Interstate 85 South - Anderson / Oconee Counties

A 7.11 mile long route, S.C. 153 (Earle E. Morris Jr. Highway) continues northwest from Exit 40 along a commercial strip through Powderville to U.S. 123 east of Easley. S.C. 153 was extended southeast across the Saluda River to I-185 at Brown Road in 1999.

07/10/10

River Road (Road 143) stems 2.53 miles south from S.C. 81 (Anderson Road) to I-85/U.S. 29 at Exit 39.

04/14/12

Interstate 85 turns more southerly ahead of the diamond interchange at Exit 39 with River Road.

04/14/12

Exit 39 leaves I-85/U.S. 29 south for River Road to Piedmont. River Road (Road 143) mirrors the course of the Saluda River between S.C. 81 and S.C. 86.

08/07/13

I-85/U.S. 29 south rises onto a hill ahead of Big Brushy Creek.

04/14/12

S.C. 86 crosses paths with I-85/U.S. 29 in three miles. Atlanta is over two hours away.

08/07/13

I-85/U.S. 29 lowers to cross Brushy Creek in this scene.

07/12/05

A parclo A2 interchange (Exit 35) joins S.C. 86 with I-85/U.S. 29, 2.3 miles west of Piedmont.

04/14/12

Exit 35 parts ways with I-85/U.S. 29 south for S.C. 86. S.C. 86 continues northwest 5.5 miles to S.C. 8 (Pelzer Highway). S.C. 8 runs northward from there 4.7 miles to U.S. 123 in Easley.

04/14/12

U.S. 29 separates from I-85 south at the first of five interchanges for Anderson. Anderson Highway (old U.S. 29) ties into U.S. 29 midway between Exit 34 and the Anderson city center. Anderson Highway leads east into the town of Williamston, where prior to 1959, U.S. 29 turned onto Main Street (S.C. 20) north to Pelzer.

04/14/12

Shiloh Church Road passes over I-85/U.S. 29 ahead of the wye interchange (Exit 34) where they split. U.S. 29 continues southwest from Anderson to Hartwell and Athens, Georgia before returning to the I-85 corridor near Lawrenceville. I-85 and U.S. 29 commingle five more times southwest to Opelika, Alabama.

04/14/12

U.S. 29 continues 14.7 miles to the east side of Anderson, where the route partitions with U.S. 29 Business Loop on Williamston Road.

04/14/12

Interstate 85 continues solo southwest to the Downtown Connector with I-75 in Atlanta, Georgia.

07/11/10

The town of Pelzer is referenced next along Interstate 85 south for the upcoming diamond interchange with S.C. 8. Atlanta is 133 miles away.

07/11/10

S.C. 8 (Easley Highway) meets Interstate 85 just west of White Plains. The 44.6 mile long route stretches north to U.S. 276 beside the Blue Ridge Mountains and south to U.S. 25 at Ware Place.

08/07/13

East from Exit 32, S.C. 8 (Easley Highway) heads 3.8 miles to West Pelzer and 4.7 miles to S.C. 20 at Pelzer. The city of Belton lies 8.3 miles south along S.C. 20 from Pelzer.

08/07/13

Interstate 85 parallels Beaverdam Creek through an area of timberland along the ensuing stretch west from S.C. 8.

08/07/13

Anderson lies south of the succeeding three exits from Interstate 85. Atlanta is 130 miles away.

08/07/13

Interstate 85 lowers to cross Beaverdam Creek southeast of Piercetown. Cherokee Road (Road 75) spans the freeway here.

07/12/05

S.C. 81 converges with I-85, 5.1 miles southwest from an overlap with S.C. 8 (Easley Highway). The diamond interchange at Exit 27 is one mile beyond the Welcome Road (Road 96) overpass.

08/07/13

Exit 27 leaves Interstate 85 south for S.C. 81 to Anderson and Anderson University. S.C. 81 combines with U.S. 76/178 (Murray Avenue) in 9.4 miles ahead of the Anderson city center.

08/07/13

Interstate 85 curves south beside the TTI (Techtronic Industries Company) Innovation Center, an office complex built in 2017/18.

08/07/13

18 miles to the northwest, the city of Clemson lies along U.S. 76 and the Anderson and Pickens County line.

08/07/13

The lone rest area along I-85 southbound in South Carolina lies between the Dairyimple and Harris Bridge Road overpasses next to Six and Twenty Creek.

08/07/13

The Anderson County rest area on I-85 is the second to last rest area until Atlanta.

08/07/13

Interstate 85 spans Six and Twenty Creek just north of Lake Hartwell along a bridge built in 2002.

06/18/05

Manse Jolly Road spans Interstate 85 south one mile from Exit 21 to U.S. 178 (Liberty Highway). U.S. 178 comprises a 240 mile long route between Rossman, North Carolina and Ridgeville, South Carolina.

08/07/13

Interstate 85 converges with U.S. 178 (Liberty Highway) at a parclo B2 interchange (Exit 21) near Northlake. U.S. 178 travels 15.7 miles north into the Liberty city limits.

08/07/13

Interstate 85 reduces from six to four lanes southbound at the cloverleaf interchange (Exit 19) with U.S. 76/S.C. 28 (Clemson Highway).

07/11/10

08/07/13

S.C. 28 Business loops east from U.S. 76/S.C. 28 into the city of Pendleton. U.S. 76/S.C. 28 continue north there into Clemson and west alongside U.S. 123 to the Oconee County seat of Seneca.

08/07/13

U.S. 76/S.C. 28 run 10.4 miles north to S.C. 93 west to Clemson University and Downtown Clemson. S.C. 28 is part of a multi state route northwest from U.S. 76/123 to Walhalla, Highlands and Franklin, North Carolina. U.S. 76 branches west from U.S. 123 at Westminster to Clayton, Georgia.

08/07/13

Leading south from Exit 19A, U.S. 76/S.C. 28 cross Lake Hartwell ahead of a commercial strip through the community of Northlake. S..C. 28 follows an arterial bypass west of Anderson while U.S. 76 combines with U.S. 178 south toward Downtown Anderson.

08/07/13

Interstate 85 straddles northern reaches of Lake Hartwell Lake west to Masons Crossroads.

08/07/13

16 miles ahead, Fair Play is the last community along Interstate 85 southbound in South Carolina. Atlanta, Georgia is 102 miles further.

07/11/10

Lowering toward a crossing of Three and Twenty Creek at Lake Hartwell, I-85 advances south to Exit 14 with S.C. 187. S.C. 187 is part of the Savannah River National Scenic Byway from an overlap with S.C. 24 across Lake Hartwell to S.C. 412, west of Starr.

08/07/13

Entering the diamond interchange with S.C. 187 at Exit 14. S.C. 187 constitutes a northerly route to the town of Pendleton. Points of interest for Exit 14 include Clemson Research Park and the South Carolina Botanical Gardens.

08/07/13

Southbound Interstate 85 shield assembly posted after Exit 14.

08/07/13

S.C. 24 continues the Savannah River National Scenic Byway west from S.C. 187 to Townville, Tokeena, Oakway and S.C. 11. A parclo A2 interchange joins I-85 with S.C. 24 and S.C. 243 at Exit 11.

08/07/13

Crossing the Seneca River arm of Lake Hartwell along Interstate 85 south. Lake Hartwel is a man-made reservoir formed by Hartwell Dam on the Savannah River. The dam was constructed between 1955 and 1959 ("Lake Hartwell", 2021).

08/07/13

Exit 11 connects with both S.C. 24 and the westbound beginning of S.C. 243. S.C. 243 parallels I-85 for nine miles to Fair Play.

07/11/10

S.C. 24 continues another 18.3 miles by way of Townville to conclude at U.S. 76/123 within the city of Westminster. Eastward, S.C. 24 crosses Lake Hartwell en route to Anderson Regional Airport (AND) and Downtown Anderson.

08/07/13

Leading west from Exit 11, Interstate 85 varies in elevation from 700 to 780 feet across hills north of Lake Hartwell.

07/11/10

The longest exit less stretch for Interstate 85 in South Carolina is the 6.9 miles leading west to Fair Play. The state capital of Georgia is 110 miles to the southwest.

07/11/10

Interstate 85 drops to below 680 feet in elevation before increasing nearly 100 feet at the upcoming Ledford Road overpass. SCDOT recorded 38,100 vehicles per day here in 2012.

03/15/26

Road 23 (Old Dobbins Bridge Road east / Whitfield Road west) connects Interstate 85 with parallel S.C. 243 (Fairplay Boulevard) from the diamond interchange at Exit 4.

07/11/10

Old Dobbins Bridge Road spurs east from Exit 4 to a dead end at Lake Hartwell. Whitfield Road extends 0.31 miles north from I-85 to S.C. 243 (Fairplay Boulevard), S.C. 243 continues west to S.C. 59/182 in Fair Play.

07/11/10

Interstate 85 enters Oconee County at the Road 23 overpass.

03/15/26

S.C. 59 angles 0.91 miles southwest from S.C. 182/243 in Fair Play to the diamond interchange at Exit 2. Lakeshore Drive (Road 11) spurs 0.98 miles southwest from the exchange.

07/11/10

Wholly within Oconee County, S.C. 59 runs 15.70 miles north from I-85 to U.S. 76-123/S.C. 28 (Sandifer Boulevard) in the city of Seneca.

07/11/10

Previously meeting Interstate 85 at Exit 92 and Gaffney, S.C. 11 (Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway) returns at Exit 1.

08/07/13

Interstate 85 tops out at 800 feet above sea level ahead of another arm of Lake Hartwell and the parclo interchange (Exit 1) with S.C. 11.

07/11/10

S.C. 11 leads north 19.5 miles from Exit 1 to both the town of West Union and city of Walhalla.

07/11/10

The city of Lavonia, Georgia lies ten miles southwest along Interstate 85.

03/15/26

Exit 1 leaves for adjacent Lake Hartwell State Park, South Union and Walhalla. Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway coincides with S.C. 11 to a number of natural and cultural attractions, including Whitewater Falls and Oconee Station.

03/15/26

The last confirming marker for Interstate 85 in South Carolina precedes the Savannah River.

07/11/10

The S. Ernest Vandiver Bridge spans the Tugaloo River at the Georgia state line. A native of nearby Franklin County nearby, Vandiver was Governor of Georgia between 1959 and 1963 ("Ernest Vandiver", 2021).

07/11/10

Interstate 85 nips the northern corner of Hart County, Georgia from Lake Hartwell west to Exit 177. Previous Georgia welcome signs acknowledged the 1996 Olympic Summer Games held in Atlanta.

03/15/26