South Carolina Highway 72
Route information
Maintained by SCDOT
Length	124.860 mi[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] (200.943 km)
Existed	1942–present
Major junctions
West end	SR 72 at the Georgia line near Calhoun Falls
Major intersections	US 25 / US 178 / US 221 in Greenwood US 221 near Cross Hill US 76 in Clinton I-26 in Clinton US 176 / SC 121 in Whitmire US 321 / SC 9 in Chester
East end	SC 122 in Rock Hill
Location
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
Counties	Abbeville, Greenwood, Laurens, Newberry, Union, Chester, York
Highway system
South Carolina State Highway System Interstate US State Scenic
← SC 71 → SC 75

South Carolina Highway 72 (SC 72) is a 124.860-mile (200.943 km) state highway, traversing interior portions of the South Carolina Piedmont region. This route is part of a multi two-state route 72 that begins at Athens, Georgia and ends at Rock Hill, South Carolina. The route connects many smaller communities outside major metropolitan areas and is roughly parallel with Interstate 85 (I-85) to the north and I-20 and I-77 to the south and east. The route shares the longest concurrency in the state with SC 121, from Whitmire to Rock Hill.

Route description

Monument to the Battle of Fishdam Ford, located on the east bank of the Broad River

Sign denoting SC 72, located near Calhoun Falls

The route travels across the state in a southwest to northeast direction, and is sometimes referenced as an unofficial border between the Midlands and the Upstate regions. Beginning at the Georgia state line on a bridge over Lake Russell (where it is the continuation of SR 72) SC 72 goes through the town of Calhoun Falls and goes through rural areas of Abbeville County before skirting the county seat of Abbeville on a bypass route. The route serves as the major thoroughfare for traffic between Abbeville and Greenwood, where it bypasses the downtown area to the north.^[8]

Leaving Greenwood, the route heads towards Clinton where it intersects with I-26. Passing the interstate, the route enters into the Sumter National Forest and passes through the small town of Whitmire. From Whitmire until just shy of its eastern terminus, SC 72 is cosigned with SC 121. The route exits the Sumter National Forest and bypasses Chester to the south. Once past Chester, the route turns more towards the north as it enters Rock Hill, where it terminates at SC 122 in the downtown area.^[8]

History

SC 72 had two previous stents in the state before settling in its current role. The first SC 72 was established in 1925 or 1926 as a new primary routing, from SC 7 at the Saluda River, north to SC 10 in Waterloo. In 1932, this routing became part of U.S. Route 221 (US 221).

The second SC 72 appeared in 1940 as a new primary routing from SC 7, near the Broad River, to Leeds. In 1942, it was renumbered as SC 722; though was later downgraded in 1948 to secondary Leeds Road (S-12-25).^[9]

The third, and current, SC 72 was established in 1942 as a renumbering of SC 7; it traversed from the Georgia state line, near Calhoun Falls, to US 21 in Chester. In 1950, it was extended northeast to US 21/SC 5 in Rock Hill, which replaced part of US 21. In 1951 or 1952, its routing was adjusted west of Greenwood replacing SC 702 and leaving Old Abbeville Highway (S-1-3 and S-24-1).^{[10][11][12][13]}

In 1954, SC 72 was placed on bypass south and east around Chester; its old alignment became a business route.^[9][14] Also same year, SC 72 was moved south of Abbeville leaving behind Vienna Street (S-1-1) and Cambridge Street/Old Abbeville Highway (S-1-133).^[10][11] In 1961, SC 72 was placed on new bypass north around Greenwood; its old alignment became a business route.^[13][15] Sometime between 1990 and 1996, SC 72 was placed on a bypass south and east around Clinton; its old alignment became a business route.^[16][17] In 2013, SC 72's eastern terminus was adjusted to end at the western terminus of SC 122 on Johnston Street; part of a major removal of highways through downtown Rock Hill.^{[18][19][20][21]}

Major intersections

County	Location	mi[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]	km	Destinations	Notes
Abbeville	​	0.000	0.000	SR 72 west – Elberton	Continuation From Georgia
	Calhoun Falls	3.050	4.908	SC 81 (Calhoun Street) – Mount Carmel, McCormick, Lowndesville
	​	14.270	22.965	SC 823 south (Mount Carmel Road) – Mount Carmel	Northern terminus of SC 823
	​	15.900	25.589	SC 20 Truck north / SC 28 / SC 71 Truck north – McCormick, Anderson	Western end of SC 20 Truck/SC 71 Truck concurrency
	Abbeville	17.860	28.743	SC 203 Truck north (North Main Street) / SC 20 Truck ends / SC 71 Truck ends to SC 20 – Due West, Anderson	Eastern end of SC 20 Truck/SC 71 Truck concurrency; southern terminus of SC 20 Truck, SC 71 Truck, and SC 203 Truck
Greenwood	Greenwood	27.590	44.402	SC 72 Bus. east (Cambridge Avenue) – Greenwood	Western terminus of SC 72 Bus.
		28.500	45.866	Calhoun Road to SC 225
		30.000	48.280	US 25 north / US 178 west / US 25 Bus. south / US 178 Bus. east – Greenwood, Anderson, Greenville	Western end of US 25/US 178 concurrency; northern terminus of US 25 Bus.; western terminus of US 178 Bus.
		30.640	49.310	SC 254 (Cokesbury Road) – Cokesbury
		32.160	51.757	US 25 south / US 178 east / US 221 south / SC 72 Bus. west – Greenwood, Edgefield, McCormick	Eastern end of US 25/US 178 concurrency; western end of US 221 concurrency; eastern terminus of SC 72 Bus.
	Coronaca	37.090	59.691	SC 246 – Hodges, Ninety Six
Laurens	​	40.450	65.098	US 221 north (Greenwood Highway) – Laurens	Eastern end of US 221 concurrency
	Cross Hill	44.530	71.664	SC 39 (Main Street) – Saluda, Laurens
	Clinton	56.330	90.654	SC 72 Bus. (Broad Street)
		56.660	91.185	SC 56 west / SC 56 Bus. east (Jacobs Highway) – Saluda	Western end of SC 56 concurrency; western terminus of SC 56 Bus.
		58.060	93.439	US 76 (Carolina Avenue) – Newberry
		59.760	96.174	SC 56 east / SC 72 Bus. west – Cross Anchor	Eastern end of SC 56 concurrency; eastern terminus of SC 72 Bus.
		60.915– 60.920	98.033– 98.041	I-26 – Columbia, Spartanburg	I-26 exit 54
Newberry	Whitmire	75.650	121.747	SC 66 west (Glenn Street) – Joanna	Eastern terminus of SC 66
		75.680	121.795	Church Street east (US 176 Conn. east) to US 176 east / SC 121 south – Newberry, Columbia	Western terminus of US 176 Conn., which takes on the Church Street name; SC 72 turns left off of Church Street and onto Union Street.
		76.040	122.375	US 176 east / SC 121 south (Watson Street) – Newberry, Columbia, Augusta	Western end of US 176 and SC 121 concurrencies
Enoree River		76.063– 76.527	122.412– 123.158	Senator Marvin E. Abrams Bridge
Union	​	77.570	124.837	US 176 north – Union	Eastern end of US 176 concurrency
	​	77.780	125.175	SC 72 Conn. west to US 176 west – Union	Eastern terminus of SC 72 Conn.
	Carlisle	86.760	139.627	SC 215 north (King Kennedy Street) – Santuc, Union	Western end of SC 215 concurrency
Chester	​	90.690	145.951	SC 215 south (Fairfield Road) – Monticello, Columbia	Eastern end of SC 215 concurrency
	Chester	103.180	166.052	US 321 north / SC 9 north (J.A. Cochran Bypass) / West End Street north – Chester, Lockhart	Western end of US 321 and SC 9 concurrencies; southern terminus of West End Street
		105.020	169.013	US 321 south / SC 97 south / US 321 Bus. north (Columbia Street) – Winnsboro, Great Falls	Eastern end of US 321 concurrency; western end of SC 97 concurrency; southern terminus of US 321 Bus.
		106.240	170.977	SC 9 south / SC 9 Bus. north (Lancaster Highway) – Lancaster, Chester	Eastern end of SC 9 concurrency; southern terminus of SC 9 Bus.
		107.260	172.618	SC 97 north (J.A. Cochran Bypass) / Saluda Road south – Chester, Hickory Grove	Eastern end of SC 97 concurrency
	Lewis	112.480	181.019	SC 909 east (Rodman Road)	Western end of SC 909 concurrency
		112.580	181.180	SC 909 west (Aaron Burr Road)	Eastern end of SC 909 concurrency
York	​	119.150	191.753	SC 324 west – York	Eastern terminus of SC 324
	Rock Hill	123.230	198.319	SC 121 north (Albright Road) / SC 901 south (Mount Holly Road) – Charlotte, Edgemoor	Eastern end of SC 121 concurrency; western end of SC 901 concurrency
		123.530	198.802	SC 5 / SC 901 north (Heckle Boulevard) – Newport	Eastern end of SC 901 concurrency
		124.860	200.943	SC 122 east (Johnston Street) / Saluda Street	Eastern terminus of SC 72; western terminus of SC 122
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

Special routes

See also

•  U.S. roads portal

References

External links

• Media related to South Carolina Highway 72 at Wikimedia Commons
• Mapmikey's South Carolina Highways Page: SC 72
• Mapmikey's South Carolina Highways Page: Former SC 72 Alternate
• Mapmikey's South Carolina Highways Page: SC 72 Business
• Mapmikey's South Carolina Highways Page: SC 7
• Mapmikey's South Carolina Highways Page: Former SC 7 Alternate