Interstate 35

Interstate 35
source
Country	USA
Route	35
Length mi	1569.38
Length km	2526.97
Established	1956
Direction a	South
Terminus a	Laredo, Texas
Direction b	North
Terminus b	Duluth, Minnesota

Interstate 35 is a major north-south United States highway that runs from Laredo, Texas to Duluth, Minnesota, passing through the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota. The highway is a significant route for both commercial and recreational traffic, connecting major cities such as San Antonio, Texas, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Kansas City, Missouri, Des Moines, Iowa, and the Twin Cities of Minneapolis, Minnesota and St. Paul, Minnesota. Interstate 35 also intersects with several other major highways, including Interstate 10 in San Antonio, Texas, Interstate 40 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Interstate 90 in Albert Lea, Minnesota. Additionally, the highway passes near several notable landmarks, including the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri, and the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.

● Route Description

The route of Interstate 35 spans approximately 1,569 miles, passing through a diverse range of landscapes and climates, from the Rio Grande Valley in southern Texas to the Mississippi River in eastern Minnesota. The highway begins in Laredo, Texas, at the International Bridge crossing the Rio Grande into Mexico, and proceeds north through the Texas Hill Country to San Antonio, Texas, where it intersects with Interstate 10 and U.S. Route 281. From there, the highway continues north through the Great Plains region, passing through the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri, and intersecting with several other major highways, including Interstate 40 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Interstate 70 in Kansas City, Missouri. The highway also passes near several notable cities, including Wichita, Kansas, Topeka, Kansas, and Columbia, Missouri, and landmarks, such as the Monument Rocks in western Kansas and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri. Additionally, Interstate 35 passes through the Iowa Great Lakes region, near the cities of Okoboji, Iowa, and Spirit Lake, Iowa, before entering Minnesota and passing through the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

● History

The construction of Interstate 35 began in the late 1950s, as part of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, which established the United States Interstate Highway System. The highway was designed to provide a high-speed, limited-access route for both commercial and recreational traffic, and was constructed in several phases over the next several decades. The first segment of the highway to be completed was in Texas, where the highway was built to connect the cities of Laredo, Texas, and San Antonio, Texas, and was opened to traffic in 1959. The highway was later extended north through Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri, with the final segment being completed in 1971. Since its completion, Interstate 35 has undergone several upgrades and improvements, including the construction of new interchanges, the widening of existing lanes, and the installation of advanced traffic management systems. The highway has also been the subject of several notable events, including the Great Flood of 1993, which caused significant damage to the highway in Missouri and Iowa, and the I-35W Mississippi River bridge collapse in 2007, which occurred in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

● Major Intersections

Interstate 35 has several major intersections with other highways, including Interstate 10 in San Antonio, Texas, Interstate 40 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Interstate 90 in Albert Lea, Minnesota. The highway also intersects with several U.S. Routes, including U.S. Route 281 in San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Route 75 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and U.S. Route 52 in Albert Lea, Minnesota. Additionally, the highway passes near several notable landmarks, including the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul, Minnesota. The highway also intersects with several state highways, including Texas State Highway 130 in Austin, Texas, Oklahoma State Highway 51 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Minnesota State Highway 36 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

● Auxiliary Routes

Interstate 35 has several auxiliary routes, including Interstate 35E and Interstate 35W, which split from the main highway in Hillsboro, Texas, and Interstate 35E and Interstate 35W in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These auxiliary routes provide additional access to several major cities, including Dallas, Texas, and St. Paul, Minnesota, and landmarks, such as the Six Flags Over Texas theme park in Arlington, Texas, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The highway also has several business loops, including Business Loop 35 in San Antonio, Texas, and Business Loop 35 in Des Moines, Iowa, which provide access to several local attractions, including the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, and the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa.

● Traffic Volume

The traffic volume on Interstate 35 varies significantly depending on the location and time of day, with the highest volumes typically occurring in the urban areas, such as San Antonio, Texas, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and the Twin Cities metropolitan area. According to data from the Federal Highway Administration, the average annual daily traffic volume on Interstate 35 ranges from approximately 10,000 vehicles per day in rural areas to over 200,000 vehicles per day in urban areas. The highway is also a major route for commercial traffic, with several major trucking companies, including J.B. Hunt Transport Services and Schneider National, using the highway to transport goods across the country. Additionally, the highway is an important route for recreational traffic, with several major tourist attractions, including the Grand Canyon in Arizona, and the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, located near the highway. The highway also passes through several major events, including the Texas State Fair in Dallas, Texas, and the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul, Minnesota.