U.S. Route 81

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U.S. Route 81
Length:	1220[1] mi (1963.4 km)
Formed:	1926, truncated northward in the 1990s[1]
South end:	I-35W at Fort Worth, TX
Major junctions:	I-44 at Chickasha, OK I-40 at El Reno, OK I-135 from Wichita, KS to Salina, KS I-70 near Salina, KS I-80 at York NE I-90 at Salem, SD I-29 from Watertown, SD to Manvel, ND I-94 at Fargo, ND US 2 at Grand Forks, ND
North end:	MB 29 at Canadian border near Pembina, ND
United States Numbered Highways U.S. Routes - Bannered - Divided - Replaced

U.S. Route 81 is one of the many United States Numbered Highways established in 1926 by the US Department of Agriculture Bureau of Public Roads.

The route of US 81 follows that of the old Meridian Highway (so called because it roughly followed the sixth principal meridian of the US Public Land Survey System) which dates back as early as 1911 [1]. The highway has alternately (and unofficially) been known as part of the Pan-American Highway [2].

Contents 1 Termini 2 States traversed 2.1 Texas 2.2 Oklahoma 2.3 Kansas 2.4 Nebraska 2.5 South Dakota 2.6 North Dakota 3 Business U.S. 81 4 Intersections 5 Related US routes 6 Old routes 7 References

[edit] Termini

As of 2004, the highway's northern terminus is just north of Pembina, North Dakota at the Canadian border. At this point, it is routed along Interstate 29 and continues northward on Manitoba Provincial Highway 29, a short feeder route into Manitoba Provincial Highway 75 that in turn leads to Winnipeg.

Its southern terminus is in Fort Worth, Texas, at an intersection with Interstate 35W. Between the inception of the numbered highway system in 1926 through 1991, US 81's southern terminus was at the Mexican border in Laredo, Texas. In 1991, the terminus was moved to San Antonio. The route was shortened to its present length of 1234 miles in 1993, when the terminus was moved to Fort Worth. In both cases, the dropped portions of US 81 were replaced by Interstate 35 [3].

[edit] States traversed

Major cities
Fort Worth, Texas Duncan, Oklahoma Chickasha, Oklahoma El Reno, Oklahoma Enid, Oklahoma Wichita, Kansas McPherson, Kansas Salina, Kansas Concordia, Kansas York, Nebraska Columbus, Nebraska Norfolk, Nebraska Yankton, South Dakota Madison, South Dakota Watertown, South Dakota Fargo, North Dakota Grand Forks, North Dakota Pembina, North Dakota

[edit] Texas

[edit] Oklahoma

Among the elders throughout the small towns that are dotted along Route 81 in Oklahoma, the sixth meridian is commonly known among the locals as the "Indian Meridian". Route 81 is also known at the "Indian Meridian Highway."

[edit] Kansas

Nearly all of U.S. 81 in Kansas is either freeway or expressway. The route enters Kansas as a two-lane near Caldwell. From South Haven to Wichita it closely parallels Interstate 35. At Wichita, U.S. 81 joins Interstate 135. The two highways remain joined until Salina. Interstate 135 ends at Interstate 70 but U.S. 81 continues as a freeway to Minneapolis, then as an expressway passing through Concordia before exiting the state north of Belleville.

From Salina to Concordia, the highway is named the Frank Carlson Memorial Highway, in honor of the late Senator Frank Carlson, a native of Concordia who represented Kansas in the U.S. Senate from 1951-69.

[edit] Nebraska

U.S. 81 enters Nebraska as an expressway at Chester and continues as an expressway to York, where the highway intersects Interstate 80. After a brief two-lane section, U.S. 81 again becomes an expressway at Nebraska Highway 64. This expressway section passes through Columbus and Norfolk. North of Norfolk, U.S. 81 is a two-lane, undivided highway which passes through no towns before exiting the state in Cedar County.

[edit] South Dakota

U.S. 81 enters South Dakota by a Missouri River crossing at Yankton. Its junction with Interstate 90 is south of Salem. U.S. 81 passes near Madison before it joins with Interstate 29 at Watertown. The two highways remain paired through the rest of the state, leaving South Dakota near New Effington.

Legal Definition

The South Dakota section of U.S. 81, with the exception of a multiplex with U.S. 14, is defined at South Dakota Codified Laws § 31-4-179.[4]

[edit] North Dakota

U.S. 81 enters North Dakota concurrently with Interstate 29. It is paired with I-29 from the South Dakota border to the north side of Grand Forks. There it splits off to the northwest. It parallels I-29, passing through the town of Grafton before joining North Dakota Highway 5 near Cavalier. It rejoins I-29 and continues to the US/Canada border at Pembina.

[edit] Business U.S. 81

• Grand Forks, North Dakota
• Fargo, North Dakota
• McPherson/Lindsborg, Kansas
• Rush Springs, Oklahoma

[edit] Intersections

US 81 intersects with the following Interstate highways:

• Interstate 35W (Texas) in northern Fort Worth, Texas
• Interstate 44 at Chickasha, Oklahoma
• Interstate 40 just south of El Reno, Oklahoma
• Interstate 135 in southern Wichita, Kansas (shared route along entire length of Interstate 135 except for the southernmost half-mile)
• Interstate 70 in Salina, Kansas
• Interstate 80 4 miles south of York, Nebraska
• Interstate 90 3 miles south of Salem, South Dakota
• Interstate 29 north of Watertown, South Dakota (shared route with Interstate 29 until 11 miles north of Grand Forks, North Dakota)
• Interstate 94 at Fargo, North Dakota

[edit] Related US routes

• U.S. Highway 181
• U.S. Highway 281

[edit] Old routes

• The portion of US 81 between Grandview, Texas and Hillsboro, Texas that was not part of Interstate 35W was renamed State Highway 81.

• Old portions of US 81 in various parts of North Dakota are now county routes. The current US 81 in these areas is co-signed with Interstate 29.

• Between Wichita and Salina, Kansas, old sections of US 81 are now county routes and short sections of state highways. The current US 81 in this area is co-signed with Interstate 135. In McPherson County, the old alignment of US 81 is signed as Business US 81.

• Business U.S. 81 in San Antonio, Texas was replaced by Texas State Loop 368. The north side traveled down Broadway & Austin Highway while the south side was Nogalitos & Laredo Highway. When it was replaced, they renamed the street New Laredo Highway.

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} Droz, Robert V. U.S. Highways : From US 1 to (US 830). URL accessed 22:46, 20 February 2006 (UTC).

Browse numbered routes
< SH-80	OK		SH-82 >
< I-80	NE		US 83 >
< SD 81	SD		SD 83 >

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Lists		U.S. Routes - Bannered - Divided - Replaced