Texas State Highway 7
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Route information | ||||
Maintained by TxDOT | ||||
Length | 212.7 mi[1] (342.3 km) | |||
Existed | April 4, 1917–present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
West end |
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East end |
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Highway system | ||||
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State Highway 7 is an east–west state highway that runs from Interstate 35 south of Waco to U.S. Highway 84 about 3 miles (5 km) west of the Texas-Louisiana state line. Between Crockett and Nacogdoches, SH 7 passes through the Davy Crockett National Forest.
History
![](../I/m/Old_Texas_7.svg.png)
SH 7 was one of the original 25 state highways proposed on June 21, 1917, proposed as a 'Central Texas Highway.'[2] In 1919 the routing was mostly proposed between San Angelo and Goldthwaite, but only the segment to Paint Rock was created. From Goldthwaite, the road follows U.S. Highway 84 to Waco. The remainder follows SH 164 to Personville, FM 39 to Jewett, was unbuilt between Jewett and Crockett, SH 7 then SH 103 to Lufkin, and finally onto the state line via present day U.S. Highway 69, SH 63 and US 190. On November 20, 1917, SH 7 was rerouted along current U.S. Highway 67 to Brownwood, and U.S. Highway 84 to Waco.[3]
Possibly due to the amount of construction necessary to build this route as proposed, on December 18, 1917, the road was rerouted via U.S. Highway 84 to Palestine, and south on U.S. Highway 287 to Crockett, following the proposed route from there. On March 20, 1918, the road was completely rerouted via current U.S. Highway 84 through Lubbock to Sweetwater. Between Sweetwater and Coleman, the road was not constructed as proposed. SH 7 returns to US 84, through Waco to Palestine, heads south on U.S. Highway 287 to Crockett, turns to Lufkin via the current SH 7 then SH 103 and finally onto Jasper and Newton via present day U.S. Highway 69, SH 63 and US 190.[4] The old route of SH 7 from Brownwood to San Angelo was renumbered as SH 7A.
On August 21, 1923, SH 7 had been realigned yet again, mainly due to constructions issues. The Sweetwater-Coleman road was never built, and SH 7 was rerouted over existing roads into Abilene. The road's east terminus was shortened to Long Lake. The Crockett-Lufkin section was cancelled, and the section east of Zavalla had been renumbered as SH 63. In 1926, U.S. Highway 70, 80, and 67 were overlaid over pieces of SH 7, which maintained its number. On October 26, 1932, the highway was extended east across SH 294 into Alto, SH 21 to Nacogdoches, ending in Joaquin via current SH 7, replacing SH 76.[5] On May 23, 1933, SH 7 Loop was designated through Post.[6] On November 27, 1934, SH 7 Spur was designated to Southland.[7] On July 15, 1935, the section of SH 7 from Elkhart to Alto was cancelled.[8] on June 16, 1936, this section was restored.[9] On February 21, 1938, SH 7 Business was designated in Goldthwaite.[10]
On May 24, 1938, a spur to Oglesby was created, but not designated.[11] On December 21, 1928, SH 7 Spur was designated in Oglesby.[12] On September 26, 1939 most of the highway had been overrun by a patchwork of US Highways, leaving only a small portion from Joaquin to Crockett remaining, rerouted yet again to a more southerly route from Nacogdoches, replacing SH 266 and part of SH 103. SH 7 Loop and SH 7 Spur became Spur 18 (Oglesby), Spur 45 (Southland), and Loop 46 (Post). On April 1, 1940, SH 7 extended west to Centerville. On November 22, 1940, the section from Ratcliff to Crockett was cancelled. On December 3, 1940, SH 7 extended west to Marquez. On February 20, 1942, the section from Ratcliff to Crockett was redesignated as part of SH 7. SH 7 replaced SH 139 from Chilton to Marquez (originally ended in Marlin; extended east on September 7, 1943) on July 15, 1948. SH 7 was signed (but not designated) to extend west to Eddy on July 31, 1975.[13] The extension to Eddy was officially designated on August 29, 1990, replacing a portion of FM 107.
![](../I/m/TexasHistSH7A.png)
SH 7A was a spur route of SH 7 that split off at Brownwood and traveled southwest to San Angelo designated on March 20, 1918, replacing part of SH 7, which was rerouted. On December 20, 1917, an intercounty highway was designated from San Angelo to Fort Stockton.[14] On February 19, 1919, it extended to Fort Stockton over this intercounty highway.[15] It was transferred to portions of SH 23, SH 30 (now US 277) on August 21, 1923.
![](../I/m/TexasHistSH7B.png)
SH 7B was a spur route of SH 7 designated on January 23, 1922 that split off at Lufkin and traveled southwest through Groveton to Trinity.[16] On August 21, 1923, it was cancelled.[17]
Route description
![](../I/m/SH_7%2C_Centerville%2C_Texas.jpg)
SH 7 begins at an intersection with Interstate 35 and FM 107 in extreme southern McLennan County in Central Texas. The highway travels east until it reaches an intersection with US Route 77. It briefly travels south with US 77 around the western side of Chilton before turn east again through town. The highway continues east through sparsely populated farmland before reaching Interstate 45 at Centerville. The highway continues east, passing through Crockett before turning northeast and passing through the center of the city of Nacogdoches. The highway continues to its final location, ending at US 84 in extreme northeast Shelby County, just short of the Louisiana State Line.
Major intersections
County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes | |||
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McLennan | Bruceville-Eddy | ![]() ![]() | I-35 exit 315 | |||||
Falls | Mooreville | ![]() | ||||||
| ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | interchange; west end of US 77 overlap | ||||||
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| ![]() | east end of US 77 overlap | ||||||
Chilton | ![]() ![]() | |||||||
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Marlin | ![]() ![]() | |||||||
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![]() | interchange | |||||||
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Limestone | Kosse | ![]() | ||||||
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Robertson | | ![]() | ||||||
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Leon | Marquez | ![]() | ||||||
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Robbins | ![]() | |||||||
Centerville | ![]() | I-45 exit 164 | ||||||
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Malvern | ![]() | |||||||
Houston | | ![]() | ||||||
| ![]() | west end of SH 21 overlap | ||||||
Crockett | ![]() | |||||||
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![]() ![]() ![]() | east end of SH 21 overlap; traffic circle around Houston County Courthouse | |||||||
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Berea | ![]() | |||||||
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Kennard | ![]() | |||||||
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Ratcliff | ![]() | |||||||
Angelina | | ![]() | ||||||
Redtown | ![]() | |||||||
Pollok | ![]() | interchange | ||||||
Nacogdoches | Harmony | ![]() | ||||||
Nacogdoches | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | interchange; U.S. 59 is the future Interstate 69 | ||||||
![]() ![]() | west end of US 59 Bus. overlap | |||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | east end of US 59 Bus. overlap; west end of SH 21 overlap | |||||||
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![]() | east end of SH 21 overlap | |||||||
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Swift | ![]() | |||||||
Martinsville | ![]() | west end of FM 95 overlap | ||||||
![]() | east end of FM 95 overlap | |||||||
San Augustine |
No major junctions | |||||||
Shelby | | ![]() | ||||||
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Center | ![]() ![]() | |||||||
![]() ![]() | traffic circle around Shelby County Courthouse | |||||||
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James | ![]() | |||||||
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Joaquin | ![]() | |||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | U.S. 84 is the future Interstate 69 | |||||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
References
- ↑ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway No. 7". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
- ↑ (PDF) https://publicdocs.txdot.gov/minord/MinuteOrderDocLib/003676699.pdf. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://publicdocs.txdot.gov/minord/MinuteOrderDocLib/003676740.pdf. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://publicdocs.txdot.gov/minord/MinuteOrderDocLib/003676757.pdf. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://publicdocs.txdot.gov/minord/MinuteOrderDocLib/003673818.pdf. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://publicdocs.txdot.gov/minord/MinuteOrderDocLib/003673828.pdf. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://publicdocs.txdot.gov/minord/MinuteOrderDocLib/003673860.pdf. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://publicdocs.txdot.gov/minord/MinuteOrderDocLib/003673871.pdf. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://publicdocs.txdot.gov/minord/MinuteOrderDocLib/003673885.pdf. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://publicdocs.txdot.gov/minord/MinuteOrderDocLib/003676241.pdf. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://publicdocs.txdot.gov/minord/MinuteOrderDocLib/003676244.pdf. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://publicdocs.txdot.gov/minord/MinuteOrderDocLib/003676254.pdf. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ TXDOT agenda for July 31, 1975 (PDF). TXDOT https://publicdocs.txdot.gov/minord/MinuteOrderDocLib/003674298.pdf. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://publicdocs.txdot.gov/minord/MinuteOrderDocLib/003676746.pdf. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://publicdocs.txdot.gov/minord/MinuteOrderDocLib/003676791.pdf. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://publicdocs.txdot.gov/minord/MinuteOrderDocLib/003676859.pdf. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://publicdocs.txdot.gov/minord/MinuteOrderDocLib/003676878.pdf. Missing or empty
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(help)