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State Route 89 (Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Virginia State Route 89 (SR 89) is a primary state highway
in the U.S. state of Virginia
. The state highway runs 7.85 miles (12.6 km) from the North Carolina
state line, where the highway continues as North Carolina Highway 89 (NC 89), north to U.S. Route 58
and US 221
in Galax
.
. The highway continues south as NC 89, which descends the Blue Ridge Mountains
to the community of Lowgap
in the valley of the Fisher River
. After entering the watershed of the New River, SR 89 crosses the West Fork of Chestnut Creek
and has an interchange with the Blue Ridge Parkway
, which provides access to the Blue Ridge Music Center
to the east. North of the parkway, the state highway intersects SR 613 (Edmonds Road), which leads west to Big Spring Bog Natural Area Preserve
. SR 89 heads straight north as Skyline Highway to McCarmant Hill, where the highway leaves Grayson County
and enters the independent city
of Galax as Main Street. The state highway crosses Chestnut Creek twice before meeting the western end of SR 97 (Pipers Gap Road). SR 89 heads through downtown Galax before reaching its northern terminus at US 58 and US 221 (Stuart Drive).
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in the U.S. state of 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...
. The state highway runs 7.85 miles (12.6 km) from the 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...
state line, where the highway continues as North Carolina Highway 89 (NC 89), north to U.S. Route 58
U.S. Route 58
U.S. Route 58 is an east–west U.S. Highway that runs for from U.S. Route 25E just northwest of Harrogate, Tennessee to U.S. Route 60 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Until 1996, when the Cumberland Gap Tunnel opened, US 58 ran only inside the commonwealth of Virginia...
and US 221
U.S. Route 221 in Virginia
U.S. Route 221 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Perry, Florida to Lynchburg, Virginia. In Virginia, the U.S. Highway runs from the North Carolina state line near Independence north to its northern terminus at US 29 Business, US 460 Business, and US 501 Business in Lynchburg...
in Galax
Galax, Virginia
Galax is an independent city in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is bounded to the northeast by Carroll County and to the southwest by Grayson County. The population was 7,042 as of 2010...
.
Route description
SR 89 begins at the North Carolina state line a short distance south of Low Gap, where the highway crosses the Eastern Continental DivideEastern 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...
. The highway continues south as NC 89, which descends 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...
to the community of Lowgap
Lowgap, North Carolina
Lowgap is an unincorporated community in the Franklin Township of Surry County, North Carolina. Lowgap is named for the "low gap" the community is settled in among the Blue Ridge Mountains. The community has an elevation of 1,457 feet...
in the valley of the Fisher River
Fisher River (North Carolina)
The Fisher River is a tributary of the Yadkin River in northwestern North Carolina in the United States, also draining a very small portion of southwestern Virginia. Via the Yadkin it is part of the watershed of the Pee Dee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean...
. After entering the watershed of the New River, SR 89 crosses the West Fork of Chestnut Creek
Chestnut Creek
-References:**USGS Hydrologic Unit Map - State of Virginia...
and has an interchange with the Blue Ridge Parkway
Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. It runs for 469 miles , mostly along the famous Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains...
, which provides access to the Blue Ridge Music Center
Blue Ridge Music Center
The Blue Ridge Music Center is part of the Blue Ridge Parkway system and is located at Milepost 213 near Galax, Virginia. The center celebrates the history and performance of old time mountain music of Virginia and North Carolina and is largely concerned with local artists who best show this...
to the east. North of the parkway, the state highway intersects SR 613 (Edmonds Road), which leads west to Big Spring Bog Natural Area Preserve
Big Spring Bog Natural Area Preserve
Big Spring Bog Natural Area Preserve is a Natural Area Preserve located in Grayson County, Virginia. The terrain is hilly, and within its borders is Chestnut Creek, a tributary of the New River. The preserve features a rare wetland known as a Cranberry Glades.-References:*...
. SR 89 heads straight north as Skyline Highway to McCarmant Hill, where the highway leaves Grayson County
Grayson County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,917 people, 7,259 households, and 5,088 families residing in the county. The population density was 40 people per square mile . There were 9,123 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile...
and enters the independent city
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
of Galax as Main Street. The state highway crosses Chestnut Creek twice before meeting the western end of SR 97 (Pipers Gap Road). SR 89 heads through downtown Galax before reaching its northern terminus at US 58 and US 221 (Stuart Drive).