NC 28 is part of a three-state highway 28, that totals 238 miles (383 km), from Beech Island, South Carolina to Deals Gap.

The two roads cross the Little Tennessee River before NC 28 breaks off and heads north out of the city on Harrison Avenue.

A side road crosses the TVA constructed Fontana Dam; NC 28 skirts the southern boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park before reaching its northern terminus at US 129.

[7] In 1932, NC 28 was extended northeast along new primary routing from Bat Cave to Old Fort, where it overlapped with US 70 to Marion; going north from Marion, in concurrency with US 221, it traversed through Linville, Boone and Jefferson (replacing NC 691 in the process) to US 21/NC 26, in Twin Oaks, reaching its high point at 335 miles (539 km) long.

North Carolina Highway 282 (NC 282) was established as a new primary routing from the Georgia state line to Highlands.

North Carolina Highway 288 (NC 288) was a primary route that served the Fontana area from 1929-1944 and revived again from 1951-1954.

Various sections of the old highway still exist on higher ground and are incorporated in hiking trails that are easily reachable from the Fontana Dam parking area.

The second NC 288 was a return along the western part of the highway that wasn't submerged, linking to the relocated Fontana community.

NC 288 was originally to be rebuilt along the north shore of Fontana Lake by the National Park Service, an agreement that was made between the county, state, and federal government.

Construction of New Fontana Road (SR 1364) was completed in 1958, connecting Bryson City to the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

After being in limbo for forty years, it was finally resolved in February 2010 when the U.S. Department of Interior signed a settlement agreement paying Swain County $52 million instead of building the highway.