US 21 highlighted in red | |||||||||||||
Route information | |||||||||||||
Maintained bySCDOT,NCDOT, andVDOT | |||||||||||||
Length | 393 mi[1] (632 km) | ||||||||||||
Existed | November 11, 1926 (1926-11-11)[2]–present | ||||||||||||
Tourist routes |
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Major junctions | |||||||||||||
South end | Hunting Island State Park, SC | ||||||||||||
Major intersections |
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North end | ![]() ![]() | ||||||||||||
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 orU.S. Highway 21 (US 21) is a north–southUnited States Numbered Highway, spanning 393 miles (632 km) fromHunting Island State Park,South Carolina, toWytheville, Virginia. The route traverses three states, South Carolina,North Carolina, and Virginia. It connects southeastern cities, includingColumbia, South Carolina, andCharlotte, North Carolina.
US 21 starts at Hunting Island State Park, bypassesBeaufort, South Carolina, and then heads north acrossthe low country, parallelingInterstate 77 (I-77) through urban and rural areas before entering North Carolina. In North Carolina, US 21 frequently merges with and splits from I-77. The route enters Virginia, passing through hilly terrain before ending at the intersection ofInterstate 81 (I-81) /U.S. Route 52 (US 52) in Wytheville.
Despite the "1" indicating that it is a major north–south highway, US 21 only travels through three states and is no longer a cross-country route, as many sections have been replaced by I-77 inOhio andWest Virginia. Historically, US 21 was longer before theInterstate Highway System was established. US 21 originally ran fromCleveland, Ohio, toYemassee, South Carolina, it was later extended to Beaufort and Hunting Island State Park. Over time, its length was reduced, making it the second-shortest major north–south route afterU.S. Route 91 (US 91).
US 21 serves as an alternative to the more heavily trafficked interstates in the area, particularly I-77, I-26, andInterstate 95 (I-95).
mi | km | |
---|---|---|
SC | 233 | 375 |
NC | 125 | 201 |
VA | 35 | 56 |
Total | 393 | 632 |
US 21 travels 233.2 miles (375.3 km) through the state. Beginning atHunting Island State Park, US 21 travels west toward Beaufort, where it widens to four lanes. The route bypasses Beaufort to the south, going throughPort Royal,Shell Point, andBurton. In the Beaufort area, US 21 passes by the entrances toParris Island andMarine Corps Air Station Beaufort, the major Marine Corps installations in the area. North of Beaufort, US 21 continues as a four-lanedivided highway and intersects withUS 17. The route travels in awrong-way concurrency with US 17 south for seven miles (11 km) before turning north towardYemassee, where it becomes a rural two-lane road and intersects withUS 17 Alternate. North of Yemassee, US 21 splits off and crossesI-95 at exit 42.
The two-lane route continues through rural portions of the state. US 21 goes throughSmoaks andBranchville and bypassesOrangeburg. North of Orangeburg, US 21 runs roughly parallel toI-26 untilGaston where it conjoinsUS 321 and becomes an urban highway. US 21 passes throughCayce,West Columbia, andColumbia.
North of Columbia, US 21 splits from US 321, reverting to a rural two-lane road parallel toI-77. InYork County, US 21 enters urban areas again, connectingRock Hill andFort Mill. Near theNorth Carolina state line, US 21 merges with I-77 nearCarowinds, then enters North Carolina.
US 21 begins as aconcurrency withI-77 inCharlotte, which it repeats three times within the state. Its first break with I-77 is along Statesville Avenue, then proceeding throughHuntersville andCornelius, however, because of its close proximity to I-77 andNorth Carolina Highway 115 (NC 115), it has no interchange withI-485 by itself. The second break with I-77 occurs atMooresville, where US 21 travels through the city and then northwest intoStatesville. After Statesville, US 21 travels northeast toHarmony andBrooks Crossroads, before merging back with I-77 nearJonesville. However, Jonesville andElkin connect withUS 21 Bus. through centers of both towns, as an alternate route paralleling I-77. North of Elkin, US 21 splits with I-77 for the last time and goes north toSparta, passing theBlue Ridge Parkway after a major, curvy section. North of Sparta, atTwin Oaks,US 221 overlaps with US 21 before enteringVirginia. US 21 travels 124.5 miles (200.4 km) through the western Piedmont of North Carolina, either combined with I-77 or as a two-lane rural road; from the South Carolina state line to Elkin, travelers can easily skip a majority of US 21 via I-77.
After a few miles crossing the state line, US 21 reaches the town ofIndependence, where it splits with US 221 and continues north. The route goes through theMount Rogers National Recreation Area before entering the city ofWytheville. After a short concurrency withUS 11 in downtown Wytheville, it goes north and ends at the intersection ofI-81/US 52. US 21 travels 35 miles (56 km) through western Virginia, mostly as a two-lane rural mountain road.
US 21 in the pre-Interstate era was a north–south highway connecting the area aroundLake Erie and the coastal South. One of the few true north–south routes to cross the middleAppalachian Mountains, it became an important corridor for motor traffic between northeasternOhio, westernPennsylvania, (withUS 19) and westernNew York with centralNorth Carolina, central and southeasternSouth Carolina, and (by connecting with other highways) coastalGeorgia and most ofFlorida. 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 Cleveland, Ohio, and Yemassee, South Carolina. In 1935 it was extended to Beaufort, South Carolina, and again in 1953 to its current southern terminus at theAtlantic Coast at Hunting Island State Park, between the city of Beaufort andFripp Island.[3][unreliable source]
In theInterstate Highway era, much of US 21 became an obvious corridor for a long-distance expressway. TheWest Virginia Turnpike betweenCharleston, West Virginia, andPrinceton, West Virginia, was the first segment of a planned series of toll highways along or near US 21 from Cleveland toCharlotte, North Carolina. All the other toll highways were shelved in favor of freeways built with Interstate funding; these freeways and the West Virginia Turnpike becameI-77, which completely supplanted old US 21 as a long-distance through route. I-77 was later extended toColumbia, South Carolina, also within a few miles of US 21.
Between Cleveland and Charleston, all but a relatively short segment of US 21 was completely deleted in favor of I-77, the relics being as follows:
Between Charleston and its current northern terminus atWytheville, Virginia, almost all of US 21 ran concurrently with eitherUS 60,US 19, orUS 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 ofWest Virginia Route 16.
In North Carolina, US 21 originally entered the state along today'sNC 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'sI-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 byNC 115. In 1966, US 21 was bypassed around Jonesville and Elkin, replaced with US 21 Bus.[4][unreliable source]
US 21 in Beaufort, South Carolina, was rerouted around the city over formerSC 280 as well as a portion ofSC 802. The new routing went into effect on February 26, 2012.[5]
Browse numbered routes | ||||
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←![]() | OH | →![]() |
State | County | Location | mi[6][7][8] | 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 | ||
Lady's Island | 14.50 | 23.34 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus of US 21 Bus.; western terminus of SC 802 | ||||
Port Royal | 17.35 | 27.92 | ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus of SC 281 | ||||
19.87 | 31.98 | Parris Island M.C.R.D. | Interchange | |||||
21.10 | 33.96 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern terminus of SC 128 | |||||
Beaufort | 24.24 | 39.01 | ![]() | |||||
Burton | 25.44 | 40.94 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of US 21 Bus. | ||||
26.86 | 43.23 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern terminus of SC 116 | |||||
Gardens Corner | 37.40 | 60.19 | ![]() ![]() | Interchange; eastern end of US 17 concurrency | ||||
Pocotaligo | 44.00 | 70.81 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western end of US 17 concurrency; southern end of US 17 Alt. concurrency; southern terminus of US 17 Alt. | ||||
Hampton | Yemassee | 47.77 | 76.88 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern terminus of SC 68; northern terminus of US 17 Conn. | |||
Colleton | | 49.39 | 79.49 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Northern end of US 17 Alt. concurrency | |||
| 52.04 | 83.75 | ![]() | I-95 exit 42 | ||||
| 62.00 | 99.78 | ![]() | |||||
Bells Crossroads | 68.41 | 110.10 | ![]() | |||||
Smoaks | 77.10 | 124.08 | ![]() | |||||
Bamberg | Whetstone Crossroads | 83.20 | 133.90 | ![]() | ||||
Orangeburg | Branchville | 88.65 | 142.67 | ![]() ![]() | Southern end of US 78 concurrency | |||
88.85 | 142.99 | ![]() ![]() | Northern end of US 78 concurrency | |||||
89.26 | 143.65 | ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus of SC 210 | |||||
Orangeburg | 104.16 | 167.63 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Southern end of US 601 Truck concurrency; southern terminus of US 21 Bus.; eastern terminus of SC 4 | ||||
104.23 | 167.74 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Southern end of US 178 concurrency; eastern terminus of US 178 Bus. | |||||
105.55 | 169.87 | ![]() | ||||||
105.65 | 170.03 | ![]() | ||||||
107.50 | 173.00 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Northern end ofUS 601 Truck concurrency; northern terminus of US 601 Truck | |||||
108.59 | 174.76 | ![]() ![]() | 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 | ![]() | ||||
| 120.58 | 194.05 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Southern end of SC 6 concurrency | ||||
| 122.15 | 196.58 | ![]() ![]() | Northern end of SC 6 concurrency | ||||
Lexington | | 127.48 | 205.16 | ![]() | I-26 exit 129 | |||
Calhoun | Sandy Run | 130.23 | 209.58 | ![]() ![]() | Southern end of US 176 concurrency | |||
Lexington | | 137.13 | 220.69 | ![]() | I-26 exit 119 | |||
| 138.98 | 223.67 | ![]() ![]() | Southern end of US 321 concurrency | ||||
Cayce | 141.48 | 227.69 | ![]() ![]() | I-77 exit 1 | ||||
141.87 | 228.32 | ![]() | I-26 exit 115 | |||||
142.97 | 230.09 | ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus of SC 2 | |||||
West Columbia | 144.45 | 232.47 | ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of SC 302 | ||||
Cayce | 146.23 | 235.33 | ![]() | |||||
Richland | Columbia | 147.22 | 236.93 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | 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 | ![]() ![]() | ||||||
148.16 | 238.44 | ![]() ![]() | One-way couplet | |||||
148.26 | 238.60 | ![]() ![]() | ||||||
148.76 | 239.41 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Southern end of I-126/US 76 concurrency; Rep. T. Moffatt Burriss Sr. Interchange | |||||
149.08 | 239.92 | ![]() ![]() | Northern end of I-126 concurrency | |||||
149.38 | 240.40 | ![]() ![]() | Western terminus of SC 48 | |||||
149.46 | 240.53 | ![]() ![]() | Northern end of US 76 concurrency | |||||
149.97 | 241.35 | ![]() ![]() | Northern end of US 176 concurrency | |||||
150.66 | 242.46 | ![]() | ||||||
151.23 | 243.38 | ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus of SC 215 | |||||
152.22 | 244.97 | ![]() ![]() | Northern end of US 321 concurrency | |||||
154.76 | 249.06 | ![]() | I-20 exit 71 | |||||
Blythewood | 162.17 | 260.99 | ![]() | I-77 exit 24 | ||||
163.46 | 263.06 | ![]() | ||||||
Fairfield | | 171.40 | 275.84 | Coleman Highway west (US 21 Conn. north) –Winnsboro | Southern terminus of US 21 Conn.; eastern terminus of Coleman Highway | |||
Ridgeway | 172.09 | 276.95 | ![]() ![]() | Southern end of SC 34 concurrency | ||||
172.31 | 277.31 | ![]() ![]() | Northern end of SC 34 concurrency | |||||
| 189.11 | 304.34 | ![]() | Southern end of SC 200 concurrency | ||||
Chester | Great Falls | 192.07 | 309.11 | ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus of SC 99 | |||
193.29 | 311.07 | ![]() ![]() | Southern end of SC 97 concurrency | |||||
193.43 | 311.30 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Northern end of SC 97 and SC 200 concurrencies | |||||
Fort Lawn | 200.93 | 323.37 | ![]() | |||||
| 206.23 | 331.90 | ![]() | |||||
York | | 213.55 | 343.68 | ![]() ![]() | Interchange; southern end of SC 5 concurrency; toAndrew 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 exit 77 | |||||
218.72 | 352.00 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Access toPiedmont Medical Center; northern end of SC 5 concurrency; southern end of SC 121 concurrency | |||||
220.20 | 354.38 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Interchange | |||||
222.36 | 357.85 | ![]() ![]() | Northern end of SC 121 concurrency; northern terminus of SC 121; eastern terminus of SC 322 | |||||
222.80 | 358.56 | ![]() | I-77 exit 82 | |||||
223.00 | 358.88 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus of SC 161 | |||||
Fort Mill | 224.37 | 361.09 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus of US 21 Bus. | ||||
226.42 | 364.39 | ![]() | ||||||
229.20 | 368.86 | ![]() | ||||||
230.35 | 370.71 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of US 21 Bus. | |||||
231.14 | 371.98 | ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus of SC 51 (northern segment) | |||||
231.89 | 373.19 | ![]() ![]() | 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 | ![]() | 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 | ToPfeiffer University | ||||
6.2 | 10.0 | 6B | ![]() ![]() ![]() | ToBilly Graham Library andCharlotte Douglas International Airport; southbound signed as NC 49 south (S. Tryon St. south) only | ||||
7.3 | 11.7 | 7 | ![]() ![]() | |||||
8.3 | 13.4 | 8 | ![]() ![]() | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||||
9.0 | 14.5 | 9A | ![]() | Southbound exit and northbound entrance; access fromcollector-distributor lanes | ||||
9.4 | 15.1 | 9B | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Access fromcollector-distributor lanes; I-277 exits 1B-C | ||||
9.5 | 15.3 | 9C | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | US 29 and NC 27 signed northbound only; access fromcollector-distributor lanes; US 74 exits 1B-C | ||||
9.9 | 15.9 | 10A | ![]() ![]() | 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 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | I-277 exits 5A-B | ||||
11.2 | 18.0 | 11B | ![]() ![]() | Left exit northbound; NC 16 exits 5A-B | ||||
— | ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus of HOV3+/toll lanes | ||||||
— | ![]() ![]() | Express lanes only, southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||||||
12.4 | 20.0 | 12 | Lasalle Street / Atando Avenue | |||||
13.3 | 21.4 | 13 | ![]() | Signed as exits 13A (north) and 13B (south);hybrid interchange; I-85 exit 38 | ||||
— | ![]() ![]() | Express lanes only; northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||||||
15.8 | 25.4 | ![]() ![]() | Northern end of I-77 concurrency; I-77 exit 16 | |||||
16.3 | 26.2 | ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus of NC 115 | |||||
18.9 | 30.4 | ![]() | ToNorthlake Mall | |||||
Huntersville | ![]() ![]() | |||||||
25.7 | 41.4 | ![]() | ||||||
Cornelius | 28.8 | 46.3 | ![]() ![]() | 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 | ![]() ![]() | Northern end of I-77 concurrency; I-77 exit 33 | |||||
36.4 | 58.6 | ![]() | Interchange | |||||
39.1 | 62.9 | ![]() ![]() | Southern end of NC 115 concurrency | |||||
| 43.3 | 69.7 | ![]() | I-77 exit 42 | ||||
Statesville | 51.2 | 82.4 | ![]() | |||||
51.9 | 83.5 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Northern end of NC 115 concurrency; southern end of US 64 concurrency | |||||
52.3 | 84.2 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern terminus of NC 90 | |||||
53.2 | 85.6 | ![]() ![]() | Northern end of US 64 concurrency | |||||
54.1 | 87.1 | ![]() | I-40 exit 151 | |||||
| 57.2 | 92.1 | ![]() | I-77 exit 54 | ||||
Harmony | 66.9 | 107.7 | ![]() | |||||
Yadkin | Brooks Crossroads | 79.2 | 127.5 | ![]() | ||||
| 85.4 | 137.4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Southern end of I-77 concurrency; I-77 exit 79; southern terminus of US 21 Bus. | ||||
Jonesville | 88.5 | 142.4 | 82 | ![]() | Exit number follows I-77 | |||
Yadkin River | Sgt. Gregory Keith Martin Memorial Bridges | |||||||
Surry | Elkin | 90.3 | 145.3 | ![]() ![]() | Northern end of I-77 concurrency; southbound exit and northbound entrance; I-77 exit 83 | |||
91.3 | 146.9 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Interchange; toElkin Municipal Airport; I-77 exit 85 | |||||
92.8 | 149.3 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of US 21 Bus. | |||||
Wilkes | No major junctions | |||||||
Alleghany | | 111.2 | 179.0 | ![]() | Interchange via connector roads | |||
Sparta | 118.2 | 190.2 | ![]() | |||||
Twin Oaks | 121.1 | 194.9 | ![]() ![]() | Southern end of US 221 concurrency | ||||
124.3 0.00 | 200.0 0.00 | North Carolina–Virginia line | ||||||
Virginia | Grayson | Independence | 3.86 | 6.21 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Northern end of US 221 concurrency | ||
Elk Creek | 14.77 | 23.77 | ![]() | |||||
| 15.67 | 25.22 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||||
Wythe | Speedwell | 21.26 | 34.21 | ![]() ![]() | ||||
| 26.03 | 41.89 | ![]() | |||||
| 31.13 | 50.10 | ![]() | |||||
Wytheville | 33.63 | 54.12 | ![]() ![]() | Southern end of US 11 concurrency | ||||
33.94 | 54.62 | ![]() ![]() | 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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There are currently four business loops, four connectors, and one truck route along its route.
Auxiliary routes of US 21: