U.S. Route 321

U.S. Route 321
Route information
Auxiliary route of US 21
Length:	516.9 mi[1][2][3] (831.9 km)
Existed:	1931 – present
Major junctions
South end:	US 17 in Hardeeville, SC
	I-26 in Cayce, SC I-20 in Columbia, SC I‑85 in Gastonia, NC I‑40 in Hickory, NC I-26 / US 19W / US 23 in Johnson City, TN I-40 in Newport, TN I-75 in Lenoir City, TN
North end:	I-40 / SR 73 / SR 95 near Lenoir City, TN
Location
States:	South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Bannered Divided Replaced ← SC 319 SC SC 322 → ← US 311 NC NC 343 → ← SR 320 TN SR 321 →

U.S. Route 321 is a spur of U.S. Route 21. It runs for 516.9 miles (831.9 km) from South Carolina to Tennessee. With its northern terminus located in Elizabethton, Tennessee, it has two southern terminus at Hardeeville, South Carolina and Lenoir City, Tennessee. The highway serves different roles in each state: An alternate route to interstates in South Carolina, a major highway in North Carolina, and a scenic route in Tennessee.

Because of its unusual "north–south–north" routing, U.S. Route 321 intersects both Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 70 three separate times.

Route description

South Carolina

U.S. 321 provides direct access between Savannah and Columbia, serving as an alternate to Interstate 95 and Interstate 26. Starting in Hardeeville, U.S. 321 as a mostly 2 lane highway goes through sparsely populated areas and small towns including Estill, Fairfax, and Denmark, heading in a rather straight and northward direction into the Columbia area, widening to a 5 lane highway right after Neeses, then narrowing down to a 2 lane highway right after the town of North and widening to a 5 lane highway again after Swansea and staying that way until it merges with its parent route U.S. 21 in Dixiana. In Columbia, the route stays concurrent with U.S. 21 through Cayce, over the Congaree River on the Blossom Street Bridge, turning left onto Huger Street, right onto Elmwood Avenue, and left onto North Main Street. The roads separate at Hyatt Park, with U.S. 321 staying west of Interstate 77 and U.S. 21 north of Columbia. The route goes through to communities of Winnsboro, Chester, York, and Clover before entering North Carolina at Bowling Green.

North Carolina

U.S. 321 is an important route in Western North Carolina. It provides an alternative north–south route to Interstate 77, which passes through a busy metropolitan area, and US 221, which is more twisty drive up the Appalachians. Travelers from South Carolina who are going to points west of Charlotte and want to avoid the traffic of I-77 may choose to enter the state on U.S. 321.

The highway traverses through seven counties: Gaston, Lincoln, Catawba, Burke, Caldwell, Watauga, and Avery. U.S. 321 has six control cities: Gastonia, Lincolnton, Hickory, Lenoir, Blowing Rock, and Boone.

U.S. 321 is a multilane highway beginning at the state line. After 7 miles (11 km), it enters the Gastonia area. Traffic on northbound 321 through Gastonia is generally not as heavy as traffic on southbound 321 north of Interstate 85, where it may back up for a couple of miles as drivers wait to turn onto I-85.

Lengths

	mi	km
SC	217.2	349.5
NC	105.5	169.8
TN	194.2	312.5
Total	516.9	831.8

The road becomes a freeway at C. Grier Beam Boulevard in Gastonia, just south of NC 275/NC 279. It remains a freeway until just north of its junction with US 70 in Hickory. The freeway bypasses a number of cities that mainline U.S. 321 once passed through. Today, U.S. 321 Business follows the original 38 miles (61 km) route, that serves Maiden, Newton, and Conover; but the freeway is a more direct route to the mountains, and the business route is generally used by local traffic only.

Traffic is usually heavy between Hickory and Lenoir. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has a long-term plan to widen the road to six lanes, which is estimated to be completed by 2015. However, the project will probably take considerally longer. The first stage of the project (NCDOT project B-4450), replacing the bridge over the Catawba River, was previously estimated to be completed by 2011. However, the NCDOT project page shows that right-of-way acquisition will not begin until 2012.^[4]

North of Lenoir, U.S. 321 is a four-lane divided highway. Currently the highway becomes a two-lane road again in northern Caldwell County. NCDOT project R-2237 will widen the road the four lanes through Blowing Rock.^[5] The widening of U.S. 321 through Blowing Rock has been a controversial project. Many residents of the town feel that a four-lane highway will destroy the character of the small town, and they proposed several bypass alternatives. NCDOT has selected the widening as its preferred alternative, but added several features such as underground utilities, sidewalks, landscaping, and rock walls to make the widening more palatable to the residents who are opposed to it.^[6] These features are not present on the two-lane highway that is being replaced.

North of Blowing Rock, U.S. 321 is already a four-lane highway up to King Street in Boone; thus, R-2237 will make 321 a four-lane highway from the South Carolina state line to downtown Boone. Currently, U.S. 321 meets US 421 at King Street and overlaps it over King Street to leave town to the west. NCDOT project R-2615 is proposed to widen the U.S. 321/421 concurrency from this junction to their junction near Vilas, although this project is currently unfunded.^[7] There is a feasibility study (FS-0511A) in progress to examine the possibility of widening U.S. 321 from the junction near Vilas to the Tennessee state line. If both of these projects were completed, then U.S. 321 would be a four-lane highway through the entire state.

Tennessee

As it crosses into Tennessee, US-321 enters the Cherokee National Forest, and continues westward through the rugged valley between Pond Mountain on the south and Watauga Lake on the north. The highway passes numerous campgrounds, boat launches, and other lake-related recreational areas as it winds its way along the shores of the lake. South of Butler, the highway joins Tennessee State Route 67, which enters from the Mountain City area to the northeast. The Appalachian Trail crosses US-321 at its intersection with Shook Gap Road, just before the highway exits the national forest. At Hampton, US-321 intersects US 19E, and the two highways run concurrently northward into Elizabethton.

U.S. 321 "changes direction" in Elizabethton: the road is designated as southbound in both directions driving away from its intersection with US 19E.^[8] It is conterminous with US 11E through portions of Washington and Greene counties. In Greeneville, the highway continues south into Cocke County. At the Cocke-Greene County line US-321 becomes a four-laned divided highway and bypasses Parrottsville. The four-lane section ends just before US-321's junction with TN-160 and crossing I-40 at Newport.

The stretch of US 321 from Newport south to Cosby and southwest through Pittman Center to Gatlinburg parallels the northern boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and is quite scenic. From a point between Newport and Cosby to the intersection with the Little River Road, it is concurrent with TN 73. In Pigeon Forge, concurrent with U.S. Route 441/Great Smoky Mountains Parkway, US 321 is a divided, multi-lane traffic-laden thoroughfare where it serves as the city's main route, lined with hotels, outlet malls and amusement facilities. Veering southwest of Pigeon Forge, the highway takes on a more rural character as it traverses Wears Valley, and narrows down to two lanes until its junction with TN-73 Scenic (the Little River Road) at the Townsend entrance to the park. It is concurrent with Tennessee 73 from this junction to its terminus. With the exception of a 3-mile (4.8 km) section between Townsend and Maryville, the remaining portions of the highway through Blount County are a minimum of four lanes and usually a divided highway until it reaches Fort Loudon Dam in Loudon County. It narrows to two lanes as it crosses the Tennessee River via the J. Carmichael Greer bridge atop the dam. At its intersection with U.S. Route 11 in Lenoir City, it again widens to four lanes. US-321 has a wrong-way concurrency with State Route 95 from a point several miles south of Lenoir City (near Greenback) to its terminus at I-40. In the northern part of Lenoir City, US-321 intersects I-75 and US 70 before reaching I-40. Beyond I-40, the road continues northward to Oak Ridge as the two-lane SR 95.

Current plans call for a new bridge crossing over Fort Loudoun Lake and Fort Loudoun Dam along with the widening of 1.4 miles (2.3 km) of related highway, with construction underway. Though sections of the highway are already four-laned, remaining portions through Loudon County will also be widened as part of the project, meaning the highway would be a four-lane semi-divided thoroughfare from I-40 and I-75 to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, except for the 3-mile (4.8 km) stretch near Walland.

History

North Carolina Highway 17

NC Highway 17
Location:	Propst Crossroads–Boone, NC
Length:	55.9 mi[9] (90.0 km)
Existed:	1921–1934

North Carolina Highway 17 (NC 17) was an original state highway that traversed from Hickory to Boone, through Granite Falls, Hudson, Lenoir and Blowing Rock. In 1930, it was extended south on new primary routing to NC 113, in Propst Crossroads; also same year, US 321 was established in the state and overlapped NC 17 between Hickory and Boone.^[10] In 1934, NC 17 was decommissioned, with US 321 taking all north of Hickory and NC 96 taking all south.^[11]

North Carolina Highway 155

NC Highway 155
Location:	Dallas–Conover, NC
Length:	29.4 mi[12] (47.3 km)
Existed:	1994–1999

North Carolina Highway 155 (NC 155) was established in 1994 following the old alignment of US 321 as it was moved onto new four-lane controlled-access highway.^[13] From NC 275/NC 279, in Dallas, it traversed north through High Shoals to Lincolnton. Sharing a short concurrency with NC 150 as it bypass the downtown area of Lincolnton, it continues north meeting with main US 321, south of Maiden, continuing in concurrency through Newton and finally Conover, where it ended at US 70. In 1999, the remainder of US 321 was moved onto new freeway bypass west of Newton and Conover; at same time, NC 155 was decommissioned and absorbed into US 321 Business.^[14]

Future

In addition to the widening project, there have also been talks of a freeway-to-freeway connection with Interstate 85 in Gastonia that would greatly relieve traffic flowing through the junction. Currently, US 321 is a surface road at the I-85 interchange, and is a limited access freeway a few hundred yards north. To extend the freeway to I-85, the remaining at-grade intersections and traffic lights would have to be eliminated. An interchange has been proposed to the Garden Parkway, which would terminate at the freeway section of US 321, bypassing the at-grade section, near Dallas.

Junction list

State	County	Location	mi [1][2][3]	km	Destinations	Notes
South Carolina	Jasper	Hardeeville	0.0	0.0	US 17 (Whyte Hardee Boulevard) – Ridgeland, Savannah
			0.5	0.80	SC 46 east (Church Road)	To Millstone Landing
		Tillman	12.5	20.1	SC 336 east (Tillman Road) – Ridgeland
		Tarboro	19.8	31.9	US 601 north (Cypress Branch Road) – Hampton
		Robertville	22.6	36.4	SC 462 (Gillson Branch Road) – Pineland
	Hampton	Garnett	25.6	41.2	SC 119 south (Clyo Road) – Clyo, Springfield
		Scotia	30.7	49.4	SC 333 (Scotia-Furman Highway) – Furman
		Estill	35.8	57.6	SC 3 south (Third Street) – Lena	South end of SC 3 overlap
			36.0	57.9	SC 3 north (Nixville Road) – Barnwell	North end of SC 3 overlap
		​	40.4	65.0	SC 363 east (Luray Highway) – Hampton	To Lake Warren State Park
	Allendale	Fairfax	49.9	80.3	US 278 (Allendale-Hampton Highway) – Allendale, Hampton
		Sycamore	55.6	89.5	SC 641 (Confederate Highway) – Allendale
		Ulmer	59.9	96.4	US 301 south (Burton's Ferry Highway) – Allendale	South end of US 301 overlap
	Bamberg	​	61.9	99.6	US 301 north (Main Highway) – Bamberg	North end of US 301 overlap
		Olar	66.5	107.0	SC 64 (Low Country Road) – Barnwell
		Denmark	76.6	123.3	SC 70 south (Hagood Street) – Barnwell	South end of SC 70 overlap
		​	76.9	123.8	US 78 (Heritage Highway) – Bamberg, Blackville
		​	77.3	124.4	SC 70 north (Country Club Road) – Orangeburg	North end of SC 70 overlap
	Orangeburg	Norway	85.3	137.3	SC 332 east (Cope Road) – Cope	East end of SC 332 overlap
			85.6	137.8	SC 332 west / SC 400 east (Norway Road) – Springfield, Orangeburg	West end of SC 332 overlap
		Neeses	90.9	146.3	SC 4 (Neeses Highway) – Springfield, Orangeburg
			91.4	147.1	SC 389 west (Ninety Six Road) – Perry, Wagener
		North	97.3	156.6	US 178 (North Highway) – Pelion, Orangeburg
	Lexington	Swansea	105.1	169.1	SC 3 south (Whetstone Road) – Springfield, Blackville, Barnwell
			105.9	170.4	SC 692 south (Fifth Street) – Orangeburg	To Swansea High Football Stadium
			106.1	170.8	SC 6 west (Second Street) – Lexington	West end of SC 6 overlap
			106.2	170.9	SC 6 east (First Street) – St. Matthews	East end of SC 6 overlap
		​	117.7	189.4	US 21 south / US 176 east (Charleston Highway) – Orangeburg	South end of US 21 and east end of US 176 overlap
		Cayce	120.2	193.4	To I-77 north / Fish Hatchery Road – Charlotte
			120.6	194.1	I-26 – Charleston, Spartanburg
			121.8	196.0	SC 2 north (Frink Road)
		West Columbia	123.3	198.4	SC 302 south (Airport Boulevard) – Aiken, Columbia Metropolitan Airport
			125.0	201.2	SC 2 (State Street)
	Richland	Columbia	126.5	203.6	US 1 / US 378 (Gervais Street)	To South Carolina State House
			126.8	204.1	SC 12 (Hampton/Tylor Streets)	To Finlay Park and Columbia Museum of Art
			127.4	205.0	I-126 west / US 76 west – Greenville, Spartanburg	West end of US 76 overlap
			128.0	206.0	US 76 east (Elmwood Avenue)	East end of US 76 overlap
			128.6	207.0	US 176 west (River Drive)	West end of US 176 overlap
			129.2	207.9	SC 16 (Sunset Drive)
			129.8	208.9	SC 215 north (Montichello Road)	To Columbia International University
			130.8	210.5	US 21 north (Main Street)	North end of US 21 overlap; Columbia College at intersection
			132.2	212.8	I-20 – Florence, Augusta
	Fairfield	​	151.2	243.3	SC 269 south (Hinnants Store Road)
		Winnsboro Mills	152.4	245.3	SC 34 east – Ridgeway	East end of SC 34 overlap; to South Carolina Railroad Museum
			152.7	245.7	US 321 Bus. north (Columbia Road) / SC 213 west (Monjicono Road) – Monticello
		Winnsboro	156.1	251.2	SC 34 west (Newberry Road) / SC 200 east – Newberry, Great Falls	West end of SC 34 overlap
			156.9	252.5	US 321 Bus. south (Congress Street)
	Chester	Chester	178.8	287.8	SC 97 south (Great Falls Road) – Great Falls, Camden	South end of SC 97 overlap
			179.4	288.7	US 321 Bus. north (Columbia Road) SC 9 south / SC 72 east / SC 97 north / SC 121 north (J.A. Cochran Bypass)	South end of SC 9, east end of SC 72, and north end of SC 97/SC 121 overlap
			181.2	291.6	SC 72 west / SC 121 south (West End Road) – Carlisle, Whitmire	West end of SC 72 and south end of SC 121 overlap
			182.0	292.9	SC 9 Bus. south (Pinckney Street)
			182.3	293.4	SC 9 north (Pinckney Street) – Lockhart	North end of SC 9 overlap
			184.2	296.4	US 321 Bus. south / SC 97 (Center Road) – Hickory Grove
		Lowrys	189.7	305.3	SC 909 south (Old York Road) – Lewis
	York	McConnells	194.2	312.5	SC 322 west (Church Street)	West end of SC 322 overlap
			194.3	312.7	SC 322 east (McConnells Highway) – Rock Hill	West end of SC 322 overlap; to Historic Brattonsville
		York	203.3	327.2	US 321 Bus. (Congress Street)
			203.7	327.8	SC 49 (Sharon Road) – Sharon, Union
			204.5	329.1	SC 5 Bus. / SC 161 Bus. south (Liberty Street) – Blacksburg	South end of SC 161 Bus overlap
			205.7	331.0	US 321 Bus. (Kings Mountain Street)
			205.9	331.4	SC 5 / SC 161 south (Alexander Love Highway) – Blacksburg	South end of SC 161 and north end of SC 161 Bus overlap
		Filbert	207.5	333.9	SC 161 north – Bethany	North end of SC 161 overlap
		Clover	213.4	343.4	SC 55 (Kings Mountain/Bethel Streets) – Lake Wylie, Blacksburg
			217.2 0.0	349.5 0.0	South Carolina–North Carolina state line
North Carolina	Gaston	Gastonia	7.3	11.7	Garrison Boulevard
			7.9	12.7	US 29 / US 74 (Franklin Boulevard)
			8.1	13.0	NC 7 east (Long Avenue)
			9.4	15.1	I‑85 – Charlotte, Spartanburg
		Dallas	9.4	15.1	Grier Beem Boulevard – Gaston College
			11.7	18.8	US 321 Bus. north / NC 275 / NC 279 (Dallas-Cherryville Highway) – Cherryville
		​	16.1	25.9	Hardin Road
	Lincoln	​	18.8	30.3	US 321 Bus. (Gastonia Highway) – High Shoals, Lincolnton	Signed exit 20
		Lincolnton	23.6	38.0	NC 27 / NC 150 (Main Street) – Lincolnton	Signed exit 24
		​	27.0	43.5	US 321 Bus. (Maiden Highway) – Maiden	Signed exit 28
	Catawba	Maiden	32.3	52.0	Startown Road	Signed exit 33
		​	36.2	58.3	NC 10 – Newton	Signed exit 37
		​	40.1	64.5	River Road	Signed exit 41
		Mountain View	41.4	66.6	NC 127 (Brookford Boulevard)	Signed exit 42
		Hickory	42.3	68.1	I‑40 – Statesville, Asheville	Signed exits 43A (east) and 43B (west)
			43.3	69.7	US 70 / US 321 Bus. south to NC 127 (Conover Boulevard) – Hickory	Signed exit 44
			45.3	72.9	Clement Boulevard – Hickory Regional Airport
	Burke	No major junctions
	Caldwell	Northlakes	47.9	77.1	US 321A north – Granite Falls
		Granite Falls	50.1	80.6	Falls Avenue – Granite Falls
		Lenoir	56.8	91.4	Southwest Boulevard – Morganton
			59.1	95.1	US 321A south – Hudson
			60.1	96.7	US 64 / NC 18 / NC 90 east – Wilkesboro	East end of NC 90 overlap
			62.3	100.3	NC 90 west (Main Street) – Collettsville	West end of NC 90 overlap
		​	65.9	106.1	NC 268 east – Fort Defiance
	Watauga	Blowing Rock	79.4	127.8	US 321 Bus. north (Main Street)
			80.6	129.7	US 221 south / US 321 Bus. south	South end of US 221 overlap
			81.4	131.0	Blue Ridge Parkway	To Moses H. Cone Memorial Park and Julian Price Memorial Park
		Boone	87.0	140.0	US 221 north / NC 105 – Linville, Banner Elk, Newland	North end of US 221 overlap
			87.9	141.5	US 421 south / NC 194 north (King Street)	South end of US 421 and north end of NC 194 overlap
		Vilas	93.6	150.6	NC 194 south – Valle Crucis	South end of NC 194 overlap
		Sugar Grove	94.3	151.8	US 421 north – Mountain City	North end of US 421 overlap
	Avery	No major junctions
			105.5 0.0	169.8 0.0	North Carolina–Tennessee state line
Tennessee	Carter	​	12.5	20.1	SR 67 east – Mountain City	East end of SR 67 and west end of SR 159 (hidden) overlap
		Hampton	12.5	20.1	US 19E south (SR 37) – Roan Mountain	South end of US 19E overlap
		Elizabethton	27.2	43.8	US 19E / SR 91 (SR 37) – Bluff City	North end of US 19E and SR 91 overlap US 321 directional change from northbound to southbound
			28.0	45.1	SR 400 south – Watauga
			31.3	50.4	SR 91 / SR 362 south	South end of SR 91 overlap
			31.9	51.3	SR 359 south – Milligan College
	Washington	Johnson City	35.3	56.8	Legion Street / Milligan Highway	Interchange
			35.8	57.6	I-26 / US 19W / US 23 – Erwin, Kingsport	Intrechange; exit 24 (I-26)
			36.7	59.1	SR 67 west / SR 381 (Cherokee Road)	West end of SR 67 and south end of SR 381 overlap
			39.5	63.6	US 11E / SR 381 north (SR 34 / State of Franklin Road)	North end of US 11E and SR 381 overlap
		Jonesborough	44.3	71.3	SR 354 (Boones Creek Road) / Boone Street – Boones Creek, Business District
					To SR 81 / Washington Drive – Kingsport, Erwin, Business District
					To SR 81 / Persimmon Ridge Road – Lamar, Erwin
		Limestone	54.4	87.5	SR 75 north (Opie Arnold Road)
	Greene	​	58.0	93.3	SR 351 (Chuckey Pike) – Chuckey, Rheatown
		Tusculum	62.6	100.7	SR 107 east (Tusculum Bypass) – Erwin, Tusculum College	East end of SR 107 (hidden) overlap
		Greeneville			Erwin Highway – Tusculum, Tusculum College	Former SR 107
			65.2	104.9	US 11E Bus. south (SR 107 / Tusculum Boulevard)	West end of SR 107 (hidden) overlap
			66.0	106.2	Snapps Ferry Road	Interchange
			67.1	108.0	US 11E south (SR 34) / SR 93 north (Kingsport Highway) – Kingsport, Morristown	South end of US 11E; southern terminus of SR 93
			67.3	108.3	SR 172 north (Baileyton Road) – Baileyton, Airport	Southern terminus of SR 172
			68.0	109.4	US 11E Bus. north (SR 107 / Tusculum Boulevard)	North end of US 11E Bus. overlap
			68.4	110.1	US 11E Bus. south (SR 350 / West Summer Street) / SR 350 north	South end of US 11E Bus. overlap
			68.5	110.2	SR 350 south (McKee Street)	South end of SR 350 (hidden) overlap
			69.5	111.8	SR 70 / SR 107 west (Asheville Highway)	West end of SR 107 (hidden) overlap
			71.3	114.7	SR 349 west (Warrensburg Road)
	Cocke	Parrottsville	87.3	140.5	SR 340 – Parrottsville, Del Rio
		​	91.6	147.4	SR 160 north – Bybee
		Newport	93.7	150.8	US 25 south / US 70 (SR 9 / Broadway Street)	South end of US 25 and east end of US 70 overlap
			94.0	151.3	US 25 north / US 70 west SR 9 west / SR 32 north / SR 35 south	North end of US 25 and west end of US 70 overlap West end of SR 9 (hidden), north end of SR 32 and south end of SR 35 (hidden) overlap
			95.5	153.7	I-40 – Knoxville, Asheville
		​	101.1	162.7	SR 73 north (Wilton Springs Road)	North end of SR 73 (hidden) overlap
		Cosby	106.0	170.6	SR 339 west (Jones Cove Road)
			106.2	170.9	Foothills Parkway
			108.0	173.8	SR 32 south	South end of SR 32 overlap
	Sevier	Pittman Center	119.9	193.0	SR 416 north
		Gatlinburg–Pittman Center line	120.8	194.4	SR 454 north
		Gatlinburg	126.1	202.9	US 441 south (SR 71) – Great Smoky Mountains National Park	South end of US 441 overlap
		​	127.2	204.7	Gatlinburg Parkway Bypass – Great Smoky Mountains National Park	No access from northbound US 441/US 321
		Pigeon Forge	134.5	216.5	US 441 north (SR 71) / SR 71 – Sevierville	North end of US 441 overlap
		Wears Valley			Foothills Parkway	Future interchange
	Blount	Townsend	149.4	240.4	SR 73 Scenic east (East Lamar Alexander Parkway) – Great Smoky Mountains National Park
		Walland	156.8	252.3	Foothills Parkway
		Maryville	166.7	268.3	SR 447 north (Washington Street) to US 411 north
			167.4	269.4	SR 336 south (Montvale Road)
			167.6	269.7	US 411 / SR 33 (Broadway Avenue) – Rockford, Madisonville
			168.7	271.5	US 129 / SR 115 – Alcoa, Knoxville
			171.0	275.2	SR 335 north (Old Glory Road)	North end of SR 335 overlap
			171.6	276.2	SR 335 south (William Blount Drive)	South end of SR 335 overlap
		Friendsville	176.1	283.4	SR 333 north (Main Avenue)
	Loudon	​	181.4	291.9	SR 95 south (Lenoir City Road) – Greenback	South end of SR 95 (hidden) overlap
		​	185.0	297.7	SR 444 west (Tellico Parkway) – Tellico Village
		Lenoir City	186.8	300.6	US 11 / SR 2 (Broadway Street) – Knoxville, Loudon, Farragut
			189.5	305.0	I-75 – Knoxville, Chattanooga
			190.3	306.3	US 70 / SR 1 (Kingston Pike) – Knoxville, Kingston
			194.2	312.5	I-40 / SR 95 north – Knoxville, Nashville	West end of SR 73 (hidden) and north end of SR 95 (hidden) overlap
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Unopened

Bannered routes

Winnsboro business loop

U.S. Route 321 Business
Location:	Winnsboro, South Carolina
Length:	4.2 mi[15] (6.8 km)
Existed:	1952–present

U.S. Route 321 Business (US 321 Bus) was established around 1951 or 1952, when mainline US 321 was rerouted west, bypassing Winnsboro. US 321 Bus traverses through Winnsboro Mills, via Columbia Road, and downtown Winnsboro, via Congress Street.

Chester business loop

U.S. Route 321 Business
Location:	Chester, South Carolina
Length:	3.7 mi[16] (6.0 km)
Existed:	1964–present

U.S. Route 321 Business (US 321 Bus) was established between 1962-1964, when mainline US 321 was rerouted west, bypassing Chester. US 321 Bus traverses through downtown Chester, via Columbia Street and Center Road.

York business loop

U.S. Route 321 Business
Location:	York, South Carolina
Length:	2.5 mi[17] (4.0 km)
Existed:	1958–present

U.S. Route 321 Business (US 321 Bus) was established around 1957-1958, when mainline US 321 was rerouted west, bypassing York. US 321 Bus traverses through downtown York, via Congress Street and Kings Mountain Street.

Dallas–Hickory business loop

U.S. Route 321 Business
Location:	Dallas–Hickory, NC
Length:	37.2 mi[18] (59.9 km)
Existed:	1999–present

U.S. Route 321 Business (US 321 Bus) was established in June, 1999, as a renumbering all of NC 155 and part of mainline US 321 in Catawba County. Traversing 37.2 miles (59.9 km) through Gaston, Lincoln and Catawba counties, it connects the cities and towns of Dallas, High Shoals, Lincolnton, Maiden, Newton, Conover and Hickory. The highway follows the original US 321 routing through that existed prior to 1994.^[14]

Lincolnton alternate route

U.S. Route 321A
Location:	Lincolnton, North Carolina
Length:	3.4 mi[19] (5.5 km)
Existed:	1956–1960

U.S. Route 321 Alternate (US 321A) was established 1956 when mainline US 321 was placed on new bypass east of downtown Lincolnton. It traversed along Aspen Street and around the Lincoln County Civil Court on Court Square Drive. In 1960 it was decommissioned, with Aspen Street becoming secondary roads.

Granite Falls–Lenoir alternate route

U.S. Route 321A
Location:	Granite Falls–Lenoir, NC
Length:	11.8 mi[20] (19.0 km)
Existed:	1948–present

U.S. Route 321 Alternate (US 321A) was established 1948 as a number swap with US 321 through downtown Lenoir. In 1957, US 321A was extended south, replacing mainline US 321 through Hudson and Granite Falls, ending at its current southern terminus north of the Catawba River. In June, 1964, US 321A was placed on one-way splits through downtown Lenoir; northbound continued along Mulberry Street and West Avenue, southbound rerouted along Main Street and College Avenue. In September, 2006, US 321A was rerouted to its current northern terminus, just south of downtown Lenoir, via McLean Drive. Its old alignment through downtown Lenoir was carried on by NC 90 until 2012, when it too was rerouted; the old alignment is now under city control.^[21][22][23]

Traversing through Granite Falls, Sawmills, Hudson and part of Lenoir, US 321A has not changed much over the years. Predominantly a two-lane highway, it parallels a short line railroad and connects to several factories.

Lenoir alternate route

U.S. Route 321A
Location:	Lenoir, North Carolina
Length:	5.9 mi[24] (9.5 km)
Existed:	1941–1948

U.S. Route 321 Alternate (US 321A) was established 1941 as a new alternate route bypassing Lenoir. In 1948, it was replaced by mainline US 321.

Blowing Rock business loop

U.S. Route 321 Business
Location:	Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Length:	2.0 mi[25] (3.2 km)
Existed:	1960–present

U.S. Route 321 Business (US 321 Bus) was established 1960 as an upgrade to secondary roads through downtown Blowing Rock; which were originally part of mainline US 321 until about 1954, when it was moved onto a new bypass east. The highway traverses along Main Street and shares a concurrency with US 221 for 0.8 miles (1.3 km) on its northern section.

Boone truck route

U.S. Route 321 Truck
Location:	Boone, North Carolina
Length:	4.0 mi[26] (6.4 km)

U.S. Route 321 Truck (US 321 Truck) redirects truckers traveling through the area to go south and around downtown Boone, via NC 105 and NC Highway 105 Bypass (SR-1107). The shares some overlap with US 221 Truck and complete overlap with US 421 Truck.

Greeneville truck route

U.S. Route 321 Truck
Location:	Greeneville, Tennessee
Length:	3.6 mi (5.8 km)

U.S. Route 321 Truck Route (US-321 Truck Route) redirects truckers traveling south on US-321 around downtown. It shares a concurrency with US-11E and TN-70. The route begins at US-11E/US-321 and ends 3.6 miles (5.8 km) later at US-321/TN-70.

The entire route is in Greeneville, Greene County.

mi	km	Destinations	Notes
0.0	0.0	US 321 / SR 35 (West Main Street) / SR 70 south (Asheville Highway) / SR 107 (Asheville Highway / West Main Street) – Greeneville, Parrottsville, Newport, Del Rio, Asheville	Southern terminus of US-321 Truck and end SR-70 overlap
		US 11E Bus. north (West Summer Street) / SR 350 south (West Summer Street) – Downtown Greeneville	Begin US-11E Business concurrency; Northern terminus of SR-350
		US 11E south / SR 34 south (West Andrew Johnson Highway) / Blue Springs Parkway – Mosheim, Bulls Gap, Morristown	Southern terminus of US-11E Business; Begin US-11E/SR-34 overlap
		SR 70 north (Lonesome Pine Trail) – Romeo, Rogersville	End SR-70 overlap
		SR 172 north (Baileyton Road) / WhiteHouse Road – Baileyton, Airport	Southern terminus of SR-172; Interchange
		US 11E north / US 321 (North Main Street / East Andrew Johnson Highway) / SR 34 north (East Andrew Johnson Highway) / SR 35 south (North Main Street) – Jonesborough, Johnson City, Newport, Downtown Greeneville	End US-321 Truck
		SR 93 north (Kingsport Highway) – Fall Branch, Kingsport	Southern terminus of SR-93
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

See also

References

• "U.S. 321 widening to take longer than estimated" by Andrew Mackie, Hickory Daily Record, March 14, 2006

External links

• Media related to U.S. Route 321 at Wikimedia Commons
• Mapmikey's South Carolina Highways Page: U.S. Route 321
• NCRoads.com: U.S. Route 321
• NCRoads.com: U.S. Route 321-A
• NCRoads.com: U.S. Route 321 Business