State Highway 6 (abbreviated as SH 6) runs from the Red River, the Texas–Oklahoma boundary, to northwest of Galveston. In the Houston area, it runs north to FM 1960, then northwest along US Highway 290 to Hempstead, and south to Westheimer Road and Addicks, and is known as Addicks Satsuma Road. In the Bryan–College Station area, it is known as the Earl Rudder Freeway. In Hearne, it is known as Market Street. For most of its length, SH 6 is not a limited-access road.

 

In 1997, the Texas Legislature designated SH 6 as the Texas Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway.

 

History

Historic routes

State Highway 6 was one of the original 26 state highways proposed in 1917, overlying the King of Trails Highway. From 1919, the routing mostly followed present-day U.S. Highway 75 from Oklahoma to Dallas, then U.S. Highway 77 to Waco.

 

Current routes

In 1926, SH 6 was extended along the eastern Gulf Division branch of State Highway 2 to keep SH 2 from having two separate highways with the same number. US 75 and US 77 were overlaid on northern SH 6 from Waco northward through the Dallas area to Denison. While the routes were marked concurrently, the concurrent SH 6 kept its numbering until 1939, when SH 6 was truncated to the Gulf Division routing ending at Waco. It was rerouted south from Hempstead to Galveston, replacing SH 38 from Sugar Land to Galveston. In 1945, the roadway was extended northwest to Breckenridge over SH 67, continuing northwest to near Throckmorton along SH 157, which was decommissioned. Also in 1945, the section in southeast Texas between Hempstead and Sugar Land was cancelled for unknown reasons, and transferred to Farm to Market Road 359. In 1952, the route was truncated on the north side, ending at Breckenridge. This section was transferred to U.S. Highway 183. In 1968, the section between Hempstead and Sugar Land was re-established, as it was routed along U.S. Highway 290 until it reached Farm to Market Road (FM) 1960, then replacing FM 1960 southward to where the southern branch of SH 6 intersected U.S. Highway 59 in Sugar Land. In the early 1970s, the northern section underwent a massive rerouting due to realignments of numerous U.S. and state routes. In 1971, the section from Breckenridge south to Eastland was redesignated as State Highway 69. It was instead rerouted west along U.S. Highway 80 to Cisco, then replaced U.S. Highway 380 northwest to near Old Glory. The route was again extended in 1975, replacing State Highway 283 between Old Glory and Stamford northward to the Texas/Oklahoma border, completing the current routing of SH 6.

 

Business routes

Business State Highway 6-N (formerly Loop 23) is a business loop that runs from SH 6 near Marlin in central Texas. The road was bypassed in 1978 by SH 6 and designated Loop 23. The road was redesignated as Business SH 6-N in 1991.

 

Business State Highway 6-R (formerly Loop 507) is a business loop that runs through Bryan and College Station. The route runs on Texas Avenue in both cities. The route, created in 1972 when SH 6 was routed further north and east, is 12.5 miles (20.1 km) long. It serves as the eastern boundary of Texas A&M University.

 

Business State Highway 6-S (formerly Loop 508) is a business loop that runs through Navasota on La Salle Avenue. The route was created in 1972 when SH 6 was rerouted further north and east around town; it is 6.3 miles (10.1 km).

 

A business loop was added in 2010 in Reagan when the existing SH 6 was rerouted southwest around town; as of January 1, 2011, however, this route has not been added to the Highway Designation File.