page_title: U.S. Route 81 in Kansas
section_title: Route description
hierarchical_section_title: U.S. Route 81 in Kansas / Route description
caption_attribution_description: U.S. Route 166's western terminus in South Haven, Kansas.
context_page_description: U.S. Route 81 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that travels from Fort Worth, Texas to the Pembina–Emerson Border Crossing near Pembina, North Dakota. In the U.S. state of Kansas, US-81 is a main north–south highway central part of the state. Wichita is the only metropolitan area US-81 serves in the state but the highway does serve several other larger towns in Kansas such as Wellington and Concordia.
context_section_description: Nearly all of US-81 in Kansas is either freeway or expressway. The route enters Kansas as a two-lane near Caldwell. From South Haven to Wichita it closely parallels Interstate 35, which is also known as the Kansas Turnpike in that area. After South Haven, the only town of any significance along US 81 until Wichita is Wellington, which is just west of the Turnpike along U.S. Route 160.
  At Wichita, US-81 joins Interstate 135. The two highways remain joined until Salina, with I-135's mile markers taking precedence. Interstate 135 ends at Interstate 70 but US-81 continues as a freeway to Minneapolis, then as an expressway passing through Concordia before exiting the state north of Belleville.
caption: US-81 at US-166's western terminus
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