U.S. Route 15 (US 15) is a -long

United States highway The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these hi ...

, designated along

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. The route is signed north–south, from U.S. Route 17 Alternate in

Walterboro, South Carolina Walterboro is a city in Colleton County, South Carolina, United States. The city's population was 5,398 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Colleton County. Walterboro is located west of Charleston and is located near the ACE Basin r ...

to NY 17 in

Corning, New York Corning is a city in Steuben County, New York, United States, on the Chemung River. The population was 10,551 at the 2020 census. It is named for Erastus Corning, an Albany financier and railroad executive who was an investor in the company t ...

. US 15 is one of the original United States Highways from 1926.

Route description

, - , SC , 158.58 , 255.21 , - , NC , 158.13 , 254.48 , - , VA , 229.73 , 369.71 , - , MD , 37.92 , 61.02 , - , PA , 194.89 , 313.64 , - , NY , 12.46 , 20.05 , - , Total , 791.71 , 1,274.13

South Carolina

Starting at ALT US 17 in Walterboro US 15 goes east, running parallel to

I-95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...

and across

I-26 I26 may refer to: * Interstate 26, a road in the United States of America * {{Letter-NumberCombDisambig ...

. Then it turns north and crosses

. Just before the town of Santee US 15 converges with

US 301 U.S. Route 301 (US 301) is a spur of U.S. Route 1 running through the South Atlantic States. It runs from Biddles Corner, Delaware at Delaware Route 1 to Sarasota, Florida at U.S. Route 41. It passes through the states of Delaware, Mar ...

. In Santee, the two highways merge with I-95 at exit 98 and all three cross

Lake Marion A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larg ...

. At exit 102, US 15/301 split off from Interstate 95 and go into the town of Summerton. US 15 then separates from US 301 and heads mainly north to city of

Sumter Sumter may refer to: People Given name * Sumter S. Arnim (1904–1990), American dentist * Sumter de Leon Lowry Jr. (1893–1985), United States Army general Surname * Rowendy Sumter (born 1988), Curaçaoan footballer * Shavonda E. Sumter ( ...

. From there it continues north, crosses

I-20 Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with I-95 in Florence, South Carolina. Betwe ...

, goes through the cities of Bishopville and Hartsville to the town of Society Hill. It is here that

US 401 U.S. Route 401 (US 401) is a north–south United States highway, a spur of U.S. Route 1, that travels along the Fall Line from Sumter, South Carolina to Interstate 85 near Wise, North Carolina. Route description Starting in Sumt ...

joins US 15 and both go to the North Carolina border.

North Carolina

US 15-401 continues to Laurinburg, at which US 401 splits off and US 15 runs concurrent with

US 501 U.S. Route 501 (US 501) is a spur of U.S. Route 1. It runs 355 miles (571 km) from Buena Vista, Virginia at U.S. Route 60 to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at U.S. Route 17 Business. It passes through the states of Virginia, North Caroli ...

. US 1 briefly merges with US 15-501 through

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), a ...

and

Sanford Sanford may refer to: People *Sanford (given name), including a list of people with the name *Sanford (surname), including a list of people with the name Places United States * Sanford, Alabama, a town in Covington County * Sanford, Colorado ...

. The route continues north of Sanford with NC 87 towards Pittsboro. Past Pittsboro, US 15-501 goes toward

Chapel Hill Chapel Hill or Chapelhill may refer to: Places Antarctica * Chapel Hill (Antarctica) Australia *Chapel Hill, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane *Chapel Hill, South Australia, in the Mount Barker council area Canada *Chapel Hill, Ottawa, a neighbou ...

and skirts around the southeastern edge of the city and then across

I-40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

. (Prior to the construction of the Chapel Hill bypass, US 15 ran through Chapel Hill, and as of 2018 there is a "

Jefferson Davis Highway The Jefferson Davis Highway, also known as the Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway, was a planned transcontinental highway in the United States in the 1910s and 1920s that began in Arlington, Virginia, and extended south and west to San Diego, Cal ...

" marker on Franklin Street, Chapel Hill's main street.) Here US 15-501 splits into Business and Bypass routes. Before US 15 Business and Bypass highways rejoin on the other side of Durham,

I-85 Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with I-95 in Petersburg, Virginia, n ...

merges into US 15 Business. Then I-85/US 15 go north. Right after crossing Falls Lake at exit 186, US 15 splits off to the east. US 15 runs parallel to I-85, going through the city of Creedmoor. It then crosses back over I-85, goes through the city of

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, on through Bullock, and then to the N.C.-Virginia state line.

Virginia

Virginia's section of US 15 starts in Mecklenburg County. Not far from the state line, it crosses a narrow finger of the John H. Kerr Reservoir. The highway goes through the town of Clarksville and merges very briefly with

US 58 U.S. Route 58 (US 58) is an east–west U.S. Highway that runs for from U.S. Route 25E just northwest of Harrogate, Tennessee, to U.S. Route 60 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Until 1996, when the Cumberland Gap Tunnel opened, US 58 ran only in ...

/ VA 49 and then crosses over the main body of Lake Kerr. US 15 continues a little ways and merges with

US 360 U.S. Route 360 (US 360) is a spur route of US 60. The U.S. Highway runs entirely within the state of Virginia from US 58 Business, Virginia State Route 293 (SR 293), and SR 360 in Danville east to SR 644 in Reedville. US 360 connects Danvill ...

. The two highways go on to the town of Keysville. After Keysville, US 15 branches off and goes to the town of

Farmville ''FarmVille'' is a series of agriculture-simulation social network game developed and published by Zynga in 2009. It is similar to '' Happy Farm'' and ''Farm Town''. Its gameplay involves various aspects of farmland management, such as plowi ...

. After a brief merge with

US 460 U.S. Route 460 (US 460) is a spur route of U.S. Route 60. It currently runs for 655 miles (1,054 km) from Norfolk, Virginia, at its parent route U.S. Route 60 at Ocean View to Frankfort, Kentucky, intersecting its parent route once ...

, US 15 goes through the towns of Dillwyn, New Canton (on the

James River The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesap ...

), Fork Union, and

Palmyra Palmyra (; Palmyrene: () ''Tadmor''; ar, تَدْمُر ''Tadmur'') is an ancient city in present-day Homs Governorate, Syria. Archaeological finds date back to the Neolithic period, and documents first mention the city in the early secon ...

before crossing

I-64 Interstate 64 (I-64) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and US 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchang ...

at Zion Crossroads. After passing the interstate, US 15 goes through the towns of Gordonsville (with a quick merge with

US 33 U.S. Route 33 (US 33) is a United States Numbered Highway that runs northwest–southeast for from northern Indiana to Richmond, Virginia, passing through Ohio and West Virginia en route. Although most odd-numbered U.S. routes are north–s ...

) and Orange, and then on to Culpeper. After Culpeper US 15 runs concurrent with US 29. In Warrenton they briefly merge with

US 17 U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 (US 17), also known as the Coastal Highway, is a north–south United States Highway that spans in the southeastern United States. It runs close to the Atlantic Coast for much of its length, with ...

. South of Gainesville US 15 breaks off and crosses I-66. From there it goes on to Leesburg and then to the state line.

Maryland

US 15 starts in Maryland at

Point of Rocks Point or points may refer to: Places * Point, Lewis, a peninsula in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland * Point, Texas, a city in Rains County, Texas, United States * Point, the NE tip and a ferry terminal of Lismore, Inner Hebrides, Scotland * Point ...

, crossing the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augu ...

and then merges into US 340 just south of Frederick. In Frederick,

US 40 U.S. Route 40 or U.S. Highway 40 (US 40), also known as the Main Street of America, is a major east–west United States Highway traveling across the United States from the Mountain States to the Mid-Atlantic States. As with most routes ...

merges with US 15 for a very short distance. From there US 15 goes through Thurmont and on to the Maryland/Pennsylvania border.

Pennsylvania and New York

US 15 enters

south of Gettysburg. Business Route 15 (Emmitsburg Road) goes through Gettysburg, while US 15 bypasses the borough; the bypass continues to York Springs. US 15 passes through Dillsburg before becoming a freeway near

Grantham Grantham () is a market and industrial town in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road. It lies some 23 miles (37 km) south of the Lincoln a ...

and the Messiah University campus. US 15 continues as a freeway until it intersects U.S. Route 11 and

Pennsylvania Route 581 The Capital Beltway is a beltway surrounding Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is co-designated as Interstate 81 (I-81), I-83, U.S. Route 11 (US 11), US 322, and Pennsylvania Route 581 (PA 581 ...

in Camp Hill. US 15 runs concurrent with US 11, passing

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in ...

on the west shore of the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...

. The concurrency ends at

Shamokin Dam Shamokin Dam is a borough in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,647 at the 2020 census. "Shamokin" , or "Shahëmokink" in the Delaware language, and Schahamokink in another Algonquian language, means "place of ...

, where US 11 splits and follows the North Branch Susquehanna River, and US 15 follows the West Branch Susquehanna River north towards Williamsport where it passes through Lewisburg and the campus of

Bucknell University Bucknell University is a private liberal arts college in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1846 as the University at Lewisburg, it now consists of the College of Arts and Sciences, Freeman College of Management, and the College of Engineerin ...

(which is partially bisected by the highway). In the future, US 15 and US 11 will diverge in

Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania Selinsgrove is the largest borough in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population is estimated to be 5,761 for the 2020 Census. Selinsgrove is geographically located in the middle of the Susquehanna River Valley in Central Penns ...

, from which US 15 will proceed north on a road yet to be built, and connect back to its current alignment near Winfield, PA. 11 will be joined to a business loop of 15 instead of the main route. The segment from

Williamsport, Pennsylvania Williamsport is a city in, and the county seat of, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. It recorded a population of 27,754 at the 2020 Census. It is the principal city of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a popul ...

to the northern terminus at

I-86 Interstate 86 may refer to any of three unconnected Interstate Highways in the United States: * Interstate 86 (Pennsylvania–New York) * Interstate 86 (Idaho) * Interstate 84 (Pennsylvania–Massachusetts) Interstate 84 (I-84) is an I ...

and NY 17 in

Painted Post, New York Painted Post is a village in Steuben County, New York. The village is in the town of Erwin, west of the city of Corning. The population was 1,809 at the 2010 census. The name comes from a Seneca carved post found by explorers at the junction ...

has been completely upgraded to Interstate standards, except for one access road at Mile Marker 150.1, in preparation for the eventual transition to designation as I-99, as has the US 15/

interchange. The segment of US 15 in

runs parallel to the Tioga River from the state line to its current northern terminus at I-86 and NY 17 exit 44 at the junction of the Tioga and Cohocton rivers in Painted Post, west of downtown Corning. The entire length of US 15 in New York is signed concurrently with I-99.

History

Until 1974, US 15 continued north of NY 17 and entered Painted Post on North Hamilton Street. At what is now the junction of Steuben County Route 41 and

New York State Route 415 New York State Route 415 (NY 415) is a state highway located entirely within Steuben County, New York, in the United States. It is a north–south trunk road that parallels in part, the Cohocton River, Interstate 86 (I-86) and I- ...

in downtown Painted Post, US 15 turned north onto NY 415. At the northern terminus of NY 415, located at

NY 15 New York State Route 15 (NY 15) is a north–south state highway located in western New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is officially at Interstate 390 (I-390) exit 3 south of the village of Wayl ...

and

New York State Route 21 New York State Route 21 (NY 21) is a state highway extending for about through the western part of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 417 in the village of Andover, ...

south of Wayland, US 15 followed the current routing of NY 15 into downtown Rochester, where it terminated at

New York State Route 31 New York State Route 31 (NY 31) is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its e ...

. US 15 has shed considerable length in near-continuous realignment and

regrading Grading in civil engineering and landscape architectural construction is the work of ensuring a level base, or one with a specified slope, for a construction work such as a foundation, the base course for a road or a railway, or landscape a ...

over the years. Prior to the completion of the Tioga Creek flood-control project, hastened by the flooding caused after

Hurricane Agnes Hurricane Agnes in 1972 was the costliest hurricane to hit the United States at the time, causing an estimated $2.1 billion in damage. The hurricane's death toll was 128. The effects of Agnes were widespread, from the Caribbean to Canada, ...

along the Pennsylvania and New York segments of US 15 in June 1972, US 15 passed through many small towns in Pennsylvania as it passed from Lawrenceville, at the New York border, to West Milton, where the road begins to follow the west bank of the

. Originally a winding two-lane road over numerous mountains, 15 now bypasses many small towns such as Sebring, Blossburg, Covington, Canoe Camp and Hepburnville. In the 1970s, the challenging two-lane alignment was expanded in some areas to four lanes by building a second set of lanes. Now, for some stretches, the "old" road is the northbound side and in other sections, the southbound side. I-95 US 15 sign

Near

Mansfield, Pennsylvania Mansfield is a borough located in east-central Tioga County, Pennsylvania, United States, in the Tioga River valley. It is situated at the intersection of U.S. Route 6 and U.S. Business Route 15, about southwest of Elmira, New York. History In ...

the old Route 15 alignment is now a access road leading to a boat ramp, built where the old road now disappears into the Tioga Reservoir. Near Tioga, Pennsylvania, drivers crossing the tall concrete bridge can see where a two-lane road (formerly Route 15), still marked with double yellow lines, disappears into the water.

Scenic Byway

In October 2009, a portion of US 15 from Charlottesville, Va. to Gettysburg, Pa. was designated a

National Scenic Byway A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for one or more of six "intrinsic qualities": archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic. The program was established by Co ...

by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation. The byway will be known as the

Journey Through Hallowed Ground Journey or journeying may refer to: * Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations ** Day's journey, a measurement of distance ** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road Animals * Journey (horse), a thoroughbred r ...

. With this designation, the route and historic sites along the route are now eligible for preservation grants.

Major intersections

;South Carolina : in Walterboro : in St. George : in Rosinville : north-northeast of Rosinville : in Wells : south-southeast of Dantzler : southwest of Santee. The highways travel concurrently to Summerton. : southeast of Santee. The highways travel concurrently to Adams Landing. : in South Sumter. : in

: on the Sumter–

Mulberry ''Morus'', a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consists of diverse species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 ident ...

city line : southwest of Bishopville : southwest of Society Hill. US 15/US 52 travel concurrently to Society Hill. US 15/US 401 travel concurrently to

Laurinburg, North Carolina Laurinburg is a city in and the county seat of Scotland County, North Carolina, United States. Located in southern North Carolina near the South Carolina border, Laurinburg is southwest of Fayetteville and is home to St. Andrews University. ...

. ;North Carolina : in Laurinburg. US 15/US 501 travel concurrently to

. : in

. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : south of

. The highways travel concurrently to Sanford. : in Sanford : in Pittsboro : in

: in Durham. I-85/US 15 travel concurrently to Dutchville Township. US 15/US 70 travel concurrently through the city. : south-southwest of

: in Oxford ;Virginia : in Clarksville : in Clarksville : north-northeast of Wylliesburg. The highways travel concurrently to north of Keysville. : south of

. The highways travel concurrently to west of Farmville. : in Sprouses Corner : in Zion Crossroads : north-northeast of Zion Crossroads : south of Gordonsville. The highways travel concurrently to Gordonsville. : south of Culpeper. The highways travel concurrently to Gainesville. : southeast of Culpeper : in

Opal Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·''n''H2O); its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. Due to its amorphous property, it is classified as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline form ...

. The highways travel concurrently to Warrenton. : in Haymarket : in Gilberts Corner ;Maryland : east of Jefferson. The highways travel concurrently to . : in

Ballenger Creek Ballenger Creek is a tributary of the Monocacy River in Frederick County, Maryland.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 15, 2011 The headwaters of the creek are locate ...

: in Frederick. US 15/US 40 travel concurrently through the city. ;Pennsylvania : in Straban Township : in Upper Allen Township : in Camp Hill. The highways travel concurrently to

. : in Summerdale : in Penn Township : in Monroe Township : in White Deer Township : in Williamsport. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Williamsport. I-99/US 15 will travel concurrently to

Erwin, New York Erwin is a town in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 8,090 at the 2020 census. The name is that of an early settler, who became the first Town Supervisor. Erwin is in the southeast part of the county and is west of the c ...

. : in

Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area (followed by Sutton-in-Ashfield). It gained the Royal Charter of a market to ...

;New York : at the

New York–Pennsylvania border The New York–Pennsylvania border is the state line between the U.S. states of New York and Pennsylvania. It has three sections: * Along the center line of the Delaware River from the Tri-States Monument tripoint with New Jersey at the confluen ...

. The highways travel concurrently to Erwin. : in Erwin

References

External links

Photographs of U.S. Route 15 in North Central Pennsylvania - ''John Walter''Journey Through Hallowed Ground, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary
{{Authority control 15 Interstate 95