U.S. Route 221 (US 221) is a

spur A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse or other animal to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids (commands) and to back ...

U.S. Route 21 U.S. Route 21 or U.S. Highway 21 (US 21) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway in the Southeastern United States that travels . The southern terminus is in Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina, south of the ...

. It travels 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 ...

, at US 19/ US 98/ US 27 Alternate 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 ...

, at US 29 Business (

Lynchburg Expressway The Lynchburg Expressway is a freeway in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It con ...

). It travels through the states of

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

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 ...

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 = ...

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 ...

, and

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 ...

. It travels through the cities of

Valdosta, Georgia Valdosta is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, Lowndes County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. As of 2019, Valdosta had an estimated population of 56,457. Valdosta is the principal city of the Valdosta Metr ...

;

Spartanburg, South Carolina Spartanburg is a city in and the county seat, seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city of Spartanburg has a municipal population of 38,732 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the 11th-largest c ...

;

Marion, North Carolina Marion is a city in and the county seat of McDowell County, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1844, the city was named in honor of Brigadier General Francis Marion, the American Revolutionary War Hero whose talent in guerrilla warfare ...

;

Roanoke, Virginia Roanoke ( ) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 100,011, making it the 8th most populous city in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the largest city in Virginia west of Richmond. It is lo ...

; and Lynchburg, Virginia. Throughout western North Carolina, from the Virginia state line 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 ...

, US 221 is a challenging drive, and can be described as one climb after another. In some places, the route skirts around large foothills.

Route description

Florida

U.S. Route 221 originates just south of the city of

Perry Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also made ...

, with its southern terminus intersecting with the cosigned

U.S. Route 19 U.S. Route 19 (US 19) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the Eastern United States. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul road, connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Erie. The highway's southern ...

U.S. Route 98 and U.S. Route 27 Alternate, taking hidden SR 55 with it away from US 19. It continues through the city of Perry and intersects

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...

and

U.S. Route 90 U.S. Route 90 or U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) is an east–west major United States highway in the Southern United States. Despite the "0" in its route number, US 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route. With the exception of a short-lived ...

in rural Madison County before crossing into Georgia.

Georgia

U.S. Route 221 runs through the cities of Quitman,

Valdosta Valdosta is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. As of 2019, Valdosta had an estimated population of 56,457. Valdosta is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in 2021 had a ...

, Lakeland,

Pearson Pearson may refer to: Organizations Education *Lester B. Pearson College, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada *Pearson College (UK), London, owned by Pearson PLC *Lester B. Pearson High School (disambiguation) Companies *Pearson PLC, a UK-based int ...

, and

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...

in southern Georgia. In Quitman, it joins

U.S. Route 84 U.S. Route 84 (US 84) is an east–west U.S. Highway that started as a short Georgia–Alabama route in the original 1926 scheme. Later, in 1941, it had been extended all the way to Colorado. The highway's eastern terminus is a short dista ...

(cosigned

Georgia State Route 38 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 ...

) to Valdosta. From Valdosta to Douglas, it joins with

Georgia State Route 31 State Route 31 (SR 31) is a state highway that travels south-to-north through portions of Lowndes, Lanier, Clinch, Atkinson, Coffee, Telfair, Wheeler, Dodge, Laurens, and Johnson counties in the south-central part of the U.S. state ...

. It also joins with

Georgia State Route 135 State Route 135 (SR 135) is a state highway in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Georgia. It connects the Florida state line with Higgston, via Lakeland, Willacoochee, Douglas, and Hazlehurst. It travels concurrently with ...

and State Route 56. From Pearson to Douglas, it joins with U.S. Route 441 as a four-lane highway, which was completed in 2000. In Douglas, U.S. Route 221 runs as the eastern part of Bowens Mill Rd. and will be widened in the future. It passes through Hazelhurst, Mount Vernon and Soperton before crossing

Interstate 16 Interstate 16 (I-16), also known as Jim Gillis Historic Savannah Parkway, is an east–west Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Georgia. It carries the hidden designation of State Route 404 (SR 404) for its ...

, then later joins up 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, making i ...

and

Georgia State Route 4 State Route 4 (SR 4) is a state highway in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. Except for its northernmost portion, it is completely concurrent for its entire length with U.S. Route 1 (US 1). It traverses south-t ...

after passing through Louisville. After going through

Wrens Wrens are a family of brown passerine birds in the predominantly New World family Troglodytidae. The family includes 88 species divided into 19 genera. Only the Eurasian wren occurs in the Old World, where, in Anglophone regions, it is comm ...

, it splits off to the north, cosigned with

Georgia State Route 47 State Route 47 (SR 47) is an arc-shaped state highway that travels through portions of Taliaferro, Wilkes, Lincoln, Columbia, McDuffie, and Jefferson counties in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Georgia. The highway co ...

and passes through

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...

before crossing

Interstate 20 Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with Interstate 10, I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with Interstate 95, I-95 in Flo ...

Georgia State Route 402 __NOTOC__ Year 402 ( CDII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Arcadius and Honorius (or, less frequently, year 1155 ' ...

approximately 20 miles west of Augusta. Shortly before crossing into South Carolina, Georgia State Route 150 merges with Route 221 at the Pollards Corner intersection as Georgia 47 turns away. The passage into South Carolina takes place on top of the J. Strom Thurmond Dam, which forms the southern shore of J. Strom Thurmond Lake.

South Carolina

U.S. Route 221 enters South Carolina in rural McCormick County at the southeastern edge of

Lake Strom Thurmond Lake Strom Thurmond, officially designated J. Strom Thurmond Reservoir at the federal level, and Clarks Hill Lake by the state of Georgia, is a reservoir at the border between Georgia and South Carolina in the Savannah River Basin. Description ...

. It continues north and northwestward to the town of McCormick. From McCormick, it continues northerly to the city of Greenwood. From Greenwood, U.S. Route 221 continues northeasterly to the city of Waterloo, South Carolina. U.S. Truck Route 221 bypasses the city of Laurens on the east side. It continues northerly and intersects

Interstate 385 Interstate 385 (I-385) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway located in the Upstate region of South Carolina. I-385 is a spur route of I-85. The highway provides a connection between Greenville and I-26 to the south, connecting Greenville t ...

in rural Laurens County and proceeds to intersect

Interstate 26 Interstate 26 (I-26) is a main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. Nominally east–west, as indicated by its even number, I-26 runs from the junction of U.S. Route 11W (US 11W) and US 23 in ...

in rural Spartanburg County. U.S. Route 221 continues through the center of the city of

Spartanburg Spartanburg is a city in and the seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city of Spartanburg has a municipal population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the 11th-largest city in the state. For a time, the Offi ...

before intersecting

Interstate 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, n ...

just north of the city. It continues to the city of Chesnee before exiting the state in a rural area of

Cherokee County Cherokee County is the name of eight counties in the United States: * Cherokee County, Alabama * Cherokee County, Georgia * Cherokee County, Iowa * Cherokee County, Kansas * Cherokee County, North Carolina * Cherokee County, Oklahoma * Cherokee Co ...

. The southern terminus of U.S. Alternate Route 221 intersects the main route in the city of Chesnee and exits the state a few miles to the east of the main route.

North Carolina

U.S. Route 221 runs through the cities of Rutherfordton,

Marion Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mario ...

Blowing Rock Blowing Rock may refer to: * The town of Blowing Rock, North Carolina ** The rocky outcropping Blowing Rock (land feature), near the town of the same name * Blowing Rock, Virginia, an unincorporated community * Caribbean island belonging to Anguil ...

, Boone, and

Jefferson Jefferson may refer to: Names * Jefferson (surname) * Jefferson (given name) People * Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States * Jefferson (footballer, born 1970), full name Jefferson Tomaz de Souza, Brazilian foo ...

. The highway is predominantly two-lane, while four-lane in Marion, Blowing Rock, and Boone. The section from the U.S. Route 321 interchange just east of Boone and into

in Ashe county is now a divided, four-lane controlled-access road, making this section a much more pleasant and scenic one. Two sections of the highway can be considered challenging and twisty: 13-mile stretch between Linville and Blowing Rock, and a 21-mile stretch between Jefferson and Twin Oaks. U.S. Route 221 has one Alternate (continuing from South Carolina) and two Business Routes (in Marion and Jefferson). It intersects two major highways:

U.S. Route 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 ...

near Rutherfordton and

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 ...

near Marion; and also intersects with the

four times.

Virginia

, US 221 runs from the

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'' ( syn. ''G. rotundifolia'', ''G. aphylla''). It is native to the southeastern United S ...

, 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 west–east 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.

Major intersections

;Florida : in

: in Perry : south-southeast of Greenville : in Greenville. The highways travel concurrently through Greenville. ;Georgia : in Quitman. The highways travel concurrently to

. : in Valdosta : in Valdosta. US 41/US 221 travels concurrently through Valdosta. : in Lakeland. The highways travel concurrently to east-northeast of Lakeland. : south-southwest of

. The highways travel concurrently to

. : in Pearson : in Hazlehurst. The highways travel concurrently through Hazlehurst. : in

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...

: south of

Norristown Norristown may mean: * Norristown, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Norristown, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Norristown, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Norristown, Pennsylvania Norristown is a municipality with home ...

: north-northeast of Norristown : south-southwest of Bartow. The highways travel concurrently to Bartow. : in

Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

. The highways travel concurrently to

. : in Wrens : in

: south of Appling ;South Carolina : in McCormick. The highways travel concurrently through McCormick. : south-southeast of Greenwood. The highways travel concurrently to northeast of Greenwood. : in Laurens : north of Laurens : east-northeast of Moore : in

: north of Spartanburg : east of Valley Falls ;North Carolina : southwest of Forest City : in Rutherfordton : southeast of West Marion : in

: in

. The siblings travel concurrently to Boone. : in Boone. The siblings travel in a wrong-way concurrency to north-northeast of Deep Gap. : in Twin Oaks. US 221 travels concurrently with its parent to

Independence, Virginia Independence is a town in Southwestern Virginia's Grayson County, Virginia, Grayson County, with a population of 1,001 as of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. As the Grayson County Seat, it is located 71 miles from Winston-Salem, Winston ...

. ;Virginia : in Independence. US 58/US 221 travels concurrently to Hillsville. : in Woodlawn : in Hillsville : in Roanoke. The highways travel concurrently through Roanoke. : in Roanoke : in Roanoke. US 221/US 460 travels concurrently to

. : in Lynchburg : in Lynchburg

Special routes

References

External links

Endpoints of U.S. Highway 221 on USEnds.com
{{US 21 21-2 2