Georgia State Route 53
Encyclopedia
State Route 53 is a west–east state route located in the northern part of the U.S. state
of Georgia
. The route travels from the Alabama
state line west of Cave Spring
northeast, then east, then southeast to State Route 15/State Route 24 Business in Watkinsville
.
with U.S. Route 411
. After a brief cosignage with State Route 100 in Cave Spring, U.S. Route 411 and State Route 53 continue northeast to the community of Six Mile. There, the routes become cosigned with U.S. Route 27
and State Route 1, and all four travel north. In Rome
, U.S. Route 411 departs to the east, and U.S. Route 27/State Route 1/State Route 53 travel north, joined by State Route 20. Just to the east of downtown, State Route 53 departs from the other routes and travels northeast, running parallel to the Oostanaula River
. South of Calhoun
, the route arcs to the east, intersecting U.S. Route 41
and Interstate 75
before continuing east. After a brief cosignage again with U.S. 411 and State Route 61 in Fairmount
, State Route 53 continues east. West of Jasper
, the route becomes cosigned with State Route 5/State Route 515, and they travel southeast to State Route 108
. State Route 53 departs State Routes 5 and 515 and continues east, cosigned with State Route 108. State Route 108 ends at Tate
at the same crossroads
as State Route 53 Business, but State Route 53 continues east to Dawsonville
.
in Dawsonville, State Route 53 continues to the southeast, intersecting U.S. Route 19
/State Route 400 southeast of Dawsonville. State Route 53 continues southeast, then turns to the northeast near the eastern terminus of State Route 306. After crossing the Chestatee River
branch of Lake Lanier
, the route again turns to the southeast, then crosses over the Chattahoochee River
branch of Lake Lanier. West of Gainesville
, State Route 53 turns to the south, then, near the community of Oakwood
, continues southeast, intersecting Interstate 985
. State Route 53 continues southeast, briefly becoming cosigned with State Route 211, intersecting Interstate 85
in Braselton
. This sector passes both Road Atlanta
and Lanier National Speedway. North of Winder
, State Route 53 becomes cosigned with State Route 11 and State Route 211. The three routes continue south into downtown Winder. There, State Route 211 departs to the northwest, and State Route 11 and State Route 53 continue southeast, cosigned with U.S. Route 29 Business and State Route 8. Southeast of downtown Winder, State Route 11 departs, and U.S. Route 29 Business/State Route 8/State Route 53 continue to the junction with U.S. Route 29
and State Route 316, where U.S. Route 29 Business terminates, State Route 8 continues east, and State Route 53 continues southeast. After crossing U.S. Route 78
, State Route 53 assumes an easterly routing, crossing U.S. Route 129
/U.S. Route 441
/State Route 24
before meeting its eastern terminus at State Route 15/State Route 24 Business in downtown Watkinsville.
State Route 53 had a previous alignment from Dawnsonville, GA to Gainseville, GA. This alignment was abandoned to make way for the new Lake Lanier Reservoir
in the mid-1950s.
State Route 53 Connector connects the State Route 53 mainline with Interstate 985 in Gainesville.
State Route 53 Spur connects the State Route 53 mainline southwest of Calhoun with downtown.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. The route travels from the Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
state line west of Cave Spring
Cave Spring, Georgia
Cave Spring is a city in Floyd County, Georgia, United States. It is located south of Rome, Georgia. The population was 975 at the 2000 census. It is part of the 'Rome, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The name of town was named after its cave and water spring hence "Cave Spring". The...
northeast, then east, then southeast to State Route 15/State Route 24 Business in Watkinsville
Watkinsville, Georgia
Watkinsville is a town in Oconee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 2,097. The city is the county seat of Oconee County...
.
Western terminus to Dawsonville
From its western terminus at the Alabama state line, State Route 53 travels east, cosignedConcurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with U.S. Route 411
U.S. Route 411
U.S. Highway 411 is an alternate parallel-highway associated with U.S. Highway 11. U.S. 411 extends for about 313 miles from U.S. Route 78 in Leeds, Jefferson County, Alabama, to U.S. Highway 25 in Newport, Cocke County, Tennessee. U.S. 411 passes through the northeastern State of Alabama, the...
. After a brief cosignage with State Route 100 in Cave Spring, U.S. Route 411 and State Route 53 continue northeast to the community of Six Mile. There, the routes become cosigned with U.S. Route 27
U.S. Route 27
U.S. Route 27 is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 in Fort Wayne, Indiana...
and State Route 1, and all four travel north. In Rome
Rome, Georgia
Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Rome is the largest city and the county seat of Floyd County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Rome, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Floyd County...
, U.S. Route 411 departs to the east, and U.S. Route 27/State Route 1/State Route 53 travel north, joined by State Route 20. Just to the east of downtown, State Route 53 departs from the other routes and travels northeast, running parallel to the Oostanaula River
Oostanaula River
The Oostanaula River is a principal tributary of the Coosa River, about long, in northwestern Georgia in the United States. Via the Coosa and Alabama rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mobile River, which flows to the Gulf of Mexico. Its name is said to come from a Cherokee Indian term...
. South of Calhoun
Calhoun, Georgia
Calhoun is a city in Gordon County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 15,650. The city is the county seat of Gordon County.-Geography:Calhoun is located at , along the Oostanaula River....
, the route arcs to the east, intersecting U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 41 is a north–south United States Highway that runs from Miami, Florida to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, was U.S...
and Interstate 75
Interstate 75
Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...
before continuing east. After a brief cosignage again with U.S. 411 and State Route 61 in Fairmount
Fairmount, Georgia
Fairmount is a city in Gordon County, Georgia, United States. Gordon County is home to New Echota, which was once the Cherokee Nation's capital. It was the origin of the Cherokee written language and newspaper, The Cherokee Phoenix....
, State Route 53 continues east. West of Jasper
Jasper, Georgia
Jasper is a city in Pickens County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,684 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Pickens County...
, the route becomes cosigned with State Route 5/State Route 515, and they travel southeast to State Route 108
State Route 108 (Georgia)
State Route 108 is a two-lane highway in northwest Cherokee County and southern Pickens County in northwestern Georgia. The route begins at SR 20 in the Sutallee community and ends at the intersection of SR 53 and SR 53 Business in Tate...
. State Route 53 departs State Routes 5 and 515 and continues east, cosigned with State Route 108. State Route 108 ends at Tate
Tate, Georgia
Tate is an unincorporated town in Pickens County, Georgia, United States. Originally called Marble Works post office by the United States Postal Service, then Harnageville after Ambrose Harnage, it was the first county seat for Cherokee County, which functioned as a large territory rather than a...
at the same crossroads
Crossroads (culture)
In folk magic and mythology, crossroads may represent a location "between the worlds" and, as such, a site where supernatural spirits can be contacted and paranormal events can take place...
as State Route 53 Business, but State Route 53 continues east to Dawsonville
Dawsonville, Georgia
Dawsonville is a city in Dawson County, Georgia, United States. The population was 619 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Dawson County...
.
Dawsonville to eastern terminus
After a brief cosignage with State Route 9 around the courthouseCourthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
in Dawsonville, State Route 53 continues to the southeast, intersecting U.S. Route 19
U.S. Route 19
U.S. Route 19 is a north–south U.S. Highway. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Erie....
/State Route 400 southeast of Dawsonville. State Route 53 continues southeast, then turns to the northeast near the eastern terminus of State Route 306. After crossing the Chestatee River
Chestatee River
The Chestatee River is a river in the Appalachian Mountains of northern Georgia, USA. It begins at the confluence of Dicks Creek and Frogtown Creek The Chestatee River (variant spellings Chestatie, Chestetee, Chostatee, Chosteta, none in modern use) is a river in the Appalachian Mountains of...
branch of Lake Lanier
Lake Lanier
Lake Lanier is a reservoir in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created by the completion of Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River in 1956, and is also fed by the waters of the Chestatee River. The lake encompasses of water, and of shoreline at normal level, a "full...
, the route again turns to the southeast, then crosses over the Chattahoochee River
Chattahoochee River
The Chattahoochee River flows through or along the borders of the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and emptying into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of...
branch of Lake Lanier. West of Gainesville
Gainesville, Georgia
-Severe Weather:Gainesville sits on the very fringe of Tornado Alley, a region of the United States where severe weather is common. Supercell thunderstorms can sweep through any time between March and November, but are concentrated most in the spring...
, State Route 53 turns to the south, then, near the community of Oakwood
Oakwood, Georgia
Oakwood is a city in Hall County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Gainesville, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,689 at the 2000 census...
, continues southeast, intersecting Interstate 985
Interstate 985
Interstate 985 is a long auxiliary Interstate Highway in Georgia. It begins at Interstate 85 near Suwanee and continues northward to the north Georgia city of Gainesville...
. State Route 53 continues southeast, briefly becoming cosigned with State Route 211, intersecting Interstate 85
Interstate 85
Interstate 85 is a major interstate highway in the Southeastern United States. Its current southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus interchanges with Interstate 95 in Petersburg, Virginia, near Richmond...
in Braselton
Braselton, Georgia
Braselton is a town in Barrow, Gwinnett, Hall, and Jackson Counties in the U.S. state of Georgia, about 40 miles northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 7,511....
. This sector passes both Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta is a 2.54-mile road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, USA. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur sports car and motorcycle races, racing and driving schools, corporate programs and testing for motorsports teams...
and Lanier National Speedway. North of Winder
Winder, Georgia
Winder is a city in Barrow County, Georgia, United States. The population was 10,201 at the 2000 census. Census Estimates of 2005 indicate a population of 12,451...
, State Route 53 becomes cosigned with State Route 11 and State Route 211. The three routes continue south into downtown Winder. There, State Route 211 departs to the northwest, and State Route 11 and State Route 53 continue southeast, cosigned with U.S. Route 29 Business and State Route 8. Southeast of downtown Winder, State Route 11 departs, and U.S. Route 29 Business/State Route 8/State Route 53 continue to the junction with U.S. Route 29
U.S. Route 29
U.S. Route 29 is a north–south United States highway that runs for from the western suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland, to Pensacola, Florida. This highway's northern terminus is at Maryland Route 99 in Ellicott City, Maryland...
and State Route 316, where U.S. Route 29 Business terminates, State Route 8 continues east, and State Route 53 continues southeast. After crossing U.S. Route 78
U.S. Route 78
U.S. Highway 78 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 715 miles from Memphis, Tennessee, to Charleston, South Carolina. Between Memphis and Birmingham, Alabama, it is being upgraded to become Interstate 22....
, State Route 53 assumes an easterly routing, crossing U.S. Route 129
U.S. Route 129
U.S. Route 129 is an offshoot route of U.S. Route 29, which it intersects near Athens, Georgia. US 129 currently runs for 582 miles from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Chiefland, Florida, at U.S. Route 19 and U.S. Route 98. It passes through the states of Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida...
/U.S. Route 441
U.S. Route 441
U.S. Route 441 is a spur route of U.S. Route 41. It currently runs for 939 miles from U.S. Route 41 in Miami, Florida to U.S. Route 25W in Lake City, Tennessee. Between its termini, US 441 passes through the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee...
/State Route 24
State Route 24 (Georgia)
State Route 24 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Georgia. It runs from State Route 15 north of Watkinsville south to Milledgeville along U.S. Highway 441, east to Waynesboro, and southeast and southwest to end at State Route 26/U.S. Highway 80 in Statesboro.Initially SR 24 ran from...
before meeting its eastern terminus at State Route 15/State Route 24 Business in downtown Watkinsville.
Traffic
Most of State Route 53 sees an Average Annual Daily Traffic of more than 5,000 vehicles. In addition, some parts of the route, especially those between Rome and Fairmount, as well as around Gainesville, can see an AADT of over 10,000 vehicles.History
State Route 53 previously ran through downtown Jasper. However, some time between 2002 and 2005, the route was realigned to follow State Routes 5/515 and 108 around Jasper, while the former routing of State Route 53 became State Route 53 Business.State Route 53 had a previous alignment from Dawnsonville, GA to Gainseville, GA. This alignment was abandoned to make way for the new Lake Lanier Reservoir
Lake Lanier
Lake Lanier is a reservoir in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created by the completion of Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River in 1956, and is also fed by the waters of the Chestatee River. The lake encompasses of water, and of shoreline at normal level, a "full...
in the mid-1950s.
Related routes
State Route 53 Business follows the former routing of State Route 53 in Jasper.State Route 53 Connector connects the State Route 53 mainline with Interstate 985 in Gainesville.
State Route 53 Spur connects the State Route 53 mainline southwest of Calhoun with downtown.