U.S. Route 21 or U.S. Highway 21 (US 21) is a north–south

United States Numbered 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 h ...

, spanning from

Hunting Island State Park Hunting Island is a secluded semitropical barrier island located east of Beaufort, South Carolina, United States in between Harbor Island and Fripp Island. Since 1935, it has been classified as a state park. It is the most-visited state ...

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

, to

Wytheville, Virginia Wytheville ( ) is a town in and the county seat of Wythe County, Virginia, Wythe County, Virginia, United States. It is named after George Wythe, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence and mentor to Thomas Jefferson. Wytheville ...

. The route traverses three states, South Carolina,

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, and Virginia. It connects southeastern cities, including

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...

, and

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...

. US 21 starts at Hunting Island State Park, bypasses

Beaufort, South Carolina Beaufort ( , different from that of Beaufort, North Carolina) is a city in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States, and its county seat. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston, South Carolina ...

, and then heads north across the low country, paralleling

Interstate 77 Interstate 77 (I-77) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of West Virginia to the rolling farmlands of North Carolina and Ohio. It largely supplants the ...

(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 of

Interstate 81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40, I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee, Dandridge, Tennessee; its nort ...

(I-81) /

U.S. Route 52 U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major U.S. Highway in the Central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S. Highways, US 52 primarily follows a north ...

(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 in

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

and

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

. Historically, US 21 was longer before the

Interstate Highway System The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...

was established. US 21 originally ran from

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

, to

Yemassee, South Carolina Yemassee () is a town in Hampton and Beaufort counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 1,080 at the 2020 census. Located in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Yemassee is divided by the county line between Hampton and Beaufo ...

, 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 after

U.S. Route 91 U.S. Route 91 or U.S. Highway 91 (US 91) is a north–south United States highway running from Brigham City, Utah, to Idaho Falls, Idaho, in the U.S. states of Idaho and Utah. Despite the "1" as the last digit in the number, US 91 is no ...

(US 91). US 21 serves as an alternative to the more heavily trafficked interstates in the area, particularly I-77, I-26, and

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

(I-95).

Route description

, - , SC , , - , NC , , - , VA , , - , Total ,

South Carolina

US 21 travels through the state. Beginning at

, US 21 travels west toward Beaufort, where it widens to four lanes. The route bypasses Beaufort to the south, going through

Port Royal Port Royal () was a town located at the end of the Palisadoes, at the mouth of Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1494 by the Spanish, it was once the largest and most prosperous city in the Caribbean, functioning as the cen ...

, Shell Point, and Burton. In the Beaufort area, US 21 passes by the entrances to

Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island (often abbreviated as MCRD PI) is an military installation located within Port Royal, South Carolina, approximately south of Beaufort, the community that is typically associated with the installation ...

and

Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort or MCAS Beaufort is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) air base located northwest of the central business district of Beaufort, South Carolina, Beaufort, a city in Beaufort County, South Carolina, Beaufort C ...

, the major Marine Corps installations in the area. North of Beaufort, US 21 continues as a four-lane divided highway and intersects with US 17. The route travels in a

wrong-way concurrency Wrong way may refer to: * a traffic sign to warn of wrong-way driving * nickname of Douglas Corrigan (1907–1995), an American aviator who flew east from New York to Ireland instead of west to California in 1938 * nickname of Roy Riegels (1908–1 ...

with US 17 south for before turning north toward Yemassee, where it becomes a rural two-lane road and intersects with US 17 Alternate. North of Yemassee, US 21 splits off and crosses

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

at exit 42. The two-lane route continues through rural portions of the state. US 21 goes through Smoaks and Branchville and bypasses Orangeburg. North of Orangeburg, US 21 runs roughly parallel to I-26 until

Gaston Gaston is a masculine given name of French origin and a surname. The name "Gaston" may refer to: People First name *Gaston I, Count of Foix (1287–1315) * Gaston II, Count of Foix (1308–1343) *Gaston III, Count of Foix (1331–1391) *Gaston ...

where it conjoins US 321 and becomes an urban highway. US 21 passes through Cayce, West Columbia, and Columbia. North of Columbia, US 21 splits from US 321, reverting to a rural two-lane road parallel to

I-77 Interstate 77 (I-77) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of West Virginia to the rolling farmlands of North Carolina and Ohio. It largely supplants the ...

. In York County, US 21 enters urban areas again, connecting Rock Hill and

Fort Mill Fort Mill, also known as Fort Mill Township, is a town in York County, South Carolina, United States. It is a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population of the town was 24,521. Some businesses and residents in the ...

. Near the

state line, US 21 merges with I-77 near

Carowinds Carowinds is a amusement park primarily located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The park is owned and operated by Six Flags. Carowinds straddles the state line between North and South Carolina, adjacent to Interstate 77, with a portion of the park ...

, then enters North Carolina.

North Carolina

US 21 begins as a

concurrency Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to: Law * Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea'' * Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...

with

in Charlotte, which it repeats three times within the state. Its first break with I-77 is along Statesville Avenue, then proceeding through Huntersville and Cornelius, however, because of its close proximity to I-77 and North Carolina Highway 115 (NC 115), it has no interchange with I-485 by itself. The second break with I-77 occurs at Mooresville, where US 21 travels through the city and then northwest into Statesville. After Statesville, US 21 travels northeast to

Harmony In music, harmony is the concept of combining different sounds in order to create new, distinct musical ideas. Theories of harmony seek to describe or explain the effects created by distinct pitches or tones coinciding with one another; harm ...

and Brooks Crossroads, before merging back with I-77 near Jonesville. However, Jonesville and Elkin connect with US 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 to

Sparta Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the Evrotas Valley, valley of Evrotas (river), Evrotas rive ...

, passing the

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and National Scenic Byway, All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is the longest linear park in the U.S., runs for through 29 counties in Virginia and ...

after a major, curvy section. North of Sparta, at Twin Oaks, US 221 overlaps with US 21 before entering

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. US 21 travels 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.

Virginia

After a few miles crossing the state line, US 21 reaches the town of

Independence Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...

, where it splits with US 221 and continues north. The route goes through the

Mount Rogers National Recreation Area Mount Rogers National Recreation Area is a United States national recreation area (NRA) in southwestern Virginia near the border with Tennessee and North Carolina. It centerpiece is the Lewis Fork Wilderness containing Mount Rogers, the highe ...

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 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Isla ...

/ US 52. US 21 travels 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 Lake Erie ( ) is the fourth-largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and also has the shortest avera ...

and the coastal South. One of the few true north–south routes to cross the middle

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...

, it became an important corridor for motor traffic between northeastern

, western

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, (with US 19) and western

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

with central

, central and southeastern

, and (by connecting with other highways) coastal

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

and most of

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. 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 the Atlantic Coast at Hunting Island State Park, between the city of Beaufort and

Fripp Island Fripp Island is a 6.546 sq mi (16.954 km2) barrier island and census-designated place (CDP) located along the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the lowcountry part of South Carolina. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 United States ce ...

. In the

Interstate Highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...

era, much of US 21 became an obvious corridor for a long-distance expressway. The

West Virginia Turnpike Interstate 77 (I-77) in the US state of West Virginia is a major north–south Interstate Highway. It extends for between Bluefield, West Virginia, Bluefield at the Virginia state line and Williamstown, West Virginia, Williamstown at the ...

between

Charleston, West Virginia Charleston () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in West Virginia, most populous city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is the county seat of Kanawha County, West Virginia, Kanawha County and ...

, and

Princeton, West Virginia Princeton is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. The population was 5,872 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Bluefield micropolitan area. History Early history Princeton was ...

, was the first segment of a planned series of toll highways along or near US 21 from Cleveland to

. All the other toll highways were shelved in favor of freeways built with Interstate funding; these freeways and the West Virginia Turnpike became

, which completely supplanted old US 21 as a long-distance through route. I-77 was later extended to

, 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: * State Route 21 (SR 21) between Cuyahoga Heights and Strasburg; * SR 821 between I-77 near Byesville and SR 60 near

Marietta, Ohio Marietta is a city in Washington County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located in Appalachian Ohio, southeastern Ohio at the confluence of the Muskingum River, Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, northeast of Parkersburg, West Virginia ...

; * County Road 35 (CR 35, Oakwood Road, Byesville Road, Old Twenty-One Road) between Byesville and the Guernsey–Tuscarawas county line; * CR 3 (Salt Fork Road) between the Guernsey–Tuscarawas county line to SR 258 * CR 21 between Newcomerstown and New Philadelphia * County Route 21 (CR 21) between Mineral Wells and Charleston. Between Charleston and its current northern terminus at

, almost all of US 21 ran concurrently 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 West Virginia Route 16 (WV 16) is a north–south route located in the U.S. State of West Virginia. The southern terminus of the route is at the Virginia state line in Bishop, West Virginia, Bishop, McDowell County, West Virginia, McDowel ...

. 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

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. 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.

Major intersections

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) Several special routes of U.S. Route 21 (US 21) exist. In order from south to north, they are as follows. Beaufort business loop U.S. Highway 21 Business (US 21 Bus.) is a business route in Beaufort, South Carolina, that t ...

* 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: * U.S. Route 121 *

U.S. Route 221 U.S. Route 221 (US 221) is a spur of U.S. Route 21. It travels from Perry, Florida, at US 19/ US 98/ US 27 Alternate to Lynchburg, Virginia, at US 29 Business ( Lynchburg Expressway). It travels through the sta ...

* U.S. Route 321 *

U.S. Route 421 U.S. Route 421 (also U.S. Highway 421, US 421) is a diagonal northwest–southeast United States Numbered Highway System, United States Numbered Highway in the states of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana. The highwa ...

* U.S. Route 521

References

External links