Both right and left common carotid arteries ascend through the neck, just lateral to the trachea and esophagus, within a fascial compartment (the carotid sheath). They give off no branches as they pass through the neck.
Near the superior edge of the thyroid cartilage each common carotid artery divides into its two terminal branches—the external and internal carotid arteries (Fig. 8.170).