U.S. Route 521
# U.S. Route 521

U.S. Route 521 (US 521) is a north–south United States Highway that traverses 177.3 miles (285.3 km), from Georgetown, South Carolina, to Charlotte, North Carolina. Though numbered as an auxiliary route of US 21, it does not actually intersect its parent or any of its sibling routes, though it is in the same general part of the country as other routes from its family. Historically, it once connected to US 21 in Pineville, North Carolina, but various changes have left it terminating a few miles short of the current US 21.

## Route description

### South Carolina

Starting at the city of Georgetown, US 521 runs through the town Andrews to Greeleyville. From here to the city of Manning it is known as the Greeleyville Highway. There is a brief section right before Manning where it runs concurrent with SC 261. In Manning SC 261 branches off and US 521 merges with US 301 for a short distance. It crosses over Interstate 95 (I-95) and heads to the city of Sumter. In Sumter, it runs together with US Business 378. Leaving Sumter, US 521 is known as Camden Highway. It passes under I-20 and proceeds to Camden. It then goes on to the town of Kershaw, running concurrent with US 601. The final city it goes through before going into North Carolina is Lancaster.

### North Carolina

US 521 traverses 3.8 miles (6.1 km) from the South Carolina state line to I-485. The entire route is a four- to six-lane divided highway, split in naming between Lancaster Highway and Johnston Road.

## History

Established in 1932, it was overlapped entirely with SC 26, from Georgetown to the North Carolina state line, where it continued with NC 26 into Pineville, where it ended at U.S. Route 21/NC 261 (now NC 51). In 1933, SC 26 was decommissioned; followed in 1934 with the decommissioning of NC 26.

In 1949, US 521 was rerouted in Williamsburg County to run directly from Andrews, through Salters and Greeleyville, to Manning; which replaced SC 171 and part of SC 261, the old alignment became part of SC 377 and SC 261. Between 1962 and 1964, US 521 was rerouted at the Sumter-Kershaw county line to Camden; the old alignment became an extension of SC 261.

In 1969, US 521 was extended 19 miles (31 km) north, via South Boulevard, and Wilkinson Blvd, then in 1981, by way of Woodlawn Road, and Billy Graham Parkway, to I-85 in Charlotte.

Between 1986 and 1988, US 521 was moved west onto new highway west of Dalzell, bypassing the town; the old alignment was downgraded to secondary roads.

In 1996, US 521 was rerouted onto I-485, between exits 61 and 65; the old alignment was downgraded to secondary roads. In 2003, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) approved US 521 to be truncated at its current northern terminus at the Johnston Road/I-485 interchange; its old alignment north to I-85 was downgraded to secondary roads.

## Future

There are plans to make US 521 a four-lane highway from Georgetown to I-95, in Manning. This would improve a route for beach goers traveling toward the Litchfield/Pawleys area.

## Junction list

| State | County | Location | mi | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| South Carolina | Georgetown | Georgetown | 0.0 | 0.0 | | US 17 (Fraser Street) – Charleston, Myrtle Beach | Southern terminus |
| South Carolina | Georgetown | Georgetown | 0.1 | 0.16 | | US 17 Alt. (Exchange Street) – Pawleys Island, Myrtle Beach | Southern end of US 17 Alt. concurrency |
| South Carolina | Georgetown | Sampit | 9.5 | 15.3 | | US 17 Alt. (Saints Delight Road) – Jamestown, Moncks Corner | Northern end of US 17 Alt. concurrency |
| South Carolina | Georgetown | ​ | 16.0 | 25.7 | | US 521 Bus. – Andrews | |
| South Carolina | Georgetown | ​ | 18.5 | 29.8 | | To SC 41 Bus. – Andrews | |
| South Carolina | Georgetown | ​ | 19.5 | 31.4 | | SC 41 (County Line Road) – Jamestown, Charleston | Southern end of SC 41 concurrency |
| South Carolina | Williamsburg | Andrews | 21.0 | 33.8 | | US 521 Bus. / SC 41 (County Line Road) – Hemingway | Northern end of SC 41 concurrency |
| South Carolina | Williamsburg | ​ | 38.0 | 61.2 | | SC 377 (Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue) – Lane, Kingstree | |
| South Carolina | Williamsburg | ​ | 45.5 | 73.2 | | US 52 (Williamsburg County Highway) – Charleston, Kingstree | |
| South Carolina | Williamsburg | Greeleyville | 48.5 | 78.1 | | SC 375 south (Gourdin Road) – St. Stephen, Charleston | Northern terminus of SC 375 |
| South Carolina | Clarendon | ​ | 60.5 | 97.4 | | SC 261 east (Kingstree Highway) – Kingstree | Southern end of SC 261 concurrency |
| South Carolina | Clarendon | Manning | 63.5 | 102.2 | | SC 261 west (Boyce Street) | Northern end of SC 261 concurrency |
| South Carolina | Clarendon | Manning | 64.0 | 103.0 | | US 301 south (Brooks Street) | Southern end of US 301 concurrency |
| South Carolina | Clarendon | ​ | 65.5 | 105.4 | | US 301 north – Turbeville | Northern end of US 301 concurrency |
| South Carolina | Clarendon | ​ | 67.0 | 107.8 | | I-95 / Main Street north (US 301 Conn. north) – Florence, Savannah | I-95 exit 122; southern terminus of US 301 Conn. and Main Street |
| South Carolina | Clarendon | Alcolu | | | | Main Street south (US 301 Conn. south) | Northern terminus of US 301 Conn. and Main Street |
| South Carolina | Sumter | Sumter–South Sumter line | 80.5 | 129.6 | | US 15 (Pocalla Road) – Summerton, Bishopville | |
| South Carolina | Sumter | Sumter–South Sumter line | | | | US 15 Conn. south to US 15 south | Northern terminus of US 15 Conn. |
| South Carolina | Sumter | Sumter | 82.3 | 132.4 | | SC 763 (West Liberty Street) – Genealogical and Historical Research Center, Sumter County Museum | |
| South Carolina | Sumter | Sumter | 83.0 | 133.6 | | US 76 Bus. east (Broad Street) / Bultman Drive north – Sumter | Southern end of US 76 Bus. concurrency; Bultman Drive continues past intersection |
| South Carolina | Sumter | Sumter | 86.0 | 138.4 | | US 76 Bus. west (Broad Street) – Shaw Air Force Base, Columbia | Northern end of US 76 Bus. concurrency |
| South Carolina | Sumter | Sumter | | | | South Pike West east to US 76 east / US 378 east – Conway | No access from US 521 to westbound US 76/US 378 or from eastbound US 76/US 378 to US 521 |
| South Carolina | Sumter | Dalzell | 93.5 | 150.5 | | SC 441 (Peach Orchard Road) – Bishopville, Shaw Air Force Base | |
| South Carolina | Kershaw | ​ | 107.0 | 172.2 | | SC 261 (Boykin Road) | |
| South Carolina | Kershaw | Camden | 110.0 | 177.0 | | I-20 – Columbia, Florence | I-20 exit 98 |
| South Carolina | Kershaw | Camden | | | | US 521 Truck north (Ehrenclou Drive) / US 1 Truck begins – Camden High School | Southern end of US 1 Truck concurrency; southern terminus of US 1 Truck and US 521 Truck |
| South Carolina | Kershaw | Camden | | | | US 1 Truck north / SC 34 Truck north (York Street / US 521 Truck north) – Camden High School, Alpha Center | Northern end of US 1 Truck concurrency; southern terminus of US 521 Truck and SC 34 Truck |
| South Carolina | Kershaw | Camden | 111.0 | 178.6 | | US 1 / US 601 south / SC 34 (Dekalb Street) – Columbia, Cheraw, Bishopville | Southern end of US 601 concurrency |
| South Carolina | Kershaw | Camden | | | | US 521 Truck south / US 601 Truck south (Boykin Road) / Cool Springs Drive east – Springdale Race Course, Steeplechase Museum, Camden Country Club | Northern terminus of US 521 Truck, US 601 Truck, and Boykin Road; western terminus of Cool Springs Drive |
| South Carolina | Kershaw | Camden | 113.0 | 181.9 | | SC 97 north (Liberty Hill Road) – Great Falls | Southern terminus of SC 97 |
| South Carolina | Lancaster | Kershaw | 133.0 | 214.0 | | SC 341 south (Marion Street) – Bethune | Northern terminus of SC 341 north |
| South Carolina | Lancaster | Kershaw | 133.3 | 214.5 | | US 601 north (Hilton Street) – Pageland | Northern end of US 601 concurrency |
| South Carolina | Lancaster | Heath Springs | 139.0 | 223.7 | | SC 522 south (Caston Street) – Liberty Hill | |
| South Carolina | Lancaster | Pleasant Hill | 142.0 | 228.5 | | SC 522 north (Rocky River Road) | |
| South Carolina | Lancaster | ​ | 148.0 | 238.2 | | US 521 Bus. north (Kershaw Camden Highway) | Southern terminus of US 521 Bus. |
| South Carolina | Lancaster | Lancaster | 149.0 | 239.8 | | SC 903 (Flat Creek Road) – Lancaster, McBee, Hartsville, Myrtle Beach | Interchange |
| South Carolina | Lancaster | ​ | 150.0 | 241.4 | | SC 9 south (Pageland Highway) / SC 9 Bus. north (Arch Street) – Pageland, Lancaster | Southern end of SC 9 concurrency; interchange |
| South Carolina | Lancaster | Lancaster | 152.0 | 244.6 | | SC 200 (Monroe Road) – Lancaster, Monroe | Interchange |
| South Carolina | Lancaster | Lancaster | 152.5 | 245.4 | | US 521 Bus. south (Main Street) / SC 9 north – Chester | Northern end of SC 9 concurrency; northern terminus of US 521 Bus.; interchange |
| South Carolina | Lancaster | ​ | 159.0 | 255.9 | | SC 5 north / SC 75 Truck south (Rock Hill Highway) – Rock Hill | Southern end of SC 75 Truck concurrency; southern terminus of SC 5 |
| South Carolina | Lancaster | ​ | 161.5 | 259.9 | | SC 75 south (Rebound Road) | Northern end of SC 75 Truck concurrency; southern end of SC 75 concurrency |
| South Carolina | Lancaster | ​ | 165.0 | 265.5 | | SC 75 north (Waxhaw Highway) – Waxhaw | Northern end of SC 75 concurrency |
| South Carolina | Lancaster | Indian Land | 172.0 | 276.8 | | SC 160 north (Fort Mill Highway) – Fort Mill | Southern terminus of SC 160 |
| | | | 173.50.0 | 279.20.0 | South Carolina–North Carolina state line | South Carolina–North Carolina state line | South Carolina–North Carolina state line |
| North Carolina | Mecklenburg | Charlotte | 1.0 | 1.6 | | Lancaster Highway – Pineville | |
| North Carolina | Mecklenburg | Charlotte | 3.8 | 6.1 | | I-485 – Matthews, Pineville | Northern terminus |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus ||||||||
