In the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, U.S. Highway 87 (US 87) is a north–south
U.S. Highway
The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these h ...
that begins near the
Gulf Coast
The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texas, Louisiana, Mississ ...
in
Port Lavaca, Texas
Port Lavaca () is a city in Calhoun County, located in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 12,248 at the 2010 census and 11,557 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Calhoun County and part of the Victoria, Texas Metropolitan Statis ...
and heads north through
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
,
Lubbock
Lubbock ( )
is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northwe ...
,
Amarillo
Amarillo ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat, seat of Potter County, Texas, Potter County. It is the List of cities in Texas by population, 14th-most populous city in Texas and th ...
, and
Dalhart
Dalhart is a city in Dallam and Hartley counties in the U.S. state of Texas, and the county seat of Dallam County. The population was 7,930 at the 2010 census.
History
Founded in 1901, Dalhart is named for its location on the border of Dalla ...
to the
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
border near
Texline.
Route description
![US87 Port Lavaca](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/US87_Port_Lavaca.jpg)
US 87 begins at an intersection with
State Highway 238 in
Port Lavaca
Port Lavaca () is a city in Calhoun County, located in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 12,248 at the 2010 census and 11,557 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Calhoun County and part of the Victoria, Texas Metropolitan Statis ...
.
It takes a northwesterly route out of the town, and travels to
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
, where it intersects
US 59
U.S. Route 59 (US 59) is a north–south United States highway (though it was signed east–west in parts of Texas). A latecomer to the U.S. numbered route system, US 59 is now a border-to-border route, part of the NAFTA Corridor Highway Sy ...
and
US 77
U.S. Route 77 (US 77) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway which extends for in the central United States. As of 2005, Its southern terminus is in Brownsville, Texas, at Veteran's International Bridge on the Mexican border, whe ...
.
Its northwesterly path continues to
Cuero, where it merges with (and is briefly co-signed with)
US 77 Alternate and
US 183
U.S. Route 183 (US 183) is a north–south United States highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Presho, South Dakota, at an intersection with Interstate 90. Its southern terminus is in Refugio, Texas, at the southern intersection ...
before turning back toward the north. US 87 follows a gentle northwesterly route until just before
Smiley
A smiley, sometimes referred to as a smiley face, is a basic ideogram that represents a smiling face. Since the 1950s it has become part of popular culture worldwide, used either as a standalone ideogram, or as a form of communication, such a ...
, where it takes a more westerly turn. At
Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
, US 87 merges with
State Highway 97 and continues west as a co-signed route until just west of
Stockdale, where SH 97 leaves the route and US 87 continues to the northwest to
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
.
On the southeast side of the city, US 87 merges with
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...
(I-10); the routes are concurrent for , through San Antonio and the southern part of the
Texas Hill Country
The Texas Hill Country is a geographic region of Central and South Texas, forming the southeast part of the Edwards Plateau. Given its location, climate, terrain, and vegetation, the Hill Country can be considered the border between the Ameri ...
until an exit at
Comfort
Comfort (or being comfortable'')'' is a sense of physical or psychological ease, often characterized as a lack of hardship. Persons who are lacking in comfort are uncomfortable, or experiencing discomfort. A degree of psychological comfort c ...
. From here, US 87 travels in an almost due northerly heading to
Fredericksburg before making a slight turn back to the northwest to
Mason
Mason may refer to:
Occupations
* Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces
* Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cut ...
, where it merges with
US 377
U.S. Route 377 (US 377) is a north–south United States highway. Originally formed as a short spur to connect Denton, Texas with Fort Worth, Texas, it has since been extended to Oklahoma and Mexico.
Route description
Texas
The sout ...
.
From Mason, US 87/377 continues north-northwest to
Brady
Brady may refer to:
People
* Brady (surname)
* Brady (given name)
* Brady (nickname)
* Brady Boone, a ring name of American professional wrestler Dean Peters (1958–1998)
Places in the United States
* Brady, Montana, a census-designated plac ...
, where US 377 leaves the route and US 87 makes a hard turn to the west before taking yet another slight turn to the north and continuing on to
San Angelo
San Angelo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green County, Texas, United States. Its location is in the Concho Valley, a region of West Texas between the Permian Basin to the northwest, Chihuahuan Desert to the southwest, Osage Plai ...
and the northwest. After intersecting with
I-20
Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with I-95 in Florence, South Carolina. Between ...
at
Big Spring, US 87 continues the same northwesterly path to
Lamesa, where it takes a turn back to the northeast. After making another turn back to the north just outside
O'Donnell
The O'Donnell dynasty ( ga, Ó Dónaill or ''Ó Domhnaill,'' ''Ó Doṁnaill'' ''or Ua Domaill;'' meaning "descendant of Dónal") were the dominant Irish clan of the kingdom of Tyrconnell, Ulster, in medieval Ireland. Naming conventions
Or ...
, US 87 reaches
Lubbock
Lubbock ( )
is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northwe ...
, where it merges with
I-27 on the south side of the city.
US 87 is concurrent with I-27 for a majority of its trek to
Amarillo
Amarillo ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat, seat of Potter County, Texas, Potter County. It is the List of cities in Texas by population, 14th-most populous city in Texas and th ...
, deviating from the interstate route to spur into cities such as
Kress,
Tulia, and
Canyon
A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tenden ...
. The I-27 designation ends at
I-40
Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...
in Amarillo; here, US 87 splits into the one-way pair of Fillmore Street (northbound) and Taylor Street (southbound, which also carries eastbound
US 60
U.S. Route 60 is a major east–west United States highway, traveling from southwestern Arizona to the Atlantic Ocean coast in Virginia.
The highway's eastern terminus is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where it is known as Pacific Avenue, in the ...
). North of
Amarillo Boulevard, US 87 and
US 287
U.S. Route 287 (US 287) is a north–south (physically northwest–southeast) United States highway. At long, it is the second longest three-digit U.S. Route, behind US 281. It serves as the major truck route between Fort Worth and Am ...
merge and head due north along a freeway alignment. The two routes separate in
Dumas, with US 87 taking a sharp turn to the west before merging with
US 385
U.S. Route 385 (US 385) is a spur of U.S. Route 85 that runs for 1,206 miles (1,941 km) from Deadwood, South Dakota to Big Bend National Park in Texas.
Route description
, -
, TX
, 545
, 877
, -
, OK
, 36
, 58
, -
, CO
, 317
, 510
...
in
Hartley
Hartley may refer to:
Places Australia
*Hartley, New South Wales
*Hartley, South Australia
**Electoral district of Hartley, a state electoral district
Canada
*Hartley Bay, British Columbia
United Kingdom
*Hartley, Cumbria
*Hartley, Plymou ...
and turning to the northwest. US 385 leaves the route in
Dalhart
Dalhart is a city in Dallam and Hartley counties in the U.S. state of Texas, and the county seat of Dallam County. The population was 7,930 at the 2010 census.
History
Founded in 1901, Dalhart is named for its location on the border of Dalla ...
, and US 87 continues on a slight northwesterly path, crossing into
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
approximately a mile west of
Texline.
Major intersections
See also
*
Loops of U.S. Route 87 in Texas
*
Interstate 27
Interstate 27 (I-27) is an Interstate Highway, entirely in the US state of Texas, running north from Lubbock to I-40 in Amarillo. These two cities are the only control cities on I-27; other cities and towns served by I-27 include (from south ...
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:U.S. Route 87 In Texas
87
Texas
Transportation in Calhoun County, Texas
Transportation in Victoria County, Texas
Transportation in DeWitt County, Texas
Transportation in Gonzales County, Texas
Transportation in Wilson County, Texas
Transportation in Bexar County, Texas
Transportation in Kendall County, Texas
Transportation in Kerr County, Texas
Transportation in Gillespie County, Texas
Transportation in Mason County, Texas
Transportation in McCulloch County, Texas
Transportation in Concho County, Texas
Transportation in Tom Green County, Texas
Transportation in Coke County, Texas
Transportation in Sterling County, Texas
Transportation in Glasscock County, Texas
Transportation in Howard County, Texas
Transportation in Martin County, Texas
Transportation in Dawson County, Texas
Transportation in Lynn County, Texas
Transportation in Lubbock County, Texas
Transportation in Hale County, Texas
Transportation in Swisher County, Texas
Transportation in Randall County, Texas
Transportation in Potter County, Texas
Transportation in Moore County, Texas
Transportation in Hartley County, Texas
Transportation in Dallam County, Texas
Transportation in Lubbock, Texas