 Traveling in a northeasterly direction, NC 11/NC 53 turns east at Atkinson; at Wards Corner it changes its concurrency from NC 53, which continues to Burgaw, to US 421 towards Clinton.After over , NC 11 splits from US 421 and continues northeast through Penderlea and Willard, where it then joins US 117 near exit 390 off Interstate 40 (I-40).Traveling northeast, it crosses over Rock Fish Creek into Duplin County.