US 501 highlighted in red | ||||||||||
| Route information | ||||||||||
| Auxiliary route ofUS 1 | ||||||||||
| Length | 355 mi[1][2][3] (571 km) | |||||||||
| Existed | 1935–present | |||||||||
| Major junctions | ||||||||||
| South end | ||||||||||
| Major intersections |
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| North end | ||||||||||
| Location | ||||||||||
| Country | United States | |||||||||
| States | South Carolina,North Carolina,Virginia | |||||||||
| Counties | SC:Horry,Marion,Dillon NC:Robeson,Scotland,Hoke,Moore,Lee,Chatham,Orange,Durham,Person VA:Halifax,Campbell,City of Lynchburg,Bedford,Amherst,Rockbridge,City of Buena Vista | |||||||||
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U.S. Route 501 (US 501) is a spur ofU.S. Route 1. It runs 355 miles (571 km) fromBuena Vista,Virginia atU.S. Route 60 toMyrtle Beach,South Carolina atU.S. Route 17 Business.It passes through the states ofVirginia,North Carolina andSouth Carolina. FromDurham toLaurinburg, a 108-mile (174 km) section of US 501 overlapsU.S. Route 15.Sections of US 15-501 also share routings withU.S. Route 1 in sections nearSanford,North Carolina andAberdeen,North Carolina.
| mi | km | |
|---|---|---|
| SC | 74 | 119 |
| NC | 211 | 340 |
| VA | 145 | 233 |
| Total | 430 | 690 |
US 501 in South Carolina is a north–southUnited States highway that traverses 73.8 miles (118.8 km); it is one of main routes to theGrand Strand. US 501 begins atUS 17 Bus. inMyrtle Beach, South Carolina. FromMyrtle Beach toMarion, US 501 is a multilane highway, some sectionsdivided, someundivided, mostly withat-grade intersections but having a number ofinterchanges along the length. The first of these interchanges is with US 17, which is a cloverleaf interchanges that includes railroad crossings at the ramps along the east side. After the bridge over theIntracoastal Waterway it has two more interchanges with local roads. Next there is an unusualhybrid interchange withSouth Carolina Highway 31, similar to acloverstack, with elements of atrumpet interchange, in which twoflyover ramps from SC 31 to US 501exit left from SC 31 and wrap around the interchange's loop ramps. After this interchange, this limited-access portion comes to an end. US 501 passes through the city ofConway where it has a short overlap withU.S. Route 701. South ofAynor it serves as the western terminus ofSC 22, which has another unconventional interchange, and various interchanges can also be found along the road before reaching Marion, where US 501 bypasses the town to the east. North of Marion, US 501 meetsSC 38, a connector toInterstate 95. From SC 38, US 501 heads to the northeast, meetingUS 301 inLatta. US 301 merges with US 501, forming a concurrency throughDillon to theNorth Carolina border, where it passesSouth of the Border prior to simultaneously exiting South Carolina and interchanging withInterstate 95 nearHamer inDillon County.

US 501 is a north–southUnited States highway that traverses the majority ofNorth Carolina inconcurrency withUS 15, known as "15-501" ("Fifteen Five-o-one"). It enters North Carolina at theSouth Carolina state line with an intersection ofInterstate 95 (I-95) while overlappingUS 301, nearSouth of the Border. It goes northwest throughRowland where the overlap with US 301 terminates, and then travels throughRaemon toLaurinburg. Once at Laurinburg, it overlaps briefly withI-74/US 74 before connecting withUS 15. The majority of the route, to this point, is a two-lane rural road.[2]
Merging with US 15, it becomes what is known by local residents as "15-501" ("Fifteen Five-o-one"), a concurrency that extends for 106 miles (171 km) across central North Carolina. After Laurinburg it goes north toAberdeen, linking briefly withUS 1 before continuing toPinehurst. In Pinehurst, 15-501 goes through aroundabout then continues north throughCarthage, then back to US 1. After traveling throughSanford on another brief concurrency with US 1, it exits off the freeway and goes due north toPittsboro. After Pittsboro, 15-501 goes through Chapel Hill and then into Durham.NCDOT has been trying to remedy traffic problems by making the route asuperstreet for better traffic flow.[4] In Durham, 15-501 upgrades to an urbanfreeway, allowing for quick access to Interstate 85, and from south Durham to north; the freeway ends merging intoI-85. At exit 176B on I-85, US 501 splits off towardsRoxboro, while US 15 continues with I-85 towardsOxford.[2]
After Durham, US 501 goes north to Roxboro, then intoSouth Boston, Virginia after crossing the state line; the majority of this section is a four-lane expressway.[2]
US 501 entersHalifax County, Virginia south of Cluster Springs. The U.S. Highway is a two-lane road at the North Carolina state line but immediately expands to a four-lane divided highway named Huell Matthews Highway. US 501 parallels theMayo River north to the hamlet of Mayo, where the highway meets the western end ofSR 96 (Virgilina Road) and crosses theHyco River. The U.S. Highway passes through Cluster Springs to the community ofRiverdale just south of South Boston. US 501 becomes an undivided highway and intersectsUS 58 andUS 360, which together head west as Philpott Road and east as Bill Tuck Highway. US 501 crosses theDan River into the town of South Boston. Just north of the river, the highway has a grade crossing ofNorfolk Southern Railway's Clover Spur, which follows the formerDanville–Richmond rail line, and splits into aone-way pair: Broad Street northbound and Main Street southbound. Both directions intersectSR 304 (Seymour Drive). When Main Street veers northeast as two-waySR 129, southbound US 501 continues on two-way Wilborn Avenue to the northern end of the one-way pair.[3][5]
US 501 continues through South Boston on Wilborn Avenue, a five-lane road with center turn lane. The U.S. Highway becomes four-lane divided Halifax Road at Hamilton Boulevard. US 501 receives the northern end of SR 129 (Old Halifax Road) shortly before leaving the town of South Boston. The U.S. Highway enters the town ofHalifax and becomes Main Street, a three-lane road with center turn lane, at its grade crossing of Norfolk Southern'sDurham District. US 501 continues to the county courthouse, where the highway intersects the very shortSR 349 (Edmunds Boulevard) andSR 360 (Mountain Road), whichruns concurrently with the U.S. Highway through the northern part of the town. The two highways diverge: SR 360 heads northeast as Bethel Road and US 501 heads northwest as two-lane L.P. Bailey Memorial Highway. which crosses Banister Lake, an impoundment of theBanister River, as it leaves the town of Halifax.[3][5]
US 501 passes throughVolens andAcorn on its way to the hamlet of North Halifax, where the highway begins to run concurrently withSR 40 (Stage Coach Road). The highways cross theRoanoke River into the town ofBrookneal inCampbell County and pass under Norfolk Southern'sAltavista District rail line. The highways continue as Lusardi Drive to Lynchburg Avenue in the center of town; SR 40 turns southeast while US 501 turns north west onto the street just north of the highways' grade crossing of the Durham District rail line. US 501 leaves the town as Brookneal Highway, which parallels the rail line through the communities of Naruna and Gladys on its way toRustburg, thecounty seat of Campbell County. The U.S. Highway intersectsSR 24 (Colonial Highway) at the southern edge of the village. The highways have a short concurrency before SR 24 continues east as Village Highway and US 501 heads northwest as Campbell Highway. North of Rustburg, US 501 expands to a four-lane divided highway into theindependent city of Lynchburg, where the highway meetsUS 29 andUS 460 (Richmond Highway) at apartial cloverleaf interchange.US 501 Business andUS 460 Business head straight on Campbell Avenue while US 501 joins the freeway heading southwest.[3][5]

US 501 runs concurrently with US 29 and US 460 southwest along the northern slope of Candlers Mountain to afull Y interchange where US 501 heads northwest from the freeway. The U.S. Highway has an intersection withSR 128 (Mayflower Drive) and Candlers Mountain Road just east of the highway's crossing of Norfolk Southern'sDanville District. SR 128 joins US 501 on Candlers Mountain Road between the intersection and the highway'scloverleaf interchange withUS 29 Business (Lynchburg Expressway). US 501 exits onto the expressway while SR 128 continues west to its terminus. US 501 and US 29 Business head southwest along the freeway until the business route exits onto Wards Road to head towardDanville. US 501 curves northwest and has a cloverleaf interchange with US 460 Business (Timberlake Road), crosses Norfolk Southern'sBlue Ridge District, and has adiamond interchange with Graves Mill Road. The freeway ends atUS 221 (Lakeside Drive). US 501 heads north along Old Forest Road as a five-lane road with center turn lane before turning onto a two-lane segment of the Lynchburg Expressway. This segment has a partial cloverleaf interchange with Wiggington Road before ending at US 501 Business (Boonsboro Road).[3][5]
US 501 heads northwest on two-lane Boonsboro Road, which becomes Lee Jackson Highway when it exits the city of Lynchburg intoBedford County. The U.S. Highway curvaceously crosses Fleming Mountain and descends into theJames River Gorge at Coleman Falls. US 501 follows the south bank of the river throughBig Island, where the highway meets the northern end ofSR 122 (Big Island Highway) and has an interchange with theBlue Ridge Parkway. North of Big Island, the U.S. Highway crosses the river and immediately intersectsSR 130 (Elon Road) on theAmherst County side. The two highways have a curvaceous crossing of the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains before descending to the town ofGlasgow at the mouth of theMaury River. The two routes follow the river upstream a short distance before SR 130 (Wert Faulkner Highway) crosses the river into the town. US 501, now named Glasgow Highway, parallels the river and Norfolk Southern'sRoanoke District rail line north to the city of Buena Vista, which the highway enters as Magnolia Avenue. South of the downtown area, US 501 veers onto Sycamore Street whileUS 501 Business continues along Magnolia Avenue. At 22nd Street, the U.S. Highway veers onto Beech Avenue, which receives the northern end of US 501 Business (Park Avenue) west ofSouthern Virginia University. Two blocks to the north, US 501 reaches its northern terminus at US 60 (29th Street).[3][5]
Established in 1935 as an extension fromNorth Carolina. US 501 replaced part ofUS 117 betweenMyrtle Beach andSocastee, then from there throughConway,Marion, andLatta on what wasSC 38. North of Latta, it overlapped withUS 301, throughDillon, and into North Carolina.
During the 1940s, because of the need for a more direct route toMyrtle Beach Air Force Base from Conway, 2-lane US 501 was built through the Buist Tract owned by Southern Kraft Company (later part ofInternational Paper),[6] replacingSC 503, its old alignment was renumbered toSC 544. In 1950, US 501 was moved onto new construction between Conway andAynor, its old alignment renumbered toSC 319. By 1964, US 501 was moved to its current southern bypass from downtown Conway, creatingUS 501 Bus. By 1990, US 501 was moved to its current eastern bypass from downtown Marion, creating anotherUS 501 Bus.
In 2021, the South Carolina Department of Transportation and Horry County announced plans to spend tens of millions of dollars expanding U.S. 501 into four lanes each way near Myrtle Beach.[7]
When US 501 was established in 1927, it was aligned alongNorth Carolina Highway 13 (NC 13) from Durham north through Roxboro to the Virginia state line.
In 1934, it was overlapped with US 15 from Durham south to Laurinburg. From there, it went southeast to Rowland and then to the South Carolina border. This extension south replacedNC 22,NC 71, andNC 241.
In 1953, US 501 was bypassed around Chapel Hill. In 1956 or 1957, US 501 was bypassed west of Sanford. Between 1960 and 1962, US 501 was bypassed around Laurinburg.[8]
In 2023,AASHTO approved a request to reroute US 501 inPittsboro; continuing its overlap with NC 87 and then onto US 64, with its old alignment through the downtown area downgraded to secondary roads.[9] In May 2025, NCDOT completed the route change.[10]
| Location | Durham–Virginia State Line |
|---|---|
| Length | 43 mi[11] (69 km) |
| Existed | 1921–1930 |
North Carolina Highway 13 was an original state highway running from Durham, north through Rougemont and Roxboro ending atSR 18 at the Virginia State Line. The highway's routing appeared on the 1916 Highway Map by the North Carolina State Highway Commission for the five year federal aid program.[12] However NC 13 was not officially marked on any state highway maps until 1924; where it was routed from NC 10/NC 75 in Durham north through Rougemont and Timberlake to NC 57 east of Roxboro. NC 13 turned toward the west into Roxboro, before intersecting NC 144 and turning north.[13] The highway had its northern terminus at the Virginia State Line nearSouth Boston. By 1926 the routing of NC 13 was shifted slightly to the west between Timberlake and Roxboro, providing a direct link between the cities.[14] The route was deleted in 1930, with US 501/NC 55 taking over the entirety of the routing.[11][15]
| State | County | Location | mi[1][2][3] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | Horry | Myrtle Beach | 0.00 | 0.00 | Southern terminus | ||
| 1.3 | 2.1 | ToMyrtle Beach International Airport | |||||
| 2.1 | 3.4 | Cloverleaf interchange | |||||
| Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway | South end of freeway | ||||||
| Carolina Forest | — | River Oaks Drive / George Bishop Parkway | ToMyrtle Beach International Airport | ||||
| Forestbrook | — | Dick Scobee Road / Forestbrook Road | |||||
| 5.1 | 8.2 | — | Hybrid interchange; north end of freeway | ||||
| Conway–Red Hill line | 10.9 | 17.5 | Southern terminus of US 501 Bus. | ||||
| Red Hill | 11.3 | 18.2 | No access from US 501 to SC 544, from SC 544 east to US 501 north, or from SC 544 west to US 501 south | ||||
| Southern end of US 378 Truck/US 701 Truck/SC 90 Truck concurrency | |||||||
| Conway | 14.3 | 23.0 | Northern end ofUS 378 Truck/US 701 Truck/SC 90 Truck concurrency; southern end of US 701 concurrency | ||||
| 15.3 | 24.6 | Northern end of US 701 concurrency; southern end ofUS 701 Truck concurrency | |||||
| Northern end of US 701 Truck concurrency | |||||||
| | 22.6 | 36.4 | Interchange; western terminus of SC 22 | ||||
| | Horry Road / Brunson Spring Road | Interchange via connector roads | |||||
| Aynor | 29.2 | 47.0 | Northern terminus of SC 319 | ||||
| Marion | Ariel Crossroad | 37.2 | 59.9 | Interchange | |||
| | 43.7 | 70.3 | Interchange | ||||
| Marion | 47.7 | 76.8 | Interchange | ||||
| | 49.6 | 79.8 | Interchange | ||||
| Spring Branch | 52.0 | 83.7 | Interchange | ||||
| | 56.6 | 91.1 | Interchange; southern terminus of SC 38 | ||||
| Dillon | | Proposed interchange[16][17] | |||||
| Latta | 59.8 | 96.2 | South end of US 301 overlap | ||||
| 60.3 | 97.0 | ||||||
| Dillon | 66.8 | 107.5 | South end of SC 9/SC 57 overlap; Eastern terminus of SC 34 | ||||
| 67.8 | 109.1 | North end of SC 9/SC 57 overlap | |||||
| South Carolina–North Carolina line | 73.8 0.00 | 118.8 0.00 | I-95 exit 1 | ||||
| North Carolina | Robeson | Rowland | 2.7 | 4.3 | North end of US 301 and east end of NC 130 overlap | ||
| | 4.0 | 6.4 | |||||
| Raemon | 10.2 | 16.4 | West end of NC 130 overlap | ||||
| | 14.0 | 22.5 | |||||
| Scotland | Laurinburg | 21.0 | 33.8 | ||||
| 21.7 | 34.9 | East end of I-74/US 74 overlap; I-74 exit 185 | |||||
| 184 | Exit number follows I-74 | ||||||
| 23.2 | 37.3 | North end of I-74/US 74 overlap; I-74 exit 183; south end of US 15/US 401 overlap | |||||
| 24.2 | 38.9 | ||||||
| 26.1 | 42.0 | North end of US 401 overlap | |||||
| | 29.3 | 47.2 | |||||
| Drowning Creek | Scotland-Hoke county line | ||||||
| Moore | Aberdeen | 49.1 | 79.0 | East end of NC 211 overlap | |||
| 49.5 | 79.7 | South end of US 1 overlap | |||||
| 49.7 | 80.0 | ||||||
| 51.4 | 82.7 | North end of US 1 overlap | |||||
| Pinehurst | 55.2 | 88.8 | Roundabout, west end of NC 211 overlap | ||||
| | 59.0 | 95.0 | |||||
| Carthage | 62.5 | 100.6 | South end of NC 22 overlap | ||||
| 63.6 | 102.4 | North end of NC 22 overlap | |||||
| 65.7 | 105.7 | East end of NC 24/NC 27 overlap | |||||
| | 67.5 | 108.6 | West end of NC 24/NC 27 overlap | ||||
| Lee | | 76.0 | 122.3 | South end of US 1 overlap | |||
| Tramway | 78.6 | 126.5 | |||||
| Sanford | 81.0 | 130.4 | 66 | South end of freeway; exit numbers follow US 1 | |||
| 82.3 | 132.4 | 68 | Spring Lane | ||||
| 82.8 | 133.3 | 69A | South end of NC 87 overlap | ||||
| 83.5 | 134.4 | 69B | Burns Drive | ||||
| 84.0 | 135.2 | 70 | |||||
| 87.5 | 140.8 | Roundabout interchange; north end of freeway section; northern end of US 1 concurrency; US 1 exit 71 | |||||
| Deep River | Bridge | ||||||
| Chatham | Pittsboro | West end of NC 902 overlap | |||||
| East end of NC 902 overlap | |||||||
| 381 | West end of US 64 and North end of NC 87 overlap | ||||||
| 383 | East end of US 64 overlap | ||||||
| Orange | Chapel Hill | 115.0 | 185.1 | South end of NC 54 overlap | |||
| 117.2 | 188.6 | North end of NC 54 overlap | |||||
| 119.2 | 191.8 | Franklin Street | Interchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||||
| Durham | Durham | 121.0 | 194.7 | ||||
| 123.0 | 197.9 | 105A-B | South end of freeway; signed as exit 105A (US 15 Bus./US 501 Bus.) and 105B (MLK Pkwy.) | ||||
| 124.5 | 200.4 | 106 | Cornwallis Road | ||||
| 125.5 | 202.0 | 107 | |||||
| 126.2 | 203.1 | 108A | Morreene Road | Southbound exit and northbound entrance ramps useC/D lanes | |||
| 108B-C | Access via C/D lanes; signed as exits 108B (south) and 108C (north) | ||||||
| 108D | Northbound exit and southbound entrance ramps use C/D lanes | ||||||
| 127.4 | 205.0 | — | Southern end of I-85 / US 70 concurrency; I-85 exit 174A; southbound left exit and northbound left entrance | ||||
| 174B | Hillandale Road | Exit numbers follow I-85 | |||||
| 175 | ToNC School of Science & Math andDuke Homestead | ||||||
| 130.0 | 209.2 | — | North end of I-85/US 15/US 70 overlap; I-85 exit 176 | ||||
| 176A | Gregson Street –Northgate | North end of freeway; no exit number southbound | |||||
| 132.58 | 213.37 | ||||||
| Person | | 146.0 | 235.0 | South end of NC 57 overlap | |||
| Roxboro | 156.5 | 251.9 | East end of US 158 overlap | ||||
| 157.0 | 252.7 | ||||||
| 158.0 | 254.3 | West end of US 158, south end of NC 49, and north end of NC 57 overlap | |||||
| 159.0 | 255.9 | North end of NC 49 overlap | |||||
| 170.0 0.00 | 273.6 0.00 | North Carolina–Virginia line | |||||
| Virginia | Halifax | | 2.46 | 3.96 | |||
| Riverdale | 10.94 | 17.61 | |||||
| South Boston | 11.56 | 18.60 | |||||
| 11.78 | 18.96 | ||||||
| 14.62 | 23.53 | ||||||
| Halifax | 16.92 | 27.23 | South end of concurrency with SR 360 | ||||
| 17.70 | 28.49 | North end of concurrency with SR 360 | |||||
| Volens | FormerSR 126 north | ||||||
| North Halifax | 38.25 | 61.56 | South end of concurrency with SR 40 | ||||
| Campbell | Brookneal | 40.07 | 64.49 | North end of concurrency with SR 40 | |||
| Gladys | FormerSR 126 south | ||||||
| Rustburg | 59.59 | 95.90 | South end of concurrency with SR 24 | ||||
| 60.51 | 97.38 | North end of concurrency with SR 24 | |||||
| City ofLynchburg | 68.47 | 110.19 | South end of freeway section; east end of concurrency with US 29/US 460 | ||||
| — | Odd Fellows Road | ||||||
| 70.83 | 113.99 | North end of freeway section; west end of concurrency with US 29/US 460 | |||||
| 71.42 | 114.94 | South end of concurrency with SR 128; partial interchange with SR 670 | |||||
| 71.82 | 115.58 | North end of concurrency with SR 128; south end of concurrency with US 29 Bus.; south end of freeway section; Lynchburg Expwy. exit 8B | |||||
| 72.16 | 116.13 | 9 | Exit numbers follow Lynchburg Expwy.; north end of concurrency with US 29 Bus. | ||||
| 73.67 | 118.56 | 10 | Signed as exits 10A (east) and 10B (west) | ||||
| 74.88 | 120.51 | 11 | Graves Mill Road | FormerSR 126 | |||
| — | To Breezewood Drive | Southbound exit and entrance only | |||||
| 76.12 | 122.50 | Intersection; north end of freeway section; west end of Lynchburg Expressway | |||||
| 77.66 | 124.98 | — | Wiggington Road –Peaks View Park | Folded diamond interchange | |||
| 79.52 | 127.98 | ||||||
| Bedford | Big Island | 91.28 | 146.90 | ||||
| | — | One-quadrant interchange | |||||
| Amherst | | 95.75 | 154.09 | South end of concurrency with SR 130 | |||
| Rockbridge | | 102.12 | 164.35 | North end of concurrency with SR 130 | |||
| City ofBuena Vista | 110.52 | 177.86 | |||||
| 111.30 | 179.12 | ||||||
| 111.42 | 179.31 | Northern terminus; road continues as Rockbridge Avenue | |||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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