NC 28 starts at the Georgia state line in Macon County. From the state line, it follows a winding course northwards to Highlands. There it begins a concurrency with U.S. Route 64 (US 64) on the way northwest to Franklin. Following an interchange with US 23 and US 441, the US 64 concurrency ends and enters the downtown business district of the city. NC 28 forms a concurrency with US 441 Business on the one-way pair of Main Street and Palmer Street. The two roads cross the Little Tennessee River before NC 28 breaks off and heads north out of the city on Harrison Avenue. Though the official routing of the highway is along Harrison Avenue, signage shows NC 28 traveling along Depot Street and Riverview Street bypassing the city downtown.