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State Highway 81 (Texas)
Encyclopedia
State Highway 81 is a Texas
state highway
that runs from Hillsboro
to Grandview
. It was designated in 1991 to replace U.S. Highway 81, which was decommissioned south of Fort Worth
.
along Abbott Avenue. SH 81 has a half-mile concurrency with through the city's downtown before continuing northward along Waco Street. At the northern edge of Hillsboro, the highway has an interchange with , which provides access to Interstate 35, as well as , just south of the point at which the freeway splits into and .
North of Hillsboro, SH 81 roughly parallels I-35W, which lies to the east. While the freeway bypasses the cities of Itasca
and Grandview
, SH 81 enters them directly, along Hill Street and 3rd Street, respectively. In Grandview, it intersects and also at that route's southern terminus before continuing northward to its end at I-35W's exit #16; the roadway continues as County Road 201A.
. SH 81 was designated to replace the segment in Hill and Johnson counties, and represents the longest section south of Fort Worth with which US 81 did not have a concurrency with Interstate 35.
and traveling south then turning southeast through San Antonio
, with a final ending point at Cuero
. By 1933, SH 81 had been extended north to De Leon
, replacing and a portion of . By 1936, the section east of San Antonio was transferred to , while the section from San Antonio to Kerrville was replaced by . By 1939, the entire route north of Kerrville had also been transferred to SH 16.
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...
state highway
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
that runs from Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Texas
Hillsboro is a city in and the county seat of Hill County in Central Texas. The population was 8,232 at the 2000 census.Hillsboro, located on Interstate 35 where I-35E and I-35W meet south of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, is the primary center for trade and commerce in Hill County...
to Grandview
Grandview, Texas
Grandview is a city in Johnson County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,358 at the 2010 Census.David's Supermarkets, an independent chain of grocery stores, is headquartered in Grandview.-Geography:...
. It was designated in 1991 to replace U.S. Highway 81, which was decommissioned south of 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...
.
Route description
SH 81 begins along the ramp from northbound 's exit #364B; the route is accessible from the southbound freeway at exit #364A for . It travels north into HillsboroHillsboro, Texas
Hillsboro is a city in and the county seat of Hill County in Central Texas. The population was 8,232 at the 2000 census.Hillsboro, located on Interstate 35 where I-35E and I-35W meet south of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, is the primary center for trade and commerce in Hill County...
along Abbott Avenue. SH 81 has a half-mile concurrency with through the city's downtown before continuing northward along Waco Street. At the northern edge of Hillsboro, the highway has an interchange with , which provides access to Interstate 35, as well as , just south of the point at which the freeway splits into and .
North of Hillsboro, SH 81 roughly parallels I-35W, which lies to the east. While the freeway bypasses the cities of Itasca
Itasca, Texas
Itasca is a city in Hill County in Northern Central Texas. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,503.-Geography:Itasca is located at ....
and Grandview
Grandview, Texas
Grandview is a city in Johnson County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,358 at the 2010 Census.David's Supermarkets, an independent chain of grocery stores, is headquartered in Grandview.-Geography:...
, SH 81 enters them directly, along Hill Street and 3rd Street, respectively. In Grandview, it intersects and also at that route's southern terminus before continuing northward to its end at I-35W's exit #16; the roadway continues as County Road 201A.
Current route
As a majority of south of Fort Worth had already been superseded by the Interstate 35 freeway south of Fort Worth, the entire segment of that route from Fort Worth to Laredo was eliminated in 1991. Many of the former pre-freeway alignments that were kept as part of the state highway system were replaced by various routes, including state highway loops and business routes of Interstate 35Business routes of Interstate 35
Twelve business routes of Interstate 35 exist. Ten of these lie within the state of Texas, with the remainder are in Iowa.-Laredo business spur:...
. SH 81 was designated to replace the segment in Hill and Johnson counties, and represents the longest section south of Fort Worth with which US 81 did not have a concurrency with Interstate 35.
Pre-1939 route
The first highway designated SH 81 was originally proposed as a route through central Texas, beginning in KerrvilleKerrville, 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...
and traveling south then turning southeast through San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, with a final ending point at Cuero
Cuero, Texas
Cuero is a city in DeWitt County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,571 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of DeWitt County. It is also unofficially known as the "turkey capital of the world"...
. By 1933, SH 81 had been extended north to De Leon
De Leon, Texas
De Leon is a city located in Comanche County in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 2,433 at the time of the 2000 census.The town was laid out in April 1881 by surveying crews of the Texas Central Railway as it constructed a line from Ross, just north of Waco, to an undecided destination in...
, replacing and a portion of . By 1936, the section east of San Antonio was transferred to , while the section from San Antonio to Kerrville was replaced by . By 1939, the entire route north of Kerrville had also been transferred to SH 16.