# Texas State Highway 79

State Highway 79 (SH 79) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Texas that runs 96.203 miles (154.824 km) from Throckmorton to the Oklahoma state line near Byers.

## Route description

SH 79 begins at an intersection with US 183/US 283 in Throckmorton. The highway runs in an east–west direction until FM 926, east of Elbert. The highway turns northeast, running to Olney and Archer City. The highway enters Wichita Falls and almost immediately begins an overlap with US 281 on the Henry S. Grace Freeway. At the interchange with US 82/US 287, US 281 travels north to downtown while SH 79 travels to the east. Shortly after joining US 82/287, SH 79 leaves the highways and runs on the eastern edge of the city as the Waurika Freeway. SH 79 runs through Dean, Petrolia and Byers before entering Oklahoma as OK-79.
Beginning in 1939, a multiple-span pony truss bridge carried the highway across the Red River into Oklahoma. This bridge was replaced by a new bridge in 2018.

## History

It was originally designated on August 21, 1923, from Wichita Falls to Olney, replacing a portion of SH 22. On October 11, 1927, it was extended southwest to Throckmorton. On April 24, 1928, it was extended northeast to the Oklahoma state line. On April 24, 1933, the section from Olney to Elbert was cancelled, but restored on December 18, 1933. This section was completed by 1938. The section north of Wichita Falls was cancelled on July 15, 1935, but restored on February 11, 1937. The route was previously proposed as the northern sections of SH 22 and SH 23. The intersection of SH 79 and SH 25, in Archer City, was the location for the filming of movie The Last Picture Show in 1971.

## Junction list

| County | Location | Destinations | Notes |
| Throckmorton | Throckmorton | US 183 / US 283 – Seymour, Breckenridge, Albany | |
| Throckmorton | ​ | FM 2356 north | |
| Throckmorton | ​ | FM 2459 north | |
| Throckmorton | Elbert | FM 1711 south | South end of FM 1711 overlap |
| Throckmorton | Elbert | FM 1711 north | North end of FM 1711 overlap |
| Young | ​ | FM 578 south | |
| Young | ​ | FM 926 east – Newcastle | |
| Young | ​ | FM 2898 north – Megargel | |
| Young | ​ | FM 3366 north – Olney Municipal Airport | |
| Young | ​ | Loop 132 north | |
| Young | Olney | SH 251 south – Newcastle | |
| Young | Olney | FM 210 west – Megargel | |
| Young | Olney | SH 114 – Megargel, Loving | |
| Young | ​ | FM 1768 east – Markley | |
| Archer | Archer City | SH 25 – Mankins, Windthorst | |
| Archer | ​ | FM 2224 north | |
| Archer | ​ | FM 1954 – Holliday | |
| Archer | Lakeside City | FM 2380 north (Kemp Boulevard) | |
| Wichita | Wichita Falls | FM 369 west (Southwest Parkway) / Loop 473 (Old Jacksboro Highway) | Interchange |
| Wichita | Wichita Falls | US 281 south (Henry S. Grace Freeway) – Jacksboro | South end of US 281 overlap/freeway |
| Wichita | Wichita Falls | Hatton Road – Kickapoo Downtown Airport | |
| Wichita | Wichita Falls | Midwestern Parkway | |
| Wichita | Wichita Falls | US 82 west / US 281 north / US 287 north to I-44 – Seymour, Amarillo, Lawton | North end of US 281 overlap; south end of US 82/287 overlap |
| Wichita | Wichita Falls | Old Windthorst Road | |
| Wichita | Wichita Falls | US 82 east / US 287 south – Henrietta, Fort Worth | North end of US 82/287 overlap |
| Wichita | Wichita Falls | Hammon Road | Southbound exit and northbound entrance |
| Wichita | Wichita Falls | Bus. US 287 (Old Henrietta Highway) | Southbound exit via the Petrolia Road exit |
| Wichita | Wichita Falls | Petrolia Road | Southbound exit and northbound entrance; north end of freeway |
| Clay | ​ | FM 3393 west (Old Petrolia Road) | South end of FM 3393 overlap |
| Clay | Dean | FM 3393 east (Tammen Road) | North end of FM 3393 overlap |
| Clay | Dean | FM 2393 – Thornberry, Jolly | |
| Clay | Petrolia | SH 148 south / FM 810 north – Henrietta, Charlie | |
| Clay | Byers | FM 171 east | South end of FM 171 overlap |
| Clay | Byers | FM 171 west – Charlie | North end of FM 171 overlap |
| Clay | ​ | SH-79 north – Waurika | Continuation into Oklahoma |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access ||||||