Swainsboro stands at the intersection of two historic cross-country routes, U.S. Highway 1 and U.S. Highway 80. U.S. Highway 1, the longest north-south road in the United States, stretches from Fort Kent, Maine, to Key West, Florida. U.S. Highway 80 ran from Savannah, Georgia, to San Diego, California, until 1932, when Dallas, Texas, became the western terminus. The meeting of these prominent routes earned Swainsboro the title "Crossroads of the Great South," and much of the town's early development may be attributed to these important highways. A wagon in a style typical of the period before automobiles became common reflects how such vehicles often served both as farm wagons and personal transportation.