NC 2 was commissioned between 1930 and 1935 as a new routing running from US 220 in Candor to US 1 in Southern Pines. The western end of the route was truncated in US 15/US 501 in 1940 with much of the former route to the west becoming NC 211. In 1952, NC 2 replaced its former bannered route, NC 2A along Yadkin Road to US 1 in Manly. The route was extended west to NC 211 (present day NC 5) along its former routing through Pinehurst, in 1957. NC 2 was truncated in 1967 to the US 1 Bypass that was built around Southern Pines.