Palmetto Geography

[Jerseyman4]

Growing up, the SC border was less than 40 miles away. What i learned in the beginning was the Pee Dee and Grand Strand areas. Later, i picked up the low country, the midlands but i am still lacking knowledge about the upstate but that may soon change if college bounds me that direction. A while back, i was testing myself on county abbreivations of SC and i knew all counties if i were given the first few letters (EX: Chas = Charleston / Ric = Richland / Mc = McCormick, etc). I probably know about half of the county seats and heard of most places mainly east of I-77.

If there was a rate scale of 1 - 10; 1 being bad/10 being perfect, i would say:

Probably a high 6/low 7.

[Topher1]

County abbreviations? Never heard of em!

I can generally name what county 80% of SC cities are located in, but I'm not familiar with rivers or bodies of water. I am extremely knowledgeable on western SC along the Savannah, which is probably the most neglected part of the state, so I'll give myself an extra point for that

I'd probably rate myself 7/10

[sonofaque86]

I know the Midlands....The Beaufort area...As well as Rock Hill up through Charlotte...I don't really know the upstate...Beside's Spartanburg because I have family up there...I can name alot of the counties but can't say what cities the counties are in if they aren't major

[Spartan]

I pride myself on knowing my state's geography very well. The Lowcountry in and around the Edisto River basin (Bamberg, Hampton, Allendale, etc.) is the area that I am least familiar with though. I have never heard of any official County abbreviations.

I pride myself on knowing my state's geography very well. The Lowcountry in and around the Edisto River basin (Bamberg, Hampton, Allendale, etc.) is the area that I am least familiar with though. I have never heard of any official County abbreviations.

[Jerseyman4]

I have never heard of any official County abbreviations.

I totally got people lost on this one, my bad!!!!! It was a map I found on some website and got bored using the paint program and came up with the italian colors with it. This is what i meant

[krazeeboi]

I would like to think that I know SC geography better than the average South Carolinian. I think I can name the county seat of our counties, and I pretty much know each county that does not share a name with its county seat. I, too, am somewhat unfamiliar with the areas close to the SC/GA border south of Aiken. I'd also say that that area is the most neglected in the state, along with some Pee Dee counties.

[waccamatt]

I have always been a geography buff, so I feel like I know South Carolina extremely well, along with New Jersey, my first home.

[Jerseyman4]

...........along with New Jersey, my first home.

As its my birthplace, i do know the Garden State extremely well too.

[Chtimi]

I'm a geography buff too. I know France very well (peoples, cities, history, customs, toponymy, gastronomy, etc.)

Concerning South Carolina I've rather a cartographic and demographic knowledge.

I think you produce tobacco like in my region Nord-Pas de Calais.

From a territorial strategy point of view, South Carolina is lucky in comparision with the other states. The human distribution corresponds precisely to the natural geography.

Upstate with Greenville, Spartanburg and the federal highway 85.

The Midlands with Columbia and the highways 20 and 77.

The Lowcountry with Charleston, Myrtle Beach and the 95.

These three regions are interlinked by the highway 26. The main cities are regularly relaid by smaller cities organizing an advantageous urban system.

There's only one problem : Charlotte. A border-city which has a partial influence in North Carolina and deploys one in South Carolina. Charlotte rivals directly Columbia regarding the main urban functions (airport).

The diagonal position of South Carolina is particular.

Montrealians mix "south" up with "south east" because they refer to the Saint-Laurent river. Is it the case for you, tending to consider the Upstate in the north, in your discourse the south east designates the littoral or only the Beaufort area ?

[Spartan]

Just to help you be more accurate, let me correct a few things:

85/77/20, etc. are not "federal highways" they are more accurately called "Interstates."

A "US Highway" is not an interstate. It is a regular road who's funding is provided by the federal government.

It might sound confusing, but there is a clear distinction between the two. An interestate is very similar to your 'Autoroute' and a US Highway is more similar to your primary roads. I think they have the "N" designation, but I am not certain.

With regards to your last question, in SC there isn't really a clear reference. Sometimes people outside of SC refer to northwestern SC meaning Greenville-Spartanburg, or southern SC referring to the Beaufort area, but ususally you will not see this reference excpet by the uninformed. The Upstate, Midlands, Lowcountry, and Pee Dee are very commonly used, and take precedence over the cardinal directions. If a cardinal direction is used, it will commonly include some counties or cities to clarify what area is being discussed. These are not hard and fast rules or anything, but this is how things usually work.

[Chtimi]

Just to help you be more accurate, let me correct a few things:

85/77/20, etc. are not "federal highways" they are more accurately called "Interstates."

A "US Highway" is not an interstate. It is a regular road who's funding is provided by the federal government.

It might sound confusing, but there is a clear distinction between the two. An interestate is very similar to your 'Autoroute' and a US Highway is more similar to your primary roads. I think they have the "N" designation, but I am not certain.

With regards to your last question, in SC there isn't really a clear reference. Sometimes people outside of SC refer to northwestern SC meaning Greenville-Spartanburg, or southern SC referring to the Beaufort area, but ususally you will not see this reference excpet by the uninformed. The Upstate, Midlands, Lowcountry, and Pee Dee are very commonly used, and take precedence over the cardinal directions. If a cardinal direction is used, it will commonly include some counties or cities to clarify what area is being discussed. These are not hard and fast rules or anything, but this is how things usually work.

Are you sure for "federal highway" ? I allways read that an interstate is a federal highway.

The roads with "N" designation (or RN : Route Nationale) looking like "autoroutes" are called "voie express" or "voie rapide".

I want to say that South Carolina has a favorable geography and an exceptional "road" and urban network.

[Jerseyman4]

Are you sure for "federal highway" ? I allways read that an interstate is a federal highway.

The roads with "N" designation (or RN : Route Nationale) looking like "autoroutes" are called "voie express" or "voie rapide".

I want to say that South Carolina has a favorable geography and an exceptional "road" and urban network.

The interstates were adopted by President Eisenhower and to me, they are federal highways but are maintained by individual state department of transportations. The US Highways again, can be considered federal highways but are there for route number continuity passing through multiple states and are also maintained by the state (or sometimes county maintienence like in NJ with US 202). Then you have the state highways that are maintained by the state but sometimes the county. Finally, you have county roads maintained by the county.

[Spartan]

Right. My point is that if you want to talk to the average American about it, you say "interstate." If you want to talk about a US highway, you generally say "highway 321" (or whatever number) -this is not always the case, but usually it is.

Like Jerseyman said, they are federally funded, as are US highways, so you have to be specific.

I am not sure what you mean by what you said Chtimi. I know that when I was in France, the A7 out of Marseille was almost exactly like one of our interstates, so this is what I am basing my statement on

I agree that SC does have a good road network overall.

[Chtimi]

Thanks for your explanations. But I'm not sure to know how you call a road looking like an interstate, freeway, parkway ? There is the state highway 22, going around Conway (interchange with the Cardina Bay parkway near to Crescent Beach). Also the Robert E Graham fwy in sumter. How you qualify them ?

Yes, all our "autoroutes" look like interstates. The A7 is one of our oldest autoroute, it links Lyon and Marseille. A part of this "autoroute" will be suppress, this part is a viaduct of about 2 km (~1,24 mi) situated inside Marseille. A "voie express" is building in the eastern faubourgs of Marseille, this highway is called L2, half in tunnel, there is also the BUS project (Boulevard Urbain Sud).

Equivalences :

Interstates = Autoroutes

US highways ~ Routes Nationales (53 000 km/33 000 mi of these national roads were confered to the departements in 1972, and 18 000 km/11 000 mi, in 2004). Some Routes Nationales look like an interstate, for example the N 351 in Lille.

State highways ~ Routes Departementales Some "D

[Spartan]

We know because an interstate uses this demarcation, known as the interstate shield:

US highways use this one:

State Highways vary because they usually use the state's image.

Interstates are always a limited access road, and they have very high construction and maintenence standards.

US highways and state highways are usually not limited access. There are always exceptions to the rule. If a state deem an area in need of an interstate quality highway then they have the right to build one. The Carolina Bays Parkway is a perfect example of this. Myrtle Beach needed(and still needs) interstate access, so the state built the road at interstate-level standard, so when you see it on a map, it will look like what it is.

Its kind of hard to explain, so if that doesn't make sense I can try to be more clear.

[myrtlesquare]

I totally got people lost on this one, my bad!!!!! It was a map I found on some website and got bored using the paint program and came up with the italian colors with it. This is what i meant

I wouldn't abbreviate Horry County in that map, if you know what I mean.

[Chtimi]

Interstates are always a limited access road, and they have very high construction and maintenence standards.

US highways and state highways are usually not limited access. There are always exceptions to the rule. If a state deem an area in need of an interstate quality highway then they have the right to build one.

What means "limited access"? With tool or with a restrited number of interchanges ?

Funny, these shields. A medieval look.

[Jerseyman4]

What means "limited access"?

It is any highway of any amount of lanes that restricts any private access to the road while access is only permitted by public roads providing grade-seperated interchanges (trumpet, Diamond, etc). Limited access applys to freeways/interstates/expressways[1]/autoroutes/autostradas(italy). Limited access highways NORMALLY do limited exits (theres no rule im aware of) but in the case of I-95 in Connecticut, its an interchange every mile or quarter mile.

Also to answer your other questions:

Parkways: Freeway and/or Expressway but truck traffic is not permitted. Normally, parkways are scenic routes for recreational traffic reaching recreation points like the mountains or the beach.

Expressway[1]: Limited access highway sharing the characteristics of a freeway but also allows at-grade intersections. Freeways do not allow at-grade intersections, only grade seperated interchanges.

Expressway[2]: Freeway and/or Expressway[1] that permits all vehicles. Expressways are commonly nicknamed as freeways in the northeast and midwest regions of the country.

State Highways are the eqivilence of region maintained highways. The US and county highway equivlience you stated sound correct.

Keep in mind, a freeway can carry any number of any branch(US, State, County). SC Highway 22 is all a freeway but is not up to interstate standards because the right shoulders are less than 10 feet as of now. Anytime you travel on a freeway that does not carry an interstate number, be aware that the freeways you travel on that carries a US, state and/or county highway number will not always be at the highest standards of an interstate would be.

[Spartan]

In short, limited access means that there are no crossing roads, or stoplights/stop signs/traffic circles, etc. Its a continuous flow situation. The exits are the only way to get on and off these roads.

[Chtimi]

I tought it was "limited" for the number of interchanges.

In France we have a lot of projects of beltways (we call them "p

[monsoon]

Anyone notice that Jct. is used to denote an intersection of two roads, but the term "Junction" is rarely used here to describe it?

[Spartan]

I have always used junction to refer to the intersection of two defines routes (like US highways, not just any random roads) though in reality you are correct

[Jerseyman4]

I have always used junction to refer to the intersection of two defines routes (like US highways, not just any random roads) though in reality you are correct

There is "JCT" spelled out on GA 6 in NE Georgia. I was with JT Legg "road geeking" the area in January of this year.

[Chtimi]

And "roundabout" ?

That's all the rage in Europe. All the towns and villages want them, but it's too much !

[Chtimi]

You don't know what is a roundabout ? It's not an american word ?