The highway runs east–west from Mint Hill to Polkton.

NC 218 traverses 31.6 miles (50.9 km); starting in Mint Hill, it goes through northern Union County, then ends in Polkton.

[citation needed] Established as a new primary routing in 1935, it connected the towns of Mint Hill and Polkton.

In the early 1940s, it was extended in Polkton when U.S. Route 74 (US 74) was rerouted further south from town.

In the 1960s, NC 218 was moved onto a new extension of Williams Street in Polkton, leaving Old US 74.