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State Highway 20 (Texas)
Encyclopedia
State Highway 20 or SH 20 is a 78.1 miles (125.7 km) highway maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
that runs from New Mexico State Road 460 at the state line between Texas
and New Mexico
at Anthony
in El Paso County to Interstate 10
at McNary
in Hudspeth County
. The route passes through the city of El Paso
as well as suburban and rural farming communities along the Rio Grande
. With the exception of a stretch north of central El Paso where the route crosses north of I-10, the route generally runs in a narrow belt between I-10 and the Rio Grande. The route has connections to every international border crossing with Mexico
in the El Paso area and has important intersections with US 54
, US 62, US 85
, and US 180.
Until the late 1930s, the route designation belonged to a highway in central Texas along the route of present day US 290
. The current route predates the Texas highway system
having been a portion of several historic auto trail
s. The route was included at the creation of the state system as part of SH 1. With the establishment of the U.S. numbered highway system
, the route became US 80 and the SH 1 designation was eventually dropped. SH 20 was designated over the route when US 80 was relocated over I-10 before it too was decommissioned in western Texas.
In 1917, the same year that the Texas State Highway Department (now TxDOT) was created, the department's Office of State Highway Engineer issued a proposal for the state highway system. The proposal included a Highway 20 originally planned between Austin
and Houston
by way of Giddings
, Brenham
, and Hempstead
. Later that year, the planned route was extended from Austin to Brady
by way of Burnet
, Llano
, and Mason
.
A second proposal in 1919 left the route largely intact, but shortened it with termini in Mason and Hempstead. This proposal added an auxiliary route, Highway 20A from Austin through Johnson City
to Fredericksburg
. The highway routes remained unchanged in a 1922 proposal that rated both routes as "second class" under a three-tier system in which first and second class roads made up only seven percent of the proposed highway system.
In 1924, the state highway department assumed responsibility to maintain all state highways which were previously maintained by the counties. The following year, state lawmakers vest the department with the authority to acquire right of way, survey, plan, and build highways. By 1926, SH 20 in the new highway system was routed over the previously proposed Highway 20A from Fredericksburg to Austin and then over the proposed Highway 20 to Hempstead as a second class highway, and the route was given a third class extension to Kerrville
. By 1928, SH 20 was given an auxiliary route SH 20A from Fredericksburg to a point on the highway between Kerrville and Junction
. All of the highway from Fredericksburg to Hempstead was classified as a "secondary federal highway" with primary and secondary federal highways comprising seven percent of the state system. The portion between Fredericksburg and Kerrville along with the new auxiliary route were classified as "state highways" eligible for state aid only.
By 1933 the SH 20 designation was dropped over the Fredericksburg to Kerrville highway and extended instead over the auxiliary route SH 20A. That year the road was described between Fredericksburg and Hempstead as paved except for the portion in Hays County
around Dripping Springs
and a short portion west of Elgin
that were described as surfaced. The portion west of Fredericksburg toward Junction was graded earth. In 1935, US 290 was routed over SH 20 except for the portion between Austin and Paige
where US 290 was routed further south through Bastrop
. By 1936, the formerly surfaced portion west of Elgin had been paved, but the Hays County portion remained merely surfaced. West of Fredericksburg, the Gillespie County
portion had been surfaced while the Kimble County
portion remained as an improved earth road. In 1939, the SH 20 designation was dropped along all portions of the route running along US 290 as a result of that year's general redescription of the state highway system leaving SH 20 as a greatly shortened route running from Austin to US 290 near Paige. In 1951, US 290 was relocated away from Bastrop northward along SH 20 which was then decommissioned.
, the Lee Highway
, the Jefferson Davis National Highway, and the Bankhead Highway
.
The current SH 20 was originally a part of the former SH 1, a route that from the current eastern terminus of the present route continued on through Van Horn
, Odessa
, Midland
, Abilene
, Fort Worth
, and Dallas
before entering Arkansas
at Texarkana
. This route was also one of the original routes planned in 1917, and remained largely unchanged until the end of the 1930s.
In 1927, US 80 was designated over the route of SH 1 from the New Mexico state line at Anthony to Dallas and then proceeding east to the Louisiana
state line east of Waskom
. The highway carried both the US 80 and SH 1 designations until the 1939 general redescription of the state highway system when SH 1 was decommissioned outside the city of Dallas. In 1944, the full length of US 80 within Texas was designated as the Veterans of World War II Highway. US 80 was relocated over I-10 through El Paso in 1969, and its former route was then renamed SH 20. US 80 was decommissioned west of Dallas in 1991.
and Anthony, Texas in the El Paso area's Upper Valley. The route proceeds south through Anthony along Main St. passing Federal Correctional Institution, La Tuna
. The route then enters Vinton
where it becomes Doniphan Dr. Further south in Canutillo
the route intersects Loop 375, El Paso's beltway. After entering the city of El Paso, the route intersects SH 178
which connects the route via NM 136 to the international border with Mexico south of Santa Teresa, New Mexico
. Further south, SH 20 turns off of Doniphan Dr. and onto Mesa St. and soon after crosses the I-10
freeway which also carries US 85
and US 180 at this point. The route continues to the southeast passing through the foothills of the Franklin Mountains
. The route then passes the University of Texas at El Paso
and Sun Bowl Stadium
before entering central El Paso.
In central El Paso, the route crosses I-10 and US 180 again and then soon after turns northeast on Texas Ave. where the route crosses Santa Fe St. and Stanton St. leading to the Paso del Norte International Bridge
and Good Neighbor International Bridge
to Ciudad Juárez
. The route then turns east along Alameda Ave. The route then crosses Loop 478
before crossing the unsigned I-110
and US 54
at the Patriot Freeway which leads to the international Bridge of the Americas. The route crosses US 62 at Paisano Dr. before the route turns southeast at Ascarate Park and enters the Lower Valley.
At Zaragoza Rd., which leads to the Ysleta-Zaragoza International Bridge
, the route intersects FM 258 and passes Ysleta Mission
in the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo
Native American reservation. The route crosses Loop 375 again before entering Socorro
where the route continues along Alameda. Further to the southeast at Clint
, SH 20 crosses FM 1110 to San Elizario
. In Fabens
, where SH 20 is known as Main St., the route crosses FM 76 which leads toward the Fabens-Caseta International Bridge
. The route passes through Tornillo
as Alameda Ave. again before leaving El Paso County.
In Hudspeth County, the route intersects Spur 148
which passes through central Fort Hancock
. A short distance later, the route intersects FM 1088
which connects Fort Hancock to the Fort Hancock – El Porvenir International Bridge. At McNary, the route intersects FM 2217
which continues along the Lower Valley, and then terminates at I-10.
Texas Department of Transportation
The Texas Department of Transportation is a governmental agency in the U.S. state of Texas. Its stated mission is to "work cooperatively to provide safe, effective and efficient movement of people and goods" throughout the state...
that runs from New Mexico State Road 460 at the state line between Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
at Anthony
Anthony, Texas
Anthony is an incorporated town in El Paso County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,850 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Anthony is located at ....
in El Paso County to Interstate 10
Interstate 10 in Texas
Interstate 10 is the major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. In the U.S. state of Texas, it runs east from El Paso, near the border with New Mexico, through San Antonio and Houston to the border with Louisiana in Orange, Texas....
at McNary
McNary, Texas
McNary, Texas is a small town at the intersection of Interstate 10 and State Highway 20. It is two miles from the Rio Grande and twenty-three miles west of Sierra Blanca in southwestern Hudspeth County. The area was initially settled in 1921, and named Nulo. The town was renamed McNary, after...
in Hudspeth County
Hudspeth County, Texas
Hudspeth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. As of 2000, the population was 3,344. By 2010, the population had increased to 3,476. Its county seat is Sierra Blanca. The largest city is Fort Hancock...
. The route passes through the city of El Paso
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
as well as suburban and rural farming communities along the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
. With the exception of a stretch north of central El Paso where the route crosses north of I-10, the route generally runs in a narrow belt between I-10 and the Rio Grande. The route has connections to every international border crossing with Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in the El Paso area and has important intersections with US 54
U.S. Route 54 in Texas
U.S. Route 54 in Texas is a U.S. Highway that travels through two portions of Texas: one in the far western point, and the other in the far northwest Panhandle.-Route description:...
, US 62, US 85
U.S. Route 85 in Texas
U.S. Highway 85 or US 85 is a route in the system of United States Numbered Highways maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation . The Texas portion of US 85 is located entirely within El Paso County beginning at the U.S.-Mexico border between the city of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua...
, and US 180.
Until the late 1930s, the route designation belonged to a highway in central Texas along the route of present day US 290
U.S. Route 290
U.S. Highway 290 is an east–west U.S. Highway located entirely within the State of Texas. Its current western terminus is at Interstate 10 milepost 477 , southeast of Junction, and its eastern terminus is at Interstate 610 on the northwest side of Houston.-Route Description:West of Austin, U.S...
. The current route predates the Texas highway system
Texas state highways
Texas state highways are a network of highways owned and maintained by the U.S. state of Texas. The Texas Department of Transportation is the state agency responsible for the day-to-day operations and maintenance of the system. In addition to the nationally-numbered Interstate highways and U.S...
having been a portion of several historic auto trail
Auto trail
The system of auto trails was an informal network of marked routes that existed in the United States and Canada in the early part of the 20th century. Marked with colored bands on telephone poles, the trails were intended to help travellers in the early days of the automobile.Auto trails were...
s. The route was included at the creation of the state system as part of SH 1. With the establishment of the U.S. numbered highway system
United States Numbered Highways
The system of United States Numbered Highways is an integrated system of roads and highways in the United States numbered within a nationwide grid...
, the route became US 80 and the SH 1 designation was eventually dropped. SH 20 was designated over the route when US 80 was relocated over I-10 before it too was decommissioned in western Texas.
Previous route
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
by way of Giddings
Giddings, Texas
Giddings is the county seat of Lee County, Texas, United States situated on the intersection of U.S. Highways 77 and 290, east of Austin. Its population was 5,105 at the 2000 census. The city's motto is "Giddings Texas: Experience Hometown Hospitality"....
, Brenham
Brenham, Texas
Brenham is a city in east-central Texas in Washington County, Texas, United States, with a population of 16,147 according to the 2009 census. It is the county seat of Washington County...
, and Hempstead
Hempstead, Texas
Hempstead is a city in Waller County, Texas, United States. The community, located at the junctions of U.S. Highway 290, Texas State Highway 6, and Texas State Highway 159, is around fifty miles northwest of Downtown Houston. The population was 4,691 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of...
. Later that year, the planned route was extended from Austin to Brady
Brady, Texas
Brady is a city in McCulloch County, Texas, United States. Brady refers to itself as "The Heart of Texas", as it is the closest city to the geographical center of the state. The population was 5,523 at the 2000 census...
by way of Burnet
Burnet, Texas
Burnet is a city in and the county seat of Burnet County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,735 at the 2000 census.Both the city and the county were named for David Gouverneur Burnet, the first president of the Republic of Texas. He also served as Vice President during the...
, Llano
Llano, Texas
-History:Llano County was established in compliance with a February 1, 1856, state legislative act. The Llano River location was chosen in an election held on June 14, 1856, under a live oak on the south bank of the river, near the present site of Roy Inks Bridge in Llano...
, and Mason
Mason, Texas
Mason is the seat of Mason County, Texas, United States. The town is an agricultural community on Comanche Creek southwest of Mason Mountain, on the Edwards Plateau and part of the Llano Uplift. The population was 2,114 at the 2010 census.-History:...
.
Johnson City, Texas
Johnson City is a city in Blanco County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,191 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Blanco County. It was the hometown of President Lyndon Johnson and was founded by James Polk Johnson, nephew of Samuel Ealy Johnson, Sr., cousin to President Johnson....
to Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Texas
Fredericksburg is the seat of Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census estimate, the city had a population of 10, 530...
. The highway routes remained unchanged in a 1922 proposal that rated both routes as "second class" under a three-tier system in which first and second class roads made up only seven percent of the proposed highway system.
In 1924, the state highway department assumed responsibility to maintain all state highways which were previously maintained by the counties. The following year, state lawmakers vest the department with the authority to acquire right of way, survey, plan, and build highways. By 1926, SH 20 in the new highway system was routed over the previously proposed Highway 20A from Fredericksburg to Austin and then over the proposed Highway 20 to Hempstead as a second class highway, and the route was given a third class extension to Kerrville
Kerrville, Texas
Kerrville is a city in Kerr County, Texas, United States. The population was 20,425 at the 2000 census. In 2009, the population was 22,826...
. By 1928, SH 20 was given an auxiliary route SH 20A from Fredericksburg to a point on the highway between Kerrville and Junction
Junction, Texas
Junction is a city in and the county seat of Kimble County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,618 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
. All of the highway from Fredericksburg to Hempstead was classified as a "secondary federal highway" with primary and secondary federal highways comprising seven percent of the state system. The portion between Fredericksburg and Kerrville along with the new auxiliary route were classified as "state highways" eligible for state aid only.
By 1933 the SH 20 designation was dropped over the Fredericksburg to Kerrville highway and extended instead over the auxiliary route SH 20A. That year the road was described between Fredericksburg and Hempstead as paved except for the portion in Hays County
Hays County, Texas
Hays County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its official population had reached 157,107. It is named for John Coffee Hays, a Texas Ranger and Mexican-American War officer. The seat of the county is San Marcos....
around Dripping Springs
Dripping Springs, Texas
Dripping Springs is a city in Hays County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,548 at the 2000 census; it was 1,828 in the 2008 census estimate....
and a short portion west of Elgin
Elgin, Texas
Elgin is a city in Bastrop and Travis Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 5,700 at the 2000 census. By 2005, the population grew to an estimated 8,689...
that were described as surfaced. The portion west of Fredericksburg toward Junction was graded earth. In 1935, US 290 was routed over SH 20 except for the portion between Austin and Paige
Paige, Texas
Paige is an unincorporated community in Bastrop County, Texas, United States. Although it is unincorporated, Paige has a post office, with the ZIP code of 78659.-External links:* at the Handbook of Texas Online...
where US 290 was routed further south through Bastrop
Bastrop, Texas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there are 5340 people in Bastrop, organized into 2034 households and 1336 families. The population density is 734.8 people per square mile . There are 2,239 housing units at an average density of 308.1 per square mile...
. By 1936, the formerly surfaced portion west of Elgin had been paved, but the Hays County portion remained merely surfaced. West of Fredericksburg, the Gillespie County
Gillespie County, Texas
Gillespie County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 24,837. It is located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Gillespie is named for Robert Addison Gillespie, who came to Texas in 1837. He was a Texas Ranger, an Indian fighter, a...
portion had been surfaced while the Kimble County
Kimble County, Texas
Kimble County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 4,468. Its county seat is Junction. Kimble is named for George C. Kimble, who died at the Battle of the Alamo.-Geography:...
portion remained as an improved earth road. In 1939, the SH 20 designation was dropped along all portions of the route running along US 290 as a result of that year's general redescription of the state highway system leaving SH 20 as a greatly shortened route running from Austin to US 290 near Paige. In 1951, US 290 was relocated away from Bastrop northward along SH 20 which was then decommissioned.
Current route
Prior to the advent of the state's highway system, the route of SH 20 was used by many historic auto trails including the Dixie Overland Highway, the Old Spanish TrailOld Spanish Trail
Old Spanish Trail may refer to:*Old Spanish Trail , connecting Santa Fe, New Mexico with Los Angeles, California in the 19th century...
, the Lee Highway
Lee Highway
The Lee Highway was a National Auto Trail in the United States connecting New York City and San Francisco, California via the South and Southwest. It was named after Robert E...
, the Jefferson Davis National Highway, and the Bankhead Highway
Bankhead Highway
The Bankhead Highway was a United States cross-country automobile highway connecting Washington, D.C. and San Diego. It was part of the National Auto Trail system. The road was named for Alabama politician John Hollis Bankhead, a leader in the early national road building movement. In later years,...
.
Van Horn, Texas
Van Horn is a town in and the county seat of Culberson County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,435 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Van Horn is located at ....
, Odessa
Odessa, Texas
Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan...
, Midland
Midland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
, Abilene
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
, Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, and Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
before entering Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
at Texarkana
Texarkana, Texas
Texarkana is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States. It effectively functions as one half of a city which crosses a state line — the other half, the city of Texarkana, Arkansas, lies on the other side of State Line Avenue...
. This route was also one of the original routes planned in 1917, and remained largely unchanged until the end of the 1930s.
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
state line east of Waskom
Waskom, Texas
Waskom is a city in Harrison County, Texas, United States. It lies about east of the county seat, Marshall, on U.S. Route 80. To the east is Shreveport, Louisiana...
. The highway carried both the US 80 and SH 1 designations until the 1939 general redescription of the state highway system when SH 1 was decommissioned outside the city of Dallas. In 1944, the full length of US 80 within Texas was designated as the Veterans of World War II Highway. US 80 was relocated over I-10 through El Paso in 1969, and its former route was then renamed SH 20. US 80 was decommissioned west of Dallas in 1991.
Route description
SH 20 begins where NM 460 (Co-signed with NM 478), also called Anthony Dr., reaches the state line between Anthony, New MexicoAnthony, New Mexico
Anthony is a city in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, USA. The population was 7,904 at the 2000 census. It is located on the New Mexico–Texas state line in the Upper Mesilla Valley, and on Interstate 10, 27 miles south of Las Cruces and 21 miles north of El Paso, Texas...
and Anthony, Texas in the El Paso area's Upper Valley. The route proceeds south through Anthony along Main St. passing Federal Correctional Institution, La Tuna
Federal Correctional Institution, La Tuna
Federal Correctional Institution, La Tuna is a low security Federal Bureau of Prisons facility for men in Anthony, Texas. The prison is near the Texas-New Mexico border, located on Texas State Highway 20, near Interstate 10. The complex is north of the city limits of El Paso...
. The route then enters Vinton
Vinton, Texas
Vinton is a village in El Paso County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,892 at the 2000 census. It is part of the El Paso Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Vinton is located at...
where it becomes Doniphan Dr. Further south in Canutillo
Canutillo, Texas
Canutillo is a census-designated place in El Paso County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,129 at the 2000 census. It is part of the El Paso Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Canutillo is located at ....
the route intersects Loop 375, El Paso's beltway. After entering the city of El Paso, the route intersects SH 178
Texas State Highway 178
State Highway 178 or SH 178 is a Texas state highway in the city of El Paso in El Paso County maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation . The route designated in 1991 connects New Mexico State Road 136 at the New Mexico state line between El Paso and Santa Teresa, NM to a freeway...
which connects the route via NM 136 to the international border with Mexico south of Santa Teresa, New Mexico
Santa Teresa, New Mexico
Santa Teresa is a census-designated place in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 2,607 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Las Cruces Metropolitan Statistical Area, although geographically it is considerably closer to El Paso, Texas than to Las Cruces.-Geography:Santa...
. Further south, SH 20 turns off of Doniphan Dr. and onto Mesa St. and soon after crosses the I-10
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...
freeway which also carries US 85
U.S. Route 85 in Texas
U.S. Highway 85 or US 85 is a route in the system of United States Numbered Highways maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation . The Texas portion of US 85 is located entirely within El Paso County beginning at the U.S.-Mexico border between the city of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua...
and US 180 at this point. The route continues to the southeast passing through the foothills of the Franklin Mountains
Franklin Mountains (Texas)
The Franklin Mountains of Texas are a small range that extend from El Paso, Texas north into New Mexico. The Franklins were formed due to crustal extension related to the Cenozoic Rio Grande rift...
. The route then passes the University of Texas at El Paso
University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is a four-year state university, and is a component institution of the University of Texas System. Its campus is located on the bank of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The school was founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy,...
and Sun Bowl Stadium
Sun Bowl Stadium
The Sun Bowl is an outdoor football stadium, on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso. It is home to the UTEP Miners of Conference USA , and the late December college football bowl game, the Hyundai Sun Bowl...
before entering central El Paso.
In central El Paso, the route crosses I-10 and US 180 again and then soon after turns northeast on Texas Ave. where the route crosses Santa Fe St. and Stanton St. leading to the Paso del Norte International Bridge
Paso del Norte International Bridge
The Paso del Norte International Bridge is an international bridge which crosses the Rio Grande connecting the United States-Mexico border cities of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. The bridge is also known as "Paso del Norte Bridge", "Santa Fe Street Bridge", "Puente Benito Juárez",...
and Good Neighbor International Bridge
Good Neighbor International Bridge
The Good Neighbor International Bridge, commonly known as the Stanton Street Bridge, is an international bridge connecting the United States-Mexico border cities of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua across the Rio Grande . The bridge is also known as "Friendship Bridge", "Puente Río...
to Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
. The route then turns east along Alameda Ave. The route then crosses Loop 478
Texas State Highway Loop 478
State Highway Loop 478 is a state highway loop in El Paso in El Paso County, Texas.-Route description:The southern terminus of Loop 478 is at in El Paso near the Bridge of the Americas. The route travels north along Copia St. before turning onto Pershing Dr. and Dyer St before ending at US 54 /...
before crossing the unsigned I-110
Interstate 110 (Texas)
Interstate 110 is a spur route in El Paso extending from Interstate 10, south along U.S. Highway 54, turns west then turns south into Mexico. Interstate 110 provides access from Interstate 10 to the Bridge of the Americas , which spans the Rio Grande to connect with Avenida Abraham Lincoln in...
and US 54
U.S. Route 54 in Texas
U.S. Route 54 in Texas is a U.S. Highway that travels through two portions of Texas: one in the far western point, and the other in the far northwest Panhandle.-Route description:...
at the Patriot Freeway which leads to the international Bridge of the Americas. The route crosses US 62 at Paisano Dr. before the route turns southeast at Ascarate Park and enters the Lower Valley.
At Zaragoza Rd., which leads to the Ysleta-Zaragoza International Bridge
Ysleta-Zaragoza International Bridge
The Ysleta–Zaragoza International Bridge is an international crossing consisting of two international bridges which crosses the Rio Grande connecting the United States-Mexico border cities of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua...
, the route intersects FM 258 and passes Ysleta Mission
Ysleta Mission
The Ysleta Mission, located in the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo within the municipality of El Paso, Texas, is recognized as the oldest continuously operated parish in the State of Texas...
in the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo
Ysleta del Sur Pueblo
Ysleta del Sur Pueblo is a Puebloan Native American tribal entity in the Ysleta section of El Paso, Texas, comprising a formerly Southern Tiwa-speaking people who were displaced from New Mexico in 1680 and 1681 during the Pueblo Revolt against the Spaniards.-Tigua:In Spanish the people and...
Native American reservation. The route crosses Loop 375 again before entering Socorro
Socorro, Texas
Socorro is a city in El Paso County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 27,152. By the 2010 census, the number had grown to 32,013. It is part of the El Paso Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city was reactivated in 1986 and has been a working city since then...
where the route continues along Alameda. Further to the southeast at Clint
Clint, Texas
Clint is a town in El Paso County, Texas, United States. The population was 980 at the 2000 census. It is part of the El Paso Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Clint is located at ....
, SH 20 crosses FM 1110 to San Elizario
San Elizario, Texas
San Elizario is a census-designated place in El Paso County, Texas, United States. The population was 11,046 at the 2000 census. It is part of the El Paso Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. In Fabens
Fabens, Texas
Fabens is a census-designated place in El Paso County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,043 at the 2000 census. It is part of the El Paso Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, where SH 20 is known as Main St., the route crosses FM 76 which leads toward the Fabens-Caseta International Bridge
Fabens-Caseta International Bridge
The Fabens–Caseta International Bridge is an international bridge which crosses the Rio Grande connecting the United States–Mexico border cities of Tornillo, Texas and Guadalupe, Chihuahua. The bridge is also known as "Puente La Caseta" and "Tornillo-Guadalupe Bridge". The two-lane bridge was...
. The route passes through Tornillo
Tornillo, Texas
Tornillo is a census-designated place and border town in El Paso County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,609 at the 2000 census. It is part of the El Paso Metropolitan Statistical Area...
as Alameda Ave. again before leaving El Paso County.
In Hudspeth County, the route intersects Spur 148
Texas State Highway Spur 148
Spur 148 is a state highway spur near Fort Hancock in Hudspeth County, Texas.-Route description:Spur 148 begins at , travels northeastward through Fort Hancock as Knox Ave., and ends at exit 72 of .-History:...
which passes through central Fort Hancock
Fort Hancock, Texas
Fort Hancock is a census-designated place in Hudspeth County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,713 at the 2000 census. Fort Hancock and El Porvenir, Chihuahua area is connected by the Fort Hancock-El Porvenir International Bridge.-Geography:...
. A short distance later, the route intersects FM 1088
Farm to Market Road 1088
FM 1088 is a short farm to market road entirely in Hudspeth County in West Texas.-Route description:FM 1088 runs from southwestward to the Fort Hancock – El Porvenir International Bridge, where it crosses the Rio Grande to El Porvenir, Chihuahua, Mexico....
which connects Fort Hancock to the Fort Hancock – El Porvenir International Bridge. At McNary, the route intersects FM 2217
Farm to Market Road 2217
FM 2217 is a short farm to market road entirely in Hudspeth County in West Texas. It connects with .-Route description:FM 2217 runs southward from I-10 at exit 81 FM 2217 is a short farm to market road entirely in Hudspeth County in West Texas. It connects with .-Route description:FM 2217 runs...
which continues along the Lower Valley, and then terminates at I-10.