U.S. Route 501 (Virginia)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

U.S. Route 501 (US 501) is a spur of
U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, makin ...
. It runs 355 miles (571 km) from Buena Vista,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...
at
U.S. Route 60 U.S. Route 60 is a major east–west United States highway, traveling from southwestern Arizona to the Atlantic Ocean coast in Virginia. The highway's eastern terminus is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where it is known as Pacific Avenue, in the ...
to
Myrtle Beach Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina, Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as Grand Strand, "The Grand Strand" i ...
,
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 = G ...
at U.S. Route 17 Business. It passes through the states of
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...
and
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 = G ...
. From
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 ...
to Laurinburg, a section of US 501 overlaps
U.S. Route 15 U.S. Route 15 (US 15) is a -long United States highway, designated along South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from U.S. Route 17 Alternate in Walterboro, South Caro ...
. Sections of US 15-501 also share routings with
U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, makin ...
in sections near
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, ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...
and
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), ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...
. __TOC__


Route description

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


South Carolina

US 501 in South Carolina is a north–south
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 ...
that traverses ; it is one of main routes to the
Grand Strand The Grand Strand is an arc of beach land on the Atlantic Ocean in South Carolina, United States, extending more than from Little River to Winyah Bay. It is located in Horry and Georgetown Counties on the NE South Carolina coast. The term Gr ...
. US501 begins at US 17 Bus. in
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina, Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as Grand Strand, "The Grand Strand" i ...
. From
Myrtle Beach Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina, Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as Grand Strand, "The Grand Strand" i ...
to Marion, US 501 is a multilane highway, some sections
divided Division is one of the four basic operations of arithmetic, the ways that numbers are combined to make new numbers. The other operations are addition, subtraction, and multiplication. At an elementary level the division of two natural numbers ...
, some
undivided "Undivided" is a song recorded by American country music singers Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard, the latter of whom is one-half of Florida Georgia Line. The song, which Hubbard wrote with Chris Loocke, was released on January 13, 2021, and is o ...
, mostly with
at-grade intersection An intersection or an at-grade junction is a junction where two or more roads converge, diverge, meet or cross at the same height, as opposed to an interchange, which uses bridges or tunnels to separate different roads. Major intersections ...
s but having a number of
interchange Interchange may refer to: Transport * Interchange (road), a collection of ramps, exits, and entrances between two or more highways * Interchange (freight rail), the transfer of freight cars between railroad companies * Interchange station, a rai ...
s 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 the
Intracoastal Waterway The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States, running from Massachusetts southward along the Atlantic Seaboard and around the southern tip of Florida, then following t ...
it has two more interchanges with local roads. Next there is an unusual hybrid interchange with
South Carolina Highway 31 South Carolina Highway 31 (SC 31), also known as the Carolina Bays Parkway, is a six-lane, limited-access highway that parallels (in most cases) the Intracoastal Waterway around Myrtle Beach. The first phase opened on December 17, 2002, ...
, similar to a cloverstack, with elements of a
trumpet interchange In the field of road transport, an interchange (American English) or a grade-separated junction (British English) is a road junction that uses grade separations to allow for the movement of traffic between two or more roadways or highways, usin ...
, in which two flyover ramps from SC 31 to US 501 exit left from SC 31 and wrap around the interchange's loop ramps. After this interchange, this limited-access portion comes to an end. US501 passes through the city of Conway where it has a short overlap with
U.S. Route 701 U.S. Route 701 (US 701) is an auxiliary route of US 1 in the U.S. states of South Carolina and North Carolina. The U.S. Highway runs from US 17 and US 17 Alternate in Georgetown, South Carolina north to US 301, North Carolina Highway 96 (NC 96 ...
. South of Aynor it serves as the western terminus of SC 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 meets
SC 38 SC 38 or SC-38 may refer to: *South Carolina Highway 38 South Carolina Highway 38 (SC 38) is a state highway that extends from Marlboro County near Hamlet, North Carolina to U.S. Route 501 (US 501) in Marion County. The highway ...
, a connector to
Interstate 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 Canadi ...
. From SC 38, US 501 heads to the northeast, meeting
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, Ma ...
in Latta. US 301 merges with US 501, forming a concurrency through Dillon to the
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...
border, where it passes South of the Border prior to simultaneously exiting South Carolina and interchanging with
Interstate 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 Canadi ...
near
Hamer Hamer may refer to: People with the surname Hamer: * Hamer (surname) In places: * Hamer, woreda in Ethiopia * Hamer, Iran * Hamer, Idaho, United States * Hamer, Ohio, United States * Hamer, South Carolina, Un ...
in Dillon County.


North Carolina

US 501 is a north–south
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 ...
that traverses the majority of
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...
in
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 US 15, known as "15-501" ("Fifteen Five-o-one"). It enters North Carolina at the
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 = G ...
state line with an intersection of
Interstate 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 Canadi ...
(I-95) while overlapping
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, Ma ...
, near South of the Border. It goes northwest through Rowland where the overlap with US 301 terminates, and then travels through Raemon to Laurinburg. Once at Laurinburg, it overlaps briefly with
I-74 } Interstate 74 (I-74) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an interchange with I-80 in Davenport, Iowa (Quad Cities); the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an interchang ...
/
US 74 U.S. Route 74 (US 74) is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Primarily in North Carolina, it serves as an important highway from the mountains to the ...
before connecting with
US 15 U.S. Route 15 (US 15) is a -long United States highway, designated along South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from U.S. Route 17 Alternate in Walterboro, South Caro ...
. The majority of the route, to this point, is a two-lane rural road. Merging with US 15, it becomes what is known by local residents as "15-501" ("Fifteen Five-o-one"), a concurrency that extends for across central North Carolina. After Laurinburg it goes north to
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), ...
, linking briefly with
US 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making i ...
before continuing to Pinehurst. In Pinehurst, 15-501 goes through a
roundabout A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford E ...
then continues north through
Carthage Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the clas ...
, then back to US 1. After traveling through
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, ...
on another brief concurrency with US 1, it exits off the freeway and goes due north to Pittsboro. After Pittsboro, 15-501 goes through Chapel Hill and then into Durham. NCDOT has been trying to remedy traffic problems by making the route a
superstreet A superstreet, also known as a restricted crossing U-turn (RCUT), J-turn, or reduced conflict intersection (RCI), is a type of road intersection that is a variation of the Michigan left. In this configuration, in contrast to the Michigan left, ...
for better traffic flow. In Durham, 15-501 upgrades to an urban
freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
, allowing for quick access to Interstate 85, and from south Durham to north; the freeway ends merging into
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, ...
. At exit 176B on I-85, US 501 splits off towards
Roxboro Roxboro is the name of several places: *Roxboro, Quebec, now part of the Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough of Montreal, Quebec, Canada * Roxboro, North Carolina, United States of America *Roxboro, Limerick, a townland in Co Limerick, Ireland *Roxboro, Ca ...
, while US 15 continues with I-85 towards
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 Un ...
. After Durham, US 501 goes north to Roxboro, then into
South Boston, Virginia South Boston, formerly Boyd's Ferry, is a town in Halifax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,142 at the 2010 census, down from 8,491 at the 2000 census. It is the most populous town in Halifax County. History On December ...
after crossing the state line; the majority of this section is a four-lane expressway.


Virginia


North Carolina to Lynchburg

US 501 enters
Halifax County, Virginia Halifax County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,022. Its county seat is Halifax. History Occupied by varying cultures of indigenous peoples for thousands of years, in histor ...
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 the Mayo River north to the hamlet of Mayo, where the highway meets the western end of SR 96 (Virgilina Road) and crosses the
Hyco River The Hyco River (Tutelo: Hiḳaatmani:) is a tributary of the Dan River, which is a tributary of the Roanoke River. All three rivers flow through the U.S. states of North Carolina and Virginia. In Person County, North Carolina the Hyco River is ...
. The U.S. Highway passes through Cluster Springs to the community of Riverdale just south of South Boston. US 501 becomes an undivided highway and intersects
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 i ...
and US 360, which together head west as Philpott Road and east as Bill Tuck Highway. US 501 crosses the
Dan River The Dan River flows in the U.S. states of North Carolina and Virginia. It rises in Patrick County, Virginia, and crosses the state border into Stokes County, North Carolina. It then flows into Rockingham County. From there it flows back into ...
into the town of South Boston. Just north of the river, the highway has a grade crossing of
Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (3 ...
's Clover Spur, which follows the former Danville
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a ...
rail line, and splits into a
one-way pair A one-way pair, one-way couple, or couplet refers to that portion of a bi-directional traffic facilitysuch as a road, bus, streetcar, or light rail linewhere its opposing flows exist as two independent and roughly parallel facilities. Descriptio ...
: Broad Street northbound and Main Street southbound. Both directions intersect SR 304 (Seymour Drive). When Main Street veers northeast as two-way SR 129, southbound US 501 continues on two-way Wilborn Avenue to the northern end of the one-way pair. 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 of Halifax and becomes Main Street, a three-lane road with center turn lane, at its grade crossing of Norfolk Southern's
Durham District The City of Durham was, from 1974 to 2009, a non-metropolitan district of County Durham in North East England, with the status of borough and city. Formation The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the existing City of Durha ...
. US 501 continues to the county courthouse, where the highway intersects the very short SR 349 (Edmunds Boulevard) and SR 360 (Mountain Road), which runs 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 the
Banister River The Banister River is a tributary of the Dan River, about 65 mi (105 km) long, in southern Virginia in the United States. Via the Dan, it is part of the watershed of the Roanoke River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean. It rises on ...
, as it leaves the town of Halifax. US 501 passes through Volens and
Acorn The acorn, or oaknut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives (genera '' Quercus'' and ''Lithocarpus'', in the family Fagaceae). It usually contains one seed (occasionally two seeds), enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and bo ...
on its way to the hamlet of North Halifax, where the highway begins to run concurrently with SR 40 (Stage Coach Road). The highways cross the
Roanoke River The Roanoke River ( ) runs long through southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the App ...
into the town of Brookneal in Campbell County and pass under Norfolk Southern's Altavista 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 to
Rustburg Rustburg is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of Campbell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,431 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area. The public high school in Rus ...
, the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...
of Campbell County. The U.S. Highway intersects SR 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 the
independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...
of Lynchburg, where the highway meets
US 29 U.S. Route 29 (US 29) is a north–south United States highway that runs for from Pensacola, Florida to the western suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland in the Southern United States, connecting the Florida Panhandle to the Baltimore-Washington met ...
and
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 ag ...
(Richmond Highway) at a
partial cloverleaf A partial cloverleaf interchange or parclo is a modification of a cloverleaf interchange. The design has been well received, and has since become one of the most popular freeway-to- arterial interchange designs in North America. It has also b ...
interchange. US 501 Business and US 460 Business head straight on Campbell Avenue while US 501 joins the freeway heading southwest.


Lynchburg to Buena Vista

US 501 runs concurrently with US 29 and US 460 southwest along the northern slope of Candlers Mountain to a full Y interchange where US 501 heads northwest from the freeway. The U.S. Highway has an intersection with SR 128 (Mayflower Drive) and Candlers Mountain Road just east of the highway's crossing of Norfolk Southern's
Danville District Danville or Dansville may refer to: ;Canada *Danville, Quebec ;United States *Danville, Alabama *Danville, Arkansas *Danville, California * Danville, Georgia *Danville, Illinois *Danville, Indiana *Danville, Iowa * Danville, Kansas *Danville, Kent ...
. SR 128 joins US 501 on Candlers Mountain Road between the intersection and the highway's
cloverleaf interchange A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passes over or under the ...
with US 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 toward Danville. US 501 curves northwest and has a cloverleaf interchange with US 460 Business (Timberlake Road), crosses Norfolk Southern's Blue Ridge District, and has a
diamond interchange A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road. Design The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...
with Graves Mill Road. The freeway ends at
US 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 states ...
(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). US 501 heads northwest on two-lane Boonsboro Road, which becomes Lee Jackson Highway when it exits the city of Lynchburg into Bedford County. The U.S. Highway curvaceously crosses Fleming Mountain and descends into the
James River Gorge The James River Gorge is a water gap created by the James River in Central Virginia. The Gorge is deep as measured from Highcock Knob to the James River and is approximately long. The James River forms in western Virginia near the border of ...
at Coleman Falls. US 501 follows the south bank of the river through Big Island, where the highway meets the northern end of SR 122 (Big Island Highway) and has an interchange with 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 America's longest linear park, runs for through 29 Virginia and North Carolina cou ...
. North of Big Island, the U.S. Highway crosses the river and immediately intersects SR 130 (Elon Road) on the
Amherst County Amherst County is a county, located in the Piedmont region and near the center of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The county is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area, and its county seat is also named Amherst. ...
side. The two highways have a curvaceous crossing of the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains before descending to the town of
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...
at the mouth of the
Maury River The Maury River is a tributary of the James River in west-central Virginia in the United States. It is part of the watershed of Chesapeake Bay. Course The Maury flows for its entire length in Rockbridge County. It is formed near Goshen by the ...
. 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's
Roanoke District Roanoke may refer to: Places * Roanoke Colony, a former English colony that mysteriously disappeared *Roanoke Island, the location of the Roanoke colony in present-day North Carolina *Roanoke River, flowing through Virginia and North Carolina and ...
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 while US 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 of
Southern Virginia University Southern Virginia University (SVU) is a private liberal arts college in Buena Vista, Virginia. The college, though not officially affiliated with a particular faith, embraces the values of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS C ...
. Two blocks to the north, US 501 reaches its northern terminus at US 60 (29th Street).


Special routes


History


South Carolina

Established in 1935 as an extension from
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...
. US 501 replaced part of US 117 between
Myrtle Beach Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina, Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as Grand Strand, "The Grand Strand" i ...
to
Socastee Socastee is a census-designated place (CDP) in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 19,952 at the 2010 census. History Socastee is an Indigenous American name referred to as "Sawkastee" in a 1711 land grant to Percival P ...
, then from there through Conway, Marion, and Latta on what was SC 38. North of Latta, it overlapped with US 301, through Dillon, and into North Carolina. During the 1940s, because of the need for a more direct route to
Myrtle Beach Air Force Base Myrtle Beach Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Early history On 16 October 1939, Myrtle Beach Town Council resolved that the community "is in dire need of a modern municipal airport". The ...
from Conway, 2-lane US 501 was built through the Buist Tract owned by Southern Kraft Company (later part of
International Paper The International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 56,000 employees, and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. History The company was incorporated January 31, ...
), replacing SC 503, its old alignment was renumbered to SC 544. In 1950, US 501 was moved onto new construction between Conway and Aynor, its old alignment renumbered to SC 319. By 1964, US 501 was moved to its current southern bypass from downtown Conway, creating US 501 Bus. By 1990, US 501 was moved to its current eastern bypass from downtown Marion, creating another US 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.


North Carolina

When US 501 was established in 1927, it was aligned along North 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 replaced
NC 22 North Carolina Highway 22 (NC 22) is a North Carolina state highway that runs in the central-north region of the state. It runs between Southern Pines and Climax. The route is signed north–south, and is in length. Route description NC 2 ...
, NC 71, and NC 241. In 1953, US 501 was bypassed around Chapel Hill. In 1956 or 1957, US 501 was bypassed west of Sanford. Between 1960-1962, US 501 was bypassed around Laurinburg.


North Carolina Highway 13 (1921-1930)

North Carolina Highway 13 was an original state highway running from Durham, north through Rougemont and Roxboro ending at SR 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. 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. The highway had its northern terminus at the Virginia State Line near
South Boston South Boston is a densely populated neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located south and east of the Fort Point Channel and abutting Dorchester Bay. South Boston, colloquially known as Southie, has undergone several demographic transformati ...
. By 1926 the routing of NC 13 was shifted slightly to the west between Timberlake and Roxboro, providing a direct link between the cities. The route was deleted in 1930, with US 501/NC 55 taking over the entirety of the routing.


Major intersections


See also

*
Special routes of U.S. Route 501 A total of at least eight special routes of U.S. Route 501 exist and at least four have been deleted. South Carolina Conway business loop U.S. Route 501 Business (US 501 Bus.) is a business route of US 501 in Conway and Red ...


References


External links


Endpoints of U.S. highway 501


{{US 1 5 01-5 U.S. Highways in South Carolina U.S. Highways in North Carolina U.S. Highways in Virginia