Interstate 26 - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Interstate 26 is a nominally east–west (but physically more northwest-southeast) main route of the Interstate Highway System

Interstate Highway System

The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...

in the Southeastern United States

Southeastern United States

The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....

. I-26 runs from the junction of U.S. Route 11W

U.S. Route 11W

U.S. Route 11W is a divided highway of US 11 in the U.S. states of Tennessee and Virginia. The U.S. Highway, which is complemented by US 11E to the south and east, runs from US 11, US 11E, and US 70 in Knoxville, Tennessee north and east to US 11, US 11E, US 19, and US 421 in Bristol, Virginia...

and U.S. Route 23 in Kingsport, Tennessee

Kingsport, Tennessee

Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...

, generally southeastward to U.S. Route 17

U.S. Route 17 in South Carolina

In the U.S. state of South Carolina, U.S. Route 17 is a north–south highway located near the Atlantic Ocean. The route enters the state from Georgia at the Savannah River and serves Charleston and Myrtle Beach before entering North Carolina near Calabash.-Route description:US 17 enters into...

in Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...

. The portion from Mars Hill, North Carolina

Mars Hill, North Carolina

Mars Hill is a town in Madison County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,764 at the 2000 census. It is the home of Mars Hill College, which is named after the town. The town is located approximately one mile west of Interstate 26, and due north of Asheville, western North...

, east (compass south) to Interstate 240

Interstate 240 (North Carolina)

Interstate 240 is a long Interstate Highway loop in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It serves as an urban connector for Asheville and runs in a half-circle around the north of the city's downtown district between exits 53B and 46B of Interstate 40...

in Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...

, has signs indicating FUTURE I-26 because the highway does not yet meet all of the Interstate Highway standards

Interstate Highway standards

Standards for Interstate Highways in the United States are defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in the publication A Policy on Design Standards - Interstate System...

. A short realignment as an improvement in the expressway was also planned in Asheville, but has been postponed indefinitely due to North Carolina's budget shortfalls.

Northwards from Kingsport, US-23 continues north to Portsmouth, Ohio

Portsmouth, Ohio

Portsmouth is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Scioto County. The municipality is located on the northern banks of the Ohio River and east of the Scioto River in Southern Ohio. The population was 20,226 at the 2010 census.-Foundation:...

, as the Corridor B of the Appalachian Development Highway System

Appalachian Development Highway System

The Appalachian Development Highway System is part of the Appalachian Regional Commission in the United States. See: .-History:...

, and beyond to Columbus

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

, as the Corridor C. In conjunction with the Columbus-Toledo, Ohio

Toledo, Ohio

Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...

corridor formed by Interstate 75

Interstate 75

Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...

, U.S. 23, and State Route 15, I-26 forms part of a mostly high-speed four-or-more-lane highway from the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...

to the Atlantic Coast at Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina

. There are no plans for further official Interstate 26 extensions into Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

, Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

, or beyond.

Route description

|-
|TN
|55
|89
|-
|NC
|71
|114
|-
|SC

Interstate 26 in South Carolina

Interstate 26 is a South Carolina Interstate highway running generally east–west to U.S. Route 17 in the Atlantic Coast at Charleston, South Carolina to Landrum in Spartanburg County.-Route description:...

|220.95
|355.58
|-
|Total
|347
|558
|}

I-26 is a diagonal Interstate Highway, which runs northwest/southeast. (Most of the other highway routes in this area are odd-numbered and run northeast/southwest.) The extension past Asheville is mostly north–south. Where I-26 crosses the French Broad River

French Broad River

The French Broad River flows from near the village of Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into the state of Tennessee. Its confluence with the Holston River at Knoxville is the beginning of the Tennessee River....

in Asheville at the Smoky Park Bridge, the highway runs in opposite directions from its designations. (I-26 West actually goes east. I-26 is coterminous with I-240, so that I-240 East and I-26 West are the same route.) When the extension was made in 2003, the exit number

Exit number

An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore....

s in North Carolina were increased by 31 to reflect the new mileage. The part that it shares with I-240 has not had its numbers changed yet, although most of the road signs now indicate I-26 instead of I-240.

I-26 has signs with an extra FUTURE sign above (and in the same style as) the EAST and WEST signs from Asheville north to Mars Hill, North Carolina

Mars Hill, North Carolina

, because the older U.S. Route 23 freeway does not yet meet all of the Interstate Highway standards

Interstate Highway standards

. The road shoulders

Shoulder (road)

A hard shoulder, or simply shoulder, is a reserved area by the verge of a road or motorway. Generally it is kept clear of motor vehicle traffic...

remain substandard or nonexistent along short sections of the route, and also, a rebuilding is planned in Asheville to avoid some tight interchanges

Interchange (road)

In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...

Tennessee

The exit number

Exit number

An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore....

s in Tennessee were formerly numbered "backwards"—increasing from "east" (physically south) to "west" (physically north)—because this highway was formerly signed north—south as U.S. Route 23 (and Interstate 181). Although this is consistent with the south-to-north numbering conventions, this exit numbering was changed on all 284 signs along I-26 to be consistent with the rest of the east-to-west-numbered highway in March 2007. The remaining I-181 signs north of I-81 were also replaced with I-26 signs at that time.In Tennessee, I-26 continues in a northeast direction past Erwin, TN

Erwin, Tennessee

Erwin is a town in and the county seat of Unicoi County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 5,610 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area...

. As it approaches Johnson City, TN

Johnson City, Tennessee

Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County...

in the Tri-Cities

Tri-Cities, Tennessee

In Tennessee and Virginia the name "Tri-Cities" refers to the region comprising the cities of Kingsport, Johnson City and Bristol and the surrounding smaller towns and communities in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia...

area, it leaves the Cherokee

Cherokee National Forest

The Cherokee National Forest is a large National Forest created on July 19, 1936, by U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, operated by the U.S. Forest Service and encompassing some 640,000 acres .-Location:...

National Forest and swings around to the northwest towards its major interchange with Interstate 81

Interstate 81

Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...

at Colonial Heights, TN

Colonial Heights, Tennessee

Colonial Heights is a census-designated place in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 7,067 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol,...

. The terminus of I-26 is at its junction with U.S. Route 11W

U.S. Route 11W

west of Kingsport, TN

Kingsport, Tennessee

Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...

, as US-23 continues over the remaining 1 miles (1.6 km) to the Virginia state line.

North Carolina

About 20 miles (32.2 km) beyond Spartanburg one reaches the foothills

Foothills

Foothills are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills to the adjacent topographically high mountains.-Examples:...

of the Blue Ridge Mountains

Blue Ridge Mountains

The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...

. After crossing the border into Polk County, North Carolina

Polk County, North Carolina

Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 20,510. Its county seat is Columbus.-History:The county was formed in 1855 from parts of Henderson County and Rutherford County...

, I-26 intersects with U.S. Route 74

U.S. Route 74

U.S. Route 74 is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Cleveland, Tennessee to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.-Tennessee:Established in 1987, US-74 western terminus is exit 20 on I-75 in Cleveland...

, a limited-access freeway near Columbus, N.C.

Columbus, North Carolina

Columbus is a town in Polk County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 992 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Polk County.-Geography:Columbus is located at ....

, and it heads up a 6% grade for the next three miles through the Howard Gap. Then it passes over the highest bridge in North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

, the Peter Guice Memorial Bridge

Peter Guice Memorial Bridge

The Peter Guice Memorial Bridge consists of dual two-lane bridges carrying I-26 across the Green River in Western North Carolina. Surpassed only by the Emlenton Bridge in Pennsylvania and the Glade Creek Bridge in West Virginia, it is the third-highest bridge carrying an Interstate Highway in the...

, 225 feet (68.6 m) above Green River

Green River (North Carolina)

The Green River in North Carolina, United States, is perhaps best known as one of the extreme whitewater kayaking challenges in North America that is run on a regular basis....

between Saluda

Saluda, North Carolina

The City of Saluda is located in both Henderson and Polk counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 713 at the 2010 census. Saluda is famous for sitting at the top of the Norfolk Southern Railway's Saluda Grade, the steepest main line standard gauge railroad line east of the...

and Flat Rock

Flat Rock, North Carolina

Flat Rock is the name of some places in the U.S. state of North Carolina:*Flat Rock, Henderson County, North Carolina *Flat Rock, Stokes County, North Carolina...

in Henderson County, North Carolina

Henderson County, North Carolina

Henderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is part of the Asheville, North Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2008, the population was 102,367. Its county seat is Hendersonville.- History :...

, and it crosses the Eastern Continental Divide

Eastern Continental Divide

The Eastern Continental Divide, in conjunction with other continental divides of North America, demarcates two watersheds of the Atlantic Ocean: the Gulf of Mexico watershed and the Atlantic Seaboard watershed. Prior to 1760, the divide represented the boundary between British and French colonial...

at an elevation of 2130 feet (649.2 m), having climbed from an elevation of around 1100 feet (335.3 m) at the U.S. 74 interchange. The land flattens substantially after entering the French Broad River

French Broad River

drainage basin

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

from Flat Rock, N.C.

Flat Rock, North Carolina

Flat Rock is the name of some places in the U.S. state of North Carolina:*Flat Rock, Henderson County, North Carolina *Flat Rock, Stokes County, North Carolina...

to Hendersonville, N.C.

Hendersonville, North Carolina

Hendersonville is a city in Henderson County, North Carolina, USA, southeast of Asheville. In 1900, 1,917 persons lived in Hendersonville; in 1910, 2,818; and in 1940, 5,381 people lived here. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,223, up fivefold in one century. It is the county...

, Fletcher, N.C.

Fletcher, North Carolina

Fletcher is a town in Henderson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,185 at the 2000 census.Fletcher is home to Asheville Regional Airport, which serves Western North Carolina...

, and Arden, N.C.

Arden, North Carolina

Arden is an unincorporated area located in southern Buncombe County, North Carolina, in the United States. Arden is approximately considered the area between Skyland and Fletcher near the Henderson County line. Arden's ZIP Code is 28704...

.

I-26 has a major interchange

Interchange (road)

with Interstate 40

Interstate 40

Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...

southwest of Asheville, N.C.

Asheville, North Carolina

. After 3 miles (4.8 km), U.S. Route 23 joins I-26 west of Asheville and follows it into Tennessee. The two interstates cross the French Broad River

French Broad River

then, having shared the highway for 4.5 miles (7.2 km), immediately part company. As I-240 continues to swing round to the north and east of Asheville, I-26 turns north towards Weaverville

Weaverville, North Carolina

Weaverville is a town in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,646 in 2007. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Weaverville is located at ....

and Mars Hill

Mars Hill, North Carolina

, N.C. It enters first the Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge Mountains

and then the Walnut Mountains and Bald Mountains

Bald Mountains

The Bald Mountains are a mountain range rising along the border between Tennessee and North Carolina in the southeastern United States. They are part of the Blue Ridge Mountain Province of the Southern Appalachian Mountains...

of the Appalachian range

Appalachian Mountains

The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...

, passing through the Pisgah

Pisgah National Forest

Pisgah National Forest is a National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. The Pisgah National Forest is completely contained within the state of North Carolina...

and Cherokee

Cherokee National Forest

National Forests as it does so.

As I-26 crosses the Bald Mountains near the North Carolina/Tennessee state line, it travels through a relatively high-elevation rural area. At Buckner Gap, I-26 reaches 3370 ft. in elevation. It reaches its highest elevation of 3760 feet (1,146 m) at Sam's Gap. For 2 miles (3.2 km) each side of the state line, its elevation is at least 3000 feet (914.4 m).

Interstate 26 is one of North Carolina's interstates where the speed limit is 65 MPH instead of 70.

South Carolina

Beginning in the city of Charleston

Charleston, South Carolina

, I-26 travels northwestwardly over flat plains with little urbanization past Summerville. After the junction with I-95

Interstate 95 in South Carolina

Interstate 95 is a major Interstate Highway, running along the East Coast of the United States from Florida to Maine. In South Carolina, I-95 runs approximately parallel to the Atlantic Ocean shore although about inland, from Hardeeville in the south to Dillon in the northeast.-Route...

just inside of Orangeburg County, the terrain becomes somewhat hilly. Orangeburg is the first major stop outside Charleston with several exits bearing this name. Between Orangeburg and the junction with Interstate 77

Interstate 77

Interstate 77 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of West Virginia to the rolling farmlands of North Carolina and Ohio. It largely supplants the old U.S...

just outside of Cayce the highway goes up and down a few very long hills averaging about 100 feet (30.5 m) or 30 meters high. Beyond Interstate 77

Interstate 77

is the Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...

metropolitan area with lodging, dining, and shopping possibilities. This metropolitan area ends mostly after exit 101, past which the terrain becomes somewhat hilly once again. The next city is Newberry

Newberry

Newberry is a surname, a variant of Newbury .- People :* Claude Newberry , South African cricketer* George Newberry , British track cyclist* Hazel Newberry, British dancer* Janet Newberry , American tennis player...

. Later, I-26 splitts off north toward Spartanburg, where I-26 has a junction with the Interstate 85 corridor

I-85 Corridor

The I-85 Corridor is a multi-state region that follows Interstate 85 across the Southeastern United States. It stretches from Montgomery, Alabama to Petersburg, Virginia...

, which has a significant amount of international business and manufacturing. The 11 miles (17.7 km) section of I-26 from Interstate 126

Interstate 126

Interstate 126 is a spur route of Interstate 26, almost entirely within the city limits of Columbia, South Carolina in the United States. It runs 3.1 miles from I-26 just south of the junction with Interstate 20, eastward across the Broad River , and into downtown Columbia terminating at US 21/US...

in Columbia to US 176 at Exit 97 was the first section of the highway to open up to traffic (on September 7, 1960).

History

Prior to August 5, 2003, the highway's northwestern terminus was at Interstate 40

Interstate 40

on the southwestern side of Asheville, where the highway continued on to make a loop around downtown as Interstate 240

Interstate 240

Interstate 240 may refer to:* Interstate 240 , a connection into Asheville, North Carolina* Interstate 240 , a freeway on the south side of Oklahoma City* Interstate 240 , a bypass of Memphis, Tennessee...

. In 2003, it was decided to extend the expressway northwest of Asheville into Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

. Next, the final section of the freeway in North Carolina

North Carolina

, from Mars Hill north to the Tennessee state line, replaced the old two-lane highway U.S. Route-23. I-26 was extended into Tennessee via the US 23 freeway, taking over approximately one-half of the former Interstate 181 from U.S. Route 321

U.S. Route 321

U.S. Route 321 is a spur of U.S. Route 21. It runs for 526 miles from South Carolina to Tennessee. The northern terminus of U.S. 321 is between Lenoir City and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, at Interstate 40 exit 364, which is about 4 miles west of Interstate 40's junction with Interstate 75...

in Johnson City

Johnson City, Tennessee

Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County...

, to the Interstate 81

Interstate 81

interchange southeast of Kingsport, Tennessee

Kingsport, Tennessee

Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...

. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

AASHTO, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols and guidelines which are used in highway design and construction throughout the United States...

(AASHTO) initially ruled against an extension of Interstate 26 (as the number) along the remainder of I-181 to Kingsport, since that would give a main route Interstate Highway (I-26) a so-called "stub end", not connecting to any other Interstate highway, to an international border, or to a seacoast. The numerical extension was in 2005 enacted by the effect of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users

Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users

The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users is a funding and authorization bill that governs United States federal surface transportation spending. It was signed into law by President George W. Bush on August 10, 2005, and expired as of September 30, 2009...

, signed into law on August 10, 2005. Thus, the I-26 designation extends to Kingsport, and it ends about to two miles (three kilometers) south of the Virginia

Virginia

state line, while the freeway itself continues to the state line as US 23.

Future

The Appalachian Regional Commission

Appalachian Regional Commission

The Appalachian Regional Commission is a United States federal-state partnership that works with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life...

has two corridors approved as part of the part of the Appalachian Development Highway System

Appalachian Development Highway System

The Appalachian Development Highway System is part of the Appalachian Regional Commission in the United States. See: .-History:...

Corridor B begins at the I-26 and I-40 intersection near Asheville, NC and terminates at a point north of Portsmouth, Ohio

Portsmouth, Ohio

Corridor C begins at the terminus of Corridor B and terminates at Columbus, Ohio

Columbus, Ohio

The western terminus of I-26 was originally planned to be Columbus, Ohio, over a route that used Corridors B and C. Although the corridors and termini remain on file, and much of the route has been implemented as four-lane US Highways

United States Numbered Highways

The system of United States Numbered Highways is an integrated system of roads and highways in the United States numbered within a nationwide grid...

, planning for I-26 north and west of Kingsport, Tennessee

Kingsport, Tennessee

Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...

has been overtaken by commitments to work on other construction projects.

Additionally, part of the High Priority route of the I-73/74 North–South Corridor duplicates part of the planned I-26 route, and has already been tabled for construction in Ohio.

At the time of writing, the state transportation authorities of Virginia

Virginia

, Kentucky

Kentucky

and Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

have no plans to extend I-26.

Tennessee

{|class=wikitable
|-
!rowspan=2|County
!rowspan=2|Location
!rowspan=2|Mile
!colspan=2|Exit #

Exit number

An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore....

Kingsport, Tennessee

Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...

|
|
|
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|Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
|-
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|57
|0
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|Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
|-
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|55
|1
|
|West end of I-26; south end of SR-137

Tennessee State Route 137

State Route 137 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is a short freeway extending Interstate 26 north from its end at State Route 1 to the Virginia state line, where it merges with State Route 36. SR 137 is not signed, since it also carries U.S. Highway 23....

|-
!colspan=5|Bridge over the Holston River

Holston River

The Holston River is a major river system of southwestern Virginia and east Tennessee. The three major forks of the Holston rise in southwestern Virginia and have their confluence near Kingsport, Tennessee. The North Fork flows southwest from Sharon Springs in Bland County, Virginia...

|-
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|52
|3
|Meadowview Parkway
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|-
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|51
|4
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|Signed as exits 4A (south) and 4B (north) eastbound
|-
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|49
|6
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|46
|8
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|Signed as exits 8A (south) and 8B (north)
|-
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|45
|10
|Eastern Star Road
|
|-
|rowspan=7|Washington
|rowspan=7|Johnson City

Johnson City, Tennessee

Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County...

|
|42
|13
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|-
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|38
|17
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|-
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|36
|19
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|-
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| style="background:#dfd;"|35
| style="background:#dfd;"|20
| style="background:#dfd;"|
| style="background:#dfd;"|West end of US-19W/SR-36 overlap; signed as exits 20A (south) and 20B (north) westbound
|-
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|33
|22
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|-
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|32
|23
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|31
|24
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|Carter

Carter County, Tennessee

Carter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 57,424. Its county seat is Elizabethton.Carter County is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined...

|
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|28
|27
|
|
|-
|rowspan=8|Unicoi
|Unicoi

Unicoi, Tennessee

Unicoi is a town in Unicoi County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,519 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area – commonly known as...

|
|23
|32
|
|
|-
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|21
|34
|Tinker Road
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Erwin

Erwin, Tennessee

|
|19
|36
|Main Street - Erwin

Erwin, Tennessee

|
|-
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|18
|37
|
|
|-
|
|15
|40
|Jackson-Love Highway - Erwin

Erwin, Tennessee

|
|-
|
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| style="background:#dfd;"|12
| style="background:#dfd;"|43
| style="background:#dfd;"|
| style="background:#dfd;"|East end of US-19W/SR-36 overlap
|-
|
|
|9
|46
|Clear Branch Road
|
|-
|
|
|5
|50
|Flag Pond Road
|

North Carolina

{|class=wikitable
|-
!rowspan=2|County
!rowspan=2|Location
!colspan=2|Exit #

Exit number

An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore....

Madison County, North Carolina

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 19,635 people, 8,000 households, and 5,592 families residing in the county. The population density was 44 people per square mile . There were 9,722 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...

Mars Hill, North Carolina

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|rowspan=24|Buncombe

Buncombe County, North Carolina

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 206,330 people, 85,776 households, and 55,668 families residing in the county. The population density was 314 people per square mile . There were 93,973 housing units at an average density of 143 per square mile...

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|Forks of Ivy
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|15
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|17
|Flat Creek
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|rowspan=3|Weaverville

Weaverville, North Carolina

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|18
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| style="background:#dfd;"|
| style="background:#dfd;"|19
| style="background:#dfd;"|
| style="background:#dfd;"|West end of US 25/US 70 overlap; signed as exits 25A (north/west) and 25B (Weaverville) westbound
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|21
|New Stock Road - Weaverville

Weaverville, North Carolina

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|rowspan=2|Woodfin

Woodfin, North Carolina

Woodfin is a town in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,464 in 2008. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Town of Woodfin is named in honor of Nicholas Washington Woodfin, a renowned lawyer and statesman of early North Carolina, under whom...

Woodfin, North Carolina

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|rowspan=14|Asheville

Asheville, North Carolina

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|25
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|Hill Street
|Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
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| style="background:#dfd;"|
| style="background:#dfd;"|
| style="background:#dfd;"|
| style="background:#dfd;"|East end of US 70 overlap; west end of I-240/US 74 Alt. overlap
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!colspan=4|west end of I-240 overlap
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|4B
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|Patton Avenue - Downtown Asheville
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|3B
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|Westgate, Holiday Inn Drive
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| style="background:#dfd;"|3A
| style="background:#dfd;"|
| style="background:#dfd;"|
| style="background:#dfd;"|East end of US 19/US 23/US 74 Alt. overlap; west end of US 19 Bus./US 23 Bus. overlap
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|2
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|U.S. 19 Business and U.S. 23 Business join westbound and leave eastbound.
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|1C
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|Amboy Road
|Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
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|1B
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!colspan=5|East end of I-240 overlap at I-40
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| style="background:#dfd;"|1B
| style="background:#dfd;"|31B
| style="background:#dfd;"|, Knoxville
| style="background:#dfd;"|West end of US 74 overlap; signed as exit 1A eastbound
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|1A
|31A
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|Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
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|2
|33
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|rowspan=2|
|6
|37
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|9
|40
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|rowspan=5|Henderson

Henderson County, North Carolina

Hendersonville, North Carolina

|18
|49
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|Signed as exits 49A (east) and 49B (west)
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|22
|53
|Upward Road - Hendersonville

Hendersonville, North Carolina

Peter Guice Memorial Bridge

over the Green River

Green River (North Carolina)

The Green River in North Carolina, United States, is perhaps best known as one of the extreme whitewater kayaking challenges in North America that is run on a regular basis....

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|rowspan=2|Polk

Polk County, North Carolina

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|59
|Saluda

Saluda, North Carolina

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|Columbus

Columbus, North Carolina

Columbus is a town in Polk County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 992 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Polk County.-Geography:Columbus is located at ....

Auxiliary routes

Interstate 126
Interstate 126
Interstate 126 is a spur route of Interstate 26, almost entirely within the city limits of Columbia, South Carolina in the United States. It runs 3.1 miles from I-26 just south of the junction with Interstate 20, eastward across the Broad River , and into downtown Columbia terminating at US 21/US...

is a spur into Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...

from the northwest.
Interstate 526
Interstate 526
Interstate 526 or the Mark Clark Expressway is a beltway, Interstate Highway of Interstate 26 in Berkeley and Charleston counties in South Carolina, USA.-Route description:...

is a partial beltway of Charleston, South Carolina, running from U.S. Route 17 west of the city north to I-26 and back east and south to US-17 east of Charleston.

External links

FHWA Route Log and Finder List
Political History of I-26
News article listing new I-26 exit numbers published March 2, 2007
Amberg, Rob. "I-26, Corridor of Change." Southern Spaces, June 5, 2007, http://southernspaces.org/2007/i-26-corridor-change.

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.