Primary route
I-26
Tri-Cities to Charleston
Length328.9 mi
Designated1958
States3
Junctions7
About I-26
From Kingsport, TN (US 23) to Charleston, SC (US 17)
Interstate 26 is a route of about 305 miles running from the Tri-Cities area of northeastern Tennessee southeast to Charleston, South Carolina, on the Atlantic coast. It crosses Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina, with a signed orientation that runs east-west even though the road trends northwest to southeast. The route links the southern Appalachians with the South Carolina Lowcountry and coast.
From its northern terminus near Kingsport, Tennessee, the route climbs over the Blue Ridge near the Tennessee-North Carolina line, one of the more scenic and steeply graded mountain crossings on the system. It then descends to Asheville, North Carolina, before continuing through the South Carolina Upstate at Spartanburg and reaching the capital, Columbia.
From Columbia the route runs across the coastal plain to Charleston, where it ends near the harbor. Along the way it provides the main inland connection for the Port of Charleston and carries a mix of freight, tourist, and commuter traffic between the mountains and the coast.
State-by-state mileage
| State | Miles |
|---|---|
| Tennessee | 54.5 |
| North Carolina | 53.6 |
| South Carolina | 220.8 |
| Total | 328.9 |
History
I-26 was part of the original Interstate plan of the late 1950s, and its older segments were built through the 1960s and 1970s across South Carolina and into the mountains. The northern extension from Asheville to Kingsport, long planned as a corridor, was completed and signed as I-26 in stages, with the mountain section upgraded from older roads.
The crossing of the Blue Ridge required major reconstruction to bring it to Interstate standards, and the route number was extended north into Tennessee once those segments were finished.
Major cities and places
KingsportJohnson CityAshevilleSpartanburgColumbiaCharleston
Notable features
- Blue Ridge crossing between Tennessee and North Carolina
Did you know
- Signed east-west although the route trends northwest to southeast.
- Crosses the Blue Ridge on a steep grade near the Tennessee-North Carolina line.
- Serves as the inland connector for the Port of Charleston.
- Links the southern Appalachians with the South Carolina coast.