U.S. Route 83

U.S. Route 83 (US 83) is one of the longest north–south U.S. Highways in the United States, at 1,885 miles (3,034 km). Only four other north–south routes are longer: U.S. Routes 1, 41, 59, and 87. The highway's northern terminus is north of Westhope, North Dakota, at the Canada–United States border, where it continues as Manitoba Highway 83. The southern terminus is in Brownsville, Texas, at the Veterans International Bridge on the Mexico–United States border, connecting with both Mexican Federal Highway 101 and Mexican Federal Highway 180.

Despite its length it has comparatively few concurrencies with any Interstate highways, and those segments are short. In no place has it been decommissioned as a route.

Route description

Texas

Oklahoma

US-83 traverses the Oklahoma panhandle along the western border of Beaver County, but in this brief 37-mile (60 km) stretch it encounters no fewer than three other federal highways. Approximately ten miles from the Texas line, US-83 intersects US-412 in the hamlet of Bryan's Corner. Continuing its journey northward, the highway crosses the Beaver River, then intersects US-64 in Turpin. US-83 North and US-64 East are co-signed for three northbound miles, where US-64 turns eastward. At this intersection, US-270 West joins the highway, and together with US-83 proceeds northbound for the final six miles (10 km) to the Kansas line.

U.S. Route 83 in Texas

U.S. Highway 83 (US 83), dedicated as the Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway, is a U.S. Highway in the U.S. state of Texas that begins at US 77 (Interstate 69E, I-69E) in Brownsville and follows the Rio Grande to Laredo, then heads north through Abilene to the Oklahoma border north of Perryton, the seat of Ochiltree County. It is the longest highway in Texas at a length of about 895 miles (1,440 km), besting the east–west I-10, which has a length of 879 miles (1,415 km).

In the Lower Rio Grande Valley, US 83 is a freeway that is at or close to interstate standards from Brownsville to Penitas. In May 2013, the Texas Department of Transportation applied to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) to designate this 48-mile (77 km) section as I-2. After the Special Committee on Route Numbering initially disapproved the application, the AASHTO Board of Directors approved the I-2 designation, conditional on the concurrence of the Federal Highway Administration. On May 29, 2013, the segment of US 83 was approved as an I-69 connector using the I-2 designation extending approximately 46 miles (74 km) from Harlingen to west of Mission.