First route marker for northbound US 87 in Port Lavaca
US 87 begins at an intersection with State Highway 238 in Port Lavaca.[1] It takes a northwesterly route out of the town, and travels to Victoria, where it intersects US 59 and US 77.[2] Its northwesterly path continues to Cuero, where it merges with (and is briefly co-signed with) US 77 Alternate and US 183 before turning back toward the north. US 87 follows a gentle northwesterly route until just before Smiley, where it takes a more westerly turn. At Nixon, US 87 merges with State Highway 97 and continues west as a co-signed route until just west of Stockdale, where SH 97 leaves the route and US 87 continues to the northwest to San Antonio.[3]
On the southeast side of the city, US 87 merges with Interstate 10 (I-10); the routes are concurrent for 54 miles (87 km), through San Antonio and the southern part of the Texas Hill Country until an exit at Comfort. From here, US 87 travels in an almost due northerly heading to Fredericksburg before making a slight turn back to the northwest to Mason, where it merges with US 377.
From Mason, US 87/377 continues north-northwest to Brady, where US 377 leaves the route and US 87 makes a hard turn to the west before taking yet another slight turn to the north and continuing on to San Angelo and the northwest. After intersecting with I-20 at Big Spring, US 87 continues the same northwesterly path to Lamesa, where it takes a turn back to the northeast. After making another turn back to the north just outside O'Donnell, US 87 reaches Lubbock, where it merges with I-27 on the south side of the city.[4]
US 87 is concurrent with I-27 for a majority of its trek to Amarillo, deviating from the interstate route to spur into cities such as Kress, Tulia, and Canyon. The I-27 designation ends at I-40 in Amarillo; here, US 87 splits into the one-way pair of Fillmore Street (northbound) and Taylor Street (southbound, which also carries eastbound US 60). North of Amarillo Boulevard, US 87 and US 287 merge and head due north along a freeway alignment. The two routes separate in Dumas, with US 87 taking a sharp turn to the west before merging with US 385 in Hartley and turning to the northwest. US 385 leaves the route in Dalhart, and US 87 continues on a slight northwesterly path, crossing into New Mexico approximately a mile west of Texline.[5][6]
Future
On March 15, 2022, a bill was signed by President Joe Biden that added the extension of I-27 north to Raton, New Mexico, and south to Laredo to the Interstate Highway System. The extension would utilize the US 87 corridor between Raton and San Angelo, Texas.[7] A bill introduced in March 2023 would explicitly designate the extension as I-27 with two auxiliary routes numbered I-227 and I-327. I-227 is proposed to be routed via SH 158 from Sterling City to Midland and SH 349 from Midland to Lamesa; I-327 would utilize US 287 from Dumas to the Oklahoma state line.[8][9] However, after legislation passed through the U.S. Senate in August 2023, I-227 and I-327 were respectively redesignated as I-27W and I-27N, with I-27E replacing the proposed I-27 between Sterling City and Lamesa.[10][11]
^Transportation Planning and Programming Division (2018). Texas County Mapbook(PDF) (Map) (2018 ed.). 1:72,224. Texas Department of Transportation. p. 2003. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
^Transportation Planning and Programming Division (2018). Texas County Mapbook(PDF) (Map) (2018 ed.). 1:72,224. Texas Department of Transportation. p. 1909. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
^Transportation Planning and Programming Division (2018). Texas County Mapbook(PDF) (Map) (2018 ed.). 1:72,224. Texas Department of Transportation. p. 433. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
^Transportation Planning and Programming Division (2018). Texas County Mapbook(PDF) (Map) (2018 ed.). 1:72,224. Texas Department of Transportation. p. 16. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
