Traveling 193.2 miles (310.9 km) in a north–south alignment through Eastern North Carolina, it connects the towns and cities of Wallace, Kenansville, Kinston, Greenville and Murfreesboro.

[1] Soon entering Bladen County, it crosses the Cape Fear River, then travels nearly seven miles (11 km) to Long View, where it joins with NC 53 before crossing the Black River and into Pender County.

After over seven miles (11 km), NC 11 splits from US 421 and continues northeast through Penderlea and Willard, where it then joins US 117 near exit 390 off Interstate 40 (I-40).

At an area known as Skinner's By-Pass, NC 11/NC 55 enter Kinston's city limits and connects with US 70/US 258.

Crossing east over the Neuse River and into downtown Kinston, NC 11/NC 55 connect with US 70 Bus./US 258 Bus.

With the exception of the stretch between Kinston and Greenville, most of NC 11 is largely a disused rural route.

As a through route, U 258 or US 13 travel along the same general directions, but appear to be better maintained and closer to major population centers.

[7] In 1940, NC 11 was extended south from Kenansville to Tin City, replacing part of US 117; then with a short concurrency with US 117, it travels 1 mile (1.6 km) to the North Carolina Coastal Experimental Station (agriculture testing facility), replacing NC 401.

The realignment begins in Jacksons Store with concurrency with NC 55 going east along Tyree Road to US 258, from there continuing north into Kinston along Queen Street; the old alignment along Caswell Street is downgraded to secondary road.

In 1952, NC 11/NC 55 was rerouted onto its current routing from Jacksons Store north into Kinston, crossing the Neuse River on King Street; Tyree Road (SR 1341) was downgraded to secondary road while US 258 remained.

By 1963, the spur to the North Carolina Coastal Experimental Station was downgraded to secondary road and NC 11 was truncated at US 117 near Wallace.

[12] North Carolina Highway 401 (NC 401) was established as a new primary spur of NC 40 to the North Carolina Coastal Plains Experiment Station (agriculture testing facility), south of Wallace.