US 221 (VA)
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U.S. Route 221 (US 221) is a part of the
U.S. Highway System 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 ...
that runs from
Perry, Florida Perry is a city in Taylor County, Florida, Taylor County, Florida, United States. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 7,017. It is the county seat. The city was named for Madison Perry, fourth Governors of Florida, Gov ...
to
Lynchburg, Virginia Lynchburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. First settled in 1757 by ferry owner John Lynch (1740–1820), John Lynch, the city's populati ...
. In
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, the U.S. Highway runs from 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 and So ...
state line near
Independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
north to its northern terminus at US 29 Business, US 460 Business, and US 501 Business in Lynchburg. US 221 connects Independence,
Galax ''Galax'', the wandplant, wandflower, or beetleweed, is a genus in the flowering plant family Diapensiaceae, containing a single species, ''Galax urceolata'' (synonym (taxonomy), syn. ''G. rotundifolia'', ''G. aphylla''). It is native to the sou ...
, and Hillsville in
Southwest Virginia Southwest Virginia, often abbreviated as SWVA, is a mountainous region of Virginia in the westernmost part of the commonwealth. Located within the broader region of western Virginia, Southwest Virginia has been defined alternatively as all Vir ...
while running concurrently with
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 ...
. The U.S. Highway connects those communities with Roanoke via Floyd County, within which US 221 is the main east–west highway. The U.S. Highway also runs concurrently with
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 ...
from Roanoke to
Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
and parallels that U.S. Highway from Bedford to Lynchburg.


Route description


Independence to Roanoke

US 221 enters
Grayson County, Virginia Grayson County is a county located in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,333. Its county seat is Independence. Mount Rogers, the state's highest peak at , is in Grayson County. ...
from North Carolina concurrent with
US 21 U.S. Route 21 or U.S. Highway 21 (US 21) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway System, United States Numbered Highway in the Southeastern United States that travels . The southern terminus is in Hunting Island Sta ...
. The U.S. Highways follow two-lane undivided New River Parkway, which crosses the New River a short distance north of the state line. US 221 and US 21 enter the town of Independence as Independence Avenue, which intersects US 58 (Main Street) in the center of town. US 21 continues north on Independence Avenue toward
Wytheville Wytheville is a town in, and the county seat of, Wythe County, in southwestern Virginia, United States. It is named after George Wythe, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, and mentor to Thomas Jefferson. Wytheville's populat ...
while US 221 turns east onto Main Street. US 221 and US 58 exit the town as Grayson Parkway, which expands to a four-lane
divided highway A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...
just west of its intersection with SR 274 (Riverside Drive). The U.S. Highways parallel the New River for a short distance before crossing the river at one of its bends. US 221 and US 58 pass to the north of the community of Baywood before meeting the southern end of SR 94 (Riverside Drive). East of SR 94, US 221 and US 58 enter 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 Galax. The highway is named Reserve Boulevard until just west of downtown, where the highway becomes an undivided highway named Stuart Drive and intersects SR 89 (Main Street). US 221 and US 58 pass the southern end of
New River Trail State Park New River Trail State Park is a rail trail and state park located entirely in southwest Virginia, extending from the trail's northeastern terminus in Pulaski to its southern terminus in Galax, with a spur from Fries Junction on the main trai ...
before crossing Chestnut Creek and becoming a five-lane road with a
center left-turn lane A reversible lane (British English: tidal flow) is a lane in which traffic may travel in either direction, depending on certain conditions. Typically, it is meant to improve traffic flow during rush hours, by having overhead traffic lights and li ...
. The U.S. Highways become a divided highway before entering Carroll County, where the highway is known as Carrollton Pike. US 221 and US 58 pass through Woodlawn before meeting
I-77 Interstate 77 (I-77) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of West Virginia to the rolling farmlands of North Carolina and Ohio. It largely supplants the ...
at 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 ...
. The U.S. Highways enter the town of Hillsville as Stuart Drive, a three-lane road with center turn lane. US 221 and US 58 intersect
US 52 U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major United States highway in the central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S. Highways, US 52 primarily follows ...
(Main Street) in the center of town before the highways diverge. US 58 continues east along Stuart Drive toward Martinsville while US 221 heads northeast on Floyd Pike, which meets the southern end of SR 100 (Sylvatus Smith Highway) just east of the town limits. US 221 continues northeast into Floyd County, through which the highway passes as Floyd Highway. The U.S. Highway passes through Willis and Shelors Mill before becoming the Main Street of 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 st ...
Floyd, where the highway intersects SR 8 (Locust Street). US 221 crosses the
Little River Little River may refer to several places: Australia Streams New South Wales *Little River (Dubbo), source in the Dubbo region, a tributary of the Macquarie River * Little River (Oberon), source in the Oberon Shire, a tributary of Coxs River (Haw ...
and passes through Copper Hill before entering
Roanoke County Roanoke County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 96,929. Its county seat is Salem, but the county administrative offices are located in the unincorporated Cave ...
at Adney Gap. Just north of the county line, the U.S. Highway, now known as Bent Mountain Road, intersects a connector road to the
Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and 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 counties, linking Shenand ...
, which parallels the U.S. Highway on the western slope of Bent Mountain. North of the hamlet of Airpoint, US 221 descends the east–west section of Bent Mountain between
Poor Mountain Poor Mountain is a ridge of high peaks located in Roanoke County, Virginia and Montgomery County, Virginia. At 3,928 feet, Poor Mountain is the tallest mountain in the immediate area. Poor Mountain has the largest known population, by far, of ...
to the west and the spine of the
Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...
to the east. Once the highway is at the bottom of the mountain, it follows Back Creek into the
Roanoke Valley The Roanoke Valley ( ) in southwest Virginia is an area adjacent to and including the Roanoke River between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Appalachian Plateau to the west. The valley includes much of Roanoke County, as well as the ...
.


City of Roanoke

Once in the valley, US 221 becomes Brambleton Avenue, a five-lane road with center turn lane. The highway passes through the suburb of Cave Spring, where the highway intersects SR 419 (Electric Road), before entering the city of Roanoke as a two-lane street. US 221 passes to the north of
Virginia Western Community College Virginia Western Community College (VWCC) is a public community college in Roanoke, Virginia. It is part of the Virginia Community College System. Students As of 2013, Virginia Western has over 12,000 students enrolled in the college and over ha ...
before reaching Brandon Avenue, which the highway follows east a short distance before veering north onto Main Street. The U.S. Highway heads north through the Wasena neighborhood before crossing 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 ...
and
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 (31 ...
's
Altavista District AltaVista was a Web search engine established in 1995. It became one of the most-used early search engines, but lost ground to Google and was purchased by Yahoo! in 2003, which retained the brand, but based all AltaVista searches on its own sear ...
. US 221 veers east on Elm Avenue through the
Old Southwest Old or OLD may refer to: Places * Old, Baranya, Hungary * Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, M ...
neighborhood to Franklin Road. Southbound US 221 follows Franklin Road to the northeast while northbound US 221 continues on Elm Avenue to Jefferson Street, which carries SR 116 in both directions. There, US 221 turns north; Elm Avenue continues east as
SR 24 Route 24, or Highway 24, can refer to: International * European route E24 Australia * Lyell Highway (Tasmania) * Central Arnhem Road, NT Austria * Verbindungsspange Rothneusiedel Canada * Alberta Highway 24 * British Columbia Highway 24 * M ...
. US 221 and SR 116 head north past the
Patrick Henry Hotel The Patrick Henry Hotel is a Colonial Revival former hotel listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register in Downtown Roanoke, Virginia, United States. Located at 617 South Jefferson Street at the sout ...
to Franklin Road, where the highways turn east. After one block on Franklin Road, the highways turn north onto four-lane Williamson Road, on which they head north along the eastern side of
Downtown Roanoke Downtown is the central business district of Roanoke, Virginia, United States. Located geographically at the center of the city, Downtown began its development with the completion of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in 1882. Today the Downtown co ...
. US 221 and SR 116 are joined by
US 11 {{Infobox road , country=USA , type=US , route=11 , map={{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, frame-height=330, type=line, from=U.S. Route 11.map , map_custom=yes , map_notes=US 11 in red, US 11E in blue, US 11W in ...
at Campbell Avenue. The three highways expand to a divided highway and cross over Norfolk Southern's
Blue Ridge District The AA Blue Ridge District is a district in the Region III of the Virginia High School League. The district is centered around the Roanoke Valley in Southwest Virginia and is named for the Blue Ridge Mountains, which feature prominently in the reg ...
rail line between the
Roanoke Shops 250px, Norfolk Southern Roanoke Shops in 2004. The Roanoke Shops (also called the East End Shops) is a Norfolk Southern workshop and maintenance facility in Roanoke, Virginia. Between 1884 and 1953, the shops produced 447 steam locomotives, all f ...
to the east and the
O. Winston Link Museum The O. Winston Link Museum is a museum dedicated to the photography of O. Winston Link, the 20th-century railroad photographer widely considered the master of the juxtaposition of steam railroading and rural culture. He is most noted for his 195 ...
and
Hotel Roanoke The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center is a historic hotel located in the Gainsboro neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia. Originally built in 1882, the hotel has been rebuilt and expanded many times. The central wing dates to 1938. The hotel is cur ...
to the west. US 221, US 11, and SR 116 have a partial interchange with I-581 and
US 220 U.S. Route 220 (US 220) is a spur route of US 20. It runs in a north–south layout in the eastern United States, unlike its parent route as well as conventionally even-numbered highways which run east-west. US 220 extends for fr ...
east of the Gainsboro neighborhood; the interchange features ramps from northbound US 221 to northbound I-581 and from southbound I-581 to southbound US 221. The highways pass the
Roanoke Civic Center Berglund Center (originally called the Roanoke Civic Center) is a 10,500-seat multi-purpose arena located in the Williamson Road neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia. It was built in 1971. It was the former home to the Roanoke Dazzle basketball team, ...
before intersecting Orange Avenue in the middle of the
Williamson Road Williamson Road is an approximately 8.0 mi (12.9 km) long road in Roanoke City and Roanoke County, Virginia. The road runs from downtown Roanoke in the south through the Botetourt County line in the north. For the majority of its length William ...
neighborhood. Orange Avenue carries US 460 and U.S. Route 220 Alternate through the intersection, and U.S. Route 11 Alternate west of the intersection. US 11 continues north on Williamson Road, SR 116 turns west onto Orange Avenue, and US 221 turns east onto Orange Avenue.


Roanoke to Lynchburg

US 221, US 460, and US 220 Alternate head east as a six-lane divided highway that passes under Norfolk Southern Railway's Roanoke District and intersects SR 115 (Hollins Road). The road reduces to four lanes at Tinker Creek and becomes named Challenger Avenue on re-entering Roanoke County. US 220 Alternate turns north onto Cloverdale Road in the community of Bonsack just west of where US 221 and US 460 enter
Botetourt County Botetourt County ( ) is a US county that lies in the Roanoke Region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Located in the mountainous portion of the state, the county is bordered by two major ranges, the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Mount ...
. The U.S. Highways continue as Blue Ridge Boulevard and meet the Blue Ridge Parkway at an interchange south of the community of Blue Ridge, where the highways parallel Norfolk Southern's Blue Ridge rail line through Buford's Gap to enter Bedford County. US 221 and US 460 continue east as the Lynchburg Salem Turnpike through the village of Thaxton to the town of Bedford. Just inside the town limits, the two U.S. Highways diverge: US 460 continues along its bypass of Bedford while US 221 and US 460 Business head toward the downtown area along two-lane Blue Ridge Avenue. At the west edge of downtown, the highways continue on Main Street and intersect SR 122 Business (Crenshaw Street) at the Bedford Historic Meetinghouse. At Bridge Street, US 460 Business and southbound SR 43 continue east on Main Street while US 221, SR 122 Business, and northbound SR 43 turn north onto Bridge Street to cross the Blue Ridge District rail line. North of the railroad, SR 43 splits northwest on Peaks Street toward the
Peaks of Otter The Peaks of Otter are three mountain peaks in the Blue Ridge Mountains, overlooking the town of Bedford, Virginia, which lies nine miles (14 km) to the southeast along State Route 43. These peaks are Sharp Top, Flat Top, and Harkening Hill ...
. US 221 and SR 122 Business head northeast on Longwood Avenue to the business route's terminus at SR 122, which heads south on Independence Boulevard toward US 460 and north on a continuation of Longwood Avenue. US 221 continues east on two-lane Forest Road, exiting the Bedford town limits, and then crossing the Little Otter River and the Otter River. After passing
Goode Goode ( or , depending on family) is a surname. Notable people Notable people with the surname include: * Alex Goode (Born 1988), British rugby union player * Alexander D. Goode (1911-1943), US Army chaplain * Andy Goode (born 1980), British ru ...
, the U.S. Highway heads through
Forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
, the site of Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church and its Old Rectory and
Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
's private retreat,
Poplar Forest Poplar Forest is a plantation and plantation house in Forest, Bedford County, Virginia. Founding Father and third U.S. president Thomas Jefferson designed the plantation, and used the property as both a private retreat and a revenue-generating pl ...
. At Forest, US 221 enters the suburban area surrounding Lynchburg and enters the independent city itself just west of its intersection with
US 501 U.S. Route 501 (US 501) is a spur of U.S. Route 1. It runs 355 miles (571 km) from Buena Vista, Virginia at U.S. Route 60 to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at U.S. Route 17 Business. It passes through the states of Virginia, North Carolina a ...
(Lynchburg Expressway). The U.S. Highway follows Lakeside Drive east past
Lynchburg College The University of Lynchburg, formerly Lynchburg College, is a private university associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and located in Lynchburg, Virginia. It has approximately 2,800 undergraduate and graduate students. ...
to Oakley Avenue, onto which the U.S. Highway turns to pass through Lynchburg's West End. US 221 intersects SR 163 (Memorial Avenue) and joins US 460 Business on Fort Avenue next to
Calvin Falwell Field Bank of the James Stadium, located in Lynchburg, Virginia, was originally constructed in 1939 to be used as a complex for professional baseball teams. The baseball stadium was built in conjunction with an adjacent 6,000-person football stadium. ...
. At Thurman Avenue, the two highways veer onto 12th Street and are joined by a second business route, US 501 Business, at Campbell Avenue. US 221, US 460 Business, and US 501 Business cross over 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, ...
rail line and turn southeast onto Kemper Street a few blocks south of Lynchburg-Kemper Street Station, which is served by
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
. The three highways pass the
Anne Spencer House The Anne Spencer House, in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States was, from 1903 to 1975, the home of Anne Spencer, a poet of the Harlem Renaissance. The house opened as a museum in 1977. House overview The Pierce Street House was built in 1903, by ...
before US 221 reaches its northern terminus at a
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). Kemper Street continues southeast as US 460 Business and US 501 Business toward their termini at
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, Baltimore, Maryland in the Southern United States, connecting the Florida Panhandle to the Baltimore-Was ...
, US 460, and US 501.


Major intersections


Special routes

There is one business loop in Virginia.


References


External links


Virginia Highways Project: US 221
{{state detail page browse, type=US, route=221, state=Virginia, statebefore=North Carolina 21-2 Virginia
U.S. Route 221 U.S. Route 221 (US 221) is a Spur route, spur of U.S. Route 21. It travels from Perry, Florida, at U.S. Route 19 in Florida, US 19/U.S. Route 98 in Florida, US 98/U.S. Route 27 Alternate (Florida), US 27 Alternate to Lyn ...
U.S. Route 221 U.S. Route 221 (US 221) is a Spur route, spur of U.S. Route 21. It travels from Perry, Florida, at U.S. Route 19 in Florida, US 19/U.S. Route 98 in Florida, US 98/U.S. Route 27 Alternate (Florida), US 27 Alternate to Lyn ...
U.S. Route 221 U.S. Route 221 (US 221) is a Spur route, spur of U.S. Route 21. It travels from Perry, Florida, at U.S. Route 19 in Florida, US 19/U.S. Route 98 in Florida, US 98/U.S. Route 27 Alternate (Florida), US 27 Alternate to Lyn ...
U.S. Route 221 U.S. Route 221 (US 221) is a Spur route, spur of U.S. Route 21. It travels from Perry, Florida, at U.S. Route 19 in Florida, US 19/U.S. Route 98 in Florida, US 98/U.S. Route 27 Alternate (Florida), US 27 Alternate to Lyn ...
U.S. Route 221 U.S. Route 221 (US 221) is a Spur route, spur of U.S. Route 21. It travels from Perry, Florida, at U.S. Route 19 in Florida, US 19/U.S. Route 98 in Florida, US 98/U.S. Route 27 Alternate (Florida), US 27 Alternate to Lyn ...
U.S. Route 221 U.S. Route 221 (US 221) is a Spur route, spur of U.S. Route 21. It travels from Perry, Florida, at U.S. Route 19 in Florida, US 19/U.S. Route 98 in Florida, US 98/U.S. Route 27 Alternate (Florida), US 27 Alternate to Lyn ...
U.S. Route 221 U.S. Route 221 (US 221) is a Spur route, spur of U.S. Route 21. It travels from Perry, Florida, at U.S. Route 19 in Florida, US 19/U.S. Route 98 in Florida, US 98/U.S. Route 27 Alternate (Florida), US 27 Alternate to Lyn ...
U.S. Route 221 U.S. Route 221 (US 221) is a Spur route, spur of U.S. Route 21. It travels from Perry, Florida, at U.S. Route 19 in Florida, US 19/U.S. Route 98 in Florida, US 98/U.S. Route 27 Alternate (Florida), US 27 Alternate to Lyn ...
U.S. Route 221 U.S. Route 221 (US 221) is a Spur route, spur of U.S. Route 21. It travels from Perry, Florida, at U.S. Route 19 in Florida, US 19/U.S. Route 98 in Florida, US 98/U.S. Route 27 Alternate (Florida), US 27 Alternate to Lyn ...
U.S. Route 221 U.S. Route 221 (US 221) is a Spur route, spur of U.S. Route 21. It travels from Perry, Florida, at U.S. Route 19 in Florida, US 19/U.S. Route 98 in Florida, US 98/U.S. Route 27 Alternate (Florida), US 27 Alternate to Lyn ...