Highway designations in Texas can be complex, with a variety of abbreviations and names that reflect the state’s extensive road network. Texas has the largest highway system in the United States, including Farm-to-Market (FM) and Ranch-to-Market (RM) roads, which were first established in 1937 to assist farmers in transporting goods.
There are more than 3,400 FM and RM routes across Texas. According to Michael Chamberlain, director of data management in TxDOT’s Transportation Planning and Programming Division, “RMs are predominately in the Texas Hill Country and west; typically ranches instead of farms. The roads themselves look about the same and are typically about the same size. So the only difference might just be cattle watching you on the side of the road instead of cotton.”
Texas also features a unique Ranch Road—Ranch Road One—which leads to the LBJ Ranch. Other types of highways include tollways like Dallas North Tollway, interstate highways such as I-35E, and loops like Houston’s I-610 (“The Loop”) or San Antonio’s I-410 (“Loop 410”). Some loops are not actually circular; for example, Austin’s Loop 1 (MoPac) runs through the city rather than around it.
State Highway Loops vary in length and shape. Loop 168 in Tenaha is notable for being only one block long—the shortest highway in Texas.
Business routes add another layer to navigation, often marked with small letters under route numbers to indicate their order within towns along a highway.
Texas has more interstate miles than any other state, with 25 interstate highways running through its territory.
For those planning travel on these roads, real-time traffic updates can be accessed via Drive Texas.
Recent federal initiatives support transportation infrastructure nationwide. For example, nearly $19.6 million was awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration to 24 small shipyards across 19 states for modernization and productivity improvements ($19.6 million in grant awards). In addition, new guidance and $7.3 billion in formula funding have been announced by the Federal Highway Administration to help states prepare for extreme weather events as part of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (New guidance).
In recognition of accessibility efforts on transportation systems nationwide, winners were named for a $5 million Inclusive Design Challenge hosted by the U.S. Department of Transportation on the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (In recognition of the ADA’s 32nd anniversary). Purdue University received first place with an award of $1 million.
Additionally, Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that FLOW (Freight Logistics Optimization Works) partners will convene to advance supply chain optimization efforts following successful data sharing among participants (The Department of Transportation).
