U.S. Route 290

U.S. Route 290
Length:	261[1] mi (418 km)
Formed:	1927[1]
West end:	I-10 southeast of Junction, TX
Major junctions:	US 87 at Fredericksburg, TX US 281 at Johnson City, TX I-35 at Austin, TX US 183 at Austin, TX US 77 at Giddings, TX
East end:	I-610 at Houston, TX
United States Numbered Highways Spur of US 90 Highways in Texas < US 287 US 377 > List – Bannered – Divided – Replaced

U.S. Highway 290 intersection with Interstate 610 in Houston

U.S. Highway 290 (or US 290) is an east-west highway located entirely in Texas. Its current western terminus is at Interstate 10 milepost 477 (768 km), southeast of Junction, and its eastern terminus is at Interstate 610 on the northwest side of Houston. Prior to the Interstate era, it extended nearly 300 miles (483 km) farther west to an intersection with US 80 (now Interstate 20) before Interstate 10 supplanted it. It also originally had an eastern terminus in San Antonio until 1935 when it was rerouted further north and extended eastward. The old alignment into San Antonio was redesignated US 87. ^[2][1]

Prior to construction of the Northwest Freeway, US 290 through Houston followed Hempstead Highway, which runs parallel to the freeway approximately one-half mile to the southwest. The eastern terminus of US 290 was also approximately one mile to the southeast at the intersection of Hempstead Highway, Washington Avenue and Old Katy Road. There is a small directional T interchange at this intersection.

In Harris County outside of Houston, Texas State Highway (SH) 6 joins with US 290 and the two highways run concurrently until splitting just north of Hempstead, Texas.

US 290 is also part of a hurricane evacuation route. The route starts at SH 6 in Galveston, Texas. SH 6 is taken to US 290. Then US 290 is taken to where SH 6 and US 290 break apart. Then SH 6 is taken to Waco, Texas.

Because of truncations, it no longer intersects its "parent" route, US 90, in Houston.

The large remnant of US 290 continues to be an important highway, connecting Austin to and from Interstate 10 and eastward to Houston. Parts of US 290 in Austin and near Houston are freeway.

In Houston, US 290 is referred to as the Northwest Freeway.The Texas Legislature officially named the route within Harris County as the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway in 2005.^[3] In Austin, US 290 runs concurrently with Interstate 35 for approximately 8 miles (13 km), including the Downtown Austin area. Because of the distance and the fact that this section of I-35 is not widely recognized as being part of US 290, visitors and residents are occasionally confused into thinking that there are two roads named "290."^{[citation needed]}

West of Austin, US 290 is an attractive route through the Texas Hill Country, passing through Fredericksburg and Johnson City near historical sites related to Admiral Chester Nimitz and President Lyndon Baines Johnson. East of Austin, it is divided highway passing through or near Giddings and Brenham.

Exit list

Destinations	Notes
SH 6 north – Bryan, Hempstead, College Station	West end of SH 6 overlap
FM 1488 – Hempstead, Magnolia
FM 359 – Brookshire	Eastbound exit is via the FM 1488 exit
Liendo Parkway
FM 1098 – Prairie View
James Muse Parkway
FM 362
Field Store Road
FM 2920 – Waller, Tomball
Binford Road
Kickapoo Road
Kermier Road
Hegar Road
Badtke Road
Roberts Road, Katy Hockley Road
Becker Road
Bauer Road
Mason Road
Mueschke Road
US 290 Bus. / Spring-Cypress Road, Cypress-Rosehill Road, Fry Rd.	No eastbound exit
Skinner Road, Spring-Cypress Road
Barker-Cypress Road
Telge Road
Hempstead Road, Huffmeister Road
SH 6 south / FM 1960 east	East end of SH 6 overlap
Eldridge Road, West Road
Jones Road
Beltway 8 (Frontage Road) / FM 529 / Senate Avenue
Sam Houston Tollway
Beltway 8 (Frontage Road) / West Little York Road, North Gessner Road
Fairbanks-North Houston Road
West Tidwell Road, Hollister Road
Pinemont Drive, Bingle Road, West 43rd Street
Antoine Drive, West 34th Street
Mangum Road, Dacoma Street
I-610	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance

References