Georgia State Route 15

State Route 15
Route information
Maintained by GDOT
Length:	346.0 mi[1] (556.8 km)
Major junctions
South end:	US 1 / US 23 / US 301 / SR 15/ SR 4 at Florida state line, southeast of Folkston
	US 1 / US 341 / SR 4 / SR 27 in Baxley US 1 / SR 4 / SR 29 south-southwest of Lyons I‑16 near Soperton I‑20 near Greensboro US 129 / US 441 / SR 24 north-northwest of Watkinsville US 29 / US 78 / SR 10 Loop in Athens US 129 / SR 8 / SR 10 Loop in Athens I‑85 near Commerce
North end:	US 23 / US 441 at the North Carolina state line north of Dillard
Location
Counties:	Charlton, Brantley, Pierce, Appling, Toombs, Montgomery, Treutlen, Emanuel, Johnson, Washington, Hancock, Greene, Oconee, Clarke, Jackson, Banks, Habersham, Rabun
Highway system
Georgia State Routes Interstate U.S. State Former ← SR 14 I‑16 →

State Route 15 (SR 15) is a 346-mile-long (557 km) state highway that travels south-to-north across the entire length of the U.S. state of Georgia, east of its centerline. It connects the Florida state line, southeast of Folkston with the North Carolina state line, north-northeast of Dillard, via Vidalia, Sandersville, Athens, Demorest, and Clayton.

Route description

SR 15 enters Georgia just south of Folkston as a four-lane highway, along with US 1, US 23, US 301, and SR 4. Just north of Folkston, US 301 branches off to the north while the other four routes plus SR 121, head northwest. After about ten miles, State Routes 15 and 121 also branch off from US 1/US 23/SR 4, as a two-lane highway, crossing US 82/SR 520 (South Georgia Parkway) in Hoboken. The two state routes continue northwest through Blackshear, where they cross US 84. After that, the two state routes continue to stay together, heading north through the community of Bristol. Soon after, SR 121 branches off to the north while SR 15 heads northwest to rejoin US 1 and SR 4 at Baxley. North of Baxley, the three routes continue, remaining a four-lane highway all the way to the Altamaha River. Approximately ten miles past the river crossing, SR 15 branches off to the northwest again, where SR 29 begins and follows SR 15. At Vidalia, State Routes 15 and 29 turn west and follow US 280 for several miles to the community of Higgston. The two routes head north from there through the community of Tarrytown and then on to Soperton. SR 29 heads northwest of Soperton while SR 15, along with SR 78, continues north, intersecting with I-16, and goes to Adrian. The two state routes continue northwest to Wrightsville, where SR 78 departs eastward. SR 15 continues by itself through the adjacent cities of Tennille and Sandersville. Through these cites, most of SR 15 has been widened to four lanes, and it briefly picks up SR 24. North of Sandersville, SR 15 crosses the Fall Line Freeway and then heads north through the community of Warthen and onto Sparta. Through Sparta, SR 15 makes a few turns, briefly picking up SR 16 and SR 22. North of Sparta, it picks up SR 77, and continues north through White Plains and Siloam. At Siloam, SR 77 departs to the north while SR 15 continues northwest to Greensboro, passing beneath I-20, but without direct access. In Greensboro, SR 15 makes two more turns, briefly following US 278 through downtown. SR 15 continues northwest to Watkinsville, after which it joins US 441 and remain together as a mostly four-lane highway throughout the rest of their course in Georgia.

The two routes, along with several others, circle around the east side of Athens along the Athens Perimeter freeway and head north through the town of Nicholson and around the east side of Commerce via a bypass. The highways then interchange with I-85, and head between the towns of Baldwin and Cornelia, where they become a limited access freeway for a short time and rejoin US 23. The three routes remain together and head through the cities of Tallulah Falls, Clayton, and Dillard before crossing into North Carolina.

The entire length of SR 15 is included as part of the National Highway System, a system of roadways important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.^[2][3]

History

Old SR 15 signage along Lumpkin Street at the intersection of Milledge Avenue in Five Points, which is now the alternate route of SR 15.

In Athens, SR 15 has followed several routes prior to its current alignment with Paul Broun Parkway. It originally was aligned with US 129 along Milledge and Prince Avenue to make its way to Jefferson. SR 24 was paired with US 441 along the current route of SR 15 between Athens and Commerce. ^[4] It followed this route until both US 441 and US 129 were paired with Paul Broun Parkway, but had an alternate routing along Lumpkin Street and what is now Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. When the main route was shifted to the bypass, this alternate route took the place of the original, eventually pairing with US 129 to Jefferson, while the main route now replaced SR 24 along US 441 from Watkinsville to Commerce.^[5]

Major intersections

County	Location	mi	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Charlton	​	0.0	0.0		US 1 south / US 23 south / US 301 south (SR 15) – Hilliard, Jacksonville	Florida state line
	Folkston				SR 40 east (Main Street) to I‑95 – Kingsland
					Love Street	former SR 252 east
					SR 23 south / SR 121 south – St. George	south end of SR 23 / SR 121 overlap
					SR 40 Conn. east (Cross Street) – Kingsland, White Oak, D. Ray James Prison
	Homeland				US 301 north / SR 23 north – Nahunta, Jesup	Northern end of US 301/SR 23 concurrency
	Racepond				US 1 north / US 23 north / SR 4 north – Waycross	Northern end of US 1/US 23/SR 4 concurrency
Brantley	Hoboken				US 82 / SR 520 (Main Street) – Waycross, Nahunta, Laura S. Walker State Park
Pierce	Blackshear				US 84 / SR 38 – Waycross, Patterson
					SR 203 north (Strickland Avenue) – Alma	Southern terminus of SR 203
	Bristol				SR 32 – Alma, Patterson
Appling	​				SR 121 north – Surrency	Northern end of SR 121 concurrency
	​				SR 203 – Alma, Jesup
	Baxley				US 1 south / SR 4 south – Airport	Southern end of US 1/SR 4 concurrency
					US 341 / SR 27 (Parker Street) – Hazlehurst, Jesup
					North Main Street - Glennville	former SR 144 east
Toombs	English Eddy				SR 147 east – Reidsville	Western terminus of SR 147
	Toombs Central				SR 56 – Uvalda, Reidsville
	South Thompson				US 1 north / SR 4 north – Lyons	Southern terminus of SR 29, southern end of SR 29 concurrency, northern end of US 1/SR 4 concurrency
	Vidalia				US 280 east (1st Street) / SR 30 east	south end of US 280/SR 30 concurrency
					SR 130 (Adams Street) – Uvalda
Montgomery	Higgston				US 280 west / SR 30 west / SR 135 south (James Street) – Mount Vernon, Uvalda	north end of US 280/SR 30 concurrency
					SR 292 east – Vidalia, Lyons	Western terminus of SR 292
	Kibbee				Ailey	former SR 227 south
Treutlen	Soperton				US 221 south / SR 56 south (Second Street) / SR 29 north (Main Street) to I‑16 – Dublin, Mount Vernon	Southern end of US 221/SR 56 concurrency, northern end of SR 29 concurrency
					US 221 north / SR 56 north (North Second Street) / SR 78 south (Louisiana Avenue) – Swainsboro, Metter	Northern end of US 221/SR 56 concurrency, southern end of SR 78 concurrency
					SR 46 (Metter Road) – Eastman, Metter
	​				I‑16 (SR 404) – Macon, Savannah	I-16 exit 71
	Blackville				SR 86 – East Dublin, Oak Park
Emanuel–Johnson county line	Adrian				US 80 / SR 26 (Main Street) – East Dublin, Swainsboro
Johnson	Wrightsville				SR 57 east (East College Street) – Kite, Swainsboro	Southern end of SR 57 concurrency
					US 319 / SR 31 south / SR 78 north (Elm Street) – Dublin, Wadley, Bartow, Midville, East Dublin	Northern terminus of SR 31, northern end of SR 78 concurrency
					SR 57 west (Trilby Street) – Irwinton, Macon	Northern end of SR 57 concurrency
Washington	​				SR 231 north – Harrison	Southern terminus of SR 231
	Tennille				SR 68 west – Oconee, Irwinton	Southern end of SR 68 concurrency
					SR 68 east (South Central Avenue) – Milledgeville, Macon	Northern end of SR 68 concurrency
	Sandersville				SR 242 east – Bartow	south end of SR 242 overlap
					SR 242 west (West Church Street) – Milledgeville	north end of SR 242 overlap; former SR 24 west
					East McCarty Street - Louisville, Davisboro	former SR 24 east
					SR 24 (Fall Line Freeway) – Milledgeville, Wrens, Augusta
	Warthen				SR 102 east – Mitchell, Wrens	Western terminus of SR 102
Hancock	Sparta				SR 16 east (Augusta Highway) – Warrenton	Southern end of SR 16 concurrency
					SR 22 west (Broad Street) – Milledgeville	Southern end of SR 22 concurrency
	​				SR 16 west – Eatonton	Northern end of SR 16 concurrency
	​				SR 22 east (Springfield Road) – Crawfordville, Lexington	Northern end of SR 22 concurrency
	​				SR 77 south (Davis Road) – Eatonton	Southern end of SR 77 concurrency
Greene	Siloam				SR 77 north (Siloam Union Point Road) to I‑20 – Union Point	Northern end of SR 77 concurrency
	Greensboro				US 278 east / SR 12 east / SR 44 east (East Broad Street) – Union Point, Washington, Augusta, Airport	south end of US 278/SR 12/SR 44 concurrency
					SR 44 west (Main Street) to I‑20 – Eatonton	north end of SR 44 concurrency
					US 278 west / SR 12 west (West Broad Street) – Madison, Atlanta	north end of US 278/SR 12 concurrency
Oconee	Watkinsville				US 129 Bus. south / US 441 Bus. south / SR 24 Bus. south (Macon Highway) – Madison	Southern end of US 129 Bus. / US 441 Bus. / SR 24 Bus. concurrency
					SR 53 west (Experiment Station Road) – Winder	Eastern terminus of SR 53
	​				US 129 south / US 441 south / SR 24 south – Madison	Southern end of US 129/US 441 concurrency, northern terminus of US 129 Bus. / US 441 Bus. / SR 24 Bus. and SR 24
Clarke	Athens				US 29 south / US 78 west / SR 8 west / SR 10 Loop inner (SR 422 inner) to SR 316 / Timothy Road	Southern terminus of US 29 / US 78 / SR 8 / SR 10 Loop / SR 422 concurrency; SR 15 south follows exit 4A
				6	SR 15 Alt. north (Milledge Avenue)	Southern terminus of SR 15 Alt.
				7	College Station Road - University of Georgia
				8	US 78 east / US 78 Bus. west / SR 10 (Oconee Street / Lexington Road)	Eastern terminus of US 78 Bus., northern end of US 78 concurrency
					Peter Street / Olympic Drive	interchange under construction
				10A	Old Hull Road	no exit number southbound
				10D	US 29 north (SR 8 east) – Danielsville, Hartwell	Northern end of US 29/SR 8 concurrency; no exit number northbound; SR 15 follows exit 10B (northbound) and 10C (southbound)
				11	North Avenue / Danielsville Road	signed as exits 11A (Danielsville Road) and 11B (North Avenue) southbound
					US 129 north / SR 10 Loop outer (SR 422 outer) / Dr. M.L. King Parkway – Winder, Athens	Northern end of US 129 / SR 10 Loop / SR 422 concurrency; SR 15 north follows exit 12
Jackson	​				SR 334 north	Southern terminus of SR 334
	Nicholson				SR 335 west – Jefferson	Eastern terminus of SR 335
	Commerce				US 441 Bus. north / SR 334 – Commerce, Commerce Historic District	Southern terminus of US 441 Bus.
					SR 98 (Ila Road) – Commerce, Danielsville
					SR 326 – Commerce
					US 441 Bus. south / SR 15 Alt. south (Homer Road) / SR 59 north – Commerce, Carnesville	Northern terminus of US 441 Bus.
					Mount Olive Road	former SR 59 south
Banks	​				I‑85 (SR 403) – Atlanta, Greenville	I-85 exit 149
	​				SR 164 east – Carnesville	Southern end of SR 164 concurrency
	​				SR 164 west (Historic Homer Highway) – Homer	Northern end of SR 164
	​				SR 51 – Homer, Royston
	​				SR 198 east – Carnesville
	​				SR 105 south	Southern end of SR 105 concurrency
Habersham	Baldwin				US 441 Bus. north / SR 105 north (Willingham Avenue) – Baldwin, Cornelia	Southern terminus of US 441 Bus., northern end of SR 105 concurrency
	Cornelia				SR 15 Conn. west (Level Grove Road) to SR 365 south – Gainesville, Cornelia
	​				US 23 south / SR 365 south – Gainesville, Atlanta	Southern end of US 23/SR 365 concurrency; interchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance
	Cornelia				US 441 Bus. / SR 105 / SR 385 north – Clarkesville, Demorest, Cornelia	Southern terminus of SR 385, interchange
	​				SR 197 north – Mount Airy, Clarkesville	Southern terminus of SR 197; interchange
	​				US 123 north / SR 17 south / SR 365 north – Toccoa, Lavonia	Southern terminus of US 123, northern end of SR 365 concurrency; interchange; northbound exit and southbound entrance
	​				SR 17 to US 123 north / SR 365 north – Clarkesville, Helen, Toccoa, Lavonia
	Hollywood				US 441 Bus. south / SR 17 Alt. south / SR 385 (Talmadge Drive) – Clarkesville, Hollywood, Toccoa, Helen, North Georgia Technical College	Northern terminus of US 441 Bus./SR 385
	Tallulah Falls				SR 15 Loop north (Old US 441) – Tallulah Falls Scenic Overlook
					SR 15 Loop south (Old US 441) – Tallulah Falls Scenic Overlook, Tallulah Gorge overlook
Rabun	Clayton				US 76 east / SR 2 east – Westminster, Kingwood Conference Center	Southern end of US 76/SR 2 concurrency
					US 76 west / SR 2 west (East Savannah Street) – Hiawassee, Warwoman WMA	Northern end of US 76/SR 2 concurrency
	Dillard				SR 246 east – Sky Valley, Highlands, NC	Western terminus of SR 246
	​				US 23 north / US 441 north – Franklin	North Carolina state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

Bannered routes

Athens–Commerce alternate route

State Route 15 Alternate
Location:	Athens–Commerce
Length:	31.7 mi[6] (51.0 km)

State Route 15 Alternate (SR 15 Alt.) is a series of streets, roads, and highways that form a north–south-oriented route in two counties of the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. This route's southern terminus is in Athens at the intersection of Milledge Avenue and SR 10 Loop (locally known as "The 10 Loop" or "Loop 10") and Macon Highway. The route along Milledge Avenue winds by the campus of the University of Georgia. This street features stately homes and mansions, some of which house college fraternities and sororities. SR 15 Alt. follows Prince Avenue northwest after the northern end of Milledge Avenue. As SR 15 Alt. leaves Athens, it becomes concurrent with US 129, where it is known as Jefferson Road. Upon entering Jefferson, SR 15 Alt. splits from US 129 and becomes an independent route. Its northern terminus is north of the city of Commerce at its intersection with US 441 (sometimes referred to as the Commerce Bypass) and SR 59.

Cornelia connector route

State Route 15 Connector
Location:	Cornelia

State Route 15 Connector (SR 15 Conn.) is a short connector route that exists entirely within Cornelia. It is known locally as Level Grove Road, and is designed to facilitate northbound to southbound traffic between US 23/GA 365 and US 441/GA 15. North of 23 and south of US 441, the road is unmarked.

Tallulah Falls scenic loop

State Route 15 Loop
Location:	Tallulah Falls

State Route 15 Loop (SR 15 Loop) is a former segment of US 23/441/SR 15 used as a scenic overlook for Tallulah Falls.

See also

• Georgia (U.S. state) portal
• U.S. Roads portal

References

1. Google (August 24, 2013). "Route of SR 15" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
2. "National Highway System: Georgia" (PDF). United States Department of Transportation. October 1, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
3. "National Highway System: Athens-Clarke County, GA" (PDF). United States Department of Transportation. October 1, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
4. http://www.dot.ga.gov/DriveSmart/MapsData/Documents/StateMaps/1950.pdf
5. http://www.dot.ga.gov/DriveSmart/MapsData/Documents/StateMaps/1970.pdf
6. Google (August 25, 2013). "Route of SR 15 Alternate" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved August 25, 2013.

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

• Media related to Georgia State Route 15 at Wikimedia Commons
• Georgia Roads (Routes 1 - 20)
• Georgia State Route 15 on State-Ends.com
• Georgia State Route 15 CONN on State-Ends.com