U.S. Route 52 in South Carolina

This article is about the section of U.S. Route 52 in South Carolina. For the entire route, see U.S. Route 52.

U.S. Route 52 marker

U.S. Route 52

Route information

Maintained by SCDOT

Length:

159.7 mi^[1] (257.0 km)

Existed:

1935 – present

Major junctions

South end:

Line Street in Charleston

I‑26 / US 17 in Charleston

US 78 in Charleston

I‑526 in North Charleston

US 17 Alt. in Moncks Corner

US 521 near Greeleyville

US 378 in Lake City

US 301 / SC 341 in Effingham

US 76 in Florence

I‑95 in Florence

US 1 / SC 9 in Cheraw

North end:

US 52 at the NC line, near Cheraw

Location

Counties:

Charleston, Berkeley, Williamsburg, Florence, Darlington, Chesterfield

Highway system

United States Numbered Highways

South Carolina Highways

←

SC 51

SC 53

→

U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a North–South U.S. Highway that runs 161 miles (259 km) from Charleston to the North Carolina state line near Cheraw. It serves as a strategic highway through the central South Carolina. Though an even-numbered U.S. Route, it is signed north-south in South Carolina (standard convention being to label even-numbered U.S. Routes with east-west designations). In some other states along its route, it is signed east-west. The South Carolina segment is signed such that U.S. 52 north corresponds to the general westward direction of the highway, and vice versa.

Route description

US 52 begins at the intersection of Meeting and Line Streets, in Charleston. Going northwest along Meeting Street, it connects with I-26/US 17, followed by Morrison Drive (US 52 Spur hidden); US 52 signage begin to appear north of Morrison Drive. In North Charleston, it shares a concurrency with US 78 for 11 miles (18 km), splitting near Goose Creek. In Moncks Corner it connects with US 17 Alt briefly as it enters and traverses through Francis Marion National Forest. Continuing north, it goes through St. Stephen, Kingstree and Lake City, before joining another short concurrency with US 301 from Effingham to Florence. Through downtown Florence, it goes northwest and bypasses Darlington and joining another concurrency with US 401. At Society Hill, it merges briefly with US 15 before continuing north again solo to Cheraw, where it overlaps briefly with US 1 and SC 9. US 52 crosses the North Carolina state line, after traveling 159.7 miles (257.0 km) through South Carolina, continuing on towards Wadesboro.

US 52 is a major highway between Charleston and Florence, all of which is four-lane or more with some sections signed 60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h). North of Darlington, it becomes mostly a two-lane rural highway through the remainder of its route. Though the majority of its routing and signage is north-south, some sections will also be signed east-west at various parts of the state.

Dedicated and memorial names

US 52 in South Carolina feature a few dedicated or memorialized stretches of freeway.

Blue Star Memorial Highway – Official honorary name of US 52 in Berkeley County. Markers are located in Moncks Corner, Pineville, and St. Stephen.^[2]
L. Lawson Rhodes Highway – Is a dedicated section of US 52 located in Chesterfield County. Dedicated in August, 2013, it is in honor of Patrolman L. Lawson Rhodes, who served as a trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol, who died on duty in 1938.^[3]^[4]^[5]

History

US 52 was established in 1935 as a renumbering of US 601 from the North Carolina state line to Florence and US 17 from Florence to Charleston. In 1939, US 52 was rerouted into a concurrency with US 78 in North Charleston, leaving a section of Meeting Street. Also in same year, Cheraw to the North Carolina state line was the last section to be paved; while the first section of US 52 was widen to four-lane from Charleston to Durant Avenue, in North Charleston.

In 1940, US 52 was rerouted onto new alignment west of Lake City. In 1948, US 52 was taken off King Street and placed on Meeting Street to Lee Street, in Charleston. Around 1952-1969, US 52 was split during that period in Florence, with northbound along Irby Street and southboudn along Coit Avenue; before and after it was solely on Irby Street. Also around 1952, US 52 was bypassed west of Kingstree on new primary routing; the old route through town remained part of SC 261 while Academy Street, Kelly Street and Third Avenue were downgraded to secondary roads (all three SC-45-8).

In 1971, US 52 was moved onto new alignment south of Moncks Corner, leaving behind Old Highway 52 (S-8-791). By 1973, US 52 was placed on new primary routing bypassing west around Darlington, leaving behind US 52 Bus.^[6]^[7]

Junction List

County	Location	mi^[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Charleston	Charleston	0.0	0.0	Line Street	Southern terminus of US 52 (unmarked)
		0.6	1.0	I‑26 west / US 17 north – Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, Columbia
		1.3	2.1	US 52 Spur south (Morrison Drive) to US 78 / Mount Pleasant Street	No US 52 Spur signage at intersection
	North Charleston	3.1	5.0	I‑26 west – Columbia	Northbound exit, southbound entrance; access to I-26 east via Spruill Avenue
		4.3	6.9	US 78 east (Rivers Avenue)	East end of US 78 overlap
		4.9	7.9	SC 7 south (Cosgrove Avenue)
		5.0	8.0	SC 642 west (Dorchester Road) – Summerville
		8.0	12.9	I‑526 – Mount Pleasant, Savannah
		12.7	20.4	I‑26 east – Charleston	No northbound exit
		14.2	22.9	US 78 west (University Avenue) / N.A.D. Road – Summerville	West end of US 78 overlap; to Charleston Southern University and Navel Weapons Station
Berkeley	Goose Creek	16.0	25.7	US 176 west (St. James Avenue) / Red Bank Road – Holly Hill
	Moncks Corner	30.5	49.1	SC 6 west (Main Street) – Holly Hill
	Moncks Corner	31.3	50.4	US 17 Alt. south (Live Oak Drive) – Summerville	South end of US 17 Alt overlap
		33.0	53.1	To SC 402 – Cordesville, Huger
		33.2	53.4	US 17 Alt. north – Georgetown	North end of US 17 Alt overlap
	St. Stephen	46.3	74.5	SC 45 (Ravenell Drive) – Jamestown, Pineville
Williamsburg		56.4	90.8	SC 375 (Gourdin Road) – Gourdin, Greeleyville
		61.4	98.8	US 521 – Salters, Greeleyville
		68.4	110.1	SC 261 north (Manning Highway) – Manning	North end of SC 261 overlap
	Kingstree	71.0	114.3	SC 261 south (Main Street) / SC 527 south (Longstreet Street) – Andrews, Hemingway	South end of SC 261/SC 527 overlap
	Kingstree	71.5	115.1	SC 527 north (Academy Street) – Sumter	North end of SC 527 overlap
	Cades	80.4	129.4	SC 512 east / Cade Road – Cades, Hebron
Florence	Lake City	86.6	139.4	US 378 Bus. / SC 341 (Main Street) – Johnsonville, Olanta, Sumter
	Lake City	87.9	141.5	US 378 – Conway, Sumter
	Coward	93.3	150.2	SC 541 west (Salem Road) – Olanta
	Effingham	100.0	160.9	US 301 south (Olanta Highway) / SC 327 north (Effingham Highway) – Evergreen, Olanta, Manning	South end of US 301 overlap
	Florence	106.0	170.6	US 301 north (Freedom Boulevard) – Marion	North end of US 301 overlap
		107.6	173.2	SC 51 south (Pamplico Highway/Second Loop Road)
		109.5	176.2	US 76 (Palmetto Street) – Marion, Timmonsville	To Francis Marion University
		112.8	181.5	I‑95 – Fayetteville, Savannah
Darlington	Darlington	117.8	189.6	US 52 Bus. north (Main Street) – Darlington
		119.1	191.7	SC 340 – Darlington, Timmonsville
		119.7	192.6	US 401 (Lamar Highway) – Sumter	South end of US 401 overlap
		120.0	193.1	SC 34 / SC 151 (Harry Byrd Highway) – Hartsville
		123.0	197.9	US 52 Bus. south (Main Street) – Darlington
		134.0	215.7	US 15 south (Hartsville Highway) – Hartsville	South end of US 15 overlap
	Society Hill	136.2	219.2	US 15 north / US 401 north (Main Street) – Bennettsville	North end of US 15/US 401 overlap
Chesterfield		147.2	236.9	US 1 – McBee, Camden	South end of US 1 overlap
	Cheraw	149.6	240.8	SC 9 north (Market Street) – Chesterfield	North end of SC 9 overlap
	Cheraw	150.9	242.9	US 1 north / SC 9 south (Power Street) – Wallace, Bennettsville, Rockingham	North end of US 1 and south end of SC 9 overlap
	State line	159.7	257.0	US 52 north – Wadesboro	Continuation into North Carolina
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access