U.S. Route 21 or U.S. Highway 21 (US 21) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway, spanning 393 miles (632 km) from Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina, to Wytheville, Virginia. The route traverses three states, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. It connects southeastern cities, including Columbia, South Carolina, and Charlotte, North Carolina.

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U.S. Route 21
US 21 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by SCDOT, NCDOT, and VDOT
Length	393 mi[1] (632 km)
Existed	November 11, 1926 (1926-11-11)[2]–present
Tourist routes	McTeer Bridge Scenic Byway US 21 Scenic Byway
Major junctions
South end	Hunting Island State Park, SC
Major intersections	I-95 near Yemassee, SC I-26 (three times in SC) I-20 in Columbia, SC I-77 (numerous times in SC/NC) I-85 in Charlotte, NC I-40 in Statesville, NC
North end	I-81 / US 52 in Wytheville, VA
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
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided
South Carolina State Highway System Interstate US State Scenic
North Carolina Highway System Interstate US State Scenic
Virginia Routes Interstate US Primary Secondary Byways History HOT lanes
← US 20 US → US 22 ← SC 20 SC → SC 22 ← NC 20 NC → NC 22 ← SR 20 VA → SR 22

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US 21 starts at Hunting Island State Park, bypasses Beaufort, South Carolina, and then heads north across the low country, paralleling Interstate 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 of Interstate 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highway, US 21 only travels through three states and is no longer a cross-country route, as many sections have been replaced by I-77 in Ohio and West Virginia. Historically, US 21 was longer before the Interstate Highway System was established. US 21 originally ran from Cleveland, Ohio, to Yemassee, 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 after U.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, and Interstate 95 (I-95).

US 21 in the pre-Interstate era was a north–south highway connecting the area around Lake Erie and the coastal South. One of the few true north–south routes to cross the middle Appalachian Mountains, it became an important corridor for motor traffic between northeastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, (with US 19) and western New York with central North Carolina, central and southeastern South Carolina, and (by connecting with other highways) coastal Georgia and most of Florida. 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.^{[3][unreliable source]}

In the Interstate Highway era, much of US 21 became an obvious corridor for a long-distance expressway. The West Virginia Turnpike between Charleston, West Virginia, and Princeton, West Virginia, was the first segment of a planned series of toll highways along or near US 21 from Cleveland to Charlotte, North Carolina. All the other toll highways were shelved in favor of freeways built with Interstate funding; these freeways and the West Virginia Turnpike became I-77, which completely supplanted old US 21 as a long-distance through route. I-77 was later extended to Columbia, 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:

• State Route 21 (SR 21) between Broadview Heights and Strasburg. Most of the roads that US 21 followed are still intact, with some of the route being rerouted to follow I-77 between Brecksville and Fairlawn. Some of the original two-lane route follows Brecksville Road, and then turns south onto Cleveland-Massillon Road. SR 21 is a four-lane expressway between I-77 in Fairlawn and the north side of Navarre.^{[citation needed]}
• SR 821 between I-77 near Byesville and SR 60 near Marietta, Ohio. This route is mostly intact, but older maps would show the route between SR 60 and a crossing in Marietta into Williamsburg, West Virginia.^{[citation needed]}
• County Road 35 (CR 35, Oakwood Road, Byesville Road, Old Twenty-One Road) between Byesville and the Guernsey–Tuscarawas county line. This route mostly follows the route that US 21 took between Byesville and the Tuscarawas County line, however some sections were rerouted and demolished in favor of I-77. US 21 would have left Byesville via Glass Avenue, and would have continued paralleling the railroad tracks between Junction Street and Hope Avenue. However, that section of road was deleted in favor of a factory. After following Oakwood Road and Byesville Road, US 21 would have entered Cambridge, following Old Byesville road. A short section of road would have connected the west end of Old Byesville Road to Seneca Street, where it would have followed US 40 west into Cambridge. From there, it would have turned onto North 11th Street, and would have continued along Clark Street and, once crossing out of the city limits of Cambridge, the road name changes to Old Twenty-One Road. US 21 is relatively intact between North Cambridge and the Tuscarawas County line, with two exceptions. South of North Salem, at the intersection of Old Twenty-One Road and Sparky Lane, US 21 would have followed Sparky Lane and would have connected with Bell Road on the west side of I-77. When the Interstate was built, the land was blasted away, resulting in the reroute of Old Twenty-One Road to the east side of I-77. Another crossing would have between Bell Road and Whippet Lane. From that point, the route of US 21 is relatively intact between North Salem and the Tuscarawas County line.^{[citation needed]}
• CR 3 (Salt Fork Road) between the Guernsey–Tuscarawas county line to SR 258. After crossing the Tuscarawas County line, the name shifts to Salt Fork Road, and follows the route of US 21 to SR 258. SR 258 would then be the route from that point up to Newcomerstown. The crossing of the Tuscarawas River has been altered, so the approach on SR 258 would have been different. The best way to see this original crossing would be to look at the end of Delaware Road before the river, and the original crossing would have created a straight connection between Delaware Road and Pilling Street. From that point it would have crossed through different streets in Newcomerstown and would have exited town to the north via College Street, near the current interchange between CR 21 and US 36.^{[citation needed]}
• CR 21 between Newcomerstown and New Philadelphia. After crossing under the US 36 overpass, CR 21 follows the route of US 21. It would have followed this route all the way to New Philadelphia. Crossing through the community of Stone Creek, it would have exited on the north side of the community. From that point, it would have continued north and would have entered the city of New Philadelphia via High Avenue, near where the current interchange of SR 39, US 250, and I-77. After crossing through New Philadelphia, it would have crossed through Dover via Wooster Avenue, which would have carried US 21 back up to and through the city of Strasburg. A small reroute was implemented just south of the current I-77/US 250 interchange in Strasburg to eliminate an at-grade railroad crossing.^{[citation needed]}
• The section of US 21 between Mineral Wells and Charleston is now signed as County Route 21 (CR 21) in all four counties along the route (Wood, Wirt, Jackson, and Kanawha).^{[citation needed]}

Between Charleston and its current northern terminus at Wytheville, Virginia, 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.

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 I-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 by NC 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 former SC 280 as well as a portion of SC 802. The new routing went into effect on February 26, 2012.^[5]

More information Browse numbered routes ...

Browse numbered routes
← US 20A	OH	→ SR 21

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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)
• 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 321
• U.S. Route 421
• U.S. Route 521