South Carolina Highway 56
# South Carolina Highway 56

South Carolina Highway 56 (SC 56) is a 63.700-mile (102.515 km) primary state highway in the state of South Carolina. The highway provides a back country alternative to Interstate 26 (I-26) from Clinton to Spartanburg.

## Route description

SC 56 is generally a two-lane rural highway that expands to a four-lane urban highway in Clinton and Spartanburg. It travels 63.3 miles (101.9 km) in a north-south direction, though it is signed east-west; to make it more confusing, signage in Spartanburg reverse the directions. SC 56 has a roundabout interchange, known as Hearon Circle, with I-85 Business. In Clinton, signage that bypasses the downtown area use "TRUCK" instead of normal or bypass banners; though SC 56 Business is signed through the downtown area.

## History

SC 56 was established in 1928 as a new primary route from SC 392 (today SC 39) to U.S. Route 176 (US 176) in Pauline. In 1949, SC 56 was extended north, replacing US 176 to US 29 in Spartanburg. In 1959, SC 56 was extended north, replacing US 176 along Asheville Highway to its current terminus at US 176. Sometime after 1990, SC 56 was bypassed southeast of downtown Clinton, leaving a business loop.

## Major intersections

| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Newberry | ​ | 0.000 | 0.000 | SC 39 – Saluda, Cross Hill, Laurens | Southern terminus |
| Laurens | ​ | 9.810 | 15.788 | SC 560 (Milton Road) – Cross Hill, Kinards | |
| Laurens | ​ | 14.330 | 23.062 | SC 66 east (Milton Road) – Joanna | Western terminus of SC 66 |
| Laurens | ​ | 14.560 | 23.432 | SC 66 Conn. east to SC 66 | Western terminus of SC 66 Conn. |
| Laurens | Clinton | 18.870 | 30.368 | SC 72 west (Springdale Road) / SC 56 Bus. east (Jacobs Highway) – Business district | Southern end of SC 72 concurrency; southern terminus of SC 56 Bus. |
| Laurens | Clinton | 20.270 | 32.621 | US 76 (Carolina Avenue) – Newberry, Business district | |
| Laurens | Clinton | 21.970 | 35.357 | SC 72 east / SC 72 Bus. west (Willard Road) to I-26 east – Whitmire | Northern end of SC 72 concurrency |
| Laurens | Clinton | 22.760 | 36.629 | SC 56 Bus. west (Musgrove Street) | Eastern terminus of SC 56 Bus. |
| Laurens | Clinton | 23.797– 23.860 | 38.298– 38.399 | I-26 – Spartanburg, Columbia | I-26 exit 52 |
| Union | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions |
| Spartanburg | Cross Anchor | 33.530 | 53.961 | SC 49 (Union Highway) – Laurens, Union | |
| Spartanburg | ​ | 33.850 | 54.476 | SC 146 west (Cross Anchor Highway) – Woodruff | Eastern terminus of SC 146 |
| Spartanburg | ​ | 45.060 | 72.517 | SC 150 north (Glenn Springs Road) – Pacolet | Southern terminus of SC 150 |
| Spartanburg | Pauline | 47.910 | 77.104 | SC 215 south – West Springs, Union | Southern end of SC 215 concurrency |
| Spartanburg | ​ | 48.980 | 78.826 | SC 215 north (Stone Station Road) – Roebuck | Northern end of SC 215 concurrency |
| Spartanburg | Spartanburg | 54.950 | 88.433 | SC 295 (Southport Road) – Roebuck, Pacolet | |
| Spartanburg | Spartanburg | 57.720 | 92.891 | East Henry Street east (SC 56 Conn. east) to US 176 – Union | Western terminus of SC 56 Conn.; SC 56 and SC 56 Conn. share the East Henry Street name. |
| Spartanburg | Spartanburg | 58.170 | 93.616 | US 221 south (Church Street) – Columbia | Southern end of US 221 concurrency |
| Spartanburg | Spartanburg | 58.550 | 94.227 | US 29 (St. John Street) – Barnet Park, Chapman Center, Converse College, The George | |
| Spartanburg | Spartanburg | 58.770 | 94.581 | SC 296 (Daniel Morgan Avenue) – Roebuck | |
| Spartanburg | Spartanburg | 59.460 | 95.692 | US 221 north (Church Street) – Chesnee, Charlotte | Northern end of US 221 concurrency |
| Spartanburg | ​ | 61.760– 61.800 | 99.393– 99.457 | I-85 BL – Greenville, Charlotte | Roundabout interchange; I-85 Bus. exit 4 |
| Spartanburg | Southern Shops–Valley Falls line | 63.540– 63.700 | 102.258– 102.515 | US 176 (Pine Street) to I-26 / I-85 – Inman, Asheville, Spartanburg | Northern terminus |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus ||||||

## Special routes

### Clinton business loop

South Carolina Highway 56 Business (SC 56 Bus.) is a 3.090-mile (4.973 km) business route that traverses through downtown Clinton, in concurrency with SC 72 Bus. along Broad Street and Willard Road.

### Spartanburg connector route

South Carolina Highway 56 Connector (SC 56 Conn.) is a 0.330-mile (0.531 km) connector route between SC 56 and US 176/SC 9 in the central part of Spartanburg and the east-central part of Spartanburg. The entire length is known as East Henry Street and is an unsigned highway.

It begins at an intersection with the SC 56 mainline (known as Union Street east of here and also as East Henry Street west of here). It travels to the east-northeast and curves to the northeast, before reaching its eastern terminus, an intersection with US 176/SC 9 (South Pine Street). Here, the roadway continues as Glendalyn Avenue.

The entire route is in Spartanburg, Spartanburg County.

| mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
| - | - | - | - |
| 0.000 | 0.000 | SC 56 (Union Street south / East Henry Street west) to US 221 / SC 296 – Clinton, South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind, Reidville, Inman | Western terminus; SC 56 and SC 56 Conn. share the East Henry Street name. |
| 0.330 | 0.531 | US 176 / SC 9 (South Pine Street) / Glendalyn Avenue east | Eastern terminus; roadway continues as Glendalyn Avenue. |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi ||||
