U.S. Route 281 in Texas

US 281 has two signed segments near its southern terminus in the Rio Grande Valley, both of which are signed west–east. The eastern segment, considered mainline US 281 by TxDOT, begins in Brownsville at an intersection with Business US 77 and SH 48 about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the Mexico border, and travels west through several communities along the border to Pharr.[1][2] 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 in Hidalgo and travels north along International Boulevard before turning east onto Coma Avenue and entering Pharr.[1][3] The two segments (along with Spur 600, which provides access to the Pharr–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 with I-2, US 281 is concurrent with I-69C to that route's northern terminus (as of December 2015) in Edinburg.[5] 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,[6] until joining I-37 north of Three Rivers. The two routes split south of Pleasanton and separately travel northward to San Antonio.

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 until I-37 ends at I-35. 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. The freeway ends at Loop 1604, and US 281 continues through Bexar County as a superstreet. In Central Texas, it serves as the main street of 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.

North of Stephenville, US 281 crosses I-20 and continues through North Central Texas, passing through Mineral Wells and Jacksboro. Upon reaching Wichita Falls, US 281 becomes a freeway. It begins a concurrency with I-44 at that route's western terminus, and the two routes travel north, crossing the Red River into Oklahoma near Burkburnett.

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 highway was expanded from a two-lane highway to a four-lane divided highway from River Crossing to the Comal-Blanco county line at a cost of $30.5 million.[12]

The section of US 281 from I-2/US 83 in Pharr to George West is steadily being upgraded to an interstate-grade freeway as part of the Interstate 69 expansion, and will be signed as Interstate 69C.

The section of US 281 from Loop 1604 to the Bexar–Comal county line currently experiences heavy congestion during peak hours, being the most congested highway in Bexar County.[13] TxDOT is upgrading 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, is planned to be constructed from 2017 to 2020. Section 2, from Stone Oak Parkway to Borgfeld Drive, is planned to be constructed from 2019 to 2022.[14] The project will cost $532 million.[15] Ground breaking for the project was held on March 31, 2017 with construction officially beginning on July 17.[16][17]

US Highways in Texas use green reflective labels about every 2 miles on sign posts which also include route markers. They are located immediately below route markers. Numbers increase as one goes south (for north–south routes) or east (for east–west routes). These markers are part of the Texas Reference Marker (TRM) System, introduced in 1990. The Texas Department of Transportation Statewide Planning Map includes an optional overlay with reference markers.

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 – International Bridge
	Progreso	32.4	52.1	Bus. FM 1015 north
		34.6	55.7	FM 88 north (Ruben Hinojosa Highway) – Weslaco
	Run	38.9	62.6	FM 493 – Mexico, Donna, Donna Rio Bravo International Bridge
	​	43.9	70.7	FM 907 north – Alamo
	San Juan	45.4	73.1	FM 2557 north – San Juan
	Pharr	47.5	76.4	US 281 Spur west (West Military Highway) / Spur 600 south – Hidalgo, Pharr / Reynosa International Bridge	Interchange
		49.7	80.0	FM 3072 (Dicker Road)
		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	South end of I-69C overlap; southbound exit and northbound entrance; I-2 exit 146; I-69C exits 0A-B
	see I-69C
	Edinburg	72.8	117.2	FM 490	Interchange; 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
	​	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
		205.6	330.9	Bus. US 59 north (Houston Street) to I-37 – truck route to US 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
see I-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 to I-37 – Floresville	North end of SH 97 overlap
		257.3	414.1	Spur 242 to SH 97 – Poteet, Coastal Bend College
	​	260.1	418.6	FM 3006 east to I-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
	San Antonio	280.7	451.7	FM 1937 south – 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 to US 181 south / SH 130 Toll – Corpus Christi, Rio Grande Valley, Floresville, Austin, Waco	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
		see I-37
		294.5	474.0	I-35 – Laredo, Austin	North end of I-37 overlap; I-37 exit 142; I-35 exit 158
		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; former Spur 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	interchange; current north end of freeway; no direct southbound exit (signed at Loop 1604), access to North Central Baptist Hospital and Methodist Stone Oak Hospital
				Redland Road	Planned future interchange
				Encino Rio / Evans Road	Planned future interchange
				Stone Oak Parkway, TPC Parkway	Planned future interchange
				Marshall Road	Planned future interchange
				Overlook Parkway	Planned future interchange
				Bulverde Road	Planned future interchange
				Borgfeld Drive	Planned future interchange; future north end of freeway
Comal	Bulverde	317.3	510.6	FM 1863 – Bulverde	Interchange
		321.2	516.9	SH 46 – Boerne, New Braunfels	Interchange
	Spring Branch	327.0	526.3	FM 311 east
	​	331.3	533.2	FM 306 east – Canyon Lake North
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 to RM 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) to RM 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
		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) to US 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) to SH 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 477 / 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; see I-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       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Unopened

• List of U.S. Highways in Texas
• List of highways numbered 281

Media related to U.S. Route 281 in Texas at Wikimedia Commons

U.S. Route 281
Previous state: Terminus	Texas	Next state: Oklahoma