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
North end	I-37 near San Antonio
Location
Country	United States
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided

U.S. Highway 181, a north–south route, is one of many intrastate U.S. Highways, as it lies completely within 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).

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 (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. 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.

Major intersections

County	Location	mi	km	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 Museum / 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.)
				Bus. US 77 north (Vineyard Ave.)	South end of US 77 Bus. concurrency
				SH 188 west (Sinton St.) / Bus. US 77 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
	​			Bus. US 181 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
	​			Bus. US 181 south – Beeville
	Tuleta			FM 1465
	Pettus			FM 623
	​			FM 798
Karnes	​			FM 743
	​			FM 632
	​			FM 2509
	​			Bus. US 181 north to FM 2509 – Kenedy
	Kenedy			FM 1145
				SH 72 (W. Main St.) – Three Rivers, Yorktown
				FM 719
				Bus. US 181 south
	​			SH 80 / SH 123 – Nixon, Stockdale
	​			FM 1353
	Karnes City			FM 99
				Bus. US 181 / 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
					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       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.

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