It serves as a traffic artery connecting Durham with Cary and numerous small cities and towns in The Triangle on its way toward the Pamlico Sound.

NC 55 is a major artery in the central part of The Triangle region, and is a four lane, divided highway between Durham and Cary and Apex.

Locally it is signed south of this point as just "NC 55" but it carries a secondary designation as Apex Highway.

Passing near the center of the unincorporated village of Carpenter, eastbound NC 55 goes southbound along the western edges of Morrisville and Cary.

[2] Extensive reconstruction of the roadway in this area, widened in anticipation of higher traffic volumes from NC 540 and construction in Apex and Cary, was completed in 2007.

Next, NC 55 enters the town of Fuquay-Varina, forming the main road through the Varina Commercial Historic District.

Entering Harnett County, eastbound NC 55 still continues in a primarily south/southeast direction, forming the main north–south routes through the center of the towns of Angier and Coats.

Southeast of Coats, NC 55 passes through the sparsely populated unincorporated community of Turlington before joining US 421 and entering the town of Erwin.

The two highways cross into the city of Dunn together; shortly after a junction with I-95, NC 55 leaves US 421 and enters Sampson County.

NC 55 passes through the town of Seven Springs before turning to the northeast to enter the city of Kinston in Lenoir County.

East of Bayboro, the road curves to the southeast and south before ending at the Pamlico Sound in Oriental.

[citation needed] North Carolina Highway 117 (NC 117) was established in 1931 as a new primary spur from US 70/NC 10, in Jasper, to Dover.

It was created thanks to a new bridge carrying US 17/NC 55 over the Neuse River and a spur was needed to be made to connect each highway.