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 299 · 29 places to eat · 11 gas stations · 18 hotels · ♥ Marbles Kids Museum, City of Raleigh Museum (COR Museum)

2. Exit 270 — Chapel Hill;Durham

Milepost 270 · 29 places to eat · 3 gas stations · 14 hotels · ♥ Duke Lemur Center, Nasher Museum of Art

3. Exit 273 — Chapel Hill;Durham

Milepost 273 · 15 places to eat · 6 gas stations · 8 hotels · ♥ Morehead Planetarium, Ackland Art Museum

4. Exit 289 — Wade Avenue

Milepost 289 · 18 places to eat · 7 gas stations · 10 hotels · ♥ North Carolina Museum of Art, North Carolina Museum of Art

5. Exit 223 — Reidsville

Milepost 223 · 17 places to eat · 10 gas stations · 10 hotels · ♥ Blandwood Mansion, International Civil Rights Center & Museum

6. Exit 50 — Asheville;Biltmore House

Milepost 50 · 29 places to eat · 6 gas stations · 17 hotels · ♥ Biltmore Estate, Botanical Gardens at Asheville

7. Exit 53B — Asheville

Milepost 53 · 23 places to eat · 11 gas stations · 11 hotels · ♥ Western N.C. Nature Center

8. Exit 128 — Fairgrove Church Road

Milepost 128 · 20 places to eat · 10 gas stations · 9 hotels · ♥ Catawba County Historical Museum

9. Exit 193C — Silas Creek Parkway;South Main Street

Milepost 193 · 20 places to eat · 11 gas stations · 10 hotels · ♥ Old Salem

10. Exit 216 — Greensboro;Coliseum Area

Milepost 216 · 29 places to eat · 13 gas stations · 10 hotels · ♥ Greensboro Science Center

← Every I-40 exit in North Carolina