstead is immersive and thoughtfully done. Modest admission fee; worth a 45-minute stop, especially for anyone curious about what shaped this part of the South.

Visitors on TripAdvisor call it “a hidden gem that tells a real, unvarnished story of eastern NC life,” and several reviewers specifically mention it as a standout I-95 pit stop. It’s one of those places that rewards people who are paying attention.

Top I-95 Exits in North Carolina Worth Knowing

North Carolina’s I-95 corridor runs about 182 miles through the Coastal Plain, from the Virginia border near Roanoke Rapids down to the South Carolina border near Lumberton. These exits consistently stand out for road trippers.

Exit 95 — Ava Gardner Museum, Smithfield

One of the most surprising museums on the entire I-95 corridor, the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield (Exit 95) tells the story of a girl born on a tobacco farm in Johnston County who became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars of the 1940s and 50s. The collection includes original costumes, film memorabilia, personal photographs, and the full arc of her career from rural North Carolina to international fame. It’s small, intimate, and genuinely moving — a perfect 45-minute stop for anyone who appreciates old Hollywood or American success stories.

Exit 81 — Benson BBQ Corridor

The Benson area near Exit 81 is at the heart of North Carolina’s eastern barbecue belt. Eastern NC barbecue — slow-cooked whole hog with a vinegar-pepper sauce — is a distinct regional tradition that’s worth going out of your way for. Several restaurants in the Benson and Four Oaks area serve the real thing. It’s the kind of stop that makes a road trip feel less like a commute and more like an actual journey. No reservations needed; just a hearty appetite and some napkins.

Exit 22 — Lumberton & Lumber River State Park

Near the South Carolina border, Exit 22 provides access to Lumber River State Park, one of North Carolina’s quieter and less-visited natural areas. The Lumber River is a designated National Wild and Scenic River, and the park offers canoeing, kayaking, and fishing in a genuinely peaceful setting. It’s an excellent stop if you’re traveling with dogs or just need to stretch your legs in somewhere more scenic than a rest area. The nearby town of Lumberton has a well-reviewed diner scene for a simple, affordable meal before continuing south.

Frequently Asked Questions: Driving I-95 Through North Carolina

What is the best stop on I-95 in North Carolina?

The Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield is the most distinctive and memorable cultural stop in North Carolina’s I-95 corridor. For food, the eastern barbecue restaurants around Benson and Wilson represent a genuine regional tradition that you won’t find replicated anywhere else along the highway. For outdoor activity, Lumber River State Park near Exit 22 is the best green space accessible from I-95 in the state. The right answer depends on what kind of stop you’re looking for — culture, food, or nature.

Are there good restaurants along I-95 in North Carolina?

Yes — particularly for barbecue. North Carolina’s eastern corridor is home to some of the most authentic whole-hog barbecue in the country, served at small family-owned restaurants near exits in Wilson, Benson, and Selma. The region also has strong seafood options closer to the coast. Chain restaurants are plentiful at most major exits, but taking 15 extra minutes to find a local spot in this part of North Carolina almost always pays off. Look for hand-painted signs and smoke drifting from behind the building — those are generally the indicators of the real thing.

Is I-95 through North Carolina heavily trafficked?

North Carolina’s section of I-95 is one of the lighter-traffic stretches on the East Coast compared to Virginia or the New Jersey Turnpike. There are no major metro areas along this corridor — the largest city directly on I-95 in North Carolina is Fayetteville. Seasonal traffic spikes occur in July and August as families head to North Carolina’s Outer Banks beaches, and some local congestion happens around Fayetteville during morning and afternoon rush hours on weekdays. Overall, this is a relatively easy and pleasant section to drive, with consistent 70 mph limits and good road conditions throughout.

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🤪 The Weird Side of NC on I-95

🚚 Kenly 95 Truckstop – Kenly, NC (Exit 107)

Right at the same exit as the Tobacco Farm Life Museum, Kenly 95 is reputedly the largest truck stop in North Carolina — and it’s worth experiencing as a roadside spectacle in its own right. An aircraft-hangar-scale gift shop, a full diner, a CB radio section, trucking memorabilia, and a Subway, all inside a truck stop the size of a big-box store. If you’ve ever been curious about the interior culture of long-haul trucking, this is a surprisingly honest window into it. Worth 20 minutes.

🦴 Country Doctor Museum – Bailey, NC (near Exit 107)

About 25 minutes from I-95, this pair of preserved 19th-century medical offices contains the original equipment of rural medicine: bone saws, apothecary jars, cupping sets, and devices that will make you profoundly grateful for the era you were born in. Strange, charming, and genuinely memorable. Modest admission. One of the best accidentally excellent stops in eastern NC.

Best Bathroom Stops in North Carolina on I-95

• Buc-ee’s, Selma, NC (Exit 97): One of the newest Buc-ee’s on the East Coast. Enormous, pristine, with a food court worth the stop.
• Pilot Flying J, Lumberton (Exit 20): Reliable stop near the South Carolina border.
• Love’s, Kenly (Exit 107): Good central NC option near the Tobacco Farm museum.

🏨 Best Hotel Exits in North Carolina on I-95

• Exit 97 (Selma/Smithfield): Best cluster of hotels in NC on I-95. Multiple chains, competitive prices.
• Exit 20 (Lumberton): Good stop near SC border. Budget options.
• Exit 145 (Roanoke Rapids): Solid mid-state cluster for northbound Virginia-bound travelers.

Know a great North Carolina stop we missed? Suggest it here.