US 74A traverses through downtown Asheville, goes through the mountain resort communities of Chimney Rock and Lake Lure, continues to Ruth, passes between the towns of Rutherfordton and Spindale, and bypasses Forest City to the south.

[2] US 74A is concurrent with US 64 from Ruth in the east through Lake Lure, where NC 9 joins, and Chimney Rock; the three routes separate in Bat Cave.

Through towns and cities, the road takes various names including Main Street and Railroad Avenue.

[3] U.S. Route 74 Business (US 74 Bus) was established in 1960 as a renumbering of US 74A, it traversed along Washington Street and Charlotte Road in Rutherfordton.

In December 1970, US 74 was extended east through Spindale, Forest City, and Ellenboro when US 74 was placed on new freeway bypass.

U.S. Route 74 Business (US 74 Bus) was established in 1984, it was a renumbering of the old mainline US 74 through Kings Mountain.

At a cost of approximately $840 million and right-of-way acquisition already completed, construction was originally to begin in October 2012; however, because of several environmental issues and litigation, the project was delayed until May 2015.

[15] The Monroe Expressway uses all-electronic tolling, with tolls payable with valid transponder (NC Quick Pass, E-ZPass, Peach Pass or SunPass) or Bill by mail, which uses automatic license plate recognition.

U.S. Route 74 Business (US 74 Bus) was established in 2003 as a renumbering of the mainline US 74 through Rockingham and Hamlet.

U.S. Route 74 Business (US 74 Bus) was established in 1975 to replace the old mainline US 74 through Chadbourn and Whiteville.

The last segment of the bypass will extend west of Stony Point Road to U.S. Route 74 Business in Kings Mountain which is subject to open in 2024.

[2] U.S. Route 74 Alternate (US 74A) was established between 1945 and 1949, it was set up as an inner bypass of downtown Monroe, via Jefferson Street.

[2] U.S. Route 74 Alternate (US 74A) was established in 1952, it replaced the old mainline US 74 through downtown Monroe, via Franklin Street and Charlotte Avenue.

In 1953, it was rerouted along Skyway Drive when US 74 was completely realigned onto new bypass routing between Matthews and Monroe.

It was unsigned throughout its existence,[citation needed] but was marked on state and county maps up until 1975, when NCDOT downgraded it to secondary road status.