Early Texas Highways (A-N)

Being huge, Texas boasted several dozen private highways during the named trails period. Below is a partial inventory of these early highways. The list only includes regional or Texas-based trails. The big, cross-country named highways — like the Bankhead Highway — are not included. The “current highways” field gives a sense of how these named trails might align with modern roads. If you’re ever bored, test drive the obscure Farrier Highway and let us know how it turns out. More to come.

Abo Pass Highway

Termini: Kansas City, KS and Socorro, NM

Cities along route (Texas): Canadian, Pampa, Amarillo, Hereford

Original Texas highway number: SH 33

Sharing roadway: Postal Highway, Southwest Trails

Current highways: U.S. 60

"B" Line Highway

Termini: Woodward, OK and Stratford, TX

Cities along route (Texas): Follettt, Booker, Perrytown, Spearman, Stratford

Original Texas highway number: Unknown

Sharing roadway: Unknown

Current highways: SH 15

Central Texas Highway

Termini: Shreveport, LA and Fort Worth, TX

Cities along route (Texas): Marshall, Longview, Minneola, Terrell, Dallas, Fort Worth

Original Texas highway number: SH 7

Sharing roadway: Dixie Overland Highway, Texas-Louisiana Highway

Current highways (east to west): IH-20; * sections of original roadway exist as local roads parallel to interstate

Choctaw Trail

Termini: Fort Smith, AR and Paris, TX

Cities along route (Texas): Arthur City, Powderly, Paris

Original Texas highway number: Unknown

Sharing roadway: Unknown

Current highways: U.S. 271

Del Rio Canadian Highway

Termini: Del Rio, TX and Canadian, TX

Cities along route (Texas): Del Rio, Sonora, San Angelo, Sweetwater, Childress, Shamrock, Canadian

Original Texas highway number: SH 4 and 14

Sharing roadway: Abo Pass Highway, Dallas-Canadian-Canadian-Denver Highway, Bankhead Highway

Current highways (north to south): U.S. 277 to San Angelo; SH 208 to Robert E. Lee; SH 158 to Bronte; U.S. 277 to junction with SH 70; SH 70 to Sweetwater; SH 70 to junction with FM 610; FM 610 to Aspermont; U.S. 83/62 to Canadian

Denison-Whitesboro-Fort Worth-Gulf Highway

Termini: Denison, TX and Fort Worth, TX

Cities along route (Texas): Denison, Whitesboro, Pilot Point, Fort Worth

Original Texas highway number: SH 24

Sharing roadway: Unknown

Current highways (north to south): U.S. 75C to Sherman; SH 56 to Whitesboro; U.S. 377 to Fort Worth

East Texas Highway

Termini: Boston, TX and Orange, TX

Cities along route (Texas): Boston, Linden, Marshall, Center, San Augustine, Orange

Original Texas highway number: SH 8 and 17

Sharing roadway: Bankhead Highway

Current highways (north to south): SH 8 to Linden; U.S. 59 to Tenaha; U.S. 96 to Center; U.S. 87 to Shelbyville; FM 417 to Neuville; FM 2140 to junction with U.S. 96; U.S. 96 to Buna; U.S. 62 to junction with Business U.S. 90 Y, Orange

F.F.F. Highway (Fort Worth-Farwell-Frisco Highway)

Termini: Dallas, TX and Las Vegas, NM

Cities along route (Texas): Dallas, Fort Worth, Mineral Wells, Graham, Seymour, Crowell, Paducah, Plainview, Farwell

Original Texas highway number: SH 11 and 28

Sharing roadway: Bankhead Highway, Southern National Highway, Wichita Falls and Comanche Highway, Lee Highway, Mineral Wells Trail

Current highways (east to west): SH 180 to Fort Worth; IH 20 to Weatherford; SH 180 to Mineral Wells; U.S. 281 to junction with SH 254; SH 254 to junction with SH 16; SH 16 to Graham; U.S. 380 to Newcastle; U.S. 251 to Olney; SH 114 to Benjamin; SH 6 to Crowell; U.S. 70 to Paducah; U.S. 70/62 to Floydada; U.S. 70 to Muleshoe; U.S. 70/84 to Farwell

Farrier Highway

Termini: Omaha, TX and Gilmer, TX

Cities along route (Texas): Omaha, Dangerfield, Pittsburg, Gilmer

Original Texas highway number: Unknown

Sharing roadway: Jefferson Highway, Texas-Mexico Division of Bankhead Highway, Bankhead Highway,

Current highways (north to south): U.S. 67 to Mount Pleasant; U.S. 271 to Gilmer

Fort Elliot Highway

Termini: Elk City, OK and Pampa, TX

Cities along route (Texas): Wheeler, Mobeetie, Pampa

Original Texas highway number: Unknown

Sharing roadway: Del Rio Canadian Highway, Dallas-Denver-Canadian Highway

Current highways: SH 152

Gulf to Panhandle Highway

Termini: Corpus Christi, TX and Texline, TX

Cities along route (Texas): Corpus Christi, Gregory, Beeville, San Antonio, Fredericksburg, Brady, Paint Rock, Sweetwater, Lubbock, Plainview, Amarillo, Dalhart, Texline

Original Texas highway number: SH 28

Sharing roadway: North Texas Highway, Central Texas Highway, Puget Sound to Gulf Highway, Southern National Highway, Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway, King of Trails, Wichita Valley Highway, Colorado to Gulf Highway, Southwest Trails

Current highways (south to north): IH 37 to Portland; U.S. 181 to San Antonio; U.S. 281 to Fredericksburg; U.S. 377/87 to junction with FM 765; FM 765 to junction with US 83; U.S. 83 to Ballinger; SH 158 to junction with FM 2111*; FM 2111 to junction SH 153; SH 153 to junction with SH 70; IH 20 to Roscoe; U.S. 84 to Lubbock; U.S. 70 to Plainview; U.S. 87 to Happy; U.S. 87 to Canyon; SH 217 to junction FM 1541*; FM 1541 to Amarillo; U.S. 287/287 to Four Way; SH 354 to Channing; U.S. 87/385 to Dalhart; U.S. 87 to Texline

Hobby Highway

Termini: Marietta, OK and Dallas, TX

Cities along route (Texas): Gainesville, Denton, Dallas

Original Texas highway number: SH 40

Sharing roadway: Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas Route, Dallas-Canadian-Denver Highway

Current Highways (north to south): IH 35/U.S. 77 to Denton*; IH 35E/U.S. 77 to Dallas*; sections of original roadway exist as local roads parallel to modern highway

Hug-the-Coast Highway

Termini: Orange, TX and Brownsville, TX

Cities along route (Texas): Orange, Galveston, Houston, Angleton, Brownsville

Original Texas highway number: Unknown

Sharing roadway: Unknown

Current Highway: SH 87

(The) Jim Hogg Highway

Termini: Clarksville, TX and Alvin, TX

Cities along route (Texas): Clarksville, Mount Vernon, Quitman, Vernon, Alto, Crockett, Huntsville, Houston, and Galveston

Original Texas highway number: SH 37 and 38

Sharing roadway: Meridian Highway, "X" All Highway, Choctaw Trail, Lone Star Trail, King of Trails

Current highways (north to south): SH 37 to Mount Vernon*; SH 37 to Minneola; U.S. 69 to Tyler; FM 2493 to junction with U.S. 69; U.S. 69 to Lufkin; SH 7 to Crockett; SH 19 to Huntsville; U.S. 75 to Conroe; IH 45 to Houston*; SH 3 to Galveston

Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Gulf Highway

Termini: Guthrie, OK and Dallas, TX

Cities along route (Texas): Denison, Sherman, Dallas

Original Texas highway number: SH 24

Sharing roadway: King of Trails, Southern National Highway

Current highways (north to south): U.S. 75 C to Sherman; U.S. 75 to Howe; SH 5 to Allen; U.S. 75 to Dallas; * sections of original roadway exist as local roads parallel to modern highway

Mineral Wells Trail

Termini: Oklahoma City, OK and Mineral Wells, TX

Cities along route (Texas): Ringgold, Bowie, Jacksboro, Mineral Wells

Original Texas highway number: SH 80

Sharing roadway: Meridian Highway, Puget Sound to Gulf Highway

Current highways (east to west): U.S. 81 to Bowie; U.S. 59 to Jacksboro; U.S. 281 to Mineral Wells

North Texas Highway

Termini: Texarkana, TX and Quanah, TX

Cities along route (Texas): Texarkana, Clarksville, Paris, Bonham, Sherman, Gainesville, Wichita Falls, Vernon, Quanah, Childress

Original Texas highway number: SH 5 and 16

Sharing Same Roadway: Southern National Highway, Colorado to Gulf Highway

Current highways (east to west): U.S. 82 to junction with FM 2573; FM 2573 to Detroit; U.S. 82 to junction with SH 38*; SH 38 to Brookston; FM 1509 to Petty; U.S. 56 to Bonham; US 82/SH 56 to Sherman; SH 56 to Whitesboro; US 82 to Henrietta; U.S. 82/287 to Wichita Falls; U.S. 287 J to Iowa Park; IH 287 to Fowlkes; US 287H to Electra; IH 287 to Vernon; U.S. 287 to Childress.