U.S. Route 76 (US 76) is a east–west

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 ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. It begins at the

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

state line, east of

Lakeview, Georgia Lakeview is a census-designated place (CDP) in Catoosa and Walker counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 4,820 at the 2000 census and 4,777 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistica ...

(and in

East Ridge, Tennessee East Ridge is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 22,167. East Ridge is bordered by Chattanooga to the west, north, and east, and the Georgia state line to the south. It is part ...

), where the roadway continues

concurrent 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-41 U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, ...

/ SR-8 toward

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

. It ends 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 = ...

state line, where US 76 continues toward

Anderson Anderson or Andersson may refer to: Companies * Anderson (Carriage), a company that manufactured automobiles from 1907 to 1910 * Anderson Electric, an early 20th-century electric car * Anderson Greenwood, an industrial manufacturer * Anderson ...

. In Georgia, the highway travels within portions of Catoosa, Whitfield,

Murray Murray may refer to: Businesses * Murray (bicycle company), an American manufacturer of low-cost bicycles * Murrays, an Australian bus company * Murray International Trust, a Scottish investment trust * D. & W. Murray Limited, an Australian who ...

, Gilmer, Fannin,

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Towns A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

, and

Rabun ''Rabun'' is a 2003 Malaysian drama film directed by Yasmin Ahmad. It tells a story about a free-spirited older couple, Pak Atan and Mak Inom who decide to spend more time in the country after getting tired of city life. But they find that life ...

counties. It travels through

North Georgia North Georgia is the northern hilly/mountainous region in the U.S. state of Georgia. At the time of the arrival of settlers from Europe, it was inhabited largely by the Cherokee. The counties of north Georgia were often scenes of important eve ...

and connects Ringgold,

Dalton Dalton may refer to: Science * Dalton (crater), a lunar crater * Dalton (program), chemistry software * Dalton (unit) (Da), the atomic mass unit * John Dalton, chemist, physicist and meteorologist Entertainment * Dalton (Buffyverse), minor cha ...

, Chatsworth,

Ellijay Ellijay is a city in Gilmer County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,619 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Gilmer County. Agriculture is important in Gilmer County, known as the "Apple Capital of Georgia." The city h ...

, Blue Ridge, Blairsville, and Clayton. Most of the highway is part of the Lookout Mountain Scenic Highway, a highway that travels through northern Georgia and through the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest.

Route description

US 76 traverses the northern part of the state and passes through the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest and Georgia's most mountainous region. US 76 passes through Catoosa, Whitfield,

, Gilmer, Fannin,

, and

counties. The following portions of US 76 in Georgia are part of the National Highway System, a system of routes determined to be the most important for the nation's economy, mobility, and defense: *From I-75 southeast of Ringgold to about Tunnel Hill *From I-75 in the northwestern part of Dalton to the eastern end of the US 23/US 441 concurrency in Clayton. This includes the entire length of SR 282, which is completely concurrent with US 76 from an intersection with US 411/SR 61 and the southern terminus of Smyrna–Ramhurst Road East in Ramhurst to an intersection with SR 5/SR 515 and the northern terminus of First Avenue in East Ellijay.

History

1920s

The road that would eventually be designated as US 76 was established at least as early as 1919 as part of SR 3 from the Tennessee state line to Dalton, and SR 2 from Dalton to Clayton, and possibly farther to the east. Georgia's 1921 state map didn't show the Chatsworth–Blairsville segment of SR 2. However, it did show SR 2 on a proposed path from Clayton to Pine Mountain. It also showed SR 65 proposed along the current path of SR 28 from Pine Mountain to the South Carolina state line. By the end of 1926, SR 2 was paved from Blue Ridge to a point about halfway between there and Blairsville. Also, the proposed section, east of Clayton, was removed from the map

1930s

By the beginning of 1932, SR 3 was paved from the Tennessee state line to Dalton. US 41 was established along this segment. SR 2 was paved from Blairsville to Hiawassee. SR 2 was built from Chatsworth to Ellijay. SR 5 was designated along the Ellijay–Blue Ridge segment. In January, SR 2/SR 5 were paved from about Cherry Log to Blue Ridge. By August, SR 2 was built from Clayton to the South Carolina state line on its current alignment. By January 1935, US 76 was designated along SR 2 from Chatsworth to Blairsville and from just east of Hiawassee to Clayton. It is unclear if US 76 was designated between Blairsville and the Hiawassee area or east of Clayton. Between July and October, US 76/SR 2/SR 5 were paved from Ellijay to Cherry Log. By October 1936, US 76/SR 2 were paved from Dalton to Chatsworth. At the end of the year, there were two small sections of US 76/SR 2 just west of Blairsville and just west of Clayton, that were paved. By the middle of January 1938, a very small section, in the vicinity of

Lake Burton Lake Burton may refer to: *Lake Burton (Georgia), a lake in Rabun County, Georgia * Lake Burton (Quebec), a lake near Long Island, Quebec *Lake Burton (Antarctica) Lake Burton, also known as Burton Lagoon, is a meromictic and saline lake in th ...

, was paved. The middle of the next year had the section of US 76/SR 2 from the Fanning–Union county line to Blairsville was paved. Later that year, a small section of US 76/SR 2, from just east of Lake Burton to Clayton, was paved.

1940s

In the beginning of 1940, the paved section near Lake Burton was expanded slightly. By October, US 76/SR 2 were paved from east of the location of the current SR 197 intersection to Clayton. At the end of the year, US 76/SR 2 were paved from Hiawassee to the approximate location of where the Appalachian Trail crosses the highway today. In 1946, US 76 was designated along SR 2 from Dalton to Chatsworth. By the middle of 1948, SR 2 was paved from Clayton to about halfway between there and the South Carolina state line. The beginning of the next year found US 76 was designated along the section of SR 3 from Ringgold to Dalton. SR 2 was moved to an alignment near the Tennessee state line, traveling through modern-day

Varnell Varnell is a city in Whitfield County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Dalton, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,179 at the 2020 census. History The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Varnell in 1968. The ...

and Crandall. SR 52 took its place between Dalton and Ellijay (it already was concurrent with SR 3 from the Ringgold area to Dalton and SR 5 from Ellijay to Blue Ridge). The entire section of US 76/SR 52, from Chatsworth to Ellijay, was paved.

1950s to 1980s

Georgia State Rotue 52 in Whitfield County

By the end of 1950, US 76/SR 2 were paved from Hiawassee to just east of the Towns–Rabun county line. Also, SR 2 was paved from Clayton to the South Carolina state line. By the middle of 1954, the entire length of roadway, from Tennessee to South Carolina, was paved. 1957 found SR 282 built along the current path of US 76, but only from the Murray–Gilmer county line to Ellijay. By 1966, US 76 was designated along US 41/SR 3 from Tennessee to Dalton. In 1969, SR 282 was extended west to an intersection with US 411/SR 61 southeast of Ramhurst. In 1971, US 76/SR 52 were rerouted west of Chatsworth. Before, they bypassed Spring Place. Northwest of the town, they were routed south into town and entered Chatsworth farther south than it previously did. The former route was redesignated as SR 52 Connector. In 1981, US 76 was rerouted between Chatsworth and Ellijay. In Chatsworth, US 76 turned south-southeast, along US 411/SR 61. In Ramhurst, it turned east onto a slightly re-routed SR 282 and followed that route to Ellijay. In 1987, US 76/SR 2 between Hemp and Blairsville was routed on a farther-north, and more direct, path. In 1989, SR 515 was signed along US 76 from East Ellijay to northeast of Young Harris, as it is today.

Major intersections

References

External links

* {{state detail page browse, type=US, route=76, state=Georgia, statebefore=Tennessee, stateafter=South Carolina 76 Transportation in Catoosa County, Georgia Transportation in Whitfield County, Georgia Transportation in Murray County, Georgia Transportation in Gilmer County, Georgia Transportation in Fannin County, Georgia Transportation in Union County, Georgia Transportation in Towns County, Georgia Transportation in Rabun County, Georgia