U.S. Route 701 (US 701) is an auxiliary route of

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 ...

in the U.S. states of

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 = ...

and

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 and So ...

. The

U.S. 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 ...

runs from

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 ...

and US 17 Alternate in

Georgetown, South Carolina Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, South Carolina, Georgetown County, in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Lowcountry. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census ...

north to

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 ...

North Carolina Highway 96 North Carolina Highway 96 (NC 96) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is a predominantly rural highway that travels north-south, from NC 55, west of Newton Grove, to the Virginia state line near Virg ...

(NC 96), 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 Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...

(I-95) near

Four Oaks, North Carolina Four Oaks is a town in Johnston County, North Carolina, Johnston County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census it had a population of 1,921, up from 1,424 in 2000. History Four Oaks was one of several town ...

. US 701 serves the

Pee Dee The Pee Dee is a region in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of South Carolina. It lies along the lower watershed of the Pee Dee River, which was named after the Pee Dee, a Native American tribe that historically inhabited the region. His ...

region of South Carolina and the southern and central portions of

Eastern North Carolina Eastern North Carolina (sometimes abbreviated as ENC) is the region encompassing the eastern tier of North Carolina. It is known geographically as the state's Coastal Plain region. Primary subregions of Eastern North Carolina include the Sandhil ...

. The highway connects Georgetown and Conway in South Carolina with the North Carolina cities of Whiteville, Elizabethtown,

Clinton Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has frequently been used as a given ...

, and a short distance north of its terminus, Smithfield. US 701 has four

business route A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route connected to a ''parent'' numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or ...

s in North Carolina, including those through

Tabor City Tabor City, known as the "Yam Capital of the World", is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. It is the southernmost town in Columbus County, one of North Carolina's largest counties by land area. It is located just north of t ...

, Whiteville, Clarkton, and Clinton.

Route description

US 701 has a length of in South Carolina and spans in North Carolina. The U.S. Highway is a part of the National Highway System for one short stretches during its

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

NC 24 North Carolina Highway 24 (NC 24) is the longest primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Traveling east–west between the Charlotte metropolitan area and the Crystal Coast, connecting the cities of Charlotte, Fay ...

in Clinton.

South Carolina

US 701 begins at an intersection with US 17 and US 17 Alternate, which has its northern terminus, in the city of Georgetown. US 17 follows Fraser Street south and Church Street east from the intersection; US 17 Alternate follows Exchange Street west toward Highmarket Street, on which

US 521 U.S. Route 521 (US 521) is a north–south United States Highway that traverses , from Georgetown, South Carolina, to Charlotte, North Carolina. Though numbered as an auxiliary route of US 21, it does not actually intersect i ...

also runs and has its southern terminus at US 17 one block to the south. US 701 heads north as a four-lane road with center turn lane along Fraser Street. Shortly after leaving the city, the highway meets the southern end of SC 51 (Browns Ferry Road) and reduces to two lanes. US 701 passes the entrances to several former plantations, including

Mansfield Plantation Mansfield Plantation is a well-preserved antebellum rice plantation, established in 1718 on the banks of the Black River in historic Georgetown County, South Carolina. History Spanning nearly of pine forest, rice fields and cypress swamps, Ma ...

, before crossing the Black River at the hamlet of Campfield. The highway passes along the eastern edge of the Carvers Bay Preserve, which protects the namesake swamp area and

Carolina Bay Carolina bays are elliptical to circular depressions concentrated along the Atlantic seaboard within coastal New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and north Florida.Kaczorowski, R. T. (1977) '' ...

. US 701 passes through Plantersville and meets the eastern end of

SC 261 South Carolina Highway 261 (SC 261) is a state highway in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It travels between Yauhannah in Georgetown County to Kershaw County. Although the highway covers more east–west distance, it is signed north� ...

(Pleasant Hill Drive) at Yauhannah before crossing the Georgetown– Horry county line at the

Pee Dee River The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in the Carolinas of the United States. It originates in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, where its upper course, above the mouth of the Uwharrie River The Uwharri ...

. US 701 passes by the villages of Bucksport, Bucksville—the site of Hebron Church and Buck's Upper Mill Farm— and Toddville as the highway roughly parallels the

Waccamaw River The Waccamaw River is a river, approximately 140 miles (225 km) long, in southeastern North Carolina and eastern South Carolina in the United States. It drains an area of approximately 1,110 square miles (2886 km²) in the coastal plain ...

north to Conway. On entering the city limits, the U.S. Highway follows 4th Avenue and expands to a four-lane road with center turn lane. US 701 meets US 501 (Church Street),

US 378 U.S. Route 378 (US 378) is a spur of US 78 in the U.S. states of Georgia and South Carolina. The U.S. Highway runs from US 78, Georgia State Route 10 (SR 10), SR 17, and SR 47 in Washington, Georgia, east to U ...

(Wright Boulevard), and SC 905 (4th Avenue) at a triangular junction southwest of downtown. US 701 has ramps to and from southbound US 501 just before passing under the highway; southbound US 701 uses the exit ramp from US 501 while northbound US 701 continues to its intersection with US 378. SC 905 begins and heads into the

Conway Downtown Historic District Conway Downtown Historic District is a national historic district located at Conway in Horry County, South Carolina. It encompasses the historic commercial and governmental core of the city and includes 32 contributing buildings and one contrib ...

while US 701 makes a sharp turn west to join US 378 for a short concurrency to the latter highway's junction with US 501, where northbound US 701 joins the southbound direction and US 501 on Church Street. US 701 and US 501 head north on Church Street, a four-lane road with center turn lane, to 16th Avenue, a four-lane street onto which US 701 turns east and runs concurrently with US 501 Business. The concurrency ends at Main Street, where the business route turns south onto Main Street toward downtown and US 701 turns north onto the street, which expands from two to four lanes north of the intersection, to head out of the city. The U.S. Highway parallels the Waccamaw Coast Line Railroad north through the village of Homewood, where the highway meets the eastern end of SC 319 and reduces to two lanes, then gradually splits away from the railroad on its way to 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 bee ...

interchange with SC 22 (Veterans Highway). At its intersection with SC 410 (Green Sea Road), US 701 veers northeast, has an oblique grade crossing of the railroad, and parallels the rail line to the city of Loris. The U.S. Highway passes through Loris as Broad Street, which intersects SC 9 Business (Main Street). US 701 leaves Loris and parallels the railroad north through a partial cloverleaf interchange with

SC 9 SC-9 or variants may refer to: * South Carolina's 9th congressional district * South Carolina Highway 9 * ''SC09'', a FIPS 10-4 region code, see List of FIPS region codes (S–U) * ''SC-09'', a subdivision code for the Seychelles, see ISO 3166-2:S ...

to just south of the South Carolina–North Carolina state line.

North Carolina

Just south of the northwest–southeast state line, US 701 veers northeast to bypass Tabor City while US 701 Business follows Hickman Road parallel to the railroad toward the center of the town in

Columbus County Columbus County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina, on its southeastern border. Its county seat is Whiteville. The 2020 census showed a loss of 12.9% of the population from that of 2010. As of the 2020 census, the popula ...

immediately to the north of the state line. The bypass intersects NC 904 (Pireway Road) before meeting the north end of the business route and NC 410 (5th Avenue) on the eastern edge of town. US 701 has a short concurrency with NC 410 before that highway splits north as Joe Brown Highway. The U.S. Highway heads northeast as James B. White Highway through the hamlet of Sydney before reaching the south end of the city of Whiteville. There, US 701 Business splits to the east as Madison Street while the mainline continues as J.K. Powell Boulevard. Just north of the business route split, US 701 meets NC 130 (Love Mill Road) and runs concurrently with the highway along a two-lane road with center turn lane. The highways cross Soules Swamp and intersects the

Carolina Southern Railroad Carolina Southern Railroad was located off of Main Street in Conway, South Carolina, and was one of the few remaining train depots/lines in South Carolina. The railroad was originally erected in late 1886 and the first train steamed into the Con ...

at grade, then pass through Whiteville's main street grid. West of the city center, US 701 and NC 130 intersect US 74 Business and US 76 Business (Washington Street), which NC 130 joins heading west toward Chadbourn. North of downtown, US 701 has a partial cloverleaf interchange with

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 ...

and

US 76 U.S. Route 76 (US 76) is an east–west U.S. highway that travels for approximately from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Route description , - , TN , 8.9 , 14.3 , - , GA , 150.7 , 242.5 , - , SC , 297.9 , 479.4 , ...

(Andrew Jackson Highway), a freeway that will carry

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 interchange ...

in the future. North of Whiteville, two-lane US 701 collects the northern end of US 701 Business and continues the business route's name of James B. White Highway. The highway veers northeast as its junction with NC 131 (Bladenboro Road) at Western Prong. US 701 Business splits to the northeast just before both highways enter

Bladen County Bladen County ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

...

. US 701 follows W.R. Latham Street through the town of Clarkton, where the highway intersects NC 211 (Green Street) and

CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

Wilmington Subdivision Wilmington may refer to: Places Australia *Wilmington, South Australia, a town and locality **District Council of Wilmington, a former local government area ** Wilmington railway line, a former railway line United Kingdom * Wilmington, Devon * ...

. North of town, US 701 collects the northern end of its business route, College Street, crosses Brown Marsh Swamp, and passes to the west of the historic Brown Marsh Presbyterian Church. The highway continues north to Elizabethtown, on the southern edge of which US 701 intersects and becomes concurrent with

NC 242 North Carolina Highway 242 (NC 242) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It traverses from Cerro Gordo to Benson, connecting the towns of Bladenboro, Elizabethtown, and Roseboro. Route description NC 24 ...

and has a junction with

NC 87 North Carolina Highway 87 (NC 87) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. NC 87 begins in the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coastal town of Southport, North Carolina, Southport and crosses into Virginia at the Vir ...

, which bypasses the town to the south. The U.S. Highway passes through town as Poplar Street, which intersects NC 87 Business in the center of town; there, NC 41 joins US 701 and NC 242 as they exit the town on a four-lane divided highway that crosses the

Cape Fear River The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The river is formed at the confluence of the Haw River and the Deep River (North Carol ...

. North–south NC 242 splits from US 701 and NC 41 at the same three-way intersection east–west

NC 53 North Carolina Highway 53 (NC 53) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina that mainly runs west–east in the eastern part of the state. Route description The highway begins near Fayetteville in Cumberland Coun ...

joins the highways to pass through

Bladen Lakes State Forest Bladen Lakes State Forest (BLSF) is a North Carolina state forest near Elizabethtown, North Carolina, USA. It is managed by the North Carolina Forest Service. Covering about , it is the largest state owned forest in North Carolina. Bladen Lake ...

, which is named for several Carolina Bays known collectively as the Bladen Lake Group. US 701, NC 41, and NC 53 head east as a two-lane road to the town of White Lake, which surrounds the namesake lake. The two state highways separate from the U.S. Highway at separate intersections in the town. US 701 heads north and intersects

NC 210 North Carolina Highway 210 (NC 210) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina that connects settlements in the Atlantic Coastal Plain region. Due to its meandering route NC 210 changes directional orientation twice, changi ...

before crossing the South River into

Sampson County Sampson County is the largest county, by land area, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 59,036. Its county seat is Clinton. History Sampson County was established in April 1784 following the American ...

. The highway's name becomes Garland Highway with local variation through the town of

Garland A garland is a decorative braid, knot or wreath of flowers, leaves, or other material. Garlands can be worn on the head or around the neck, hung on an inanimate object, or laid in a place of cultural or religious importance. Etymology From the ...

, where it follows Ingold Street and intersects NC 411 (2nd Street). US 701 crosses

Great Coharie Creek Great Coharie Creek is a long 5th order tributary to the Black River in Sampson County, North Carolina. Variant names According to the Geographic Names Information System, it has also been known historically as: *Cohary Swamp Course Great C ...

, passes along the edge of the unincorporated community of Ingold, and through the hamlet of Butlers Crossroads. On the southern edge of Clinton, US 701 meets

US 421 U.S. Route 421 (also U.S. Highway 421, US 421) is a diagonal northwest–southeast United States Numbered Highway in the states of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana. The highway runs for from Fort Fisher, North Carol ...

at a partial cloverleaf interchange; US 701 Business heads straight on Southeast Boulevard while the U.S. Highways head northwest together on the four-lane Faircloth Freeway. The freeway has a three-ramp

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 Tram Road—the missing ramp is from Tram Road to northbound US 701—just east of a partial interchange with NC 24 where the state highway joins the freeway. Access from northbound US 701 and US 421 to eastbound NC 24 and from westbound NC 24 to southbound US 701 and US 421 is provided via Tram Road. NC 24 splits from the U.S. Highways at the diamond interchange with Sunset Avenue, which the state highway follows west out of the city. US 421 splits from US 701 from a partial interchange where US 421 exits onto Northwest Boulevard to head toward Dunn. Access from southbound US 701 to northbound US 421 and from southbound US 421 to northbound US 701 via North Boulevard, which US 701 meets at the next diamond interchange. The freeway ends where US 701 meets the northern end of US 701 Business and takes over two-lane Hobbton Highway. US 701 continues through the villages of Keener and Hobbton and meets

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 ...

at a partial cloverleaf interchange between Monks Crossroads and the town of

Newton Grove Newton Grove, chartered in 1879, is a town in Sampson County, North Carolina, Sampson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 569 as of the 2010 census. History The town of Newton Grove was first incorporated in 1879 as the New T ...

. In the center of town, the U.S. Highway meets

US 13 U.S. Route 13 (US 13) is a north–south U.S. highway established in 1926 that runs for from Interstate 95 (I-95) just north of Fayetteville, North Carolina to US 1 in the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Morrisville. ...

NC 50 North Carolina Highway 50 (NC 50) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It goes from Topsail Beach, North Carolina, Topsail Beach in the south to Creedmoor, North Carolina, Creedmoor in the north, connecting the ...

, and

NC 55 North Carolina Highway 55 (NC 55) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It serves as a traffic artery connecting Durham with Cary and numerous small cities and towns in The Triangle on its way toward the Pamli ...

at a six-legged

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 En ...

known as Weeks Circle. US 701 follows Clinton Street south of the circle and Main Street to the north. US 13 uses Fayetteville Street on the southwest leg of the roundabout and Goldsboro Highway to the northeast. NC 50 and NC 55 together use Raleigh Street on the northwest branch of the circle and Mount Olive Drive on the southeast leg. Just after leaving the town limits, US 701 enters Johnston County. The highway passes to the west of the

Bentonville Battlefield Bentonville Battlefield is a North Carolina state historic site at 5466 Harper House Road in Johnston County, North Carolina. It belongs to the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and is the site of the 1865 Battle of Be ...

and through the hamlets of Overshot and Strickland Crossroads before reaching its northern terminus on the eastern edge of Four Oaks. US 701 has a four-way intersection with NC 96, which receives the northbound I-95 exit ramp, and Devils Racetrack Road, which leads to the northbound entrance ramp. US 701 and NC 96 cross over I-95 together at Exit 90 and US 701 has its terminus at their intersection with US 301. NC 96 continues north with US 301 toward Smithfield and US 301 heads southwest on its own toward the center of Four Oaks, providing access to the southbound I-95 interchange ramps just west of US 701.

History

Established in 1932, US 701 began in

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

, at the intersection with US 17 (King Street) then proceeded east over the

John P. Grace Memorial Bridge The John P. Grace Memorial Bridge, or the Cooper River Bridge as it was familiarly known, was a cantilever bridge that crossed the Cooper River in Charleston, South Carolina. It opened on August 8, 1929, and was built by the Cooper River Bridge ...

into Mount Pleasant. Continuing north, it went through Georgetown, Conway before entering North Carolina. Its routing in South Carolina was in complete concurrency with SC 40, which was removed in 1933. In North Carolina, also in a complete concurrency with NC 23, it traversed through

, Whiteville, Elizabethtown,

and ending south of Smithfield. In 1935, US 17 was rerouted to overlap with US 701 between Charleston and Georgetown. Between Clinton and Newton Grove, US 701 was straightened, leaving behind various secondary roads in the area. By 1948, US 701 was placed on a new routing along Southeast and Northeast Boulevards, leaving behind US 701A. In 1950, US 701 was rerouted from Conway to Tabor City, leaving behind today's SC 410. In 1956, US 701 was placed on new bypass west of Whiteville, its old route eventually became US 701 Bus. In 1957, US 701 was placed on a new bypass east of Tabor City, leaving behind what became US 701 Bus; also same year a new bypass was constructed west of Clarkton, its old route also becoming US 701 Bus. Around 1965, US 701 was placed on new bypass south of Ingold, its old alignment becoming secondary road. In 1967, US 17/US 701 was bypassed north of Mount Pleasant, leaving behind US 17 Bus/ US 701 Bus. In March 1973, US 701 was placed on US 421's western bypass of Clinton, leaving behind US 701 Bus. In 1992, US 701's southern terminus was truncated in Georgetown, leaving behind a solo US 17 to Charleston.

North Carolina Highway 23

NC 23 was an original state highway. In 1922 it was routed from the South Carolina Border to NC 22 in Dublin. In 1924 NC 70 was given the part of NC 23 from Lumberton to the South Carolina Border. In 1925 NC 23 was extended north along NC 21 to Elizabethtown. It then was placed on new routing from Elizabethtown to NC 60 south of Clinton. In 1928 NC 23 was removed from its routing from Elizabethtown to Lumberton. Instead NC 23 replaced NC 21 to Whiteville then was placed on new routing to Tabor City where it met up with South Carolina Highway 40. In 1930 NC 23 was extended through Clinton along NC 60 then went north on new road to Newton Grove. NC 23 then replaced NC 220 through both Smithfield and Selma before the road ended at NC 91 near Zebulon. In 1932 US 701 was assigned the routing from the South Carolina State Line to US 301 near Smithfield. In 1933 NC 23 was extended through Zebulon to Louisburg. In 1934 NC 23 was dropped from the routing that US 701 was also along. The rest was renumbered NC 39.

South Carolina Highway 40

South Carolina Highway 40 (SC 40) was an original South Carolina highway that began in Mount Pleasant and traversed north through

McClellanville McClellanville is a small fishing town in rural Charleston County, South Carolina, Charleston County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,040 at the 2010 census. It is situated on the Atlantic coast, on land surrounded by Francis Ma ...

, Georgetown, Conway, and Green Sea before heading into

. By 1926, a ferry was put in service connecting Mount Pleasant to Charleston, near the

Custom House A custom house or customs house was traditionally a building housing the offices for a jurisdictional government whose officials oversaw the functions associated with importing and exporting goods into and out of a country, such as collecting c ...

. In 1929, SC 40 was placed on the

into

, ending at SC 2 (King Street). In 1932, US 701 was assigned to the entirety of SC 40; which was decommissioned a year later.

Major Intersections

Special routes

Six

special route In road transportation in the United States, a special route is a road in a numbered highway system that diverts a specific segment of related traffic away from another road. They are featured in many highway systems; most are found in the Int ...

s currently exist for US 701. There are business loops of US 701 serving the North Carolina municipalities of Tabor City, Whiteville, Clarkton, and Clinton. In South Carolina, a short truck route exists north of the city of Conway. There is also another truck route in the southeastern part of Conway and points east of the city. An alternate route once existed in Clinton, North Carolina and a business loop once served Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

References

External links

*
NCRoads.com: U.S. 701

{{US 1 01-7 01-7 01-7 7 Transportation in Georgetown County, South Carolina Transportation in Horry County, South Carolina Transportation in Columbus County, North Carolina Transportation in Bladen County, North Carolina Transportation in Sampson County, North Carolina Transportation in Johnston County, North Carolina