U.S. Route 181

U.S. Route 181
Route information
Auxiliary route of US 81
Length:	136.76 mi[1] (220.09 km)
Existed:	1927[1] – present
Major junctions
South end:	I-37 / SH 35 at Corpus Christi
North end:	I-37 near San Antonio
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Bannered Divided Replaced

U.S. Highway 181 is a south–north U.S. Highway located entirely in the state of Texas. Both termini are at Interstate 37, the road that it mainly parallels to the east. US 181 begins in Corpus Christi, Texas at mile marker 0 to the south, through south-central Texas to just south of San Antonio to the north (mile marker 131), for a total length of 137 miles (220 km).^[1]

The highway's northern terminus is at an intersection with Interstate 37 one mile (1.6 km) south of San Antonio's Interstate 410 loop, about 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Floresville. Prior to the Interstate era, US 181 traveled into Downtown San Antonio along Presa St. to an intersection with its parent route, US 81, which then ran along Alamo St.

Its southern terminus is in Corpus Christi, Texas at Interstate 37 near the Gulf of Mexico. IH 37 and US 181 have mutual termini, such that traffic traveling southbound on IH 37 will automatically merge onto northbound US 181, and vice versa.

Route description

US 181 near its northern terminus southeast of San Antonio, Texas.

Proceeding northbound, US 181 runs through the following Texas counties: Nueces, San Patricio, Bee, Karnes, Wilson, and Bexar. At its southern terminus with Interstate 37 in Corpus Christi, TX, US 181 traverses as a freeway in the northeast direction across Harbor Bridge and the Nueces Bay Causeway, before entering Portland, TX. Past the Nueces Bay Causeway through Portland, US 181 shares a duplex with Texas State Highway 35.

Immediately after Portland is Gregory, where US 181 and TX 35 splits, and the freeway portion of US 181 ends. SH 35 proceeds eastbound to Aransas Pass and Rockport while US 181 proceeds northwest towards Taft and Sinton. US 181 shares a duplex with SH 188 and US 77 Business in Sinton, and makes a right turn at San Patricio Street, proceeding northbound.

North of Sinton, US 181 passes through the towns of St. Paul, Papalote, and Skidmore, before reaching Beeville. US 181 business runs through downtown Beeville while drivers passing by can use the US 181 freeway bypass on the east side of town. In Beeville, US 181 intersects with US 59 (Future I-69W) (northbound to Victoria/Houston & southbound to Laredo).

North of Beeville US 181 passes through a number of unincorporated towns including Normanna, Pettus, and Tuleta before reaching Kenedy. US 181 business serves downtown while US 181 runs on the west side of town. Immediately north of Kenedy is Karnes City, where US 181 business runs parallel again east of US 181 through Karnes City.

North of Karnes City US 181 passes through Hobson (unincorporated), followed by Falls City, Poth, and Floresville. US 181 business runs west of US 181 through downtown Floresville.

North of Floresville US 181 passes through the town limits of Elmendorf before intersection with State Loop 1604 (Anderson Loop, surrounding San Antonio), and ends 8 miles north at its northern terminus at I-37, just south of I-37 and I-410 on San Antonio's far south side.

History

US 181 is one of the original routes accepted by AASHO in November 1926. Its original southern terminus was at a junction with its parent, US 81, and US 90 in Downtown San Antonio. By 1968, the portion between Downtown and Loop 13 had been removed from the state highway system.^[1] The completion of I-37 in San Antonio during the 1970s resulted in the truncation of US 181 to its interchange with that freeway; the segment north of this point along Presa Street was transferred to Spur 122.^[2]

Major intersections

County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Nueces	Corpus Christi			I-37 to SH 286 / Shoreline Boulevard / Broadway Street – Bayfront, Corpus Christi Museum, Airport	south end of freeway; south end of SH 35 concurrency
				Tancahua Street / Staples Street	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
				Port Area	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
				Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge over Corpus Christi Channel
				Burleson Street - Corpus Christi Beach
				Beach Avenue - Corpus Christi Beach
Nueces Bay				Nueces Bay Causeway
San Patricio	Portland			Indian Point Park
				Frontage Road	southbound access only
				FM 893 (Moore Avenue)	no direct southbound exit (signed at FM 2986)
				FM 2986 (Wildcat Drive)
				Lang Road	southbound exit only
				FM 3239 (Buddy Ganem Drive) / Northshore Boulevard
	​			La Quinta Terminal	northbound access only
	Gregory			SH 35 north – Aransas Pass, Rockport	interchange; north end of freeway; northbound exit and southbound entrance; north end of SH 35 concurrency
				FM 3284 north
	​			To SH 361 south / SH 35 north (via Spur 202 / FM 2986) – Aransas Pass, Ingleside, Port Aransas	interchange
	​			FM 631 east	South end of FM 631 concurrency
	Taft			FM 631 west (Davis Road) – Odem	South end of FM 631 concurrency
	​			FM 1074 south
	​			SH 89 north / SH 188 east – Beeville, Rockport	South end of SH 188 concurrency
	Sinton			FM 2046 south (Sodville Avenue)
				Bus. US 77 north (Vineyard Avenue)	South end of US 77 Bus. concurrency
				Bus. US 77 south (San Patricio Street) / SH 188 west (Sinton Street) – Mathis, Corpus Christi	North end of US 77 Bus. and SH 188 concurrencies
	​			US 77 – Corpus Christi, Victoria, Refugio	interchange
	​			SH 89 south – Portland	interchange
	St. Paul			FM 3089 west
Bee	Skidmore			SH 359 west to I-37 – Mathis, Alice, Lake Corpus Christi State Recreational Area
				FM 797 west (Main Street)
	​			Bus. US 181 north	interchange; south end of freeway
	​			Emily Drive south	northbound exit only
	​			SH 202 – Refugio
	Beeville			US 59 – George West, Goliad
	​			FM 351
	​			FM 3355 (Charco Road)	interchange; north end of freeway
	​			Bus. US 181 south
	Tuleta			FM 1465 west
	Pettus			FM 623 – Mineral
	Tulsita			FM 798 west – Pawnee
Karnes	​			FM 743 north
	​			FM 2509 north
	​			FM 632 east (Allen B. Polunsky Drive) – John B. Connally Jr. Unit
	​			Bus. US 181 north to FM 2509
	Kenedy			FM 1145 / SH 72 Truck east – truck route to SH 239 east / FM 792	south end of SH 72 Truck overlap
				SH 72 / SH 239 east – Three Rivers, Goliad, Cuero	north end of SH 72 Truck overlap
				FM 719 east
				Bus. US 181 south
	​			SH 80 north / SH 123 north (US 181 Bus. north) – Seguin, San Marcos
	​			FM 1353
	Karnes City			FM 99 – Coy City
	​			Bus. US 181 south / FM 1144 west – Karnes City
	Hobson			FM 81 east – Panna Maria	South end of FM 81 concurrency
				FM 81 west	North end of FM 81 concurrency
	Falls City			FM 791 west (West Maverick Street)
	​			FM 887 west to FM 791	South end of FM 887 concurrency
	​			FM 887 east – Pawelekville	North end of FM 887 concurrency
Wilson	Poth			FM 541 – McCoy, Kosciusko
				FM 427 north to FM 537
	​			FM 537 east
	​			Loop 181 north (Sgt. Hugo Lange Loop) – Floresville Business District
	Floresville			SH 97 west (Hospital Boulevard) – Pleasanton	South end of SH 97 concurrency
				SH 97 east / FM 536 west (Standish Street) to US 281 – Stockdale	North end of SH 97 concurrency
	​			Loop 181 south (Sgt. Hugo Lange Loop) – Floresville Business District
	​			FM 775 – La Vernia
Bexar	​			Loop 1604 – Elmendorf, Converse	interchange
	​			CPS Energy Calaveras Power Station	interchange
	San Antonio			Spur 122 north (South Presa Street)
				I-37 north – San Antonio	I-37 exit 132
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

Auxiliary routes

US 181 has business routes in Beeville, Kenedy, and Karnes City. The routes are previous alignments of US 181 through these cities, and were previously designated in the state highway system with other route numbers. The designations were changed to Business US 181 by TxDOT in 1991. A de facto fourth route, along a former alignment through Floresville, is designated Loop 181.

Beeville business route

Business US 181 in Beeville travels through central Beeville while mainline US 181 uses a freeway bypass to the east of the city. It is officially designated by TxDOT as Business US 181-J, and was formerly Loop 516.^[3][4]

Kenedy business route

Business US 181 in Kenedy travels through central Kenedy while mainline US 181 passes to the west of the city. It is officially inventoried by TxDOT as two separate routes, with a discontinuity at SH 72.

• The southern segment, from US 181 northward to SH 72, is designated as Business US 181-G, and was formerly Spur 259.^[3][5]
• The northern segment, from SH 72 northward to US 181, is designated as Business US 181-F, and was formerly Spur 258.^[6][7]

Although not officially concurrent with SH 72, the signage in the area directs traffic from one segment to the other, effectively completing the loop.

Karnes City business route

Business US 181 in Karnes City travels northward and then westward through central Karnes City while mainline US 181 skirts the southwestern edge of the city. It is officially inventoried by TxDOT as two separate routes, which connect at the intersection with SH 80 / SH 123 in the east side of the city.

• The southern segment, from US 181 northward to SH 80/123, is designated as Business US 181-E.^[8] The route was previously part of SH 80, but it still signed as SH 80/123 to facilitate access to SH 80/123 for traffic from northbound US 181.^[9]
• The northern segment, from SH 80/123 westward to US 181, is designated as Business US 181-D.^[10] The route was previously part of FM 1144.^[11]

Floresville Loop 181

US 181's former alignment in Floresville is inventoried as Loop 181 by TxDOT.^[12] The route was designated in 1946 when US 181 was realigned to the east. The route begins north of the city limits; within the city, it has a brief concurrency with FM 536 and intersects SH 97 before rejoining US 181 in the southeastern section of the city.^[13][14]

See also

Related routes

• U.S. Highway 81
• U.S. Highway 281
• Interstate 37

References

External links

• Endpoints of US highways