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100 years of US routes: 1926-2026
Endpoints of
1932-1940
East: Laurens, SC
North: Brevard, NC
1940-1959
East: Laurens, SC
North: Waynesville, NC
1959-1968
East: near Clinton, SC
North: Lake Junaluska, NC
1968-1984
East: near Clinton, SC
North: Cove Creek, NC
1984-present
East: Mauldin, SC
North: Cove Creek, NC
Mileage: in 1989 AASHTO listed a figure of 108 miles for US 276. That closely matches our own 2020 measurement, which yielded 106.3 miles. Want historic mileages? Our handy reference book includes the mileages that were published in all 13 of AASHO/AASHTO's historic route logs (spanning the years 1927 to 1989). View a map showing this route.
Laurens
Originally, US 76 went northwest from Laurens (along what is now SC hwy. 14), ending in Greenville. But in 1932 it was rerouted more westerly in order to serve its current corridor through Anderson. So that is when US 276 was commissioned: it branched off from US 76 at Laurens, following the former US 76 to Greenville, and then beyond, ending at US 64 in Brevard. This shot was looking east on Main Street in Laurens:
Nelson, 2006
The original east beginning of US 276 was to the left on what is now SC hwy. 14, or Church Street. US 276 is signed east/west in South Carolina, but it is a north/south route in North Carolina.
Brevard
This photo shows the intersection of Broad Street and Main Street, which is where the courthouse is located. To the left on Broad was eastbound US 64; to the right on Main was originally the north beginning of US 276:
c. 1940, attribution unknown
...however, about one year before that historic photo was taken, the US 276 designation had been extended north, by overlapping with US 64 for a short distance. Below is a more recent photo of that same junction; the courthouse is at far right:
Nitzman, Jul. 2004
The truck was on Broad; to the right on Main was the original north beginning of US 276. This next photo shows historic signage at the original north end of US 276:
c. 1940, attribution unknown
In that photo, the courthouse was behind the camera. Those signs were intended for drivers heading northwest on Main, where US 276 ended at its junction with US 64. But about one year prior to this photo, US 276 was extended, so the US 276 sign at the bottom was added. To this day the designation continues further north by overlapping with US 64 to the right on Broad -- that happened in 1939, when US 276 was extended north to Waynesville:
c. 1956, Gousha
Waynesville
This shot was looking north on Main Street in Waynesville. Today this is Business 23, but originally it was mainline US 23, and during the 1940s and '50s, the north beginning of US 276 was to the right on Pigeon Street:
Allen, Dec. 2008
(detail)
Lake Junaluska
Historically US 276 began to the right, but in about 1960 it was extended ahead with US 23 for a few blocks, before splitting off onto Russ Avenue. US 276 then continues a couple miles north, to its junction with US 19 at Lake Junaluska:
c. 1960, NC DoT
This photo was looking north at that junction; today US 276 overlaps west from here with US 19. That lasts for about two miles, and then US 276 splits off to the north again, towards I-40. But during the 1960s the north end of US 276 was here:
Sanderson, Oct. 2000
Cove Creek
In 1968 the US 276 designation was extended to its current terminus. This is at I-40's interchange 20 in Cove Creek, although US 276 was extended to that interchange even before I-40 was complete through the area:
c. 1970, NC DoT
Shown here is the exit sign from westbound I-40; travelers who exit here loop around until they are heading in essentially the opposite direction:
LeBlanc, Oct. 2000
This photo was taken looking west on Rabbit Skin Road; to the right is a one-way entrance ramp to I-40:
Sanderson, Oct. 2000
To the left is a two-way road that crosses under the interstate. It is unclear why a "To" sign was used: if that is not US 276 to the left, then what is it? And that was not the only instance -- this was taken looking south on 276, after crossing under I-40:
Sanderson, Oct. 2000
At right is the off-ramp from eastbound I-40. Just beyond the "One way" sign in the middleground is the assembly shown next:
Sanderson, Oct. 2000
South of the off-ramp, the "To" signs disappear. The road coming in from the right is Cove Creek Road -- which was part of NC hwy. 284, until US 276 took over in 1968. The sign in the distance is shown close-up in this photo:
LeBlanc, Oct. 2000
Clinton
Meanwhile, in 1960, I-385 between Greenville and Clinton was opened to traffic... except originally it was not designated I-385. Instead, the US 276 designation was applied to this new freeway, which initially ended at its interchange with SC 56. I-26 had been built only as far north as Newberry, so US 276 traffic was directed south on SC 56, joined with SC 72, and ended on Broad at US 76 (or Carolina Avenue). This photo was looking west on Carolina:
Nelson, 2006
For a few years, US 276 began to the right on Broad. But before long I-26 was complete through the area, and when that happened, US 276 was truncated to its interchange with I-26 (at what is now the south end of I-385):
This photo was looking west on I-26. Originally, the freeway that begins to the left was US 276...
Nitzman, Oct. 2001
Mauldin
...but in 1984, that freeway was renumbered as I-385, and the US 276 designation was truncated to its current terminus in Mauldin. This photo shows the exit off northbound I-385 where US 276 begins:
Nitzman, 2000
Field/Nitzman, 2004
Beyond that point, I-385 veers to the right to bypass Mauldin, but US 276 continues straight on that alignment and becomes Laurens Road, the original highway through Mauldin and on to Greenville. I-185 was extended to that interchange in 2001. This interactive image shows the end of US 276, where it has an interchange with I-185 and merges into I-385:
Research and/or image credits: John Allen; Andy Field; Brian LeBlanc; Steven Nelson; Alex Nitzman; Mike Roberson; Dale Sanderson; Michael Summa
Page originally created 1999;last updated Aug. 29, 2025.
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