 U.S. Highway 281 | |
|---|---|
 US 281 highlighted in red | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained byTxDOT | |
| Length | 580.608 mi[1][note 1] (934.398 km) |
| Existed | 1935–present |
| Major junctions | |
| South end | |
| Major intersections |
|
| North end |    I-44 /US 277 /US 281 atTexas-Oklahoma state line inBurkburnett |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| Counties | Cameron,Hidalgo,Brooks,Jim Wells,Live Oak,Atascosa,Bexar,Comal,Blanco,Burnet,Lampasas,Coryell,Hamilton,Erath,Palo Pinto,Jack,Archer,Wichita |
| Highway system | |
U.S. Route 281 (US 281) is aUnited States Numbered Highway that runs fromBrownsville near theMexican border in theRio Grande Valley to theCanadian border nearDunseith, North Dakota. In the state ofTexas, the highway is a major south–north corridor, connectingBrownsville to theOklahoma state line at theRed River inBurkburnett. Several segments of U.S. 281 are concurrent withInterstate routes, includingI-69C in theRio Grande Valley,I-37 inSan Antonio, andI-44 north ofWichita Falls.
US 281 has two signed segments near its southern terminus in theRio Grande Valley, both of which are signed west–east. The eastern segment, considered mainline US 281 byTxDOT, begins inBrownsville at an intersection with BusinessUS 77 andSH 48 about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the Mexico border, and travels west through several communities along the border toPharr.[1][2] The western segment, officially listed as a spur connection by TxDOT and often labeled on maps asUS 281 Spur, begins just north of theMcAllen–Hidalgo–Reynosa International Bridge inHidalgo and travels north along International Boulevard before turning east onto Coma Avenue and entering Pharr.[1][3] The two segments (along withSpur 600, which provides access to thePharr–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 withI-2, US 281 is concurrent withI-69C to that route's northern terminus (as of December 2015[update]) inEdinburg.[5] US 281 travels through small towns and sparsely populated areas, alternating between a divided highway and a main street and passing through aBorder Patrol checkpoint south ofFalfurrias,[6] until joiningI-37 north ofThree Rivers. The two routes split south ofPleasanton and separately travel northward toSan Antonio.
In San Antonio, US 281 overlapsI-410 on the south side of the city until another interchange with I-37. US 281 and I-37 then overlap north intoDowntown San Antonio until I-37 ends atI-35. US 281 continues north from Downtown San Antonio as the McAllister Freeway, intersecting I-410 again at a stack interchange inUptown San Antonio, with access to theSan Antonio International Airport. The freeway ends several miles north ofLoop 1604. InCentral Texas, it serves as the main street ofBlanco before beginning a concurrency withUS 290 south ofJohnson 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 towardMarble Falls,Burnet, andLampasas.
North ofStephenville, US 281 crossesI-20 and continues throughNorth Central Texas, passing throughMineral Wells andJacksboro. Upon reachingWichita Falls, US 281 becomes a freeway. It begins a concurrency withI-44 at that route's western terminus, and the two routes travel north, crossing theRed River intoOklahoma nearBurkburnett.
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A project to construct a stack interchange at I-410 (the "San Antonio Web"[7]) was completed June 9, 2008;[8] formerly there was no direct access between the two freeways and surface streets were required to 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[9] 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.
In 2010, US 281 from Loop 1604 to Bulverde Road in north San Antonio was re-constructed as a superstreet.[10] Groundbreaking was held on March 11, 2010 with construction finishing later that year in September.[11] The re-construction slightly increased travel times but this section of US 281 was still the most congested highway in Bexar County.[12] After nearly two decades of planning an delays, TxDOT upgraded this section of highway from a superstreet to a limited–access freeway, with construction beginning in 2017 and concluding in 2022. Section 1, from Loop 1604 to Stone Oak Parkway, was constructed from 2017 to 2020. Section 2, from Stone Oak Parkway to Borgfeld Drive, was constructed from 2019 to 2022.[13] The estimated cost for the project was $532 million.[14] Ground breaking for the project was held on March 31, 2017 with construction officially beginning on July 17.[15][16]
The highway was expanded from a two-lane highway to a four-lane divided highway from River Crossing to theComal-Blanco county line at a cost of $30.5 million.[17]
The section of US 281 fromI-2/US 83 inPharr toGeorge West is steadily being upgraded to an interstate-grade freeway as part of theInterstate 69 expansion, and will be signed asInterstate 69C.
All exits are unnumbered.
| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron | Brownsville | 0.0 | 0.0 |     Bus. US 77 (Central Boulevard) /SH 48 east (Boca Chica Boulevard) –Port Brownsville,Port Isabel,Harlingen | Southern terminus; road continues east as SH 48 (Boca Chica Boulevard) | |||
| 2.0 | 3.2 |  FM 802 east (Ruben M. Torres Boulevard) | ||||||
| 2.5 | 4.0 |  FM 3248 east (Alton Gloor Boulevard) | ||||||
| 7.7 | 12.4 |   FM 1421 north | ||||||
| 9.5 | 15.3 |  FM 1732 east –Olmito | ||||||
| Ranchito | 10.9 | 17.5 |  FM 1577 north (Esparza-Domanski Highway) | |||||
| La Paloma | 13.6 | 21.9 |  FM 732 north –San Benito | |||||
| Los Indios | 15.6 | 25.1 |  FM 2520 north –San Benito | |||||
| 18.0 | 29.0 |  FM 509 –Free Trade International Bridge | ||||||
| 19.6 | 31.5 |  FM 1479 north (Fred Elizondo Highway) –Rangerville,Harlingen | ||||||
| Bluetown | 23.7 | 38.1 |  FM 506 north –La Feria | |||||
| Santa Maria | 25.6 | 41.2 |  FM 2556 north (Jo-Ed Road) | |||||
| Hidalgo | | 28.9 | 46.5 |  FM 491 north –Mercedes | ||||
| Progreso–Progreso Lakes line | 32.0 | 51.5 |  FM 1015 –Progreso–Nuevo Progreso International Bridge | |||||
| Progreso | 32.4 | 52.1 |  FM Bus. 1015 north | |||||
| 34.6 | 55.7 |  FM 88 north (Ruben Hinojosa Highway) –Weslaco | ||||||
| | 38.9 | 62.6 |  FM 493 –Donna,Donna–Río Bravo International Bridge | |||||
| | 43.9 | 70.7 |  FM 907 north –Alamo | |||||
| San Juan | 45.4 | 73.1 |  FM 2557 north –San Juan | |||||
| 45.8– 46.9 | 73.7– 75.5 |   SH 365 Toll north –PharrSan Juan Road | Proposed interchange; future southern terminus of SH 365 Toll | |||||
| Pharr | 47.5 | 76.4 |     Spur 241 west (West Military Highway) /Spur 600 south –Hidalgo,Pharr–Reynosa International Bridge | Interchange | ||||
| 49.7 | 80.0 |  FM 3072 (Dicker Road) | ||||||
| 51.0 | 82.1 | SH 365 Toll | Proposed | |||||
| 54.8 | 88.2 |  Bus. US 83 –McAllen,Harlingen | ||||||
| 55.6 | 89.5 |  I-2 /US 83 –McAllen,Harlingen | ||||||
| 55.9 | 90.0 |  SH 495 (Ferguson Avenue) | ||||||
| 56.3 | 90.6 | I-2 /US 83 –McAllen,Harlingen  I-69C begins | South end of I-69C overlap; southbound exit and northbound entrance; I-2 exit 146; I-69C exits 1A-B | |||||
| seeI-69C | ||||||||
| Edinburg | 72.8 | 117.2 |  FM 490 I-69C ends | Interchange; current north end of I-69C overlap | ||||
| Linn | 79.8 | 128.4 |   SH 186 /FM 1017 | Interchange | ||||
| Brooks | Rachal | 103.8 | 167.0 |  FM 755 west –La Gloria,Rio Grande City | Interchange | |||
| | 106.0 | 170.6 | Bus. US 281 north –Encino | |||||
| | 108.8 | 175.1 | Bus. US 281 south –Encino | |||||
| | 124.7 | 200.7 |  FM 3066 | interchange; south end of freeway | ||||
| Falfurrias | 125.2 | 201.5 | Bus. US 281 north | |||||
| 126.8 | 204.1 |  SH 285 –Hebbronville,Riviera | ||||||
| 127.8 | 205.7 | Bus. US 281 south | ||||||
| | 128.5 | 206.8 |  FM 1418 | interchange; north end of freeway | ||||
| Jim Wells | | 133.4 | 214.7 |  FM 1538 west | ||||
| Premont | 137.5 | 221.3 |  FM 716 west | |||||
| | 149.8 | 241.1 |   SH 141 /FM 2295 –Kingsville,Benavides | Interchange | ||||
| | 152.4 | 245.3 |  FM 735 west | |||||
| Ben Bolt | 156.6 | 252.0 |  FM 2508 –Ben Bolt | Interchange | ||||
| | 159.8 | 257.2 |  FM 625 west | |||||
| | 160.0 | 257.5 |  Bus. US 281 north /FM 1930 –Alice | Interchange | ||||
| | 163.4 | 263.0 |  FM 1554 | |||||
| | 164.4 | 264.6 |   SH 44 /SH 359 –Alice,San Diego | Interchange | ||||
| | 167.7 | 269.9 | Bus. US 281 south –Alice | Interchange | ||||
| | 171.9 | 276.6 |  FM 2044 east –Alfred | |||||
| Midway | 183.5 | 295.3 |  FM 624 –Orange Grove,Cotulla | Interchange | ||||
| Live Oak | | 190.0 | 305.8 |  FM 3162 east –Lagarto | ||||
| George West | 205.1 | 330.1 |  US 59 –Freer,Laredo,Beeville,Houston | South end of Bus. US 59 overlap; future north end ofI-69C overlap | ||||
| 205.6 | 330.9 |    Bus. US 59-X north (Houston Street) toI-37 – truck route toUS 59 north | North end of Bus. US 59 overlap | |||||
| | 207.5 | 333.9 |  FM 889 west | |||||
| | 212.5 | 342.0 |  FM 1042 west –Simmons City | |||||
| Three Rivers | 215.5 | 346.8 |  SH 72 west (Thornton Street) –Choke Canyon State Park,Calliham,Tilden,Federal Prison | South end of SH 72 overlap | ||||
| 216.2 | 347.9 | SH 72 east (King David Drive) –Kenedy | North end of SH 72 overlap | |||||
| | 219.9 | 353.9 |  I-37 south –Corpus Christi | South end of I-37 overlap; US 281 south follows exit 72 | ||||
| seeI-37 | ||||||||
| Atascosa | | 251.1 | 404.1 | I-37 north –San Antonio | North end of I-37 overlap; northbound exit and southbound entrance; US 281 north follows exit 103 | |||
| | 252.3 | 406.0 |  Spur 199 east (Leal Road) / Jim Brite Road | |||||
| Pleasanton | 255.9 | 411.8 |  FM 1334 east –Coughran | |||||
| 256.2 | 412.3 |  SH 97 west –Jourdanton | South end of SH 97 overlap | |||||
| 257.0 | 413.6 | SH 97 east toI-37 –Floresville | North end of SH 97 overlap | |||||
| 257.3 | 414.1 |   Spur 242 toSH 97 –Poteet,Coastal Bend College | ||||||
| | 260.1 | 418.6 |  FM 3006 east toI-37 | |||||
| Leming | 264.0 | 424.9 |  FM 1470 south –Poteet | |||||
| Las Gallinas | 267.2 | 430.0 |  FM 536 east –Floresville | |||||
| Bexar | | 274.7 | 442.1 |  Loop 1604 (Anderson Loop) –Elmendorf,Somerset | Interchange | |||
| | 276.2 | 444.5 |  FM 2537 west / Martinez-Losoya Road | |||||
| San Antonio | 280.7 | 451.7 |  FM 1937 south / Del Lago Parkway –Losoya | |||||
| 281.8 | 453.5 |      I-410 west /SH 130 south /Spur 536 north (Roosevelt Avenue) –Stinson Airport | ||||||
| 283.0 | 455.4 | Espada Road –San Antonio Missions National Historical Park | interchange | |||||
| 283.2 | 455.8 | 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 | |||||
| 284.3 | 457.5 |  Spur 122 (South Presa Street) / Southton Road | I-410 exit 42 | |||||
| 285.3 | 459.1 |  I-37 south /I-410 north /SH 130 north toUS 181 south –Corpus Christi,Floresville | 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 | |||||
| seeI-37 | ||||||||
| 294.5 | 474.0 |  I-35 –Laredo,AustinI-37 ends | North end of I-37 overlap; I-37 exits 142A (north) and 142B (south); I-35 exits 158A-B | |||||
| 295.4 | 475.4 | Josephine Street / Grayson Street | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | |||||
| 295.9 | 476.2 | St. Mary's Street / Mulberry Avenue / Stadium Drive | ||||||
| 297.0 | 478.0 | Hildebrand Avenue | ||||||
| 298.8 | 480.9 | Basse Road | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | |||||
| 299.5 | 482.0 | Jones-Maltsberger Road | ||||||
| 300.3 | 483.3 | Sunset Road | Southbound exit only | |||||
| 300.4 | 483.4 | I-410 | I-410 exit 21A | |||||
| 300.7 | 483.9 | Airport Boulevard | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | |||||
| 301.0 | 484.4 | San Antonio International Airport Terminals | ||||||
| 301.3 | 484.9 | Jones-Maltsberger Road / Isom Road | ||||||
| 302.9 | 487.5 | San Pedro Avenue | Southbound exit and northbound entrance; formerSpur 537 | |||||
| 302.2 | 486.3 | Nakoma Drive | no direct southbound exit (signed at Wurzbach Parkway) | |||||
| 303.4 | 488.3 |  PA 1502 (Wurzbach Parkway) | signed with Nakoma Drive southbound; additional signage southbound for Sandau Road and Rhapsody Drive | |||||
| 304.0 | 489.2 | Bitters Road | ||||||
| 304.7 | 490.4 | Oak Shadows Drive / Winding Way Drive | no direct southbound exit (signed at Brook Hollow Boulevard) | |||||
| 305.4 | 491.5 | Brook Hollow Boulevard | ||||||
| 305.8 | 492.1 | Thousand Oaks Drive / Mecca Drive | No direct southbound exit (signed at Donella Drive) | |||||
| 306.7 | 493.6 | Donella Drive | ||||||
| 307.3 | 494.6 | Loop 1604 / Frontage Road | ||||||
| 307.9 | 495.5 |  Sonterra Boulevard / Redland Road / Encino Rio Road | access to North Central Baptist Hospital and Methodist Stone Oak Hospital; Encino Rio Road signed at Evans Road southbound | |||||
| 309.5 | 498.1 | Evans Road | ||||||
| VIA Stone Oak Park & Ride | HOV only[18] | |||||||
| 310.0 | 498.9 | Stone Oak Parkway / TPC Parkway | access to North Central Baptist Hospital and Methodist Stone Oak Hospital | |||||
| 310.9 | 500.3 | Marshall Road | ||||||
| Overlook Parkway / Wilderness Oak | Access to Baptist Neighborhood Hospital | |||||||
| Bulverde Road | ||||||||
| Borgfeld Drive | Interchange; temporary north end of freeway | |||||||
| Comal | Bulverde | 317.3 | 510.6 |  FM 1863 –Bulverde | Proposed interchange | |||
| Mustang Vista / Casey Road / Johnson Way | Proposed interchange | |||||||
| 321.2 | 516.9 |  SH 46 –Boerne,New Braunfels | Proposed interchange | |||||
| Spring Branch | 327.0 | 526.3 |  FM 311 east –Smithson Valley | Future interchange | ||||
| | 331.3 | 533.2 |  FM 306 east –Canyon Lake North | Future interchange; future northern end of freeway | ||||
| Blanco | | 334.0 | 537.5 |  RM 473 west –Kendalia | South end of RM 473 overlap | |||
| Twin Sisters | 335.8 | 540.4 | RM 473 east | North end of RM 473 overlap | ||||
| | 340.6 | 548.1 |  RM 32 east –San Marcos,Canyon Dam | |||||
| | 340.9 | 548.6 |   Loop 163 north toRM 165 –Wimberley | |||||
| Blanco | 342.2 | 550.7 |  PR 23 –Blanco State Park | interchange | ||||
| 342.7 | 551.5 |  Loop 163 south /RM 1623 west (4th Street) toRM 165 –Stonewall,Henly,Wimberley | ||||||
| | 350.4 | 563.9 |  US 290 east –Austin | South end of US 290 overlap | ||||
| Johnson City | 355.8 | 572.6 |  RM 2766 east –Pedernales Falls State Park | |||||
| 356.0 | 572.9 | US 290 west –Fredericksburg,Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park | North end of US 290 overlap | |||||
| 356.8 | 574.2 |  Spur 356 south –Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park | ||||||
| | 358.8 | 577.4 |  RM 1323 west –Sandy | |||||
| Round Mountain | 367.3 | 591.1 |  RM 962 east –Cypress Mill | South end of RM 962 overlap | ||||
| 367.5 | 591.4 | RM 962 west –Llano | North end of RM 962 overlap | |||||
| Burnet | Marble Falls | 373.3 | 600.8 |  SH 71 –Llano,Austin | Interchange; access to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Marble Falls | |||
| 376.1 | 605.3 |  RM 2147 east | South end of RM 2147 overlap | |||||
| 377.7 | 607.8 | RM 2147 west –Wirtz Dam,Horseshoe Bay,Lake LBJ | North end of RM 2147 overlap | |||||
| 378.8 | 609.6 |  RM 1431 –Granite Shoals,Kingsland,Lago Vista,Cedar Park | ||||||
| | 383.2 | 616.7 |  RM 1855 west –Fairland | |||||
| Demarco | 386.7 | 622.3 |  PR 4 west –Longhorn Cavern State Park,Inks Lake State Park, Inks Dam National Fish Hatchery | |||||
| Burnet | 391.7 | 630.4 |  SH 29 –Buchanan Dam,Llano,Georgetown | |||||
| 392.4 | 631.5 |  RM 963 east –Watson,Oakalla | ||||||
| | 401.2 | 645.7 |  RM 2340 east –Lake Victor | |||||
| Lampasas | Lampasas | 413.0 | 664.7 |   US 281 Truck north (E.E. Ohnmeiss Drive) toUS 190 east –Copperas Cove,Killeen | ||||
| 413.4 | 665.3 |  US 183 south /US 190 east /US 281 Truck south –Belton,Austin | South end of US 183 / US 190 overlap | |||||
| 413.7 | 665.8 |  Loop 257 east (4th Street) –Lampasas Downtown Historic District | ||||||
| 414.0 | 666.3 |  FM 580 west (North Avenue) –Colorado Bend State Park | South end of FM 580 overlap | |||||
| 414.6 | 667.2 | FM 580 east (East Avenue J) | North end of FM 580 overlap | |||||
| | 415.2 | 668.2 | US 183 north /US 190 west –Goldthwaite,Brownwood,San Saba,Lometa | North end of US 183 / US 190 overlap | ||||
| | 425.2 | 684.3 |  FM 1690 north | |||||
| | 429.9 | 691.9 |  FM 581 west –Lometa | South end of FM 581 overlap | ||||
| Adamsville | 430.5 | 692.8 | FM 581 east | North end of FM 581 overlap | ||||
| Coryell | No major junctions | |||||||
| Hamilton | Evant | 443.2 | 713.3 |  US 84 –Gatesville,Goldthwaite | Interchange | |||
| | 451.3 | 726.3 |  FM 221 west –Shive | |||||
| Hamilton | 459.3 | 739.2 |   SH 22 east /SH 36 (Main Street) –Comanche,Gatesville,Meridian | |||||
| 460.1 | 740.5 |  FM 2905 east | ||||||
| Olin | 471.3 | 758.5 |  FM 219 –Dublin,Cranfills Gap | |||||
| | 478.8 | 770.6 |  FM 1744 south –Carlton | |||||
| | 479.2 | 771.2 |  FM 1602 south –Fairy,Jonesboro | |||||
| Hico | 480.1 | 772.6 |   SH 6 south (2nd Street) toSH 220 –Meridian,Downtown Historic District | South end of SH 6 overlap | ||||
| Erath | | 484.5 | 779.7 | SH 6 north –Dublin,Eastland | North end of SH 6 overlap | |||
| | 486.0 | 782.1 |  FM 1824 east –Duffau | |||||
| | 492.4 | 792.4 |  FM 913 east –Selden | |||||
| | 497.8 | 801.1 |  SH 108 north –Stephenville | |||||
| Stephenville | 498.5 | 802.3 |  US 67 –Dublin,Glen Rose | |||||
| 498.8 | 802.7 |  US 377 –Dublin,Granbury | ||||||
| 499.1 | 803.2 |  FM 205 east | ||||||
| 499.6 | 804.0 | Bus. US 377 –Stephenville,Fort Worth | ||||||
| 500.8 | 806.0 |  FM 8 west –Tarleton Agricultural Center | ||||||
| | 501.8 | 807.6 |  FM 3025 west | |||||
| Morgan Mill | 511.0 | 822.4 |   FM 1188 /FM 1189 north –Lipan | |||||
| | 519.5 | 836.1 |  FM 2803 north –Patillo | |||||
| Palo Pinto | | 521.1 | 838.6 |  FM 4 –Santo,Lipan | ||||
| | 527.0 | 848.1 |  I-20 –Abilene,Fort Worth | I-20 exit 386 | ||||
| | 527.3 | 848.6 |  FM 2201 west –Santo | |||||
| | 528.1 | 849.9 |  FM 129 west –Brazos | |||||
| | 537.6 | 865.2 |  FM 1195 east –Lake Mineral Wells State Park,Municipal Airport | |||||
| | 539.6 | 868.4 |  FM 2256 south | |||||
| Mineral Wells | 541.3 | 871.1 |  US 180 east (South 1st Street) | One-way couplet | ||||
| 541.4 | 871.3 | US 180 west (Hubbard Street) | ||||||
| 542.5 | 873.1 |  FM 3027 east (Northeast 23rd Street) | South end of FM 3027 overlap | |||||
| 543.1 | 874.0 | FM 3027 west –Union Hill | North end of FM 3027 overlap | |||||
| | 544.8 | 876.8 |  FM 1821 east –Weatherford,Lake Mineral Wells State Park | |||||
| | 548.8 | 883.2 |  FM 2270 west | |||||
| Peadenville | 549.5 | 884.3 |   SH 254 west /FM 1885 east –Graford,Possum Kingdom Lake,Weatherford | |||||
| | 551.8 | 888.0 |  FM 52 –Oran,Whitt | |||||
| Jack | Perrin | 557.6 | 897.4 |  FM 2210 –Gibtown | ||||
| | 564.8 | 909.0 |  SH 199 east –Fort Worth | south end of SH 199 overlap | ||||
| | 568.2 | 914.4 |  FM 3324 south | |||||
| | 569.8 | 917.0 |   US 380 east /SH 114 east –Runaway Bay,Bridgeport,Dallas | South end of US 380 / SH 114 overlap | ||||
| Jacksboro | 571.4 | 919.6 |  PR 61 –Fort Richardson State Park | |||||
| 572.3 | 921.0 |  US 380 west /SH 59 north (Belknap Street) | North end of US 380 / SH 199 overlap | |||||
| 572.9 | 922.0 |  FM 3344 north (Post Oak Road) | ||||||
| 573.0 | 922.2 |  SH 148 north –Henrietta | ||||||
| | 579.6 | 932.8 | SH 114 west –Olney | North end of SH 114 overlap | ||||
| | 588.4 | 946.9 |  FM 1191 south –Jermyn | |||||
| | 589.7 | 949.0 |  FM 2190 east –Squaw Mountain | |||||
| | 592.6 | 953.7 |  Loop 187 north –Antelope | |||||
| | 595.4 | 958.2 | Loop 187 south –Antelope | |||||
| Archer | | 599.2 | 964.3 |  SH 16 south –Graham | ||||
| | 603.2 | 970.8 |  FM 2581 north | |||||
| Windthorst | 605.9 | 975.1 |   SH 25 north /FM 174 east –Archer City,Bowie | |||||
| Scotland | 611.9 | 984.8 |  FM 172 –Bluegrove | |||||
| | 622.5 | 1,001.8 |  FM 1954 –Holliday, Lake Arrowhead, Lake Arrowhead State Park | |||||
| Wichita | Wichita Falls | 624.8 | 1,005.5 |  Loop 473 / Rathgeber Road | interchange; south end of freeway | |||
| 625.5 | 1,006.6 |   FM 369 west (Southwest Parkway) /SH 79 south –Archer City | South end of SH 79 overlap; no direct southbound entrance | |||||
| 626.5 | 1,008.3 | Hatton Road | ||||||
| 627.1 | 1,009.2 | Midwestern Parkway –Midwestern State University | ||||||
| 627.6 | 1,010.0 |   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 | |||||
| 628.2 | 1,011.0 |  Loop 473 (Old Jacksboro Highway) /Spur 447 / Galveston Street | ||||||
| 628.7 | 1,011.8 | US 82 west /US 277 south –Lubbock,Abilene | North end of US 82 overlap; south end of US 277 overlap | |||||
| 629.2 | 1,012.6 | Broad Street – Business District | northbound exit and southbound entrance | |||||
| 630.0 | 1,013.9 | 6th Street –MPEC | no direct southbound exit | |||||
| overlap; seeI-44 | ||||||||
| | 645.1 | 1,038.2 |  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
| ||||||||
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "U.S. Route 281 in Texas" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(March 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
 Spur U.S. Highway 281 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Hidalgo–Pharr |
| Length | 4.9 mi (7.9 km) |
Spur US Route 281 began at theMcAllen–Hidalgo–Reynosa International Bridge inHidalgo, ran north along International Boulevard, then turned east along Military Highway before it ended at the main route of US 281 inPharr, and now it'sSpur 241.
The entire route is inHidalgo County.[19]
| Location[19] | mi | km | Destinations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hidalgo | 0.0 | 0.0 | Bridge Street | Western terminus; road continued as South International Boulevard to theMcAllen–Hidalgo–Reynosa International Bridge | ||
| 0.7 | 1.1 |  Spur 115 (North International Boulevard) –McAllen | ||||
| 1.2 | 1.9 |  SH 336 –McAllen | Interchange | |||
| | 3.5 | 5.6 |  FM 2061 (Jackson Road) –McAllen | |||
| Pharr | 4.9 | 7.9 | US 281 (Military Highway) /Spur 600 (Cage Boulevard) –Edinburg,Harlingen,Pharr–Reynosa International Bridge | Eastern terminus; interchange | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | ||||||
 Business U.S. Highway 281 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Edinburg |
| Length | 7.228 mi[20] (11.632 km) |
| Existed | June 21, 1990–present |
Bus. US 281-W is a business route of US 281 that serves the central business district ofEdinburg where it is known locally as Closner Boulevard. The highway was created in 1990 as a re-designation ofLoop 113.
The entire route is inHidalgo County.
| Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharr–Edinburg line | 0.0 | 0.0 | I-69C / US 281 / Owassa Road | I-69C exit 2 | |
| Edinburg | 4.0 | 6.4 |  SH 107 west (Cano Street) | South end of SH 107 overlap | |
| 4.1 | 6.6 | SH 107 east (University Drive) | North end of SH 107 overlap | ||
| 7.2 | 11.6 | I-69C / US 281 | I-69C exit 10 | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||
Business U.S. Highway 281 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Encino |
| Length | 2.867 mi[21] (4.614 km) |
| Existed | August 26, 1993–present |
Bus. US 281-U is from US 281 north of Encino southward to US 281 south of Encino, a distance of approximately 2.8 miles.
Business U.S. Highway 281 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Falfurrias |
| Length | 1.841 mi[22] (2.963 km) |
| Existed | June 24, 2004–present |
Bus. US 281-T is from 15th St, north ofSH 285, to Taylor Rd, south of SH 285, a distance of approximately 1.84 miles.
Business U.S. Highway 281 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Alice |
| Length | 7.911 mi[23] (12.732 km) |
| Existed | August 26, 1999–present |
Bus. US 281-R is from the new location of US 281, approximately 1.0 mile north ofFM 3376, southward to US 281 atFM 625, a distance of approximately 7.8 miles.
Business U.S. Highway 281 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Lampasas |
| Length | 0.400 mi[24] (644 m) |
| Existed | July 12, 2022–present |
Bus. US 281-J is from a segment of US 281 was redesignated on the state highway system as Bus. US 281-J from the intersection ofUS 183 southwestward to the intersection ofUS 190, a distance of approximately 0.4 miles.
 Alternate U.S. Highway 281 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Whitsett–Campbellton |
| Length | 16.719 mi[25] (26.907 km) |
| Existed | June 29, 1982–present |
Alternate U.S. Route 281 is an alternate routing of US 281 that serves the small communities ofWhitsett andCampbellton. The highway was designated in 1982 when the main highway was re-routed east alongI-37.
 Truck U.S. Highway 281 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Lampasas |
| Length | 0.6 mi[26] (970 m) |
Truck U.S. Route 281 is a truck route of US 281 located inLampasas.
Truck US 281 begins at the intersection of US 281 and E. E. Ohnmeiss Drive near Hancock Springs Park. The highway travels for 0.2 miles (0.32 km) east along E. E. Ohnmeiss Drive before reaching an intersection withUS 183 (Key Avenue) /US 190 (Central Texas Expressway). Truck US 281 then turns north onto Key Avenue, running concurrent with US 183 and US 190. After running for 0.4 miles (0.64 km) along Key Avenue, the highways then intersect the main route of US 281, which is the northern terminus of Truck US 281.
The truck route provides a more direct routing to US 183 south and US 190 east over the main US 281. Truck US 281 also provides a wider crossing over the Sulphur Creek, with the Key Avenue bridge having five lanes (two travel lanes in each direction plus a bi-directional center lane), whereas the older crossing on the original US 281 is only two lanes.
The entire route is inLampasas,Lampasas County.
| mi | km | Destinations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | US 281 –Burnet | |||
| 0.2 | 0.32 | US 183 south (Key Avenue) /US 190 east (Central Texas Highway) –Fort Cavazos,Killeen,Belton | South end of US 183 / US 190 overlap | ||
| 0.6 | 0.97 | US 183 north /US 190 west / US 281 | Access to AdventHealth Rollins Brook | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
 State Highway Loop 473 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Wichita Falls |
| Length | 4.367 mi[27] (7.028 km) |
| Existed | January 31, 1969–present |
Media related toU.S. Route 281 in Texas at Wikimedia Commons
| U.S. Route 281 | ||
|---|---|---|
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