U.S. Route 281 in Texas

US Highway 281
Route information
Maintained by TxDOT
Length:	580.608 mi[1] (934.398 km)
Existed:	1935 – present
Major junctions
South end:	Fed. 97 at the U.S.-Mexico border Bus. US 77 / SH 48 at Brownsville, TX
	I-2 / US 83 in Pharr I-69C from Pharr to Edinburg I-37 in Three Rivers I-10 / US 87 / US 90 in San Antonio I-35 in San Antonio I-20 north of Stephenville I-44 / US 82 / US 277 / US 287 in Wichita Falls
North end:	I‑44 / US-277 / US-281 at Texas-Oklahoma state line in Burkburnett
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Bannered Divided Replaced Highways in Texas Interstate US State Toll Loops Spurs FM/RM Park Rec

U.S. Route 281 (US 281) is a United States Numbered Highway that runs from the Mexican border in the Rio Grande Valley to the Canadian border near Dunseith, North Dakota. In the state of Texas, the highway is a major south–north corridor, connecting Brownsville to the Oklahoma state line at the Red River in Burkburnett. Several segments of U.S. 281 are concurrent with Interstate routes, including I-69C in the Rio Grande Valley, I-37 in San Antonio, and I-44 north of Wichita Falls.

Route description

US 281 has two signed segments near its southern terminus in the Rio Grande Valley, both of which are signed west–east. The eastern segment, considered mainline US 281 by TxDOT, begins in Brownsville at an intersection with Business US 77 and SH 48 about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the Mexico border, and travels west through several communities along the border to Pharr.^[1][2] The western segment, officially listed as a spur connection by TxDOT and often labeled on maps as US 281 Spur, begins just north of the McAllen–Hidalgo–Reynosa International Bridge in Hidalgo and travels north along International Boulevard before turning east onto Coma Avenue and entering Pharr.^[1][3] The two segments (along with Spur 600, which provides access to the Pharr–Reynosa International Bridge) meet at Cage Boulevard, where signage changes to south–north, and the highway turns to the north.^[4] North of the interchange with I-2, US 281 is concurrent with I-69C to that route's northern terminus (as of December 2015) in Edinburg.^[5] US 281 travels through small towns and sparsely-populated areas, alternating between a divided highway and a main street, until joining I-37 north of Three Rivers. The two routes split south of Pleasanton and separately travel northward to San Antonio.

In San Antonio, US 281 overlaps I-410 on the south side of the city until another interchange with I-37. US 281 and I-37 then overlap north into Downtown San Antonio until I-37 ends at I-35. US 281 continues north from Downtown San Antonio as the McAllister Freeway, intersecting I-410 again at a stack interchange in Uptown San Antonio, with access to the San Antonio International Airport. The freeway ends at Loop 1604, and US 281 continues through Bexar County as a superstreet. In Central Texas, it serves as the main street of Blanco before beginning a concurrency with US 290 south of Johnson City. As US 290 continues toward Austin, US 281 and US 290 provide a scenic and less congested alternative to I-35 between San Antonio and Austin. The two routes split in the city, with US 281 continuing toward Marble Falls, Burnet, and Lampasas.

North of Stephenville, US 281 crosses I-20 and continues through North Central Texas, passing through Mineral Wells and Jacksboro. Upon reaching Wichita Falls, US 281 becomes a freeway. It begins a concurrency with I-44 at that route's western terminus, and the two routes travel north, crossing the Red River into Oklahoma near Burkburnett.

History

A project to construct a stack interchange at I-410 (the "San Antonio Web"^[6]) was completed June 9, 2008;^[7] formerly there was no direct access between the two freeways and surface streets were required travel between the freeways. The reason for this initial lack of direct interchange was due to litigation filed in the late 1960s against the Texas Highway Department over the highway's original construction alignment through portions of Brackenridge Park and Olmos Park that were alleged to be in violation of several Federal laws, ultimately including NEPA. As a result of the Supreme Court decision^[8] in a more advanced and very similar case involving the proposed construction of I-40 through Overton Park in Memphis, Tennessee which upheld and affirmed the plaintiffs in that circumstance and precluded that highway's construction through the parkland with Federal funding, the Texas Highway Department chose instead to construct the McAlister Freeway entirely with State funding using a modified design that would increase curvature but limit encroachment into and noise impact on the Sunken Gardens area within Brackenridge Park. Funding of various highway projects from around Texas was re-allocated to the McAlister Freeway project, which was initially completed with only the indirect interchange via existing surface streets to Loop 410 since it required no Federal funding or approval and the Loop 410 overpass of that location where the McAlister Freeway main lanes would pass beneath had already been completed many years earlier.

Future

The highway is currently being expanded from a two-lane highway to a four-lane divided highway from River Crossing to the Comal-Blanco county line at a cost of $30.5 million.^[9] The section of US 281 from I-2/US 83 in Pharr to George West is steadily being upgraded to an interstate-grade freeway as part of the Interstate 69 expansion, and will be signed as Interstate 69C.

Major intersections

US Highways in Texas use green reflective labels about every 2 miles on sign posts which also include route markers. They are located immediately below route markers. Numbers increase as one goes south (for north - south routes) or east (for east - west routes). These markers are part of the Texas Reference Marker (TRM) System, introduced in 1990. The Texas Department of Transportation Statewide Planning Map includes an optional overlay with reference markers.

County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Cameron	Brownsville			Bus. US 77 (Central Boulevard) / SH 48 east (Boca Chica Boulevard) – Port Brownsville, Port Isabel, Harlingen	Southern terminus
		832	1,339	FM 802 east (Ruben M. Torres Boulevard)
				FM 3248 east (Alton Gloor Boulevard)
				FM 1421 north
		829	1,334	FM 1732 east – Olmito
	Ranchito	828	1,333	FM 1577 north (Esparza-Domanski Highway)
	La Paloma	825	1,328	FM 732 north – San Benito
	Los Indios	823	1,324	FM 2520 north – San Benito
		820	1,320	FM 509 – Free Trade International Bridge
		819	1,318	FM 1479 north (Fred Elizondo Highway) – Rangerville, Harlingen
	Bluetown	815	1,312	FM 506 north – La Feria
	Santa Maria	813	1,308	FM 2556 north (Jo-Ed Road)
Hidalgo	​	809	1,302	FM 491 north – Mercedes
	Progreso–Progreso Lakes line			FM 1015 – International Bridge
	Progreso			Bus. FM 1015 north
		803.5	1,293.1	FM 88 north (Ruben Hinojosa Highway) – Weslaco
	Run	799	1,286	FM 493 – Mexico, Donna, Donna Rio Bravo International Bridge
	​	794	1,278	FM 907 north – Alamo
	San Juan	792.5	1,275.4	FM 2557 north – San Juan
	Pharr			US 281 Spur west (West Military Highway) / Spur 600 south – Hidalgo, Pharr / Reynosa International Bridge	Interchange
				FM 3072
				Bus. US 83 – McAllen, Harlingen
		783	1,260	I-2 / US 83 – McAllen, Harlingen
		782.7	1,259.6	SH 495 (Ferguson Avenue)
				I-2 / US 83 – McAllen, Harlingen	South end of I-69C overlap; southbound exit and northbound entrance; I-2 exit 146; I-69C exits 0A-B
	see I-69C
	Edinburg	765	1,231	FM 490	Interchange; north end of I-69C overlap
	Linn	758	1,220	SH 186 / FM 1017	Interchange
Brooks	Rachal			FM 755 west – La Gloria, Rio Grande City
	​			Bus. US 281 north – Encino
	​			Bus. US 281 south – Encino
	​			FM 3066	interchange; south end of freeway
	Falfurrias			Bus. US 281 north
				SH 285 – Hebbronville, Riviera
				Bus. US 281 south
	​			FM 1418	interchange; north end of freeway
Jim Wells	​			FM 1538 west
	Premont			FM 716 west
	​			SH 141 / FM 2295 – Kingsville, Benavides	Interchange
	​			FM 735 west
	Ben Bolt			FM 2508 – Ben Bolt	Interchange
	​			FM 625 west
	​			Bus. US 281 north / FM 1930 – Alice	Interchange
	​			FM 1554
	​			SH 44 / SH 359 – Alice, San Diego	Interchange
	​			Bus. US 281 south – Alice	Interchange
	​			FM 2044 east – Alfred
	Midway			FM 624 – Orange Grove, Cotulla	Interchange
Live Oak	​			FM 3162 east – Lagarto
	George West			US 59 – Freer, Laredo, Beeville, Houston	South end of Bus. US 59 overlap
				Bus. US 59 north (Houston Street) to I-37 – truck route to US 59 north	North end of Bus. US 59 overlap
	​			FM 889 west
	​			FM 1042 west – Simmons City
	Three Rivers			SH 72 west (Thornton Street) – Choke Canyon State Park, Calliham, Tilden, Federal Prison	South end of SH 72 overlap
				SH 72 east (King David Drive) – Kenedy	North end of SH 72 overlap
	​			I-37 south – Corpus Christi	South end of I-37 overlap; US 281 south follows exit 72
see I-37
Atascosa	​			I-37 north – San Antonio	North end of I-37 overlap; northbound exit and southbound entrance; US 281 north follows exit 103
	​			Spur 199 east (Leal Road) / Jim Brite Road
	Pleasanton			FM 1334 east – Coughran
				SH 97 west – Jourdanton	South end of SH 97 overlap
				SH 97 east to I-37 – Floresville	North end of SH 97 overlap
				Spur 242 to SH 97 – Poteet, Coastal Bend College
	​			FM 3006 east to I-37
	Leming			FM 1470 south – Poteet
	Las Gallinas			FM 536 east – Floresville
Bexar	​			Loop 1604 (Anderson Loop) – Elmendorf, Somerset	Interchange
	​			FM 2537 west
	San Antonio			FM 1937 south – Losoya
				I-410 west / SH 130 south / Spur 536 north (Roosevelt Avenue) – Stinson Airport
				Espada Road - San Antonio Missions National Historical Park	interchange
				I-410 west / SH 130 south	South end of I-410 / SH 130 overlap; southbound exit and northbound entrance; US 281 south follows exit 44
				Spur 122 (South Presa Street) / Southton Road	I-410 exit 42
				I-37 south / I-410 north / SH 130 north to US 181 south / SH 130 Toll – Corpus Christi, Rio Grande Valley, Floresville, Austin, Waco	North end of I-410 / SH 130 overlap; south end of I-37 overlap; US 281 north follows exit 41; US 281 south follows exit 133
		see I-37
				I-35 – Laredo, Austin	North end of I-37 overlap; I-37 exit 142; I-35 exit 158
				Josephine Street / Grayson Street	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
				St. Mary's Street / Mulberry Avenue / Stadium Drive
				Hildebrand Avenue
				Basse Road	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
				Jones-Maltsberger Road
				Sunset Road	Southbound exit only
				Airport Boulevard	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
				I-410	I-410 exit 21A
				San Antonio International Airport Terminals
				Jones-Maltsberger Road / Isom Road
				San Pedro Avenue	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; former Spur 537
				Nakoma Drive	no direct southbound exit (signed at Wurzbach Parkway)
				Wurzbach Parkway (PA 1502)	signed with Nakoma Drive southbound; additional signage southbound for Sandau Road and Rhapsody Drive
				Bitters Road
				Oak Shadows Drive / Winding Way Drive	no direct southbound exit (signed at Brook Hollow Boulevard)
				Brook Hollow Boulevard
				Thousand Oaks Drive / Mecca Drive	no direct southbound exit (signed at Donella Drive)
				Donella Drive
		524	843	Loop 1604 / Frontage Road
				Sonterra Boulevard	interchange; north end of freeway; no direct southbound exit (signed at Loop 1604), access to North Central Baptist Hospital and Methodist Stone Oak Hospital
Comal	Bulverde			FM 1863 – Bulverde	Interchange
				SH 46 – Boerne, New Braunfels	Interchange
	Spring Branch			FM 311 east
	​			FM 306 east – Canyon Lake North
Blanco	​			RM 473 west – Kendalia	South end of RM 473 overlap
	Twin Sisters			RM 473 east	North end of RM 473 overlap
	​			RM 32 east – San Marcos, Canyon Dam
	​			Loop 163 north to RM 165 – Wimberley
	Blanco			PR 23 – Blanco State Park	interchange
				Loop 163 south / RM 1623 west (4th Street) to RM 165 – Stonewall, Henly, Wimberley
	​	480	770	US 290 east – Austin	South end of US 290 overlap
	Johnson City			RM 2766 east – Pedernales Falls State Park
				US 290 west – Fredericksburg, Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park	North end of US 290 overlap
	​			Spur 356 south – Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park
	​			RM 1323 west – Sandy
	Round Mountain			RM 962 east – Cypress Mill	South end of RM 962 overlap
				RM 962 west – Llano	North end of RM 962 overlap
Burnet	​			SH 71 – Llano, Austin	Interchange
	​			RM 2147 east	South end of RM 2147 overlap
	Marble Falls			RM 2147 west – Wirtz Dam, Horseshoe Bay, Lake LBJ	North end of RM 2147 overlap
		451	726	RM 1431 – Granite Shoals, Kingsland, Lago Vista, Cedar Park
	​			RM 1855 west – Fairland
	Demarco			PR 4 west – Longhorn Cavern State Park, Inks Lake State Park, Inks Dam National Fish Hatchery
	Burnet	438	705	SH 29 – Buchanan Dam, Llano, Georgetown
				RM 963 east – Watson, Oakalla
	​			RM 2340 east – Lake Victor
Lampasas	Lampasas			US 281 Truck north (E.E. Ohnmeiss Drive) to US 190 east – Copperas Cove, Killeen
				US 183 south / US 190 east / US 281 Truck south – Belton, Austin	South end of US 183 / US 190 overlap
		414	666	Loop 257 east (4th Street) – Lampasas Downtown Historic District
				FM 580 west (North Avenue) – Colorado Bend State Park	South end of FM 580 overlap
				FM 580 east (East Avenue J)	North end of FM 580 overlap
	​			US 183 north / US 190 west – Goldthwaite, Brownwood, San Saba, Lometa	North end of US 183 / US 190 overlap
	​			FM 1690 north
	​			FM 581 west – Lometa	South end of FM 581 overlap
	Adamsville			FM 581 east	North end of FM 581 overlap
Coryell	No major junctions
Hamilton	Evant			US 84 – Gatesville, Goldthwaite	Interchange
	​			FM 221 west – Shive
	Hamilton	366	589	SH 22 east / SH 36 (Main Street) – Comanche, Gatesville, Meridian
				FM 2905 east
	Olin			FM 219 – Dublin, Cranfills Gap
	​			FM 1744 south – Carlton
	​			FM 1602 south – Fairy, Jonesboro
	Hico	340	550	SH 6 south (2nd Street) to SH 220 – Meridian, Downtown Historic District	South end of SH 6 overlap
Erath	​			SH 6 north – Dublin, Eastland	North end of SH 6 overlap
	​	338	544	FM 1824 east – Duffau
	​	332	534	FM 913 east – Selden
	​			SH 108 north – Stephenville
	Stephenville			US 67 – Dublin, Glen Rose
				US 377 – Dublin, Granbury
				FM 205 east
		325	523	Bus. US 377 – Stephenville, Fort Worth
				FM 8 west – Tarleton Agricultural Center
	​			FM 3025 west
	Morgan Mill			FM 1188 / FM 1189 north – Lipan
	​			FM 2803 north – Patillo
Palo Pinto	​	303	488	FM 4 – Santo, Lipan
	​	296	476	I-20 – Abilene, Fort Worth	I-20 exit 386
	​			FM 2201 west – Santo
	​			FM 129 west – Brazos
	​			FM 1195 east – Lake Mineral Wells State Park, Municipal Airport
	​			FM 2256 south
	Mineral Wells			US 180 east (South 1st Street)
				US 180 west (Hubbard Street)
				FM 3027 east (Northeast 23rd Street)	South end of FM 3027 overlap
				FM 3027 west – Union Hill	North end of FM 3027 overlap
	​			FM 1821 east – Weatherford, Lake Mineral Wells State Park
	​			FM 2270 west
	Peadenville			SH 254 west / FM 1885 east – Graford, Possum Kingdom Lake, Weatherford
	​			FM 52 – Oran, Whitt
Jack	Perrin			FM 2210 – Gibtown
	​			SH 199 east – Fort Worth	south end of SH 199 overlap
	​			FM 3324 south
	​			US 380 east / SH 114 east – Runaway Bay, Bridgeport, Dallas	South end of US 380 / SH 114 overlap
	Jacksboro			PR 61 – Fort Richardson State Park
				US 380 west / SH 59 north (Belknap Street)	North end of US 380 / SH 199 overlap
				FM 3344 north (Post Oak Road)
				SH 148 north – Henrietta
	​			SH 114 west – Olney	North end of SH 114 overlap
	​			FM 1191 south – Jermyn
	​			FM 2190 east – Squaw Mountain
	​			Loop 187 north – Antelope
	​			Loop 187 south – Antelope
Archer	​			SH 16 south – Graham
	​			FM 2581 north
	Windthorst			SH 25 north / FM 174 east – Archer City, Bowie
	Scotland			FM 172 – Bluegrove
	​			FM 1954 – Holliday, Lake Arrowhead, Lake Arrowhead State Park
Wichita	Wichita Falls			Loop 473 / Rathgeber Road	interchange; south end of freeway
				FM 369 west (Southwest Parkway) / SH 79 south – Archer City	South end of SH 79 overlap; no direct southbound entrance
				Hatton Road
				Midwestern Parkway - Midwestern State University
				US 82 east / US 287 south / SH 79 north – Texarkana, Fort Worth	North end of SH 79 overlap; south end of US 82 / US 287 overlap
				Loop 473 (Old Jacksboro Highway) / Spur 477 / Galveston Street
				US 82 west / US 277 south – Lubbock, Abilene	North end of US 82 overlap; south end of US 277 overlap
				Broad Street - Business District	northbound exit and southbound entrance
				6th Street - MPEC	no direct southbound exit
	overlap; see I-44
	​			I‑44 east / US-277 north / US-281 north – Lawton	Oklahoma state line (bridge over the Red River)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Unopened

References

1. Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "U.S. Highway No. 281". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
2. Transportation Planning and Programming Division (2014). Texas County Map Book (PDF) (Map) (2014 ed.). 1:120,000. Texas Department of Transportation. p. 412. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
3. Transportation Planning and Programming Division (2014). Texas County Map Book (PDF) (Map) (2014 ed.). 1:120,000. Texas Department of Transportation. p. 352. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
4. Transportation Planning and Programming Division (2014). Texas County Map Book (PDF) (Map) (2014 ed.). 1:120,000. Texas Department of Transportation. p. 382. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
5. Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "Interstate Highway No. 69-C". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
6. Driscoll, Patrick (2006-01-16). "Now there's a name for it". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved June 20, 2008.
7. Driscoll, Patrick (2008-06-10). "U.S. 281/Loop 410 interchange ramps are complete". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved June 20, 2008.
8. Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe
9. "US 281 - Spring Branch". TxDOT. Retrieved July 15, 2014.