U.S. Route 280 (US 280) is a spur of U.S. Highway 80. It currently runs for 392 miles (631 km) from Blitchton, Georgia, at US 80 to

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...

I-20 I20, I 20 or I-20 may refer to: * Interstate 20, a highway in the southeastern United States * I-20 (form), a United States government document that provides supporting information for the issuance of a student visa or change of status * I-20 (rap ...

/ I-59. For much of its route, US 280 travels through rural areas and smaller cities in southern

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 east central

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

. Once the highway approaches Birmingham, it is a major suburban route. Numerous

shopping center A shopping center in American English, shopping centre in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English (see American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, spelling differences), shopping complex, shopping arcade, ...

s are located on US 280 throughout northern Shelby County and southern Jefferson County. US 280 is the main connector between Birmingham, AL and Auburn, AL, and this stretch is sometimes known as the “ War Eagle Highway.“ Through Talladega County, Alabama, US 280 is known as the Jim Nabors Highway, in honor of the Sylacauga, Alabama, native known for portraying the television character

Gomer Pyle Gomer Pyle is a fictional character played by Jim Nabors and introduced in the middle of the third season of '' The Andy Griffith Show''. A naive and gentle auto mechanic, he became a recurring character with the January 1963 episode "Man i ...

. The historical designation of US-280 and Alabama SR 38 is the Florida Short Route. For many years, US 280 and SR 38 was considered one of the more dangerous routes in Alabama, due to the number of large stretches of narrow two-lane roadway leading southeastwardly from Birmingham. Work was completed in 2006 making US 280 a four-lane highway throughout the entire state of Alabama. This project began in the 1970s. As a result, US 280 now bypasses numerous small towns in east Alabama, including Goodwater, Jackson's Gap, Camp Hill and Waverly. In Georgia, US 280 from Columbus to I-16 is also a Governor's Road Improvement Program (GRIP) corridor known as "Power Alley".

Route description

Alabama

US 280 terminates concurrently with U.S. 31 at

/ I-59. US 31 continues onward at this point. The route continues through downtown

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

with US 31. They junction with US 11 and US 78 and climb over Red Mountain into Mtn. Brook as a section of highway called the Red Mountain Expressway. Here, US 280 splits off of US 31 at a highly complex interchange with elements of a Directional-T and a Parclo. It continues on somewhat of a freeway through Mtn. Brook, eventually reaching The Summit, a large outdoor mall. It also junctions with I-459 at this point, at a Parclo-like interchange which has been modified to better suit traffic. The route continues through one of the more developed areas of east Birmingham and eventually climbs over Double Oak Mountain into Shelby County and Chelsea. It continues east to Harpersville, which is home to its junction with

US 231 U.S. Route 231 (US 231) is a north–south U.S highway that is a parallel route of US 31. It runs for from St. John, Indiana, at US 41 to south of US 98 in downtown Panama City, Florida. One of its most notable landmark ...

north and SR 25. US 280 continues with US 231 until it reaches the

Coosa River The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, ac ...

, which it crosses into Talladega County. It eventually reaches Sylacauga, which is home to its junction with US 231 south and SR 21. This specific junction is a diamond interchange, commonly used on freeways. The route continues south-east through northern Coosa County until it has another diamond interchange with SR 9. It then passes through Kellyton, which is home to its minor junction with SR 115. It crosses into Tallapoosa County just before entering Alexander City, which is home to

Russell Athletic Russell Athletic is an American clothing manufacturer based in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Currently a subsidiary of global company Fruit of the Loom, Russell Athletic was the main brand of Russell Brands, LLC. until its acquisition in 2006.

. US 280 junctions with SR 22 and SR 63 in the city. It then proceeds through slightly hilly terrain to Dadeville. It junctions with SR 49, which connects the route to the

Talladega National Forest The Talladega National Forest is located in the U.S. state of Alabama and covers 392,567 acres (613.39 sq mi, or 1,588.66 km2) at the southern edge of the Appalachian Mountains. Before it was bought by the federal government in the 1930s, ...

/ Cheaha State Park. It leaves Dadeville, promptly enters Camp Hill, junctions with SR 50, and enters the southwestern corner of Chambers County, and then crosses into Lee County. The route then reaches The Bottle, which is named for the bright orange wooden replica of a Nehi soda bottle which stood in the location from 1924 to 1936. It crosses into Auburn, which is barely skimmed by US 280 as it then crosses into nearby Opelika. The route junctions with US 29/ I-85. It joins the freeway with them and continues through I-85's junction with SR 51. It then splits off of the road with

US 431 U.S. Route 431 (US 431) is a spur of U.S. Route 31. It currently travels for approximately from US 231/ Alabama State Route 210 and US 231 Business (US 231 Bus.) and US 431 Bus. in Dothan, Alabama, to Owensboro ...

. It continues on a heavily traveled road into Russell County, and eventually to Phenix City, which is actually in the

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due to its close proximity with

Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee ...

across the

Chattahoochee River The Chattahoochee River () is a river in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern United States. It forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida and Georgia border. It ...

. It junctions with US 80. The route then leaves US 431 behind and crosses the Chattahoochee River, leaving Alabama and entering

in Columbus. US 280 has a length of in Alabama. US 280 has the unsigned designation of State Route 38 (SR 38) throughout its length in Alabama.

Georgia

US 280 begins in Georgia at the state's border with

in Columbus. There it is paired with State Route 520 and U.S. Route 27. It maintains this designation as it passes through

Fort Moore Fort Benning (named Fort Moore from 2023–2025) is a United States Army post in the Columbus, Georgia area. Located on Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia's border with Alabama, Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family me ...

. Upon arriving in Cusseta, US 280/GA 520 diverge from US 27 and continue southeast to Richland, where US 280 splits off from GA 520. From here, US 280 continues on its own east, passing through Plains (the boyhood home of

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

) and becomes cosigned with State Route 30 in Americus. US 280/SR 30 then continue east-southeast, crossing

I-75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes and Southeastern United States, Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end ...

in Cordele, still continuing east through mainly rural areas of the southern portion of the state, passing through smaller towns such as McRae–Helena,

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington, a Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States, and his wife, Martha. An American landmar ...

, Vidalia, and Pembroke. The highway then turns to the northeast as it leaves Pembroke, crossing I-16 at exit 143. Still continuing northeast, the highway then terminates in Blichton at U.S. Route 80.

National Highway System

Except for the easternmost portion between I-16 and the eastern terminus, the entire length of US 280 is part of the National Highway System, a system of routes determined to be the most important for the nation's economy, mobility, and defense.

History

Prior to the completion of the Elton B. Stephens Expressway in Birmingham, US 31, US 78, and US 280 traveled concurrently until they intersected US 11 at the intersection of 1st Avenue North and 24th Street.

Major intersections

References

External links