Traveling north–south through Eastern North Carolina, it connects the various rural towns and communities with the cities of Jacksonville (via U.S. Route 258 (US 258) and NC 24), Goldsboro and Tarboro.

[4] Between 1939 and 1944, NC 111 was rerouted in Goldsboro, to accommodate the United States Army Air Corps Technical Training School (later becoming Seymour Johnson Air Force Base), it was moved from Slocumb Street to Piedmont Road.

[6] In 1959, NC 111 was rerouted for Seymour Johnson Air Force Base again, to its current approach to US 70; its old alignment became secondary roads Old 111 Highway (SR 1710) and Piedmont Airline Road (SR 1755).

[11] In July 1994, NC 111, and other primary routes, were rerouted out of Tarboro and onto US 64/US 258 over the Tar River to Princeville.

[12] North Carolina Highway 402 (NC 402) was established as a new primary spur highway from US 1/US 17/NC 40 in Goldsboro to Cherry Hospital, a state operated psychiatric hospital, via Ash Street.