North Carolina Highway 86 (NC 86) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina that runs north and south through Orange and Caswell Counties from Chapel Hill to the Virginia state line at Danville, Virginia. The highway primarily links the towns of Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, and Yanceyville, along with providing a route between Chapel Hill and Virginia. Between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, NC 86 parallels and serves as an alternative to I-40.

Orange County is a county located in the Piedmont region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 148,696. Its county seat is Hillsborough.