U.S. Route 78 in South Carolina
# U.S. Route 78 in South Carolina

U.S. Route 78 (US 78) is a 142.207-mile (228.860 km) U.S. highway that travels from Memphis, Tennessee to Charleston, South Carolina. In the U.S. state of South Carolina, it travels from the Savannah River at North Augusta to its eastern terminus in Charleston; connecting the cities of Aiken, Summerville, and North Charleston.

## Route description

US 78 enters South Carolina by crossing the Savannah River in North Augusta; sharing concurrences with US 1, US 25, US 278 and South Carolina Highway 121 (SC 121). In the immediate 2-mile (3.2 km) area, it sheds most concurrencies, sharing only with US 1 towards Aiken; it also connects with Interstate 520 (I-520), which is a partial beltway around the Augusta metropolitan area. In Aiken, it travels through the downtown area, where US 1 splits north towards Columbia. West of Williston is SC 781, which connects back with US 278; the routing allows travelers to bypass Aiken all together between Williston and Augusta.

Traveling in a southeasterly direction, it goes through the cities and towns of Williston, Blackville, Denmark, Bamberg, Branchville and St. George, where connects with I-95. Continuing east, it passes through Dorchester and begins to parallel with I-26 in a southeasterly direction through Summerville. It enters Charleston County at Lincolnville, where the highway skirts just inches south of the Berkeley County line. In North Charleston, US 78 shares a concurrency with US 52, as it connects with I-526. Entering Charleston, it splits with US 52 and goes south along King Street; its eastern terminus at Line Street, a block away from US 52's eastern/southern terminus and nearby to I-26/US 17 interchange.

US 78 is a predominantly two-lane rural highway connecting much of the Lowcountry. Wider sections (four-lanes or more) are found between North Augusta–Aiken, St. George, and North Charleston. Though it provides the most direct route between Augusta (and points west, such as Atlanta) and Charleston (using US 278 and SC 781 to bypass Aiken), it is not a busy route because of the many cities and towns it goes through.

## History

Established in 1927 as an original US highway, it traveled closely as it does today; from North Augusta to Charleston, connecting the cities and towns of Aiken, Bamberg, St. George, and North Charleston.

By 1931, US 78 was rerouted north of Summerville and Lincolnville, leaving Richardson Avenue/Lincoln Avenue. Around 1939, US 78 was realigned from Meeting Street to Rivers Street, south of Durant Avenue in the Charleston area. Also in 1939, US 78 was fully paved in the state, its last unpaved section was between St. George and US 178. By 1952, US 78 was placed on new four-lane highway bypassing Clearwater, Burnettown, and Gloverville; also by same year a new bridge was constructed over the Savannah River, leaving Fifth Street Bridge. By 1967, US 78 was adjusted to bypass south of mainstreet Blackville, leaving a secondary road, but was later upgraded as a connector (signed as a business loop).

## Major intersections

| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Savannah River | Savannah River | 0.000 | 0.000 | US 1 south / US 25 south / SR 121 south / US 78 west / US 278 west / SR 10 west (Gordon Highway) – Augusta | Continuation into Georgia |
| Savannah River | Savannah River | 0.000– 0.005 | 0.000– 0.0080 | South Carolina–Georgia state line | South Carolina–Georgia state line |
| Aiken | North Augusta | 0.188– 0.340 | 0.303– 0.547 | 5th Street Bridge / River North Drive | Interchange |
| Aiken | North Augusta | 0.640– 0.710 | 1.030– 1.143 | US 25 / SC 121 north – North Augusta, Edgefield | East end of freeway section; eastern end of US 25 and SC 121 concurrencies |
| Aiken | North Augusta | 0.870 | 1.400 | Buena Vista Avenue (SC 125 Conn. west) to I-20 / SC 230 | Right-in/right-out interchange; westbound exit and entrance; eastern terminus of SC 125 Conn. |
| Aiken | North Augusta | 1.560– 1.950 | 2.511– 3.138 | I-520 (Palmetto Parkway) – Augusta, Columbia, Atlanta | I-520 exit 17 |
| Aiken | Clearwater | 2.150– 2.380 | 3.460– 3.830 | US 278 east / SC 125 (Atomic Road) – Beech Island, Savannah River Site SC 421 north (Augusta Road) – Clearwater | Interchange; eastern end of US 278 concurrency; southern terminus of SC 421 |
| Aiken | Clearwater–Burnettown line | 4.040 | 6.502 | SC 126 (Belvedere–Clearwater Road) – Belvedere | |
| Aiken | Warrenville | 10.324– 10.330 | 16.615– 16.625 | SC 191 (Main Street) – Graniteville, Vaucluse, Warrenville | |
| Aiken | Aiken | 12.300 | 19.795 | US 1 Truck north / US 78 Truck east / SC 19 Truck to SC 118 (Robert M Bell Parkway / Hitchcock Parkway) / I-20 / SC 302 | Southern terminus of US 1 Truck; western terminus of US 78 Truck; to USC Aiken |
| Aiken | Aiken | 12.470 | 20.069 | SC 421 south (Augusta Road) | Northern terminus of SC 421 |
| Aiken | Aiken | 15.620 | 25.138 | SC 19 (Laurens Street) – Eureka, Edgefield | |
| Aiken | Aiken | 15.800 | 25.428 | SC 19 Conn. (Chesterfield Street) – Savannah River Site | Signed also as SC 19 |
| Aiken | Aiken | 15.890 | 25.572 | US 1 north (York Street NE) | Eastern end of US 1 concurrency |
| Aiken | ​ | 18.250 | 29.371 | SC 4 east (Wagener Road) to SC 302 | Western terminus of SC 4 |
| Aiken | ​ | 18.450 | 29.692 | US 1 Truck north / US 78 Truck west / SC 4 Truck east / SC 118 south / SC 302 / I-20 (Pine Log Road SE) | Western end of SC 4 Truck concurrency; southern terminus of US 1 Truck; eastern terminus of US 78 Truck; northern terminus of SC 118 |
| Aiken | Windsor | 28.880 | 46.478 | SC 4 Truck east (State Park Road) – Aiken State Park, State Park Boat Landing | Eastern end of SC 4 Truck concurrency |
| Aiken | ​ | 34.157 | 54.970 | SC 781 west (Tinker Creek Road) | Eastern terminus of SC 781 |
| Barnwell | Williston | 37.297 | 60.024 | SC 39 south (Rosemary Street / Dunbarton Road) | Western end of SC 39 concurrency |
| Barnwell | Williston | 37.550 | 60.431 | SC 39 north (Elko Street / Springfield Road) – Springfield | Eastern end of SC 39 concurrency |
| Barnwell | Elko | 40.470 | 65.130 | SC 37 (Bay Street) – Barnwell, Springfield | |
| Barnwell | Blackville | 46.930 | 75.527 | US 78 Bus. east (Walker Street) | Signed western terminus of US 78 Bus. |
| Barnwell | Blackville | 47.010 | 75.655 | SC 3 (Solomon Blatt Avenue) – Barnwell | |
| Barnwell | Blackville | 47.090 | 75.784 | SC 304 south (Lartigue Street) – Hilda | Northern terminus of SC 304 |
| Barnwell | Blackville | 47.540 | 76.508 | US 78 Bus. west (Main Street / US 78 Conn. west) | Eastern terminus of US 78 Bus./US 78 Conn. |
| Bamberg | Denmark | 55.250 | 88.916 | US 321 / SC 70 (Palmetto Avenue) – Orangeburg, Barnwell | |
| Bamberg | Bamberg | 61.960 | 99.715 | US 301 / US 601 – Orangeburg, Allendale, Ehrhardt | |
| Bamberg | Bamberg | 62.710 | 100.922 | SC 362 south – Smoaks, Williams | Northern terminus of SC 362 |
| Bamberg | ​ | 71.980 | 115.841 | SC 61 south (Edisto River Road) | Northern terminus of SC 61 |
| Bamberg | ​ | 72.170 | 116.146 | US 78 Conn. south to SC 61 | Northern terminus of US 78 Conn. |
| Orangeburg | Branchville | 76.660 | 123.372 | US 21 south (Freedom Road) – Smoaks, Walterboro, Savannah | Western end of US 21 concurrency |
| Orangeburg | Branchville | 76.860 | 123.694 | US 21 north (Freedom Road) – Orangeburg, Columbia | Eastern end of US 21 concurrency |
| Dorchester | St. George | 89.810– 89.830 | 144.535– 144.567 | I-95 – Savannah, Florence | I-95 exit 77 |
| Dorchester | St. George | 91.830 | 147.786 | US 15 (Parler Avenue) – Walterboro, Santee | |
| Dorchester | ​ | 105.470 | 169.738 | US 178 west (East Main Street) – Harleyville | Eastern terminus of US 178 |
| Dorchester | ​ | 108.176 | 174.092 | SC 27 north (Ridgeville Road) – Holly Hill | Western end of SC 27 concurrency |
| Dorchester | ​ | 108.664 | 174.878 | SC 27 south (Ridgeville Road) – Ridgeville | Eastern end of SC 27 concurrency |
| Dorchester | ​ | 110.114 | 177.211 | School Street west (SC 173 west) / Myers–Mayo Road east | Eastern terminus of SC 173 and School Street; western terminus of Myers–Mayo Road |
| Dorchester | Summerville | 119.124 | 191.711 | US 17 Alt. (North Main Street) – Walterboro, Moncks Corner | |
| Dorchester | Summerville | 119.404 | 192.162 | SC 165 (Berlin G. Myers Parkway / US 17 Alt. Truck) – Ravenel | |
| Charleston | North Charleston | 126.114– 126.139 | 202.961– 203.001 | I-26 – Columbia, Charleston | I-26 exit 205 |
| Charleston | North Charleston | 127.534– 128.334 | 205.246– 206.534 | US 52 west / N.A.D. Road east – Goose Creek, Moncks Corner | Western end of US 52 concurrency; western terminus of N.A.D. Road; interchange |
| Charleston | North Charleston | 129.224 | 207.966 | US 52 Conn. south to I-26 east – Charleston | Northern terminus of US 52 Conn.; I-26 exit 209A; no access to I-26 west |
| Charleston | North Charleston | 133.844– 134.034 | 215.401– 215.707 | I-526 (Mark Clark Expressway) – Savannah, Mount Pleasant | I-526 exit 18 |
| Charleston | North Charleston | 137.044 | 220.551 | SC 642 west (Dorchester Road) | Eastern terminus of SC 642 |
| Charleston | North Charleston | 137.194 | 220.792 | SC 7 south (Cosgrove Avenue) | Northern terminus of SC 7 |
| Charleston | North Charleston | 137.684 | 221.581 | US 52 east (Carner Avenue) | Eastern end of US 52 concurrency |
| Charleston | Charleston | 142.207 | 228.860 | Line Street to US 17 north | No access from US 78 (King Street) or Line Street eastbound to westbound Line Street; eastern terminus |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access ||||||
