just north of the Tennessee state line south of Weber City US 23 enters Scott County at the Tennessee state line south of Weber City immediately north of the northern end of the US 23 freeway that becomes
Interstate 26 in
Kingsport. At the state line, US 23 has a partial interchange with the northern end of
State Route 36 (SR 36; Lynn Garden Drive) and
SR 346 (Carters Valley Road). US 23 passes through a gap between Cloud Ridge and Long Ridge at the state line, then crosses the
North Fork Holston River on the John M. Johnson Memorial Bridge. The U.S. Highway enters the town of Weber City as Main Street, which parallels
Norfolk Southern Railway's
Appalachia Division as a four-lane undivided highway. At the north edge of the town, US 23 intersects US 58 and
US 421 (Hilton Road); the three highways run concurrently with the railroad through
Moccasin Gap, where Moccasin Creek passes through
Clinch Mountain. US 23, US 58, and US 421 enter the town of Gate City;
US 23 Business (US 23 Bus.),
US 58 Bus., and
US 421 Bus. pass through the center of town while the mainline of the U.S. Highways follows the flank of Clinch Mountain to the south of town. US 23, US 58, and US 421 receive their three business routes at an interchange west of Gate City. The U.S. Highways parallel the railroad and Little Moccasin Creek west between Clinch Mountain to the south and Moccasin Ridge to the north. The highways curve north and parallel the
Clinch River to
Clinchport, where the road meets the southern end of
State Route 65 (SR 65) and begins to follow Stock Creek. US 23, US 58, and US 421 pass by
Glenita, where the railroad splits north to pass through the Natural Tunnel, the centerpiece of
Natural Tunnel State Park. After passing through the Devil's Racepath, US 58 and US 421 split from US 23 as Daniel Boone Trail just south of the town of
Duffield. US 23 passes through the town, where the highway parallels the Appalachia Division rail line and the
North Fork Clinch River through a gap between
Powell Mountain and Cliff Mountain. The U.S. Highway briefly enters
Lee County while following the river between Powell Mountain and
Walden Ridge to its source at Wildcat Summit at the Lee–Wise county line. ==History==