U.S. Route 281 (US 281) is a

United States Numbered Highway The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these h ...

that runs from Brownsville near the

Mexican border Mexico shares international borders with three nations: *To the north the United States–Mexico border, which extends for a length of through the states of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas. *To the sou ...

in the

Rio Grande Valley Lower Rio Grande Valley (), often referred to as the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of South Texas, is a region located in the southernmost part of Texas, along the northern bank of the Rio Grande. It is also known locally as the Valley or the 956 (the ...

to the

Canadian border The borders of Canada include: * To the south and west: An international boundary with the United States, forming the Canada–United States border, longest shared border in the world, ; (Informally referred as the 49th parallel north which make ...

near

Dunseith, North Dakota Dunseith ( ) is a city in Rolette County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 632 at the 2020 census. Dunseith is best known for its proximity to the International Peace Garden. The port of entry at the Peace Garden is one of three ...

. In the state of

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, the highway is a major south–north corridor, connecting Brownsville to the

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

state line at the Red River in

Burkburnett Burkburnett () is a city in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Wichita Falls, Texas metropolitan statistical area. Its population was 10,939 at the 2020 census. History Originally settled by ranchers as early as 1856, thi ...

. Several segments of U.S. 281 are concurrent with Interstate routes, including

I-69C Interstate 69C (I-69C) is a north–south Interstate Highway running through South Texas. Once complete, the freeway (with connections to both Federal Highway 40 and Federal Highway 97) will begin at I-2/ U.S. Highway 83 ...

in the

, I-37 in

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

, and

I-44 Interstate 44 (I-44) is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Although it is nominally an east–west road as it is even-numbered, it follows a more southwest–northeast alignment. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, T ...

north of

Wichita Falls Wichita Falls ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the principal city of the Wichita Falls metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay, and Wichita Counties. According to ...

Route description

US 281 has two signed segments near its southern terminus in the

, both of which are signed west–east. The eastern segment, considered mainline US 281 by

TxDOT The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT ) is a Texas state government agency responsible for construction and maintenance of the state's immense Texas state highway system, state highway system and the support of the state's maritime trans ...

, begins in Brownsville at an intersection with Business

US 77 U.S. Route 77 (US 77) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway which extends for in the central United States. As of 2005, Its southern terminus is in Brownsville, Texas, at Veteran's International Bridge on the Mexican border, ...

and SH 48 about from the Mexico border, and travels west through several communities along the border to

Pharr Pharr is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 79,715, and in 2022, the estimated population was 80,187. Pharr is connected by bridge to the Mexican city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas. Pharr is ...

. 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 The McAllen–Hidalgo International Bridge is a road bridge crossing the Rio Grande between the state of Tamaulipas in northeastern Mexico and the state of Texas in the southwestern United States. History As of 2015, the bridge includes two di ...

Hidalgo Hidalgo may refer to: People * Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility * Hidalgo (surname) Places Mexico :''Most, if not all, named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753–1811)'' * Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico * Hidalgo, Coah ...

and travels north along International Boulevard before turning east onto Coma Avenue and entering Pharr. The two segments (along with Spur 600, which provides access to the

Pharr–Reynosa International Bridge The Pharr–Reynosa International Bridge () is an international bridge across the Rio Grande, along the U.S.–Mexico border. It connects the city of Pharr in the U.S. state of Texas with the city of Reynosa in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. O ...

) meet at Cage Boulevard, where signage changes to south–north, and the highway turns to the north. North of the interchange with I-2, US 281 is concurrent with

to that route's northern terminus () in Edinburg. US 281 travels through small towns and sparsely populated areas, alternating between a divided highway and a main street and passing through a Border Patrol checkpoint south of

Falfurrias Falfurrias ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Brooks County, Texas, United States. Its population was 4,609 at the 2020 census, in a county that in the same census was just over 7,000. The town is named for founder Edward Cunningham Lasa ...

, until joining I-37 north of Three Rivers. The two routes split south of Pleasanton and separately travel northward to

. 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 Downtown San Antonio is the central business district of San Antonio, Texas, and the urban core of Greater San Antonio, a metropolitan area with nearly 2.5 million people. Downtown San Antonio is encircled by Texas State Highway Loop 1604, 16 ...

until I-37 ends at

I-35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexico–Uni ...

. 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 San Antonio International Airport is an international airport in San Antonio, Texas, United States. It is in Uptown Central San Antonio, about north of Downtown. It has three runways and covers . Its elevation is above sea level. SAT averag ...

. The freeway ends several miles north of

Loop 1604 Loop 1604 is the outer highway loop encircling San Antonio, Texas, spanning approximately . Originally constructed as a two-lane highway, the northern segment of the route, from US 90 in western San Antonio to Kitty Hawk Road in northeas ...

. In

Central Texas Central Texas is a region in the U.S. state of Texas roughly bordered on the west by San Saba, to the southeast by Bryan- College Station, the south by San Marcos and to the north by Hillsboro. Central Texas overlaps with and includes part ...

, it serves as the main street of

Blanco Blanco (''white'' or ''blank'' in Spanish) or Los Blancos may refer to: People *Blanco (surname) Fictional characters *Blanco, a hobbit in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth *Blanco Webb, character in the BBC sitcom ''Porridge'' *Graboid#El 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 Lampasas ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lampasas County, Texas, United States. Its population was 7,291 at the 2020 census. Lampasas is part of the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood metropolitan statistical area. History For his ...

. North of Stephenville, US 281 crosses

I-20 I20, I 20 or I-20 may refer to: * Interstate 20, a highway in the southeastern United States * I-20 (form), a United States government document that provides supporting information for the issuance of a student visa or change of status * I-20 (rap ...

and continues through

North Central Texas North Texas is a term used primarily by residents of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex to refer to a geographic area of Texas, generally considered to include the area south of Oklahoma, east of Abilene, Texas, Abilene, west of Paris, Texas, Par ...

, passing through

Mineral Wells Mineral Wells is a city in Palo Pinto and Parker Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 14,820 at the 2020 census. The city is named for mineral wells in the area, which were highly popular in the early 1900s. History In 1919, ...

and Jacksboro. Upon reaching

, US 281 becomes a freeway. It begins a concurrency with

at that route's western terminus, and the two routes travel north, crossing the Red River into

near

History

A project to construct a stack interchange at I-410 (the "San Antonio Web") was completed June 9, 2008; 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 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. Groundbreaking was held on March 11, 2010 with construction finishing later that year in September. The re-construction slightly increased travel times but this section of US 281 was still the most congested highway in Bexar County. 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. The estimated cost for the project was $532 million. Ground breaking for the project was held on March 31, 2017 with construction officially beginning on July 17. The highway was expanded from a two-lane highway to a four-lane divided highway from River Crossing to the

Comal Comal may refer to: * COMAL, a computer programming language * Comal (cookware), a type of griddle Places * Comal River (Indonesia) * Comal County, Texas, U.S. * Comal River, Texas, U.S. * Comal Springs (Texas), U.S. See also

* {{disa ...

county line at a cost of $30.5 million.

Future

The section of US 281 from I-2/

US 83 U.S. Route 83 (US 83) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that extends in the central United States. Only four other north–south routes are longer: US 1, US 41, US 59, and US 87, while U ...

to George West is steadily being upgraded to an interstate-grade freeway as part of the

Interstate 69 Interstate 69 (I-69) is an Interstate Highway in the United States currently consisting of eight unconnected segments. The longest segment runs from Evansville, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, and includ ...

expansion, and will be signed as

Interstate 69C Interstate 69C (I-69C) is a north–south Interstate Highway running through South Texas. Once complete, the freeway (with connections to both Federal Highway 40 and Federal Highway 97) will begin at I-2/ U.S. Highway 83 ...

Major intersections

Special routes

Hidalgo spur route

Spur US Route 281 began at the

, ran north along International Boulevard, then turned east along Military Highway before it ended at the main route of US 281 in

, and now it's Spur 241. ;Junction list

Edinburg business route

Bus. US 281-W is a business route of US 281 that serves the central business district of Edinburg where it is known locally as Closner Boulevard. The highway was created in 1990 as a re-designation of Loop 113. ;Junction list

Encino business route

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.

Falfurrias business route

Bus. US 281-T is from 15th St, north of SH 285, to Taylor Rd, south of SH 285, a distance of approximately 1.84 miles.

Alice business route

Bus. US 281-R is from the new location of US 281, approximately 1.0 mile north of FM 3376, southward to US 281 at FM 625, a distance of approximately 7.8 miles.

Lampasas business route

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 of

US 183 U.S. Route 183 (US 183) is a north–south United States highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Presho, South Dakota, at an intersection with Interstate 90. Its southern terminus is in Refugio, Texas, at the southern intersectio ...

southwestward to the intersection of

US 190 U.S. Route 190 (US 190) is an east–west United States Highway in Louisiana and Texas. Segments of US 190 will be upgraded to Interstate 14 (I-14); the first segment was opened on January 26, 2017. Route description , - , TX , , - , ...

, a distance of approximately 0.4 miles.

Whitsett–Campbellton loop

Alternate U.S. Route 281 is an alternate routing of US 281 that serves the small communities of Whitsett and Campbellton. The highway was designated in 1982 when the main highway was re-routed east along I-37.

Lampasas truck route

Truck U.S. Route 281 is a truck route of US 281 located in

. Truck US 281 begins at the intersection of US 281 and E. E. Ohnmeiss Drive near Hancock Springs Park. The highway travels for east along E. E. Ohnmeiss Drive before reaching an intersection with

(Key Avenue) /

(Central Texas Expressway). Truck US 281 then turns north onto Key Avenue, running concurrent with US 183 and US 190. After running for 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. ;Junction list

Wichita Falls business loop

Notes

References

External links