State Highway 359 (SH 359) is a state highway that runs from Skidmore in southeastern Texas, near Corpus Christi, southwest and west to Laredo at the international border with Mexico.

State Highway 359 marker
State Highway 359
Map
SH 359, highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by TxDOT
Length135.233 mi[1] (217.636 km)
Existed1954–present
Major junctions
West end US 83 at Laredo
Major intersections I-37 at Mathis
East end US 181 at Skidmore
Location
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
Highway system
SH 358 SH 360

History

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The 359 route designation was first used on May 15, 1946, for a short stretch of highway in Coleman from US 84 west to Commercial Avenue and south along Commercial Avenue to US 67 (now SH 206), with a spur northward along Commercial Avenue to Coleman, but this designation was cancelled and replaced with Texas State Highway Loop 175 on June 17, 1947. The current State Highway 359 was designated on August 24, 1954, along the old US 59 route from Beeville to Laredo. SH 359 covered essentially its present-day route, plus a co-routing with US 181 from Skidmore to Beeville. On January 22, 1958, SH 359 was rerouted on Front Street rather than Main Street in Alice. On August 23, 1960, the dual designation with US 181 from Skidmore to Beeville was removed, which made Skidmore the eastern terminus of SH 359.

Route description

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The highway's eastern terminus is the intersection with US 181 at Skidmore. The route runs southwest through Tynan to an intersection with Interstate 37 at Mathis. The route continues in a southwest direction past Lake Corpus Christi through Sandia, Orange Grove and Alfred until it reaches Alice, where it is briefly co-routed with SH 44.

The route then diverges from SH 44 at San Diego and continues southwest through Benavides and Realitos to a junction with SH 16 at Hebbronville. Here the route takes a more western direction and runs through Bruni and Oilton before its final junction with US 83 at Laredo on the Mexican border. Counties traversed by the route include Bee, San Patricio, Jim Wells, Duval, Jim Hogg and Webb. The highway is paved throughout and multi-lane for portions of the route. With the exception of its western terminus at Laredo, most of the terrain covered by the highway is sparsely populated and rural.[2]

Business routes

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SH 359 has one business route.

Mathis business loop

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Business State Highway 359-B
LocationMathis
Existed1990–present
 

Business State Highway 359-B (Bus. SH 359-B), formerly Loop 198, is a business loop in Mathis. The route was bypassed in 1947 by US 59 and SH 9 and redesignated Loop 198. Loop 198 was redesignated as Business SH 359-B on June 21, 1990.[3]

Major intersections

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CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
WebbLaredoHouston Street (I-35 Bus. south) / Santa Ursula Avenue - International Bridge No. 1, International Bridge No. 2
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I-35 north / US 83 north (San Dario Avenue) to I-69W / US 59 – San Antonio, Houston, Carrizo Springs
 
 
US 83 south / Arkansas Avenue – Zapata
Interchange; east end of US 83 overlap
  
 
Loop 20 (Bob Bullock Loop) / Spur 260 south (Jaime Zapata Memorial Highway) – Zapata, Texas A&M International University, Lake Casa Blanca International State Park, Laredo Entertainment Center
Interchange
 
 
FM 2895 north – Aguilares
 
 
FM 649 south – Mirando City
Bruni 
 
FM 2050 north – Freer
Duval
No major junctions
Jim HoggHebbronville 
 
SH 16 north (Smith Street) – Freer
West end of SH 16 overlap
 
 
 
 
 
 
SH 16 south / SH 285 east (Smith Street) to FM 1017 – Falfurrias, Zapata
East end of SH 16 overlap
DuvalRealitos 
 
FM 716 east (Corkill Street) – Concepcion
Benavides 
 
 
 
FM 2295 west to SH 16
West end of FM 2295 overlap
 
 
SH 339 north (Texas Boulevard) – Freer
West end of SH 339 overlap
 
 
 
 
SH 339 south / FM 3196 north (Humble Street) – La Rosita, Falfurrias
East end of SH 339 overlap
 
 
FM 2295 east – Kingsville
East end of FM 2295 overlap
San Diego 
 
FM 1329 south – Falfurrias
 
 
SH 44 west – Freer, Laredo
West end of SH 44 overlap
see SH 44
Jim Wells 
 
SH 44 east – Agua Dulce, Corpus Christi
Interchange; east end of SH 44 overlap
 
 
FM 3376 west
 
 
FM 1539 east
  FM 2044
Orange Grove  FM 624 – Corpus Christi
Casa Blanca 
 
FM 534 north
Sandia 
 
FM 70 south
 
 
FM 1540 east
San Patricio 
 
PR 25 north – Lake Corpus Christi State Recreational Area
Mathis 
 
 
 
 
Bus. SH 359 east / FM 666 south (San Patricio Street) – San Patricio
 
 
 
 
 
Spur 459 east to I-37 south – Corpus Christi
 
 
 
Bus. SH 359 west
 
 
FM 3024 north
  I-37 – San Antonio, Corpus ChristiI-37 exit 36
BeeTynan 
 
FM 796 south
West end of FM 796 overlap
 
 
FM 796 north
East end of FM 796 overlap
Skidmore  US 181 – Skidmore, Sinton
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

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  1. ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway No. 359". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2006-12-23.
  2. ^ "overview map of SH 359" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  3. ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "Business State Highway No. 359-B". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation.
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