The highway serves the towns and rural communities in southern Robeson County, connects Whiteville and Shallotte through the Green Swamp, and provides access to Holden Beach.

It overlaps several highways along its route, including US 501, US 74 (future Interstate 74), US 76, NC 410 and US 17 Business.

In 1949, NC 130 was extended north on new primary routing from Southport, through the Sunny Point Army Terminal (opened 1955) and Orton Plantation, to US 17/US 74/US 76 in Belville.

[8] In 1975, US 74/NC 130 was rerouted onto new alignment north of Chadbourn to NC 410, where then continued together south into town; five months later, the concurrencies would change to US 74 Bus.

By 1962, US 17 was rerouted onto new primary highway in Shallotte, thus decommissioning the cutoff as NC 130 was adjusted further west.