Florida US 29 begins at
US 90 and
US 98 in downtown
Pensacola, Florida. Throughout the state, US 29 is twinned with the unsigned
State Road 95 (SR 95). The entire route in Florida runs within
Escambia County. From its terminus north to
SR 296, it is known as North Palafox Street. From this point, it is known as Pensacola Boulevard north to Ten Mile Road, approximately north of
US 90 Alternate. Between SR 296 and the
Molino community, US 29 runs parallel to its former routing, which is now
County Road 95A. This former routing continues the name North Palafox Street from SR 296 north to Ten Mile Road.
Alabama US 29, internally designated by the
Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) as
State Route 15 (SR 15), is a southwest-northeast
state highway across the southeastern part of the U.S. state of
Alabama. SR 15 ends in
Brewton at a junction with
US 31 (
SR 3) and
SR 41, but US 29 continues west with US 31/SR 3 to
Flomaton and south on
SR 113 to the
Florida state line. US 29/SR 15 traverses Alabama in a general northeast–southwest path. It has never been a major route in the state; its significance was completely overshadowed with the completion of
I-65 and
I-85 during the 1970s. Today, US 29/SR 15 serves primarily to connect numerous smaller towns and cities in the southwest, south-central, and eastern parts of Alabama, notably passing near
Troy,
Tuskegee, and
Auburn universities in the east. US 29 no longer passes through downtown Auburn or downtown
Opelika. The U.S. Highway is concurrent with I-85 from exit 51, south of Auburn, to exit 64, northeast of Opelika. This change was made by ALDOT in the 1990s. Route markers have been appropriately relocated since then.
Georgia US 29 passes through the northern portion of
Georgia, starting in
Hart County toward
Athens and
Gwinnett County and then onward to
Atlanta. The highway passes by notable universities, such as
Georgia Tech and
Emory University in Atlanta and the
University of Georgia in Athens. US 29 meanders through
Hartwell and the
Lake Hartwell region near the
South Carolina border. From
West Point, (just south of
LaGrange) at the Alabama–Georgia state line to
Downtown Atlanta,
SR 8 and
SR 14 are paired with US 29 at various points in the state. US 29 to the southwest of Atlanta has been named Roosevelt Highway, since
Franklin D. Roosevelt made his final journey northward from Warm Springs along this stretch of highway. Large crowds gathered along US 29 on this day in April 1945 to pay their final respects to the deceased president. Unfortunately, for those who waited along the highway, they missed seeing the president's body being transported back to
Washington DC on a train that ran on nearby tracks.
South Carolina In
South Carolina, US 29 maintains a northeasterly routing, passing through
Anderson,
Greenville, and
Spartanburg. From Greenville through
Greer, US 29 is known as Wade Hampton Boulevard. It is a major commercial artery for both Greer and
Taylors. A six-lane highway, the road forms the western border of
Bob Jones University and then passes near
Chick Springs, a
mineral springs that served as the focus of a small but important resort community during the 19th century. US 29 was built as the main highway between Greenville and the other city of northwestern South Carolina, Spartanburg. The construction of I-85, connecting Greenville to Spartanburg, left US 29 underused until recent decades.
North Carolina In
North Carolina, US 29 connects the cities of
Gastonia,
Charlotte,
Concord,
Salisbury,
High Point,
Greensboro, and
Reidsville. US 29 routes through Charlotte along
Tryon Street, one of the main arteries that runs through
Uptown Charlotte.
NASCAR's
Charlotte Motor Speedway is on US 29 where Charlotte and Concord border. After leaving the
Charlotte metropolitan area, the road stays parallel with
I-85 and concurrent with
US 70 and serves as a secondary highway for cities along the Interstate. It stays parallel with I-85 for another before branching off in
Greensboro and heading north towards
Reidsville and then to
Virginia towards
Danville. US 29 from
Lexington to the Virginia border is considered to be a
controlled-access highway.
Virginia in
Lovingston, Virginia In
Virginia, part of US 29 is named the
Lee Highway. US 29 connects the historic small cities and large towns of west-central Virginia, including
Danville,
Lynchburg,
Charlottesville,
Culpeper, and
Warrenton, with
Fairfax,
Falls Church,
Arlington, and
Washington DC to the northeast and with North Carolina to the southwest. Along its route in Virginia, US 29 provides significant access to and from several major colleges and universities, including the
University of Virginia in Charlottesville,
George Mason University in Fairfax,
Sweet Briar College in Sweet Briar, and
Liberty University,
University of Lynchburg, and
Randolph College in Lynchburg.
District of Columbia US 29 enters
Washington DC via the
Key Bridge adjacent to
Georgetown University. The designation turns east onto the
Whitehurst Freeway, bypassing
Georgetown to the south. Upon crossing
Rock Creek, the freeway ends, becoming the at-grade
K Street. US 29 remains on K Street to 11th Street, where US 29 turns north onto 11th for seven blocks. At
Rhode Island Avenue, US 29 turns right. US 29 northbound turns left at 6th Street (touching US 1 where it turns from Rhode Island Avenue to 6th Street); it follows 6th Street for two blocks and then turns left onto Florida Avenue, where it then turns right onto
Georgia Avenue. US 29 southbound at this point, however, follows
7th Street to Rhode Island Avenue. The route maintains a northerly routing as it passes through northern Washington DC and enters
Maryland. During its alignment with Georgia Avenue, US 29 bypasses the
Howard University campus to the west.
Maryland In
Maryland, US 29 turns northeast onto Colesville Road, intersects the
Capital Beltway (I-495), becomes Columbia Pike, and intersects
New Hampshire Avenue (
MD 650),
MD 200 (Intercounty Connector),
MD 198,
MD 32,
MD 175,
MD 100, Maryland Route 103,
US 40, and
I-70 before terminating at
MD 99 in northern
Ellicott City. ==History==