# Texas State Highway 44

State Highway 44 (SH 44) is a Texas state highway that runs from west of Encinal to Corpus Christi, Texas. This highway is also known as the Cesar Chavez Memorial Highway outside the city limits of Robstown, Banquete, Agua Dulce, Alice, and Corpus Christi in Nueces and Jim Wells counties.

## History

SH 44 was originally proposed on April 24, 1919 as a connector route between Waco and Giddings. On July 16, 1923, the southern terminus extended south to La Grange. By 1926, construction was continuing on the highway, and SH 44 was concurrent with U.S. Highway 77 (US 77). On July 15, 1935, SH 21 was rerouted concurrent with SH 44 from north of Giddings to Giddings. On November 24, 1936, this route had extended south to Hallettsville and another section from Victoria south via Sinton and Robstown to Alice was designated, creating a gap and replacing part of SH 72 and all of SH 128 (which was reassigned to the portion of SH 72 that was disconnected due to SH 44). On April 19, 1938, the section of SH 44 from SH 21 north of Giddings to Giddings was no longer concurrent with SH 21, because SH 21 was rerouted west of Lincoln. On July 15, 1938, the section from Hallettsville to Victoria (already under construction as a lateral road) was added, closing the gap. On September 26, 1939, the section north of Hallettsville was already part of US 77, the section from there to Victoria was changed to SH 295, the section from Victoria to Sinton was already part of US 77, and the section from Sinton to Robstown was reassigned as an extension of SH 96. The eastern terminus was shifted to Corpus Christi over part of SH 16. The western terminus was then extended to Freer on July 1, 1940. The section west of Freer approximately 56.4 miles (90.8 km) was Farm to Market Road 863 (FM 863) which traveled west to US 83 in Webb County, today's SH 44 terminus.
On November 21, 1917, an intercounty highway was designated from Taylor to Hearne. A spur, SH 44A, was designated on July 20, 1920 along part of the intercounty highway from Taylor to Milano. On January 18, 1921, SH 44A became part of an extended SH 43A.
From 1948 to 1953, FM 863 went from Beaver Creek to the town of Hilda which became RM 648 and is now RM 783. FM 863 was designated over a new route and part of FM 133 from Encinal to Freer in 1953. Before 1955, FM 863 ended at the Webb–LaSalle county line. On January 22, 1958, FM 863 began to be signed, but not designated, as SH 44. On August 29, 1990, FM 863 was officially designated as SH 44, and FM 863 was cancelled.

## Future

TxDOT has officially designated the SH 44 corridor from Freer to Corpus Christi as part of the I-69 system in Texas. This started as a bill, which was named H.R. 4523 or 44 to 69 Act of 2014, that was submitted by House Representative Blake Farenthold to Congress to approve turning SH 44 into an Interstate Highway from Freer (where it will intersect I-69W) and Corpus Christi (about 73 miles (117 km)) in order to have a network of interstate highways connecting Laredo (the largest inland port on the United States–Mexican border) with Corpus Christi (a major seaport and manufacturing center). In Corpus Christi, SH 44 is already at interstate highway standard, and it is a four-lane divided highway westward to the city of San Diego, Texas. The 23 miles (37 km) from San Diego to Freer is a two-lane section. Following a study and a January 18, 2018 open house, SH 44 between FM 3386 to east of FM 1694 in Violet in Nueces County was also upgraded between 2018-2022. A study regarding SH 44 upgrades in Robstown is ongoing as well.

## Major intersections

| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
| Webb | ​ | 0.0 | 0.0 | US 83 – Laredo, Carrizo Springs | Western terminus |
| La Salle | Encinal | 11.9 | 19.2 | I-35 BL south (Main Street) to I-35 south – Encinal, Laredo | West end of I-35 Bus. overlap |
| La Salle | Encinal | 12.1 | 19.5 | I-35 / I-35 BL ends – Cotulla, San Antonio, Laredo | East end of I-35 Bus. overlap; I-35 exit 39 |
| Duval | ​ | 56.2 | 90.4 | Future I-69W south / US 59 south – Laredo | West end of Future I-69W/US 59 overlap. |
| Duval | Freer | 59.2 | 95.3 | SH 16 – Tilden, Hebbronville, Falfurrias | |
| Duval | ​ | 60.6 | 97.5 | Future I-69W north / US 59 north – George West, Houston | East end of Future I-69W/US 59 overlap. |
| Duval | ​ | 72.4 | 116.5 | FM 3196 south / County Road 330 – Los Reyes, La Rosita, Benavides | |
| Duval | San Diego | 84.1 | 135.3 | SH 359 west – Hebbronville | West end of SH 359 overlap |
| Jim Wells | ​ | 86.9 | 139.9 | FM 625 east | |
| Jim Wells | ​ | 91.3 | 146.9 | FM 2507 south | |
| Jim Wells | ​ | 92.0 | 148.1 | Future I-69C / US 281 – George West, Premont, Falfurrias | Interchange (U.S. 281 is the future Interstate 69C) |
| Jim Wells | Alice | 93.1 | 149.8 | FM 1554 south (Beam Station Road) | |
| Jim Wells | Alice | 93.4 | 150.3 | Bus. US 281 – Falfurrias, George West | Interchange |
| Jim Wells | Alice | 94.6 | 152.2 | FM 665 east (Cameron Street) | |
| Jim Wells | Alice | 96.2 | 154.8 | FM 1931 north (Flournoy Road) – Airport | |
| Jim Wells | ​ | 98.5 | 158.5 | SH 359 east – Orange Grove, Mathis | Interchange; East end of SH 359 overlap |
| Jim Wells | ​ | 102.6 | 165.1 | FM 2044 west | |
| Nueces | Agua Dulce | 105.7 | 170.1 | FM 70 – Sandia, Bishop | |
| Nueces | Banquete | 112.1 | 180.4 | FM 666 – Mathis, Driscoll | |
| Nueces | Robstown | 119.5 | 192.3 | Bus. SH 44 east (Western Avenue) | |
| Nueces | Robstown | 120.4 | 193.8 | FM 1889 north (1st Street) | |
| Nueces | Robstown | 120.9 | 194.6 | Bus. US 77 north (via Avenue J) – Victoria | interchange |
| Nueces | Robstown | 121.4 | 195.4 | I-69E / US 77 – Kingsville | interchange |
| Nueces | Robstown | 121.8 | 196.0 | Bus. SH 44 west (East Avenue A) | |
| Nueces | Robstown | 121.9 | 196.2 | I-69E south / US 77 south | interchange |
| Nueces | ​ | 123.4 | 198.6 | FM 1694 (Callicoatte Road) – Petronila | Interchange; west end of freeway |
| Nueces | Violet | 125.1 | 201.3 | FM 24 north (Violet Road) | |
| Nueces | ​ | 127.0 | 204.4 | FM 3386 north (McKinzie Road) | |
| Nueces | Corpus Christi | 127.3 | 204.9 | FM 2292 (Clarkwood Road / Bus. SH 44 east) | |
| Nueces | Corpus Christi | 129.7 | 208.7 | Bus. SH 44 west (Agnes Street) | direct westbound exit only |
| Nueces | Corpus Christi | 131.0 | 210.8 | Corpus Christi International Airport | access to FM 763 south |
| Nueces | Corpus Christi | 131.9 | 212.3 | Hopkins Road | direct westbound exit only |
| Nueces | Corpus Christi | 131.9 | 212.3 | Talbert Road / Agnes Street (Bus. SH 44 east) | no direct westbound exit (signed at Heinsohn Road) |
| Nueces | Corpus Christi | 132.7 | 213.6 | Heinsohn Road | |
| Nueces | Corpus Christi | 133.3 | 214.5 | SH 358 to I-37 – Bayfront, NAS, CCAD, Padre Island | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access ||||||

## Business routes

SH 44 has two business routes.

### Robstown business loop

Business State Highway 44-C (formerly Loop 296) is a 1.72-mile (2.77 km) state highway business loop that runs on the former routing of SH 44 through Robstown. The road was bypassed on January 19, 1956 by SH 44 and designated Loop 296. Loop 296 was designated as Business SH 44-C on June 21, 1990. On July 31, 2003 the road was rerouted on a new route to US 77 and the original section was returned to local jurisdiction.

### Corpus Christi bypass

Business State Highway 44-D is a bypass of SH 44 in Corpus Christi. The route was created in 2006.

### Former Corpus Christi business loop

Business State Highway 44-D (formerly Loop 443) was a business loop that ran on the former routing of SH 44 through Corpus Christi. The road was bypassed on October 3, 1966 by SH 44 and designated Loop 443. Loop 443 was designated as Business SH 44-D on June 21, 1990, but much of the route was redesignated as Spur 544 on June 18, 1996 and a small section was returned to local jurisdiction.