Texas US 81 at its inception in 1926 followed the route of State Highway 2, which began in
Laredo and passed through
San Antonio,
Austin,
Waco, and
Fort Worth before passing over the
Red River into
Oklahoma north of
Ringgold. The 1936 Official Map of the Highway System of Texas clearly shows the route labeled both as US 81 and SH 2. It was cosigned with
US 83 for from Laredo to south of
Webb, with
US 79 for from Austin north to
Round Rock, and with
US 77 for from Waco to
Hillsboro. In 1940
US 287 was extended south into Texas, and a stretch from Fort Worth northwest to
Bowie was cosigned with US 81. The summer 1941 Texas Highway Map shows this pairing, and the current southern terminus of US 81 is still cosigned with US 287. The spring and summer 1949 Texas Highway Department Official Map designates the length of US 81 from Laredo to Fort Worth as part of the
National System of Interstate Highways, but no numeric designation was given. It was not until 1959 that parts of US 81 in Texas appeared on the Texas Official Highway Travel Map cosigned with
I-35 shields. Succeeding maps reflect the slow completion of I-35 and
I-35W over the stretch of US 81 between Laredo and Fort Worth, with the 1978-79 Texas Official Highway Travel Map showing only a section from
Encinal north to south of
Artesia Wells as incomplete, and the 1980 Texas Official Highway Travel Map showing that section completed. In 1980, US 81 was cosigned with I-35 and I-35W except where the Interstate bypassed towns, with US 81 providing the main route through town and then reconnecting with I-35 on the other side. The longest section of US 81 in 1980 not cosigned with the Interstate ran from I-35 in Hillsboro north to I-35W, just north of
Grandview.
Oklahoma Enid,
El Reno,
Chickasha, and
Duncan are major Oklahoma towns on the highway; historically, the small town of Hennessey is notable. Among the elders throughout the small towns that are dotted along US 81 in Oklahoma, the sixth meridian is commonly known among the locals as the "Indian Meridian" but US 81 is not known as the "Indian Meridian Highway". The
El Reno tornado in May 2013, the largest tornado ever at 2.6 mi wide, also crossed US 81. The Indian Meridan is located some east and parallel of US 81. By pure coincidence, the
Chisholm Trail of the post-Civil-War decades roughly followed along the corridor of present-day US 81; the region was not opened for settlement until several years after the cattle drives were discontinued; cultural memory harkened exclusively for many years to Indian
Meridian Highway until recognition of the old cattle trail grew in the late 1900s.
Kansas Inspection team in
Concordia, Kansas 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 I-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
US 160. At Wichita, US 81 joins
I-135. The two highways remain joined until
Salina; I-135's mile markers take precedence. I-135 ends at
I-70 but US 81 continues as a freeway to
Minneapolis, then as an expressway passing through
Concordia before exiting the state north of
Belleville. The alignment of US 81 from Wichita to Salina prior to the completion I-135 is fully intact. The prior alignment ran from where current US 81 breaks off for I-135 at 47th street, north through Wichita along Broadway street. Old US 81 roughly parallels I-135 to Newton. Old US 81 follows current K-15 through Newton between an interchange with US 50 and Hesston Road, where old US 81 breaks northwest onto Hesston road. Old US 81 then travels through the small Kansas towns of Hesston, Moundridge, and Elyria, before turning to the north, and going through the town of McPherson as Main Street. North of McPherson, old US 81 continues to Lindsborg, where it follows current K-4 until an interchange with I-135. Old US 81 passes under I-135 and continues to parallel it about to the east. Old US 81 then travels through Assaria, where it encounters another brief overlap with K-4 and K-104. Old US 81 continues through the city of Salina as Ninth Street. North of Salina, Old US 81 encounters brief overlaps with K-143 and K-18. Old US 81 follows K-106 to an interchange with current US 81, where the two alignments are joined back together. From Salina to the Nebraska state line, the highway is named the Frank Carlson Memorial Highway, in honor of the late Senator
Frank Carlson. Senator Carlson was a native of Concordia who represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1951 until 1969. Before serving in the Senate, he was
Governor of Kansas from 1947 until 1950.
Nebraska US 81 enters Nebraska as an expressway at
Chester and continues as an expressway to
York, where the highway intersects
I-80. After a two-lane section going north from York and an overlap with
Nebraska Highway 92 (N-92), US 81 again becomes an expressway at
N-64. This expressway section passes through
Columbus and
Norfolk. North of Norfolk, US 81 is a two-lane, undivided highway which passes through no towns before exiting the state in
Cedar County.
South Dakota US 81 enters
South Dakota by a
Missouri River crossing, via the
Discovery Bridge at
Yankton. Its junction with
I-90 is south of
Salem. US 81 passes through
Madison before it joins with
I-29 at
Watertown. The two highways remain concurrent through the rest of the state, leaving South Dakota near
New Effington. The South Dakota section of US 81, with the exception of a concurrency with
US 14, is defined at South Dakota Codified Laws § 31-4-179.
North Dakota US 81 enters North Dakota concurrently with
I-29. It is paired with I-29 from the South Dakota border, passing through
Fargo, to the north side of
Grand Forks. There it splits off to the northwest, passing through the city of
Manvel. It parallels I-29, passing through the town of
Grafton before joining
North Dakota Highway 5 (ND 5) near
Cavalier. It rejoins I-29 and continues to the Canadian border at
Pembina. The original route of US 81 survives as
ND 127 and County Road 81 (CR 81) in
Richland,
Cass,
Traill, and
Grand Forks counties. ==History==