Texas State Highway 361
Encyclopedia
State Highway 361 or SH 361 is a state highway
that runs from Gregory
in southern Texas
, near Corpus Christi
, east and south to Padre Island
on the Gulf of Mexico
coast.
, where it intersects Farm to Market Road
1069, then turns northeast to Aransas Pass
. Here the route leaves the Texas mainland and crosses several bridges as it runs in a southeasterly direction through Stedman Island and Harbor Island. The highway is known as Port Aransas Causeway and Cemetery Road for this part of the route.
There is no bridge for the route over the Corpus Christi Channel between Harbor Island and Port Aransas
on Mustang Island
; a ferry operates at this point. The route takes a southwesterly direction at Port Aransas and runs along the length of Mustang Island. Much of the route crosses Mustang Island State Park, a 3954 acres (16 km²) tourist
and recreation
al area established by the state in 1979. The highway then crosses the Corpus Christi Pass onto Padre Island
, where it ends at a junction with Park Road 22 near the Padre Isles Country Club in Nueces County. The road is paved throughout, except for the ferry at Port Aransas, and is often multi-lane. Much of the highway traverses the picturesque terrain of the Texas barrier island
s along the Gulf of Mexico.
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 Gregory
Gregory, Texas
Gregory is a city in San Patricio County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,318 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gregory is located at ....
in southern 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...
, near Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, east and south to Padre Island
Padre Island
Padre Island is part of the U.S. state of Texas. The island is located on Texas' southern coast of the Gulf of Mexico and is famous for its white sandy beaches at the south end...
on the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
coast.
History
The highway was first designated in 1956 as the six-mile (10 km) portion of the route from Aransas Pass to Port Aransas, and a slight extension in Port Aransas was added to the designation in 1967. In 1969 FM 632 from Gregory to Aransas Pass was added to the SH 361 designation. The present route was completed in 1988 with the designation of PR 53 from Port Aransas to PR 22 on Padre Island as part of SH 361.Route description
The highway's northern terminus is the intersection with SH 35 and Spur 202 at Gregory in San Patricio County. The route runs southeast through InglesideIngleside, Texas
Ingleside is a town in Nueces and San Patricio Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 9,388 at the 2000 census.Ingleside is also home to Naval Station Ingleside. On August 24, 2005, the BRAC Committee voted to close the base. In 2010, the main base property was turned over to the...
, where it intersects Farm to Market Road
Farm to Market Road
In the United States, a farm-to-market road or ranch-to-market road is a state road or county road which serves to connect rural or agricultural areas to market towns...
1069, then turns northeast to Aransas Pass
Aransas Pass, Texas
Aransas Pass is a city in Aransas, Nueces, and San Patricio counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 8,138 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Aransas Pass is located at ....
. Here the route leaves the Texas mainland and crosses several bridges as it runs in a southeasterly direction through Stedman Island and Harbor Island. The highway is known as Port Aransas Causeway and Cemetery Road for this part of the route.
There is no bridge for the route over the Corpus Christi Channel between Harbor Island and Port Aransas
Port Aransas, Texas
Port Aransas is a city in Nueces County, Texas. The population was 3,370 at the 2000 census.-Early history:Karankawa Indians played a key role in the early development of the Texas Gulf Coast. The Karankawa Indians inhabited the Gulf Coast of Texas from Galveston Bay all the way to Corpus Christi Bay...
on Mustang Island
Mustang Island
Mustang Island is a barrier island on the Gulf Coast of Texas in the United States. The island is 18 miles long, stretching from Corpus Christi to Port Aransas. The island is oriented generally northeast-southwest, with the Gulf of Mexico on the east and south, and Corpus Christi Bay on the north...
; a ferry operates at this point. The route takes a southwesterly direction at Port Aransas and runs along the length of Mustang Island. Much of the route crosses Mustang Island State Park, a 3954 acres (16 km²) tourist
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
and recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
al area established by the state in 1979. The highway then crosses the Corpus Christi Pass onto Padre Island
Padre Island
Padre Island is part of the U.S. state of Texas. The island is located on Texas' southern coast of the Gulf of Mexico and is famous for its white sandy beaches at the south end...
, where it ends at a junction with Park Road 22 near the Padre Isles Country Club in Nueces County. The road is paved throughout, except for the ferry at Port Aransas, and is often multi-lane. Much of the highway traverses the picturesque terrain of the Texas barrier island
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
s along the Gulf of Mexico.
Junction list
| County | Location | Mile | Junction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nueces | ||||
| Aransas Pass Aransas Pass, Texas Aransas Pass is a city in Aransas, Nueces, and San Patricio counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 8,138 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Aransas Pass is located at .... |
||||
| Ingleside Ingleside, Texas Ingleside is a town in Nueces and San Patricio Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 9,388 at the 2000 census.Ingleside is also home to Naval Station Ingleside. On August 24, 2005, the BRAC Committee voted to close the base. In 2010, the main base property was turned over to the... |
||||
| Gregory Gregory, Texas Gregory is a city in San Patricio County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,318 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gregory is located at .... |
External links
- Texas official travel map at the Texas Department of TransportationTexas Department of TransportationThe 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...
(Adobe AcrobatAdobe AcrobatAdobe Acrobat is a family of application software developed by Adobe Systems to view, create, manipulate, print and manage files in Portable Document Format . All members of the family, except Adobe Reader , are commercial software, while the latter is available as freeware and can be downloaded...
format, magnification required for legibility) - Satellite image of SH 361 ferry crossing at Port Aransas at Google MapsGoogle MapsGoogle Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...
- Mustang Island State Park web site