Best stops on I-40 in North Carolina

All 190 exits ranked by what a road-tripper actually needs: real food choice, easy gas, 24-hour service, and the stops worth a detour. Winners below.

1. Exit 299 — Person St;Hammond Rd

Milepost 280 · 29 places to eat · 11 gas stations · 19 hotels · ♥ Marbles Kids Museum, City of Raleigh Museum (COR Museum)

2. Exit 273 — Chapel Hill;Durham

Milepost 254.4 · 15 places to eat · 8 gas stations · 11 hotels · ♥ Morehead Planetarium, Ackland Art Museum

3. Exit 289 — Wade Avenue

Milepost 270.6 · 18 places to eat · 9 gas stations · 9 hotels · ♥ North Carolina Museum of Art, North Carolina Museum of Art

4. Exit 270 — Chapel Hill;Durham

Milepost 251.9 · 29 places to eat · 3 gas stations · 17 hotels · ♥ Duke Lemur Center, Nasher Museum of Art

5. Exit 154 — Old Mocksville Road

Milepost 138.6 · 45 places to eat · 12 gas stations · 9 hotels · 24/7 travel center

6. Exit 128 — Fairgrove Church Road

Milepost 113 · 20 places to eat · 11 gas stations · 7 hotels · open 24 hours · ♥ Catawba County Historical Museum

7. Exit 297 — Lake Wheeler Rd

Milepost 278.3 · 29 places to eat · 15 gas stations · 11 hotels · open 24 hours · ♥ Carousel

8. Exit 223

Milepost 204.2 · 17 places to eat · 10 gas stations · 10 hotels · ♥ Blandwood Mansion, International Civil Rights Center & Museum

9. Exit 50 — Asheville;Biltmore House

Milepost 37.6 · 28 places to eat · 7 gas stations · 15 hotels · ♥ Biltmore Estate, Botanical Gardens at Asheville

10. Exit 53B — Asheville

Milepost 40.5 · 23 places to eat · 12 gas stations · 11 hotels · ♥ Western N.C. Nature Center

← Every I-40 exit in North Carolina