U.S. Route 21
Route information | |||||||||||||
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Length | 394 mi[citation needed] (634 km) | ||||||||||||
Existed | 1926[citation needed]–present | ||||||||||||
Tourist routes |
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Major junctions | |||||||||||||
South end | Hunting Island State Park, SC | ||||||||||||
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North end | I-81 / US 52 in Wytheville, VA | ||||||||||||
Location | |||||||||||||
Country | United States | ||||||||||||
States | South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia | ||||||||||||
Counties | SC: Beaufort, Hampton, Colleton, Bamberg, Orangeburg, Calhoun, Lexington, Richland, Fairfield, Chester, York NC: Mecklenburg, Iredell, Yadkin, Surry, Wilkes, Alleghany VA: Grayson, Wythe | ||||||||||||
Highway system | |||||||||||||
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U.S. Route 21 or U.S. Highway 21 (US 21) is a major north–south
Route description
mi | km
| |
---|---|---|
SC | 233 | 375 |
NC | 125 | 201 |
VA | 35 | 56 |
Total | 393 | 632 |
South Carolina
US 21 travels 233.2 miles (375.3 km) through the state. Beginning at
The two-lane route continues through rural portions of the state. US 21 goes through
.North of Columbia, US 21 splits from US 321, reverting to a rural two-lane road parallel to I-77. In York County, US 21 enters urban areas again, connecting Rock Hill and Fort Mill. Near the North Carolina state line, US 21 merges with I-77 near Carowinds, then enters North Carolina.
North Carolina
US 21 begins as a
Virginia
After a few miles crossing the state line, US 21 reaches the town of Independence, where it splits with US 221 and continues north. The route goes through the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area before entering the city of Wytheville. After a short concurrency with US 11 in downtown Wytheville, it goes north and ends at the intersection of I-81/US 52. US 21 travels 35 miles (56 km) through western Virginia, mostly as a two-lane rural mountain road.
History
US 21 in the pre-Interstate era was a north–south highway connecting the area around Lake Erie and the coastal South. One of the few true north–south routes to cross the middle Appalachian Mountains, it became an important corridor for motor traffic between northeastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, (with US 19) and western New York with central North Carolina, central and southeastern South Carolina, and (by connecting with other highways) coastal Georgia and most of Florida. Many referred to the stretch of US 21 from the Great Lakes Region to Florida as "The Lakes-to-Florida Highway".
US 21 originally (in 1926) connected
In the
Between Cleveland and Charleston, all but a relatively short segment of US 21 was completely deleted in favor of I-77, the relics being State Route 21 (SR 21), SR 821 between Byesville and Marietta, Ohio, and Guernsey County Road 35 (CR 35) and Tuscarawas CR 3 (Salt Fork Road), named Old Twenty-One Road and closely follows the route of US 21 from Byesville, Ohio, to the village of Newcomerstown, Ohio. CR 35 briefly becomes a variety of street names as it passes through Cambridge, such as Byesville Road, North Avenue, 11th Street, and Clark Street, before reverting to Old Twenty-One Road on the north side of Cambridge. From there, much of the old US 21 is still intact, however, some sections were demolished and redirected in favor of I-77. Once crossing the Guernsey–Tuscarawas county line, it becomes Salt Fork Road for about a mile (1.6 km), before joining SR 258, which takes it the rest of the way to Newcomerstown. In total, the entire section of Old Twenty-One Road between North Cambridge and Newcomerstown is a total of 22.5 miles (36.2 km). The section of US 21 between Mineral Wells and Charleston is now signed as County Route 21 (CR 21) in all four counties along the route (Wood, Wirt, Jackson, and Kanawha).
Between Charleston and its current northern terminus at Wytheville, Virginia, almost all of US 21 coincided with either US 60, US 19, or US 52, which remained as US 21 was deleted. The short segment of US 21 in southern West Virginia not coinciding with another U.S. Highway became an extension of West Virginia Route 16.
In North Carolina, US 21 originally entered the state along today's NC 51 into Pineville, then followed Old Pineville Road into Charlotte. In the mid-1930s, US 21 moved over to South Boulevard from Old Pineville Road. In 1969, US 21 was rerouted following today's I-77 alignment, the old route was replaced by an extension of US 521. From 1975–1987, US 21 moved north in segments onto I-77 to its current alignment ending at exit 16A (Sunset Road). Further north, US 21 originally followed Old Statesville Road, replaced in 1956 by NC 115. In 1966, US 21 was bypassed around Jonesville and Elkin, replaced with US 21 Bus.[2][unreliable source]
US 21 in Beaufort, South Carolina, was rerouted around the city over former SC 280 as well as a portion of SC 802. The new routing went into effect on February 26, 2012.[3]
Browse numbered routes | ||||
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← OH | → SR 21 |
Major intersections
State | County | Location | mi[4][5][6] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
South Carolina | Beaufort | Hunting Island State Park | 0.00 | 0.00 | Sea Island Parkway / Campground Road | Southern terminus; road continues as Sea Island Parkway | ||
US 21 Bus. north (Sea Island Parkway west) / SC 802 east (Sams Point Road) | Southern terminus of US 21 Bus.; western terminus of SC 802 | |||||||
Port Royal | 17.35 | 27.92 | SC 281 north (Ribaut Road north) | Southern terminus of SC 281 | ||||
19.87 | 31.98 | Parris Island M.C.R.D. | Interchange | |||||
21.10 | 33.96 | SC 128 west (Savannah Highway) – Bluffton, Hardeeville, Hilton Head Island | Eastern terminus of SC 128 | |||||
Beaufort | 24.24 | 39.01 | SC 170 (Robert Smalls Parkway) – Beaufort | |||||
US 21 Bus. south – Beaufort | Northern terminus of US 21 Bus. | |||||||
26.86 | 43.23 | SC 116 west – Laurel Bay | Eastern terminus of SC 116 | |||||
Gardens Corner | 37.40 | 60.19 | US 17 north – Charleston | Interchange; eastern end of US 17 concurrency | ||||
Western end of US 17 concurrency; southern end of US 17 Alt. concurrency; southern terminus of US 17 Alt. | ||||||||
Eastern terminus of SC 68; northern terminus of US 17 Conn. | ||||||||
US 17 Alt. north (Hendersonville Highway) – Walterboro | Northern end of US 17 Alt. concurrency | |||||||
| 52.04 | 83.75 | I-95 – Florence, Savannah | I-95 exit 42 | ||||
| 62.00 | 99.78 | SC 63 (Sniders Highway) – Varnville, Walterboro | |||||
Bells Crossroads | 68.41 | 110.10 | SC 64 (Bells Highway) – Ehrhardt, Walterboro | |||||
Smoaks | 77.10 | 124.08 | SC 217 (Lodge Highway) – Lodge | |||||
Bamberg | Whetstone Crossroads | 83.20 | 133.90 | SC 61 (Edisto River Road) – Bamberg | ||||
Orangeburg | Branchville | 88.65 | 142.67 | US 78 west (Edward Street) – Bamberg | Southern end of US 78 concurrency | |||
88.85 | 142.99 | US 78 east (Dorange Road) – Charleston | Northern end of US 78 concurrency | |||||
89.26 | 143.65 | SC 210 north – Bowman | Southern terminus of SC 210 | |||||
US 601 Truck north / SC 4 west) | Southern end of US 601 Truck concurrency; southern terminus of US 21 Bus.; eastern terminus of SC 4 | |||||||
104.23 | 167.74 | US 178 Bus. west (Charleston Highway west) – Charleston | Southern end of US 178 concurrency; eastern terminus of US 178 Bus. | |||||
105.55 | 169.87 | US 301 (Five Chop Road) – Santee, Bamberg | ||||||
105.65 | 170.03 | SC 33 (Russel Street) – Cameron | ||||||
107.50 | 173.00 | US 601 Truck concurrency; northern terminus of US 601 Truck | ||||||
108.59 | 174.76 | US 21 Conn. south) – North | Northern end of US 178 concurrency; northern terminus of US 21 Conn.; US 21 turns right off of Chestnut Street and onto Columbia Road. | |||||
Calhoun | | 120.48 | 193.89 | SC 172 – North | ||||
| 120.58 | 194.05 | SC 6 east to I-26 | Southern end of SC 6 concurrency | ||||
| 122.15 | 196.58 | SC 6 north (Center Hill Road) – Swansea | Northern end of SC 6 concurrency | ||||
Lexington | | 127.48 | 205.16 | I-26 – Columbia, Charleston | I-26 exit 129 | |||
Calhoun | Sandy Run | 130.23 | 209.58 | US 176 east (Old State Road) – St. Matthews | Southern end of US 176 concurrency | |||
Lexington | | 137.13 | 220.69 | I-26 – Columbia, Charleston | I-26 exit 119 | |||
| 138.98 | 223.67 | US 321 south – Gaston, Swansea | Southern end of US 321 concurrency | ||||
Cayce | 141.48 | 227.69 | I-77 north – Charlotte | I-77 exit 1 | ||||
141.87 | 228.32 | I-26 – Charleston, Spartanburg | I-26 exit 115 | |||||
142.97 | 230.09 | SC 2 north (Frink Road) | Southern terminus of SC 2 | |||||
West Columbia | 144.45 | 232.47 | SC 302 south (Airport Boulevard) – Aiken, Columbia Airport | Northern terminus of SC 302 | ||||
Cayce | 146.23 | 235.33 | SC 2 (State Street) | |||||
east | Western terminus of US 21 Conn., US 76 Conn., and SC 48 Truck; US 21, US 176, and US 321 turn left off of Blossom Street and onto Huger Street. | |||||||
147.86 | 237.96 | US 1 / US 378 (Gervais Street) – South Carolina State Museum, Confederate Relic Room, EdVenture, Columbia SC Visitors Center, Convention Center, Colonial Life Arena | ||||||
148.16 | 238.44 | One-way couplet | ||||||
148.26 | 238.60 | SC 12 west (Taylor Street) – Lexington | ||||||
148.76 | 239.41 | Southern end of I-126/US 76 concurrency; Rep. T. Moffatt Burriss Sr. Interchange | ||||||
149.08 | 239.92 | I-126 ends | Northern end of I-126 concurrency | |||||
149.38 | 240.40 | SC 48 east (Assembly Street) – Columbia Museum of Art | Western terminus of SC 48 | |||||
149.46 | 240.53 | US 76 east (Elmwood Avenue) | Northern end of US 76 concurrency | |||||
149.97 | 241.35 | US 176 west (River Drive) | Northern end of US 176 concurrency | |||||
150.66 | 242.46 | SC 16 (Sunset Drive) | ||||||
151.23 | 243.38 | SC 215 north (Monticello Road) | Southern terminus of SC 215 | |||||
152.22 | 244.97 | US 321 north (Fairfield Street) – Winnsboro | Northern end of US 321 concurrency | |||||
154.76 | 249.06 | I-20 – Florence, Augusta | I-20 exit 71 | |||||
Blythewood | 162.17 | 260.99 | I-77 – Columbia, Charlotte | I-77 exit 24 | ||||
163.46 | 263.06 | SC 555 (Farrow Road) – Columbia | ||||||
US 21 Conn. north) – Winnsboro | Southern terminus of US 21 Conn.; eastern terminus of Coleman Highway | |||||||
Ridgeway | 172.09 | 276.95 | SC 34 east (Palmer Street) – Lugoff, Camden | Southern end of SC 34 concurrency | ||||
172.31 | 277.31 | SC 34 west (Church Street) – Winnsboro Mills | Northern end of SC 34 concurrency | |||||
| 189.11 | 304.34 | SC 200 – Winnsboro | Southern end of SC 200 concurrency | ||||
Chester | Great Falls | 192.07 | 309.11 | SC 99 north (Chester Avenue) – Richburg | Southern terminus of SC 99 | |||
193.29 | 311.07 | SC 97 north – Chester | Southern end of SC 97 concurrency | |||||
193.43 | 311.30 | SC 97 south / SC 200 north – Lancaster | Northern end of SC 97 and SC 200 concurrencies | |||||
Fort Lawn | 200.93 | 323.37 | SC 9 (Chester Avenue) – Richburg, Lancaster | |||||
| 206.23 | 331.90 | SC 223 (Wylies Mill Road) – Richburg | |||||
York | | 213.55 | 343.68 | SC 5 south – Lancaster | Interchange; southern end of SC 5 concurrency; to Andrew Jackson State Park | |||
Lesslie | 215.67 | 347.09 | Lesslie | Interchange via connector road | ||||
Rock Hill | 217.26 | 349.65 | Lesslie, Red River | Interchange | ||||
218.02 | 350.87 | I-77 – Columbia, Charlotte | I-77 exit 77 | |||||
218.72 | 352.00 | Piedmont Medical Center ; northern end of SC 5 concurrency; southern end of SC 121 concurrency | ||||||
220.20 | 354.38 | SC 122 (Dave Lyle Boulevard) to I-77 | Interchange | |||||
222.36 | 357.85 | SC 322 west (Cherry Road west) / SC 121 ends | Northern end of SC 121 concurrency; northern terminus of SC 121; eastern terminus of SC 322 | |||||
222.80 | 358.56 | I-77 – Columbia, Charlotte | I-77 exit 82 | |||||
223.00 | 358.88 | SC 161 north (Celanese Road) to I-77 north – Charlotte, York | Southern terminus of SC 161 | |||||
US 21 Bus. north (Spratt Street) – Fort Mill | Southern terminus of US 21 Bus. | |||||||
226.42 | 364.39 | SC 160 – Tega Cay | ||||||
229.20 | 368.86 | SC 460 (Springfield Parkway) – Tega Cay, Fort Mill | ||||||
230.35 | 370.71 | US 21 Bus. south (Old Nation Road) | Northern terminus of US 21 Bus. | |||||
231.14 | 371.98 | SC 51 north (Pineville–Rock Hill Road) – Pineville | Southern terminus of SC 51 (northern segment) | |||||
231.89 | 373.19 | I-77 south – Columbia | Southern end of I-77 concurrency; I-77 exit 90 | |||||
232.52 0.00 | 374.20 0.00 | South Carolina–North Carolina line | ||||||
North Carolina | Mecklenburg | Charlotte | 0.9 | 1.4 | 1A | Westinghouse Boulevard | Exit numbers follow I-77 | |
1.8 | 2.9 | 1B | I-485 – Huntersville, Pineville | Formerly exit 2 (southbound) before August 2010; I-485 exit 67 | ||||
2.8 | 4.5 | 3 | Arrowood Road | Formerly exit 2 (northbound) before August 2010 | ||||
3.7 | 6.0 | 4 | Nations Ford Road | |||||
4.8 | 7.7 | 5 | Tyvola Road | Single-point urban interchange | ||||
6.0 | 9.7 | 6A | Woodlawn Road south (Charlotte Route 4 east) – Queens University | To Pfeiffer University | ||||
6.2 | 10.0 | 6B | To Billy Graham Parkway (Charlotte Route 4 west) | To Billy Graham Library and Charlotte Douglas International Airport; southbound signed as NC 49 south (S. Tryon St. south) only | ||||
7.3 | 11.7 | 7 | To NC 49 / Clanton Road | |||||
8.3 | 13.4 | 8 | To NC 160 / Remount Road | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||||
9.0 | 14.5 | 9A | collector-distributor lanes | |||||
9.4 | 15.1 | 9B | collector-distributor lanes ; I-277 exits 1B-C | |||||
9.5 | 15.3 | 9C | collector-distributor lanes ; US 74 exits 1B-C | |||||
9.9 | 15.9 | 10A | US 29 / NC 27 (Morehead Street) | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||||
10.4 | 16.7 | 10 | Trade Street / Fifth Street | Signed southbound as exits 10B (Trade Street east) and 10C (Fifth Street/Trade Street west) | ||||
11.0 | 17.7 | 11A | Downtown Charlotte | I-277 exits 5A-B | ||||
11.2 | 18.0 | 11B | NC 16 north (Brookshire Freeway west) | Left exit northbound; NC 16 exits 5A-B | ||||
— | I-77 north (Express lanes) | Southern terminus of HOV3+/toll lanes | ||||||
— | I-277 south | Express lanes only, southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||||||
12.4 | 20.0 | 12 | Lasalle Street / Atando Avenue | |||||
13.3 | 21.4 | 13 | I-85 – Greensboro, Spartanburg | Signed as exits 13A (north) and 13B (south); hybrid interchange; I-85 exit 38 | ||||
— | I-85 north | Express lanes only; northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||||||
15.8 | 25.4 | I-77 north – Statesville | Northern end of I-77 concurrency; I-77 exit 16 | |||||
16.3 | 26.2 | NC 115 north (Old Statesville Road) | Southern terminus of NC 115 | |||||
18.9 | 30.4 | Northlake Mall | ||||||
Huntersville | Alexandriana Road to I-485 | |||||||
25.7 | 41.4 | NC 73 (Sam Furr Road) – Concord | ||||||
Cornelius | 28.8 | 46.3 | I-77 south – Charlotte | Southern end of I-77 concurrency; I-77 exit 28 | ||||
Davidson | 30.2 | 48.6 | 30 | Griffith Street – Davidson | Exit numbers follow I-77 | |||
Lake Norman | Lake Norman Causeway | |||||||
Iredell | Mooresville | 32.1 | 51.7 | 31 | Langtree Road | |||
33.7 | 54.2 | I-77 north – Statesville | Northern end of I-77 concurrency; I-77 exit 33 | |||||
36.4 | 58.6 | NC 150 (Plaza Drive) | Interchange | |||||
39.1 | 62.9 | NC 115 south (Statesville Highway) | Southern end of NC 115 concurrency | |||||
| 43.3 | 69.7 | I-77 – Charlotte, Statesville | I-77 exit 42 | ||||
Statesville | 51.2 | 82.4 | US 70 (Garner Bagnal Boulevard) – Conover, Salisbury | |||||
51.9 | 83.5 | US 64 west (Front Street) / NC 115 north (Center Street) | Northern end of NC 115 concurrency; southern end of US 64 concurrency | |||||
52.3 | 84.2 | NC 90 west (Water Street) | Eastern terminus of NC 90 | |||||
53.2 | 85.6 | US 64 east (Davie Avenue) – Mocksville | Northern end of US 64 concurrency | |||||
54.1 | 87.1 | I-40 – Hickory, Winston-Salem | I-40 exit 151 | |||||
| 57.2 | 92.1 | I-77 – Statesville, Elkin | I-77 exit 54 | ||||
Union Grove | ||||||||
Yadkin | Brooks Crossroads | 79.2 | 127.5 | US 421 – Wilkesboro, Yadkinville, Winston-Salem | ||||
| 85.4 | 137.4 | US 21 Bus. north – Statesville, Jonesville | Southern end of I-77 concurrency; I-77 exit 79; southern terminus of US 21 Bus. | ||||
Jonesville | 88.5 | 142.4 | 82 | NC 67 – Jonesville, Boonville, Elkin | Exit number follows I-77 | |||
Yadkin River | Sgt. Gregory Keith Martin Memorial Bridges | |||||||
Surry | Elkin | 90.3 | 145.3 | I-77 north – Wytheville | Northern end of I-77 concurrency; southbound exit and northbound entrance; I-77 exit 83 | |||
91.3 | 146.9 | Interchange; to Elkin Municipal Airport; I-77 exit 85 | ||||||
92.8 | 149.3 | US 21 Bus. south – Elkin | Northern terminus of US 21 Bus. | |||||
Wilkes |
No major junctions | |||||||
Alleghany | | 111.2 | 179.0 | Blue Ridge Parkway | Interchange via connector roads | |||
Sparta | 118.2 | 190.2 | NC 18 (Whitehead Street) – Laurel Springs | |||||
Twin Oaks | 121.1 | 194.9 | US 221 south – Jefferson | Southern end of US 221 concurrency | ||||
124.3 0.00 | 200.0 0.00 | North Carolina–Virginia line | ||||||
US 58 (Main Street) – Mouth of Wilson, Galax | Northern end of US 221 concurrency | |||||||
SR 658 (Comers Rock Road) – Comers Rock | ||||||||
| 15.67 | 25.22 | ||||||
| 26.03 | 41.89 | SR 690 (Crockett Road, Cripple Creek Road) – Crockett, Cripple Creek | |||||
| 31.13 | 50.10 | SR 696 (Barrett Mill Road) – Big Survey Wildlife Management Area | |||||
Wytheville | 33.63 | 54.12 | US 11 south (Lee Highway) | Southern end of US 11 concurrency | ||||
33.94 | 54.62 | US 11 north (Main Street) | Northern end of US 11 concurrency | |||||
34.99 | 56.31 | Northern terminus; I-81 exit 70; road continues west as US 52 (4th Street north) | ||||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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Special routes and auxiliary routes
There are currently four business loops, four connectors, and one truck route along its route.
- U.S. Route 21 Business (Beaufort, South Carolina)
- U.S. Route 21 Business (Orangeburg, South Carolina)
- U.S. Route 21 Connector (Orangeburg, South Carolina)
- U.S. Route 21 Connector (West Columbia, South Carolina)
- U.S. Route 21 Connector (Columbia, South Carolina)
- U.S. Route 21 Connector (Ridgeway, South Carolina)
- U.S. Route 21 Business (Fort Mill, South Carolina)
- U.S. Route 21 Business (Elkin, North Carolina)
- U.S. Route 21 Truck (Sparta, North Carolina)
Auxiliary routes of US 21:
See also
- Blue Ridge Parkway
- Catawba River
- Carowinds
- Congaree River
- Hunting Island State Park
- Lake Norman
- Lake Norman State Park
- Lake Wateree
- Lake Wateree State Recreation Area
- Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort
- Mount Rogers National Recreation Area
- New River
- North Carolina Bicycle Route 4
- Stone Mountain State Park
- Uptown Charlotte
- Yadkin River
References
- ^ Sanderson, Dale (July 4, 2009). "End of US Highway 21". US Ends. Self-published. Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
- ^ Mapmikey; Prince, Adam (August 28, 2009). "US 21". NCRoads.com Annex: More Highways of North Carolina. Self-published. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
- ^ "Federal highway rerouted through Beaufort area". Post and Courier. Associated Press. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- ^ "Highway Logmile Report". South Carolina Department of Transportation. May 4, 2021. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ Google (February 1, 2011). "Overview map of US 21 in NC" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
- ^ "2019 Traffic Data". Virginia Department of Transportation. 2019. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
- "Grayson County" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
- "Wythe County" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
External links
- Media related to U.S. Route 21 at Wikimedia Commons
- Endpoints of U.S. Highway 21