# Texas State Highway 16

State Highway 16 (SH 16) is a 541.823-mile (871.980 km) south–north state highway in Texas, United States. that runs from Zapata on the boundary with Mexico to U.S. Highway 281 24 miles (39 km) south of Wichita Falls. It is the longest state highway in Texas, but is only the ninth-longest of any highway classification in the state.

## Route description

SH 16 begins at an intersection at US 83 in Zapata. The route continues through south Texas ranchlands, then to the north through San Antonio's far south side. The routes enters San Antonio from the southeast, and goes around the west side of the city concurrent with Interstate 410. The route veers to the northwest as it passes through Bandera, Kerrville, and Fredericksburg, and then reaches the Texas Hill Country. After passing through the cities of Comanche and Llano, it continues north through ranchland and farms. Its next intersection is with I-20 south of the town of Strawn. It continues to the northwest, wrapping around the northern and eastern sides of Possum Kingdom Lake. It reaches an intersection with US 380 in the town of Graham. In North Texas, the highway reaches its northern terminus between Antelope and Windthorst, almost 542 miles from its starting point.

## History

SH 16 was one of the original twenty five state highways proposed on June 21, 1917, overlaid on top of the Fort Worth-Oklahoma Highway. From 1917 the routing mostly followed present day Interstate 35W from Fort Worth to Denton. It continued on, routed along present day Interstate 35 from Fort Worth through to Oklahoma. A spur, SH 16A, went from Denton to Dallas. On March 18, 1919, the route and SH 16A were cancelled, as both routes became part of SH 40.
SH 16 was then reassigned to the future route of U.S. Highway 181 (which was routed over it in 1926) from San Antonio to Corpus Christi on August 21, 1923. SH 16 then went west on SH 44 to Robstown, south on U.S. Highway 77, and west on SH 285. This route replaced portions of SH 9 and SH 12. On January 20, 1930, SH 16 Spur was created in Sinton. SH 16 was extended on January 19, 1932, following SH 9 to Brady, replaced SH 107 to Santa Anna, following SH 7, SH 4, SH 30, and SH 18 to Sagerton, then replaced SH 51 to the Oklahoma state line. On February 10, 1937, the southern section of SH 16 was rerouted northwest and northeast to Fredericksburg, replacing part of SH 81.
On September 26, 1939, the section from Brady to Santa Anna was promptly reassigned to U.S. Highway 183. The section from San Antonio to Corpus Christi, which was cosigned with US 181, was cancelled. The section from Corpus Christi to Robstown was transferred to rerouted SH 44, south of Robstown to rerouted SH 96 (now US 77), and from there to Falfurrias became an extension of SH 285. The section from Sagerton to the Oklahoma state line was renumbered as SH 283 (this section was originally planned to stay as SH 16, while the section from San Antonio to Fredericksburg was planned to become an extension of SH 81 instead). The sections cosigned with other state highways had their co-designation of SH 16 removed. SH 16 was rerouted north to south of Graham, replacing SH 81 and part of SH 120, and rerouted south to US 281 south of San Antonio, replacing part of SH 9 (this was originally proposed as SH 287). SH 16 Spur was renumbered Spur 72.
On August 31, 1965, the road was significantly extended via its current routing to Zapata, replacing State Highway 346 from San Antonio to Jourdanton, and also replaced portions of SH 173 and FM 496. On November 16, 1965, it was rerouted over Interstate 410 in San Antonio. On January 31, 1969, SH 16 was extended north to US 281, replacing portions of SH 254 and FM 61.
The section of SH 16 from Loop 1604 to Eckhert Road (former FM 1517) was proposed for decommissioning in 2014 as part of TxDOT's San Antonio turnback proposal, which would have turned back over 129 miles of roads to the city of San Antonio. SH 16 would have been rerouted over Loop 1604, and Spur 421 and Spur 422 would have been extended over old SH 16. However, the city rejected the proposal.

## Future

The section of SH 16 between Loop 1604 and Triana Parkway in Helotes is in the process of being upgraded into a superstreet. The main focus of the project includes reconstructing the intersections at Loop 1604 and FM 1560 / Circle A Trail. Construction at the Loop 1604 intersection is projected to be finished sometime in 2019.

## Major intersections

| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
| Zapata | Zapata | 0.0 | 0.0 | Future I-2 / US 83 west / FM 496 – Rio Grande City, Laredo | Southern terminus |
| Jim Hogg | ​ | 26.0 | 41.8 | FM 649 north – Mirando City | South end of FM 649 overlap |
| Jim Hogg | Randado | 28.5 | 45.9 | FM 649 south – Rio Grande City | North end of FM 649 overlap |
| Jim Hogg | South Fork Estates | 49.0 | 78.9 | FM 3073 west | |
| Jim Hogg | Hebbronville | 51.1 | 82.2 | SH 285 east – Falfurrias | |
| Jim Hogg | Hebbronville | 51.5 | 82.9 | SH 359 east (Galbraith Street) – San Diego | South end of SH 359 overlap |
| Jim Hogg | Hebbronville | 51.9 | 83.5 | SH 359 west (Viggie Street) – Laredo | North end of SH 359 overlap |
| Duval | ​ | 70.3 | 113.1 | FM 2295 east / FM 310 – Benavides | |
| Duval | ​ | 88.3 | 142.1 | SH 339 south – Benavides | |
| Duval | Freer | 92.0 | 148.1 | Future I-69W / US 59 / SH 44 – Laredo, San Diego, George West | U.S. 59 is the future Interstate 69W |
| Duval | ​ | 101.4 | 163.2 | FM 2359 east to US 59 (Future I-69W) | |
| McMullen | ​ | 109.8 | 176.7 | FM 624 – Cotulla, Orange Grove | |
| McMullen | ​ | 117.2 | 188.6 | FM 1962 east | |
| McMullen | Tilden | 133.0 | 214.0 | SH 72 east – Three Rivers, Choke Canyon State Park | South end of SH 72 overlap |
| McMullen | ​ | 133.7 | 215.2 | SH 72 west – Fowlerton | North end of SH 72 overlap |
| McMullen | ​ | 135.8 | 218.5 | FM 3445 east – James E. Daughtrey Wildlife Management Area | |
| McMullen | ​ | 144.3 | 232.2 | FM 791 east – Campbellton | |
| Atascosa | ​ | 153.7 | 247.4 | FM 3387 east | |
| Atascosa | ​ | 155.8 | 250.7 | FM 140 – Charlotte, Christine | |
| Atascosa | Jourdanton | 163.9 | 263.8 | FM 1332 west | |
| Atascosa | Jourdanton | 164.8 | 265.2 | SH 97 – Charlotte, Pleasanton | |
| Atascosa | ​ | 166.2 | 267.5 | Spur 162 west to SH 97 | |
| Atascosa | ​ | 166.4 | 267.8 | SH 173 north – Devine | |
| Atascosa | ​ | 168.1 | 270.5 | FM 3350 east – Pleasanton, Pleasanton Municipal Airport | |
| Atascosa | Poteet | 172.8 | 278.1 | Loop 282 north – Poteet | |
| Atascosa | Poteet | 174.3 | 280.5 | Loop 282 south / FM 476 east – Poteet | South end of FM 476 overlap |
| Atascosa | Poteet | 174.4 | 280.7 | FM 476 west – Rossville | North end of FM 476 overlap |
| Bexar | San Antonio | 187.3 | 301.4 | Loop 1604 (Anderson Loop) – Somerset, Elmendorf | interchange |
| Bexar | San Antonio | 190.1 | 305.9 | Watson Road / Lone Star Pass - Toyota Plant | former Spur 66 east |
| Bexar | San Antonio | 193.7 | 311.7 | I-410 east / SH 130 north / Spur 422 north (Palo Alto Road) – Palo Alto College | South end of I-410 / SH 130 overlap; SH 16 south follows exit 49 |
| see I-410 ||||||
| Bexar | San Antonio | 209.7 | 337.5 | I-410 north / Spur 421 south (Bandera Road) / Evers Road – San Antonio | Interchange; north end of I-410 overlap; SH 16 north follows exit 13 |
| Bexar | Leon Valley | 210.7 | 339.1 | Wurzbach Road | |
| Bexar | Leon Valley | 211.8 | 340.9 | Spur 471 west (Grissom Road) | former FM 471 south |
| Bexar | San Antonio | 212.8 | 342.5 | Eckhert Road | former FM 1517 east |
| Bexar | San Antonio | 216.8 | 348.9 | Loop 1604 (Anderson Loop) to I-10 / FM 471 – University of Texas at San Antonio | interchange |
| Bexar | Helotes | 217.8 | 350.5 | FM 1560 north (Hausman Road) | South end of FM 1560 overlap |
| Bexar | Helotes | 218.3 | 351.3 | FM 1560 south | North end of FM 1560 overlap |
| Bexar | ​ | 226.9 | 365.2 | SH 211 south to FM 471 | |
| Medina | ​ | 228.9 | 368.4 | PR 37 west – Medina Lake | |
| Bandera | ​ | 236.5 | 380.6 | SH 46 east – Boerne | |
| Bandera | Pipe Creek | 239.4 | 385.3 | FM 1283 south to PR 37 – Medina Lake | |
| Bandera | Bandera | 248.4 | 399.8 | SH 173 south – Hondo, Hill Country State Natural Area | South end of SH 173 overlap |
| Bandera | Bandera | 248.9 | 400.6 | SH 173 north – truck route to Kerrville | North end of SH 173 overlap |
| Bandera | ​ | 251.2 | 404.3 | FM 470 west – Tarpley, Utopia | |
| Bandera | ​ | 259.5 | 417.6 | RM 2828 east to SH 173 – Kerrville | |
| Bandera | Medina | 262.1 | 421.8 | RM 337 west – Vander Pool | |
| Bandera | ​ | 265.5 | 427.3 | FM 2107 west | |
| Kerr | ​ | 277.5 | 446.6 | FM 1273 west (Upper Turtle Creek Road) | |
| Kerr | ​ | 278.7 | 448.5 | FM 2771 east (Lower Turtle Creek Road / truck route) to SH 173 | |
| Kerr | Kerrville | 284.6 | 458.0 | SH 173 south to Loop 534 – truck route to Bandera, Kerrville-Schreiner Regional Park | |
| Kerr | Kerrville | 285.4 | 459.3 | Loop 98 west (Thompson Drive South) | Access to Peterson Regional Medical Center |
| Kerr | Kerrville | 285.7 | 459.8 | SH 27 (Main Street) – Ingram, Schreiner University, Center Point | |
| Kerr | Kerrville | 286.5 | 461.1 | FM 1341 east (Golf Avenue) | |
| Kerr | Kerrville | 287.7 | 463.0 | Loop 534 (Veterans Highway) to SH 173 – Kerrville-Schreiner Regional Park, Airport | |
| Kerr | Kerrville | 288.1 | 463.7 | I-10 – Junction, San Antonio | I-10 exit 508 |
| Gillespie | Fredericksburg | 307.9 | 495.5 | FM 2093 west | |
| Gillespie | Fredericksburg | 310.1 | 499.1 | US 87 north / US 290 west (Main Street) – Mason, Junction | South end of US 87 / US 290 overlap |
| Gillespie | Fredericksburg | 310.2 | 499.2 | US 87 south / US 290 east (Main Street) – San Antonio, Austin | North end of US 87 / US 290 overlap |
| Gillespie | Eckert | 323.3 | 520.3 | RM 1323 east – Willow City | |
| Llano | ​ | 333.2 | 536.2 | RM 965 south – Enchanted Rock State Natural Area | |
| Llano | Llano | 346.9 | 558.3 | RM 2323 south – Prairie Mountain | |
| Llano | Llano | 347.0 | 558.4 | SH 71 east – Austin | South end of SH 71 overlap |
| Llano | Llano | 347.9 | 559.9 | RM 152 west (Main Street) – Castell | |
| Llano | Llano | 348.5 | 560.9 | SH 29 / SH 71 west (Young Street) – Mason, Brady, Burnet | North end of SH 71 overlap |
| San Saba | Cherokee | 365.1 | 587.6 | RM 501 east – Bend | South end of RM 501 overlap |
| San Saba | Cherokee | 365.2 | 587.7 | RM 501 west – Pontotoc | North end of RM 501 overlap |
| San Saba | San Saba | 380.8 | 612.8 | US 190 – Brady, Lampasas | |
| San Saba | ​ | 382.0 | 614.8 | FM 1480 east – Pecan Grove | |
| San Saba | ​ | 382.8 | 616.1 | FM 500 west – Regency Bridge | |
| Mills | ​ | 400.6 | 644.7 | FM 3023 | |
| Mills | Goldthwaite | 402.1 | 647.1 | US 183 south – Lampasas, Austin | south end of US 183 overlap |
| Mills | Goldthwaite | 402.4 | 647.6 | Loop 15 east to US 84 east / FM 572 – Waco | |
| Mills | Goldthwaite | 402.8 | 648.2 | FM 574 west | |
| Mills | ​ | 403.9 | 650.0 | US 84 east – Evant, Gatesville, Waco | south end of US 84 overlap |
| Mills | Durenville | 405.1 | 651.9 | US 84 west / US 183 north – Brownwood | north end of US 84 / US 183 overlap |
| Mills | ​ | 418.1 | 672.9 | FM 218 west – Zephyr | south end of FM 218 overlap |
| Mills | Priddy | 419.6 | 675.3 | FM 218 east – Pottsville, Hamilton | north end of FM 218 overlap |
| Comanche | ​ | 425.9 | 685.4 | FM 1476 north – Newburg | |
| Comanche | ​ | 433.6 | 697.8 | FM 3200 south | |
| Comanche | Comanche | 435.6 | 701.0 | FM 590 south – Zephyr | |
| Comanche | Comanche | 436.3 | 702.2 | US 67 / US 377 / SH 36 | |
| Comanche | Comanche | 436.9 | 703.1 | FM 2247 north (West Wrights Avenue) | |
| Comanche | Comanche | 437.8 | 704.6 | FM 3381 east | |
| Comanche | ​ | 441.6 | 710.7 | FM 2861 east | |
| Comanche | Downing | 445.8 | 717.4 | FM 2318 east | south end of FM 2318 overlap |
| Comanche | Downing | 446.2 | 718.1 | FM 2318 west | north end of FM 2318 overlap |
| Comanche | De Leon | 451.8 | 727.1 | FM 587 west (West Sipe Springs Road) | |
| Comanche | De Leon | 452.8 | 728.7 | SH 6 east (East Navarro Street) – Dublin | south end of SH 6 overlap |
| Comanche | De Leon | 453.5 | 729.8 | SH 6 west – Gorman | north end of SH 6 overlap |
| Comanche | ​ | 454.2 | 731.0 | FM 2921 west | |
| Comanche | ​ | 460.2 | 740.6 | FM 2156 east – Victor | |
| Eastland | Desdemona | 464.4 | 747.4 | FM 8 – Gorman, Eastland, Stephenville | |
| Eastland | ​ | 480.6 | 773.5 | I-20 – Abilene, Fort Worth | I-20 exit 361 |
| Palo Pinto | Strawn | 484.2 | 779.2 | FM 2372 west / Davidson Cemetery Road | |
| Palo Pinto | Strawn | 484.5 | 779.7 | SH 108 south – Mingus | |
| Palo Pinto | ​ | 485.4 | 781.2 | FM 207 west – Necessity | |
| Palo Pinto | Metcalf Gap | 496.3 | 798.7 | US 180 east – Palo Pinto, Mineral Wells | south end of US 180 overlap |
| Palo Pinto | Brad | 501.1 | 806.4 | US 180 west – Breckenridge, Possum Kingdom State Park | north end of US 180 overlap |
| Palo Pinto | ​ | 512.4 | 824.6 | FM 2353 north – Possum Kingdom Lake, Camp Constantin, Camp Grady Spruce, B.R.A. Lake Office | |
| Palo Pinto | ​ | 514.7 | 828.3 | PR 36 west – Possum Kingdom Lake, Camp Constantin | |
| Palo Pinto | ​ | 516.6 | 831.4 | SH 254 east – Graford | |
| Palo Pinto | ​ | 518.5 | 834.4 | FM 2353 south – Possum Kingdom Lake, B.R.A. Lake Office | |
| Palo Pinto | ​ | 523.2 | 842.0 | Loop 533 north | |
| Palo Pinto | ​ | 523.4 | 842.3 | SH 337 south – Graford, Mineral Wells | |
| Palo Pinto | ​ | 524.3 | 843.8 | Loop 533 south | |
| Young | ​ | 526.3 | 847.0 | FM 1191 north | |
| Young | Graham | 535.8 | 862.3 | FM 1287 south – Ivan | |
| Young | Graham | 538.7 | 867.0 | US 380 east / SH 67 south – Fort Belknap | south end of US 380 overlap |
| Young | Graham | 538.8 | 867.1 | US 380 west – Throckmorton | north end of US 380 overlap |
| Young | Graham | 539.8 | 868.7 | FM 2652 north | |
| Young | Graham | 540.1 | 869.2 | FM 3491 south | |
| Young | ​ | 544.4 | 876.1 | FM 2075 east | |
| Young | Loving | 550.8 | 886.4 | SH 114 – Olney, Jacksboro | |
| Young | Markley | 558.6 | 899.0 | FM 1769 south | |
| Archer | ​ | 567.5 | 913.3 | US 281 – Wichita Falls, Jacksboro | Northern terminus |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi ||||||