Interstate 35

Interstate 35
source
Country	USA
Route	35
Length mi	1568.38
Established	1956
Direction a	South
Terminus a	Laredo, Texas
Direction b	North
Terminus b	Duluth, Minnesota
States	Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota
System	Interstate Highway System

Interstate 35 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. It stretches approximately 1,568 miles from the Mexico–United States border at Laredo, Texas to Duluth, Minnesota on the shore of Lake Superior. As a primary corridor, it connects several major metropolitan areas including San Antonio, Austin, Dallas–Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Des Moines, and the Minneapolis–Saint Paul region. The highway is a critical artery for interstate commerce, military logistics, and passenger travel within the Great Plains and Midwestern United States.

Route description

The southern terminus of the highway is at an interchange with U.S. Route 83 and Texas State Highway Loop 20 in Laredo, Texas, just north of the World Trade Bridge crossing into Mexico. From there, it proceeds northeast through the South Texas Plains, serving San Antonio where it intersects the eastern leg of Interstate 10 and Interstate 37. Continuing north, it passes through the Texas Hill Country to Austin, the state capital, where it converges with Interstate 10 and forms a major concurrency. North of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, where it interchanges with Interstate 20, Interstate 30, and Interstate 40, the route angles more directly northward. It crosses into Oklahoma near the Red River, passing through Ardmore and Oklahoma City, intersecting Interstate 40 and Interstate 44. Through Kansas, it serves Wichita via its western spur and Kansas City via its mainline, crossing the Missouri River into Missouri. In Iowa, it is a primary route through Des Moines, intersecting Interstate 80. Finally, it traverses southern Minnesota, passing through Rochester near the Mayo Clinic and the Twin Cities where it meets Interstate 94 and Interstate 694, before ending at Minnesota State Highway 61 in Duluth.

History

The route was designated as part of the original Interstate Highway System plan in 1956, largely following the paths of several important earlier highways. In Texas, much of its alignment south of Austin was built along or parallel to the earlier U.S. Route 81. Significant sections, particularly through urban areas like Fort Worth and Kansas City, required extensive engineering projects including the construction of high-level bridges and complex stack interchanges. One of the most notable events in the highway's history was the 2007 collapse of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis, which led to a national reassessment of bridge safety and its rapid replacement with the I-35W Saint Anthony Falls Bridge. Throughout the late 20th century, many segments, especially around San Antonio and the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, were widened and reconstructed to alleviate severe congestion.

Major junctions

The highway features numerous key interchanges with other Interstates and U.S. Highways. Major junctions from south to north include: U.S. Route 83 in Laredo; Interstate 10 and Interstate 37 in San Antonio; Interstate 10 and U.S. Route 290 in Austin; Interstate 20 in Fort Worth; Interstate 30 in Dallas; Interstate 40 in Oklahoma City; Interstate 44 in Oklahoma City; Interstate 70 in Kansas City; Interstate 80 in Des Moines; Interstate 90 in Albert Lea; and Interstate 94 in Minneapolis–Saint Paul. Its northern terminus is at Minnesota State Highway 61 in Duluth.

Auxiliary routes

Interstate 35 has several three-digit auxiliary routes that serve as beltways, business loops, or spur connections to major cities along its corridor. These include Interstate 35E and Interstate 35W, the split routes through the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area. Other significant auxiliary routes are Interstate 135, which connects Wichita to the mainline at Salina; Interstate 235, which serves as a bypass through downtown Des Moines; and Interstate 335, a segment in Kansas that is part of the Kansas Turnpike. Additional business loops, such as those in Oklahoma and Texas, provide direct access to historic downtown districts.

Category:Interstate Highways Category:Transportation in Texas Category:Transportation in Minnesota