How Texas Highways are Designated

Glossary | Counties of Texas | Designation | Search the Texas Highway Designation Files | Texas Memorial Highways | PASS Routes

For a new highway, highway change, or highway deletion, the district sends a request and location map to Transportation Planning and Programming Division ("TPP") along with a city's and/or county's resolutions requesting the proposed change to the highway system. Depending on the type of highway requested by the district, the highway funding, and the location of the highway, TPP assigns an appropriate number to the highway, prepares the proposed minute order, and forwards the final minute order packet to the Texas Transportation Commission ("commission") for approval at its monthly meetings. No highway is designated without commission approval.

Memorial Highways are named through the state legislature or by local government, who works with the appropriate district for highway signing. TPP keeps a record of the memorial highways but does not designate them (Transportation Code, Chapter 225). The only designated highways with names are Old San Antonio Road (OSR) and NASA Road 1; all other highways are designated with the highway system and a number.

Park Roads to a state park are designated on the State Highway System. Park Roads within a state park are maintained by TxDOT by law and are not usually designated (Texas Administrative Code, Title 43, Chapter 15, Subchapter F, Section 15.60).