U.S. Route 181

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

U.S. Highway 181, a north–south route, is one of many intrastate United States Highways in the United States. It lies completely within the state of Texas, and 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).

The highway's northern terminus is at an intersection with Interstate 37 a mile (1.6 km) south of San Antonio, Texas' 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 (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 city 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.

Major intersections

County	Location	Mile	Destinations	Notes
Nueces	Corpus Christi		Expressway begins
			I-37 to SH 286	Southern terminus; south end of SH 35 concurrency
			Bayfront / Shoreline Blvd. / C.C. Museum
			Tancahua St. / Staples St.	Southbound exit
			Port Area	Southbound exit
			Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge
			Texas State Aquarium / USS Lexington / C.C. Beach
			Beach Ave.
			Nueces Bay Causeway
San Patricio	Portland		FM 893 (Moore Ave.)	Southbound access is via FM 2986 exit
			FM 2986 (Wildcat Dr.)
			FM 3239 (Buddy Ganem Dr.) / Northshore Blvd.
	Gregory		SH 35 east – Aransas Pass, Rockport	North end of SH 35 concurrency
			Spur 202 / FM 2986
			Expressway ends
	Taft		FM 631 east	South end of FM 631 concurrency
			FM 631 west (Davis Rd.)	South end of FM 631 concurrency
			FM 1074
			SH 89 / SH 188 east	South end of SH 188 concurrency
	Sinton		FM 2046 (Sodville Ave.)
			US 77 Bus. north (Vineyard Ave.)	South end of US 77 Bus. concurrency
			SH 188 west (Sinton St.) / US 77 Bus. south (San Patricio Ave.)	North end of US 77 Bus. and SH 188 concurrencies
			US 77 – Corpus Christi, Victoria
			SH 89
	St. Paul		FM 3089
Bee	Skidmore		SH 359 – Mathis
			FM 797
			US 181 Bus. north – Beeville
			Expressway begins
	Beeville		SH 202 (S. Washington St.) – Refugio
			US 59 (E. Houston St.) – George West, Goliad
			FM 351
			FM 3355 (Charco Rd.)
			Expressway ends
			US 181 Bus. south – Beeville
	Tuleta		FM 1465
	Pettus		FM 623
			FM 798
Karnes			FM 743
			FM 632
			FM 2509
			US 181 Bus. north to FM 2509 – Kenedy
	Kenedy		FM 1145
			SH 72 (W. Main St.) – Three Rivers, Yorktown
			FM 719
			US 181 Bus. south
			SH 80 / SH 123 – Nixon, Stockdale
			FM 1353
	Karnes City		FM 99
			US 181 Bus. / FM 1144 – Karnes City
	Hobson		FM 81 east	South end of FM 81 concurrency
			FM 81 west	North end of FM 81 concurrency
	Falls City		FM 791
			FM 887 west	South end of FM 887 concurrency
			FM 887 east	North end of FM 887 concurrency
Wilson	Poth		FM 541
			FM 427
			FM 537
	Floresville		Loop 181
			SH 97 west (Hospital Blvd.) – Pleasanton	South end of SH 97 concurrency
			SH 97 east (Standish St.) / FM 536 – Stockdale	North end of SH 97 concurrency
			Loop 181
			FM 775 – La Vernia
Bexar			Loop 1604 (Anderson Loop) – Elmendorf
	San Antonio		Spur 122 (S. Presa St.) to I-37 south
			Old Corpus Christi Hwy.
			I-37 north – Downtown San Antonio	Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

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.

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.

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.
• The northern segment, from SH 72 northward to US 181, is designated as Business US 181-F, and was formerly Spur 258.

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. 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.
• The northern segment, from SH 80/123 westward to US 181, is designated as Business US 181-D. The route was previously part of FM 1144.

See also

Related routes

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

External links

• Endpoints of US highways