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US 501 at US Ends.com
Photo: US 1 south at US 15-501/NC 87 near Sanford NC (public domain photo by T W Kines, Jan 1952)
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| ROUTE LOG |
US 17 Bus: 0 - 0 US 17: 2.2 - 2.2 US 501 Bus Conway: 8.8 - 11.0 US 701 SB: 3.3 - 14.3 US 378: 0.1 - 14.4 US 501 Bus, US 701 NB: 0.9 - 15.3 US 501 Bus Marion: 28.4 - 43.7 US 76: 4.0 - 47.7 US 501 Bus: 4.3 - 52.0 US 301 SB: 7.5 - 59.5 NC STATE LINE: 14.3 - 73.8 I-95 (Exit 1): 0.1 - 73.9 US 301 NB: 2.5 - 76.4 US 501 Bus Laurinburg: 18.7 - 95.1 US 74 EB: 0.6 - 95.7 US 15 Bus, US 401 Bus: 0.9 - 96.6 US 15 SB, US 74 WB, US 401 SB: 0.4 - 97.0 US 74 Bus: 1.2 - 98.2 US 15 Bus, US 401 NB, US 501 Bus: 1.9 - 100.1 US 1 SB: 23.2 - 123.3 US 1 NB: 2.0 - 125.3 US 1 SB: 24.8 - 150.1 US 1 Bus: 4.9 - 155.0 US 421 Bus: 1.9 - 156.9 US 421: 1.2 - 158.1 US 1 NB, US 1 Bus: 0.9 - 159.0 US 64 Bus: 14.4 - 173.4 US 64 WB: 2.0 - 175.4 US 64 EB: 2.4 - 177.8 I-40 (Exit 270): 17.0 - 194.8 US 15 Bus, US 501 Bus Durham: 2.3 - 197.1 I-85 SB (Exit 174A), US 70 WB: 4.0 - 201.1 I-85 NB (Exit 176), US 15 NB, US 70 EB: 2.5 - 203.6 US 501 Bus: 2.4 - 206.0 US 158 EB: 24.0 - 230.0 US 158 WB: 1.0 - 231.0 VA STATE LINE: 12.1 - 243.1 US 58, US 360: 11.0 - 254.1 US 29 NB, US 460 EB, US 460 Bus, US 501 Bus Lynchburg: 57.6 - 311.7 US 29 SB, US 460 WB: 2.3 - 314.0 US 29 Bus NB: 0.8 - 314.8 US 29 Bus SB: 0.3 - 315.1 US 460 Bus: 1.2 - 316.3 US 221: 2.7 - 319.0 US 501 Bus: 3.3 - 322.3 US 501 Bus Buena Vista: 30.9 - 353.2 US 501 Bus: 0.9 - 354.1 US 60: 0.5 - 354.6
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Creation: Appeared in the 1925 US Route plan, running from US 70 Durham NC to US 60 (now SR 716) Burkeville VA. This remained unchanged when the system rolled out in late 1926. The original length reported to AASHO was 128 miles. US 501 was an addition to NC 13 from Durham to the state line; VA 18 to Halifax VA; VA 12 to Wylliesburg; VA 32 to Keysville; VA 20 to Burkeville.
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Adjustments: In 1930, US 501 was put on today's VA 92 from Clover to modern US 15 and used 15 northward. The old routing was SR 716 and SR 715 east out of Clover to use Mosley's Ferry across the Roanoke River (pretty close to the current US 360 bridge) and SR 705 Mosley Ferry Rd in Charlotte County over to VA 92; SR 624 northeast to current US 15 In 1931, US 501 was straightened out east of Halifax onto the current VA 360 alignment, leaving behind SR 760 Ferry Trail; Archer Trail; Marion's Trail; SR 613 Bagwell Dr-Wagstaff Rd-Wagstaff Ln (the trails no longer connect to one another) Also in 1931, US 501 was rerouted to use today's US 360 directly northeast of Keysville to Simplicity instead of US 15 and SR 654. In March 1932, AASHO responded to South Carolina's request to have a new US route from Raleigh NC to Walterboro SC or Savannah GA by proposing this route be an extension of US 501. In May 1932 South Carolina requested this corridor be numbered as US 301 instead, but in June 1932 AASHO said it would be US 401. The draft 1933 Virginia route log showed US 501 decommissioned in its entirety within Virginia. North Carolina to Halifax was to become part of VA 9 and Halifax to Burkeville would've become part of VA 40. In May 1933 (AASHO), US 501 was retained and radically altered at AASHO's suggestion. Everything from Halifax northeast to Burkevile was renumbered as US 360 (Virginia had requested US 33). Today this is VA 360 east of Halifax; US 360; VA 92 through Clover to Jones Store; US 15 through Wyliesburg; US 15-360 northeast. A little past SR 628, US 501 veered more northerly on abandoned routing, then picked up SR 713 Deuprees School Rd to VA 47, then Woodland Ln and Ferraro Ln northeast back to 15-360. After Walkers Store, US 501 used SR 622 Old Kings Rd, then US 15-360 Business through Ontario. US 501 used 15-360 Business through Keysville except I believe it used SR 629 Southern Dr south of VA 40. North of town, US 501 followed modern US 15 north to SR 654 Cabbage Patch Rd east, then US 360 east past Simplicity, then used today's SR 701 to Meherrin, then SRs 728/630 where it picked back up today's US 360. US 501 followed today's 360 until outside Burkeville, where it picked up SR 621 Burkes Tavern Rd east to end at SR 716 Namozine St (then-US 60 and VA 10). Instead, US 501 was sent north replacing VA 18 to Lynchburg, then replacing US 60 up to its new endpoint - US 11 in Lexington. About 1934, US 501 was rerouted in Durham to leave Chapel Hill Rd at Foster St which it used north to Geer back to Magnum.
In July 1934 (AASHO), US 501 was extended south replacing US 15 from Durham to Pinehurst NC; replaced US 311 to Rowland NC; joined US 301 to Latta SC; replaced SC 38 to Conway SC; replaced US 117 to end at US 17 Myrtle Beach.
In March 1935, AASHO was informed by North Carolina that they will not post US 15 via Raleigh and Fayetteville as had been agreed upon by a previous administration in NC. They wanted US 15 to replace US 501. In August 1935, AASHO was informed that North Carolina was getting ready to post US 501 as US 15W. In October 1935, AASHO was informed that North Carolina settled on marking US 15 with US 501 and US 15A via Raleigh and Fayetteville, spawning the absurdity of the US 15-15A posting in South Carolina for almost 15 years.
In 1936, US 501 was given its first bypass of Lynchburg, using today's US 501 Business along Langhorne Rd. The old route through downtown Lynchburg became US 501 ALT (now 12th St/Main St/Rivermont Ave).
In Feb 1937 (CTB), US 501 was removed from SR 894 Kelly Rd, SR 898 Trestle Rd, and SR 970 Turf Rd north of Rustburg VA In March 1937 (CTB), US 501 was removed from SRs 615/610/643 north of Halifax VA. In April 1937 (SCDOT), US 501 was removed from today's S-26-14 just east of Conway, leaving behind SC 90 ALT. In Dec 1938 (CTB), US 501 was rerouted in Buena Vista VA, removing it from Orchard, Chestnut, and Factory Sts to instead use Beech/Park/Magnolia. Back then, the intersection with relocated US 60 had a Y setup with the eastern leg being US 501Y.
In Aug 1939 (CTB), US 60-501 was moved from Washington St to Nelson St east of US 11 in Lexington VA, moving US 501's endpoint south 1 block. Between 1940-44, US 501 was removed from the straight Palmetto St and placed on the current zig-zag former NC 2 as it runs now in Pinehurst (thanks to L Corsaro for noticing this). In Nov 1944 (AASHO), US 501 north was truncated to US 60 Buena Vista, leaving behind US 60. It is unclear if US 501 was posted with US 60 to Lexington. No map I have seen ever showed the extension, though starting with the 1941 Route Log it was said to end in Lexington instead of Buena Vista. In Dec 1947 (CTB), US 501 was removed from SRs 1029/1030 north of Rustburg VA. Between 1945-49, US 501 was rerouted entering Aberdeen NC to its current US 1 approach. Before, it used Glasgow St to South St west across US 1. Also between 1945-49, US 501 was moved to Madison Blvd through Roxboro NC. Main St became US 501-A (now unnumbered)
In July 1949 (AASHO), US 501 was given a direct route from Myrtle Beach to Conway, replacing SC 503. The old routing via Socastee became part of SC 544 and all of SC 707. Today this is: S-26-272 Washington Ave; SC 544; Dick Pond Rd; SC 707; Emory Rd/Powell Lane; abandoned routing through the airport; S-26-15 Old Socastee Hwy.
Between 1950-53, US 501 was removed from Bynum Rd through Byrum and nearby Karen Calhoun Rd. In 1951, US 501 was rerouted in Conway SC to use SC 90 3rd Ave to Church St west to today's S-26-62, then on new construction over to Aynor. The old route remained US 701 to Homewood, and SC 319 over to Aynor.
In November 1951, AASHO turned down a request to reroute US 501 at Conway to replace SC 90 to the Little River area and replace US 501 to Myrtle Beach with the new US 378. About 1951, US 501 was moved onto the current US 15 Bus-501 Bus routing south of downtown Durham. The previous routing used Old Chapel Hill Rd/Morehead Ave/Kent St/Chapel Hill St. About 1951, US 501 was placed on its current routing between the Chapel Hill and Durham bypasses leaving behind Old Chapel Hill Rd. In 1953, US 501 was placed on a new bypass east of Chapel Hill NC, leaving behind US 15A-501A.
Between 1954-57, US 501 was removed from Campground Rd, Lea Rd, Boggs Rd, Blues Siding Rd, and Shady Lane Rd south of Carthage NC. Also between 1954-57, US 501 was removed from SR 1329 Bethel Hill School Rd and SR 1500 Old US 501 near the Virginia line. In 1956 or 1957, US 501 was rerouted in Aberdeen to avoid central Pinehurst, as it runs now. This was additional duplex with US 1 and new construction. The old route to Pinehurst became part of NC 211 (now NC 5). Leaving Pinehurst the route became NC 2 and Page Rd. Also in 1956 or 1957, US 501 was rerouted to the east of Carthage like it is today, leaving behind pieces of NC 22 and NC 27.
Also in 1956 or 1957, US 501 was put on the new bypass west of Sanford NC, leaving behind US 1A-15A-501A.
About 1957, US 501 was removed from SR 1111 Main St and VA 40 Lynchburg Ave in Brookneal VA. In June 1958 (AASHO), US 501 received its initial bypass of central Conway, leaving behind US 501 Business (3rd Ave is now US 378 as 501 Business was rerouted later)
By 1958, US 501 was removed from SRs 865/866 north of the NC/VA Line. In 1958, US 501 was given its current Bannister River bridge at Halifax VA and removed from Sedge Hill Trail. About 1959, US 501 was moved to its current bypass west of Durham, which is shown as complete on the 1957 County Atlas with no number (1959 Official Durham inset also shows unnumbered bypass). This left behind US 15-501 ALT.
In May 1963 (CTB), US 501 was removed from SR 907 Thorton Jim Trail and SR 851/761 Boxwood Rd south of Volens VA. In Jan 1967 (CTB), US 501 was removed from SR 917 through Naruna VA. In 1967, US 501 was placed on a new bypass with US 74 south of Laurinburg, then was added to the existing US 15-401 bypass west of Laurinburg. This left behind US 501 Business.
In Feb 1969 (CTB), US 501 was rerouted in Lynchburg VA to use Kemper St north of Edmond. Maps show a one-way split alignment between 12th and today's US 29 Bus, most like involving Buchanan St and either 14th or 15th. About 1970, US 501 was removed from S-17-630 at the North Carolina border to facilitate its interchange with I-95. In March 1972 (CTB), US 501 was given its one-way split routing through South Boston VA.
In August 1973 (NCDOT), US 501 was removed from Old Sanford Rd, Center Grove Church Rd, Walter Bright Rd and several abandoned alignments from the Haw River to Pittsboro. In 1981, US 501 (with US 221 and US 460 Bus) was removed from a one-way split between 12th St and US 29 Lynchburg Expressway. In Oct 1989 (AASHTO), US 501 was given its current freeway routing around the west of Lynchburg, replacing what had been part of VA 291. Mainline US 501 via Langhorne became US 501 Business.
In December 1990 (AASHTO), US 501 received its Marion Bypass.
About 2004, US 501 was placed on what had been US 501 ALT through Buena Vista, leaving behind US 501 Business and some unposted routing on Magnolia Ave and Park Ave. Between 2003-06, US 501 was removed from Turtle Pond Farm Ln/abandoned/Allendale Dr/abandoned south of Chapel Hill NC. In Nov 2016 (NCDOT), US 501 was rerouted north of Roxboro NC to follow NC 49 further east, then north as new construction to tie back into existing US 501 near Gentrys Store. The old route became SR 1601. Also in Nov 2016, US 501 was put on a new bridge over the James River about 3/4 mile south of the original location, leaving behind Bald Eagle Dr. In May 2023 (AASHTO), US 501 was rerouted around the west and north of Pittsboro NC, following NC 87 and US 64's bypass back to the original routing. The route through town became secondary. Comments: US 501 is a primary way to reach the Myrtle Beach/Grand Strand area of South Carolina. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Myrtle Beach, SC
Buena Vista, VA
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Page last modified 24 February 2026