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Listed at: U.S. Route 175

Dallas County
US 175 begins south of Downtown Dallas at an interchange with Interstate 45 south of Interstate 30, Cesar Chavez Boulevard, and Good-Latimer Expressway. The highway heads towards the southeast as a freeway carrying the moniker of S.M. Wright Freeway (named for a local minister and community leader in South Dallas); it was previously named South Central Expressway in this section.

At an interchange with State Highway 310 (known locally as Dead Man's Curve), US 175 begins to head to the east (taking the name C.F. Hawn Freeway, named after a Texas Highway commissioner who lived in Athens) while the S.M. Wright Freeway name follows SH 310. The freeway continues east along the north edge of Rochester Park, through lowlands that include a crossing of White Rock Creek, until it turns back to the southeast at an interchange at Second Avenue (a previous routing of US 175) and Bruton Road; from this point US 175 maintains a consistent southeasterly direction.

US 175 passes through the Pleasant Grove area of Dallas past an interchange with Loop 12 (Buckner Blvd.), then a few miles later, Interstate 20 just southwest of the I-20 and Interstate 635 interchange/split. The highway continues as a freeway past the I-20 interchange, where it briefly crosses into and out of Balch Springs. US 175 leaves Dallas just after the Woody Road exit then goes into the city of Seagoville. The portion of the route through Seagoville is its last urban portion before US 175's surroundings become more suburban and rural.

Kaufman County
On the far side of Seagoville, US 175 passes into Kaufman County and descends into a valley which includes land overseen by the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center and a crossing of the East Fork of the Trinity River. The river marks the city limit boundary between Seagoville and Crandall.

After rising out of the valley area, the highway goes through Crandall by intersecting Farm to Market Road 741 (which connects Crandall to Forney). After passing the center of town, and another exit, with Farm to Market Road 148 (connecting Crandall to Terrell), US 175 goes into a more rural area, passing by rolling blackland prairies and farmland. A rural interchange for County Road 4104-Bud Stoy Road marks the city limit border of Crandall and Kaufman. The freeway continues into Kaufman past a wide right curve at the State Highway 243 interchange, then passes by a brief urban section at the State Highway 34 (Washington Street) exit.

After this part, US 175 loses its freeway charcteristics but continues as a four-lane divided highway. The highway passes by more rolling prairie and farmland for several miles before approaching Kemp. Here a bypass takes US 175 around the north and east of town, while the first of three business routes of US 175 goes through Kemp along US 175's previous routing in the area. After the bypass makes its way past a freeway-style exit at State Highway 274 (which also forms the east end of Business US 175), US 175 leaves the main part of Kemp.

The highway continues as a divided four-lane road past two multi-bridge spans of Cedar Creek Reservoir. Between the two spans is the city limit border between Kemp and Mabank. After rising up from the area of the second span of the lake, US 175 begins bypassing the main part of Mabank while another US 175 business route serves a through-town portion along a previous routing of the highway. One part of US 175 along its bypass is freeway-style, at an interchange with State Highway 198. The highway leaves Kaufman County just before completing its bypass of Mabank. /

Henderson County
US 175 enters the county as it approaches an at-grade intersection with the east end of Business US 175. The highway continues being divided with four lanes into an area that is more wooded, but still has rolling hills and some farmland. A rural at-grade intersection with a county road marks the city limit border between Mabank and Gun Barrel City, then US 175 approaches a freeway-style interchange with State Highway 334. This state highway connects to the main portion of Gun Barrel City to the west, and is the last major road connecting US 175 to Cedar Creek Reservoir.

After the interchange, US 175 leaves the city limits of Gun Barrel City, and within a mile, it enters the city limits of Eustace. Soon afterward, the highway narrows to an undivided four-lane road with a left-turn lane. US 175 approaches its first signal light at the intersection of Farm to Market Road 316, which comes into Eustace from the south; the intersection is the beginning of a brief overlap of the two roads near the center of town. FM 316's overlap concludes after four short blocks by turning left at another signal-lighted intersection to go north out of Eustace. US 175 continues out of Eustace and goes on another mile or so before becoming divided once again with four lanes. Once out of Eustace, US 175's speed limit goes up to 75 mph, the highest maximum speed of any segment of the highway.

US 175 continues southeast for several more miles of rolling terrain of alternate areas of woods and farmland, then it passes one of two state-maintained roadside picnic areas. An intersection with Ranch to Market Road 2329 comes up right afterward, then within a mile, US 175 enters the city limits of Athens. A few more miles later, the divided roadway narrows again, to an undivided four-lane road with a left-turn lane. After another mile, US 175 intersects Loop 7; it begins bypassing Athens by turning left and overlapping the loop (as well as State Highway 31, which also bypasses Athens by way of the loop). At this same intersection, the last of US 175's three business routes goes into Athens, along a previous routing of US 175. The portion of the route carrying US 175, SH 31, and Loop 7 is a four-lane highway with a left turn lane. On the north side of Athens, the highway intersects State Highway 19 with a grade-separated exit; the south-bound SH 19 bypasses Athens by merging with US 175, SH 31, and Loop 7 here while north-bound SH 19 turns left to go away from Athens, and a business route of SH 19 begins here to go south into the main part of town.

The four routes continue around Athens eastward past an at-grade intersection with Farm to Market Road 1616. SH 31 turns away from the four-route overlap at the next exit; it leaves by turning left (northeast) toward Tyler, while a business route of SH 31 turns right at the exit to go into Athens. US 175, SH 19, and Loop 7 continue their overlap around to the east edge of Athens, past a grade-separated exit of Farm to Market Road 2495. This road connects to Lake Athens and the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center. A short distance later, US 175 turns away from SH 19 and Loop 7 at the next exit; US 175 goes left to return to its southeastward path, and the east end of Business US 175 is also found at this exit by turning right from the exit intersection.

The roadway US 175 takes after leaving the Loop and the southeast side of Athens is once again a divided four-lane, with surroundings that are hillier, but still rural in nature with alternating wooded areas and farmland. After a few miles, US 175 intersects Farm to Market Road 804 in the community of Baxter. Less than a mile after FM 804, and after passing a county road intersection, US 175 becomes a quite narrow two-lane road with more rolling hills and limited sight distances. At the top of one of the hills, the second and last roadside picnic area maintained by the state found alongside US 175 can be found. A couple more miles onward is an intersection with Loop 60 in the community of Larue. The signage at the at-grade turn to the left also points to an eventual intersection with Farm to Market Road 607. A short distance later is an intersection with Ranch to Market Road 2588, on the south side of Larue. Just after the intersection, an overpass bridge briefly takes US 175 up and over an abandoned railroad right-of-way. Another intersection with Loop 60 follows the overpass.

Leaving the vicinity of Larue, there are more hills and rural surroundings along US 175. After a few miles, the LaPoynor consolidated school campus can be found on the left side of the highway; it includes a school zone with a speed limit of 35 mph. About a mile past the school campus, at a county road crossing, is the city limits for the town of Poynor. Posted speeds slow to 45 mph just before reaching the center of town, which includes a brief downtown-style area, and an intersection with Farm to Market Road 315. A signal with blinking yellow lights is posted at the intersection. At this point, US 175 becomes part of the Texas Forest Trail, one of several posted regional byways across the state. The Trail wanders around to several protected forest areas and scenic spots around eastern Texas. About a mile further, US 175 reaches the city limit border on the east side of Poynor, then it leaves Henderson County around a mile after that.

Anderson County
US 175 enters the county by going from the narrow two-lane condition to a much better two-lane width that includes shoulders on each side of the road. Most hills are more gradual here at first, but higher hills can be seen in the distance to the south, along with the alternate wooded areas and farm/ranch acreages that continue. After a few miles, US 175's first climbing lane is encountered in the westbound lane of the highway at the crest of a hill; it spans less than a half a mile.

Going down the same hill, US 175 crosses the city limit line of Frankston. After another half a mile, the roadway widens to four lanes at the beginning of the urban portion of town. Speed limits slow to 45 mph here, then down to 35 mph before the center of town. A few blocks later, the business district can be seen, with Frankston's downtown area just south of US 175. It is here where the highway intersects State Highway 155, the other major highway that serves the vicinity of Frankston. There is a full signal light at the intersection as well as a left-turn lane on each approach. This intersection marks the end of US 175's segment of the Texas Forest Trail; from here, it turns north to follow SH 155. After SH 155, and over a hill, US 175 leaves the urban portion of Frankston and the four-lane section narrows back to two lanes.

The east city limits of Frankston is crossed in less than two more miles. By this point, the speed limit is now up to 70 mph. An assortment of hills, climbing lanes, and gentle curves are encountered on US 175 along with the same geography of alternating woods and pastures. At the top of a hill east of Frankston is an intersection with Farm to Market Road 1892; this road connects to the south end of Lake Palestine near its dam. A gradual downward slope with a wide picturesque view can be seen on both sides of the highway immediately after passing FM 1892. At the bottom of the hill, a short, pine tree lined section with wider shoulders gives way to a short descent to the bridge crossing of the Neches River; this is the point where US 175 leaves Anderson County.

Cherokee County
After the bridge span over the Neches River, and a short distance later, US 175 reaches the west city limit border of Cuney. The speed limit is reduced here to 55 mph. There is not much of a town center besides a city hall and post office, mainly scattered stores, modest homes, and a church along the way. Just after crossing the east city limit border of Cuney, US 175 comes to an intersection with Farm to Market Road 855, as its speed limit goes back to 70 mph.

A left curve is ahead, then US 175 enters the community of Reese. There are two cemeteries, one on each side of the highway, then mostly homes and acreages in the community. Upon leaving Reese, there is a curve in the road to the right, then a slight ascent up a long hillside, with a climbing lane eastbound. At the top of the hill and around a wide right curve, US 175 approaches Cove Springs. The community is similar to Reese with mostly homes and acreages alongside the highway.

As US 175 departs Cove Springs, it descends a long hillside with a climbing lane on the westbound side. At the bottom of the hill, a curve to the left brings along a much shorter hill. A county road intersection at the top of that hill leads south into the community of Church Hill. Then US 175 descends down a slightly longer hill, and a slight right curve to an intersection with County Road 3405, which leads north. The site of the Killough Monument can be accessed by way of this same road. Across from this intersection is a Texas Historical Marker commemorating the past existence of the Neches Saline Road (a part of which is traversed by County Road 3405), a path used by Native Americans and early area settlers.

After another mile, a county road turns off to the right toward the community of Lakeview. A short hill ahead features climbing lanes in both directions. The far side of the hill is a gradual descent, followed by a short hill lined with tall trees on both sides, then a short rise leading to the city limit border on the northwest side of Jacksonville. Speed limits decrease gradually here, starting with a reduction to 55 mph. Between the city limits and the next street intersection, Pineda Street, an elementary school is on the right, with a school zone speed of 35 mph.

After a short distance, commercial buildings and older homes begin lining both sides of US 175. By this point, the speed limit has lowered to 45 mph, then shortly to 35 mph. A signal light after three blocks marks an intersection with Farm to Market Road 347 (North Bolton Street). For its final three blocks, US 175 widens to four lanes with a left turn lane, with wide berms beyond the sides of the street, separating it from neighborhoods to the north and south. Another signal light ahead marks an intersection with U.S. Highway 69 (North Jackson Street); this point marks US 175's eastern terminus.

Business routes
There are currently three business routes of U.S. Highway 175.

Business U.S. Highway 175-D (formerly Loop 346) is a business loop that goes east into Kemp from its intersection of US 175 west. The route runs along Elm Street to an intersection with State Highway 274, then turns left to go north, overlapped with SH 274, until intersecting again with US 175. Most of the route is part of a previous route of US 175. The Business route was created in 1991 and is 2.432 mi long.

Business U.S. Highway 175-E is a business loop that runs through Mabank. This route runs on Mason Street, along a previous route of US 175, past an intersection with State Highway 198 until intersecting again with US 175. The business route was created in 1991 when US 175 was rerouted further north and east around town. The route is 2.935 mi long.

Business U.S. Highway 175-G is a business loop that runs through Athens. This route runs southeast from an intersection of US 175 west / State Highway 31 / Loop 7, to an intersection with Business SH 31, then turns left where the two routes overlap on Corsicana Street. At the center of town by the courthouse square, Business SH 31 turns left away from Business US 175-G. The road passes an intersection with Business SH 19 on the east side of the square, then proceeds east, then later curves to the southeast, eventually intersecting again with US 175 / Loop 7 (as well as State Highway 19). The route was created in 2004 when US 175 was rerouted to go to the north and east of Athens on Loop 7. Business SU 175-G is 4.871 mi long.

Former Business routes
There is one former Business Route along US 175. Business U.S. Highway 175-B was located in Crandall between 1992 and 2002 and was 0.6 mi long. The route went southeast along Main Street from an intersection with the eastbound service road of US 175, to an intersection with Trunk Street, then turned left (northeast) until another intersection with the eastbound service road of US 175. This route had been previously designated Loop 219 before 1992; since 2002, though, the portions along Main and Trunk have been maintained by the city of Crandall.

History
Before 1920, and subsequently into the 1930s, a state highway, SH 40, existed from Beaumont to the Texas-Oklahoma border. The routing of SH 40 included a portion between Dallas and Jacksonville. It was this portion that became U.S. Highway 175 by July 1932. The other parts of SH 40 became parts of other US highways (US 77 north of Dallas by 1926; US 271 south of Jacksonville from 1930 to 1934, when the designation transitioned to US 69) as well (Map sources into at least the mid-1930s show a co-signing of US 175 and SH 40 along US 175's entire route; it is unclear whether these were mapping mistakes of some kind or if the two designations were allowed as an orientative transition, if so, it is unclear as to for how long.). Traces of SH 40's pre-US 175 route exist on 2 street signs, one near Cedar Creek Country Club (between Kemp and Mabank), the other just off SH 274 on the edge of Kemp. These changes phased out the SH 40 designation until almost 60 years later, when a short portion of highway in College Station was given the SH 40 designation in 1994.

A few "old roads" still exist that are accessible and driveable; it is unclear whether any of these were signed as SH 40, or US 175, or both. Commerce Street in downtown Dallas and the city's Deep Ellum section is one such part, but it is still unclear how far west US 175 actually traversed along Commerce. Second Avenue is another, although somewhat altered in the vicinity of Fair Park as it grew and evolved over the years. The part in the Pleasant Grove section of Dallas is another unclear path; the streets that now go by Seagoville Road in Dallas were very likely part of US 175 in its pre-freeway times. Kaufman Street in Seagoville was a pre-freeway routing, as well as Trunk Street in Crandall, but the missing portion is in the vicinity of the East Fork of the Trinity River. Floods in the late 1940s and early 1950s were likely the culprit, as US 175 takes a completely different path now to the north of where Kaufman Street and Trunk Street could have connected. A section also exists east of Crandall and west of Kaufman. Southeast of Kaufman there is a road sometimes mapped or labeled as Old Kemp Highway; this can be found southwest of US 175's current path between Kaufman and Kemp. There are two disconnected sections between Kemp and Mabank, likely so due to the presence of Cedar Creek Reservoir. Loop 60 in LaRue is another portion that could be a previous routing of either US 175 or SH 40. A county road to the north of US 175 between Poynor and Frankston could be another past routing, as some maps label it as Old Athens Highway. Sections of county road south of US 175 between Frankston and Cuney could be a past route between the two areas, but it is unclear if the roads were labeled and signed as a numbered road. Another section, in and east of Cove Springs, locally called Dip Road, was another old road but may have been used during SH 40's time. The last possible one used what is now County Road ? south of US 175's current path, through the community of Lakeview, and then into Jacksonville along Kickapoo Street to North Bolton Street; likely, this section was only part of SH 40 and not US 175, but as with the other "old roads", there is no certainty. One clue for the last example may be that because Frankston evolved from a past settlement to the town's southeast called "Kickapoo", that street might have been an early connection between Jacksonville and the Kickapoo area at one time.

Construction projects

In the 1950s, one of the first improvements along US 175 in Dallas occurred at a signal-lighted intersection in Pleasant Grove; it was the site of several previous accidents. The intersection was made into a freeway-style exit with grade separation and ramps. It is at the present-day site of the Loop 12-Buckner Blvd. exit off US 175.

In January 1964, a new west terminus was completed, connecting South Central Expressway with Second Avenue. This formed one of the first freeway segments in Dallas on US 175. It also, for the first time, bypassed sections of Dallas which had been served since 175 became a US highway some 32 years earlier. No longer would it connect Deep Ellum, Fair Park, or the Second Avenue corridor of South Dallas.

In 1988, the portion of US 75 between Galveston and Dallas was truncated; this included much of South Central Expressway south of downtown. In US 75's place, US 175 was extended north from the South Central-C.F. Hawn interchange to I-45; a separate numbering, SH 310, was used for the portion of South Central south of US 175.

Along US 175's path, several cities have been bypassed that previously had been served with through-town routings, including Seagoville, Crandall, Kaufman, Kemp, Mabank, and Athens. Other updates to US 175 have included widenings that have transformed much of the highway; it has become freeway over the years between Dallas and Kaufman, while further southeastward, US 175 has been widened to a divided four-lane highway as far as Baxter, in Henderson County.

The bypassed sections in Seagoville and Crandall came in conjunction with a new alignment between the two cities and a higher bridge over the East Fork of the Trinity River. In Kaufman, the bypass was built as a freeway style to the west and south of downtown, where US 175 was previously routed there. The center of Kemp was bypassed to the north and east in an incomplete freeway style. Mabank's bypass came later, with a mostly freeway-style route to the north and east of town. The construction of Loop 7 around Athens was the catalyst for US 175's bypass there; the city decreed that the loop would be made a truck route, so, as such, the city was able to get the state to reroute the designations of each highway serving the town (US 175, State Highway 19 and State Highway 31) to the loop, making each route bypass the city. US 175's portion was signed afterward along the north and east sides of Loop 7. It appears that LaRue may have been first to be bypassed, but it is unclear as to whether it was formulated in the early years of US 175's time, or if it was done while the path was signed as SH 40. The section in question is currently designated as Loop 60.

There have been many sections that have been widened, mostly to a divided four-lane arrangement, while some have four lanes with a left-turn lane in the middle of the highway. From Kaufman to Kemp, a previously two lane section was made into a four lane divided section, with crossovers to access each side of the highway. From Kemp to Mabank, a two lane section was made into a four lane divided section, with crossovers to access each side of the highway, along with new bridge spans over two sections of Cedar Creek Reservoir, which were built for the new westbound lanes. These were built higher than the bridge spans along the original two lane portion. A multi-phase project from Mabank to Athens began in 2006 to make a two lane section into a four lane divided section between Mabank and Eustace, which included a grade-separation for the intersection of US 175 and SH 334, then, a four-lane section with a left-turn lane within Eustace, then the other phase was widening the two-lane Eustace to Athens portion into a divided four lane highway. The work was completed by 2011. During the 1980s, a two-lane section of US 175 between Athens and Baxter was made into a four-lane divided highway.

Between May 2001 and April 2002, US 175's east terminus was relocated and straightened in Jacksonville. After many years of zigzagging its way to the center of town, the highway was finally rerouted to a new, wider path for its last three blocks prior to the new intersection with US Highway 69. There had previously been three east termini in Jacksonville: Frankston Street at North Bolton Street until sometime in the 1960s, when US 69 was rerouted off North Bolton; South Jackson at East Rusk Street, at the south end of a new railroad overpass; and North Jackson at Cherokee Street around 1999.

In October 2016, a new bypass around the south and east parts of Kaufman was completed for State Highway 34; this project included a new exit on US 175. The exit on US 175 at South Washington Street, SH 34's previous routing, became an exit for Business SH 34 after the opening of the new bypass.

Notable figures

Charles (C.F.) Hawn was a businessman from Athens who served on the Texas Highway Commission for several years and was involved in the family's lumber store, as well as banking, ranching, and development. After aiding in funding dilemmas between Dallas County and the city of Dallas, it was decided that the new freeway east of South Central Expressway in Dallas be named for Hawn. Sylvester (S.M.) Wright, a pastor at a South Dallas church, was influential in his community towards solutions dealing with race in the 1960s. The state decreed in the mid-1990s that all of South Central Expressway north of Hawn Freeway, and much of it to the south, be renamed for Wright. George W. Bush, Texas' governor at the time, was in attendance for the rededication ceremony. William Richardson brought his family from South Carolina and Alabama, eventually settling on land just northwest of Athens in late 1855. Besides being a church pioneer in Athens as well as cattle ranching, Richardson was called upon to help map out an early road path between Athens and Kaufman. The routing US 175 takes now in that area is based in part on what Richardson helped to plan. Harold Alexander, a past city council member in Jacksonville, donated land for the straightening and improvements that were completed in 2002 for US 175's new east terminus and was a proponent of the project. The city named the new three-block section for Alexander at its dedication.

Future

There are plans to continue and finish widening the remainder of US 175. The last portion not yet done is a 17-mile section between Frankston and Jacksonville. Funding and right-of-way acquisition have not been finalized for that part of the highway. Another project involves adding a missing service road along the south side of US 175 between FM 148 in Crandall and the County Road 4106 exit; it wasn't originally built when US 175 was made a freeway there due to close proximity to a parallel section of the Southern Pacific railroad (which has since been abandoned). The intersection of FM 2860 between Kaufman and Kemp has been a candidate for years to be upgraded to a grade-separated, freeway-style exit, but funding hasn't been set aside for this project. The US 175 bypass of Kemp is the site of another potential project, to make the intersections at Business US 175 west and at FM 1895 into full freeway-style, grade-separated exits, but no funding has been made available.

Current construction

Work is progressing in Dallas on a project to extend the C.F. Hawn Freeway from the 90-degree curve at S.M. Wright Freeway westward across South Lamar Street to a new west terminus at I-45. According to current schematics, the new terminus will only have ramp movements from US 175 west to I-45 north, and from I-45 south to US 175 east. No word has come as to the possibility of having the other two possible ramp movements (west to south, north to east) in present plans. The 90-degree S.M. Wright interchange will be transformed as part of a freeway-to-parkway reconstruction along S.M. Wright. Other associated changes will be made to I-45 just north of the new US 175 interchange.

A three-phase project is underway to widen the portion of US 175 between Baxter and Frankston. One phase will widen the highway from Baxter to just east of LaRue from a very narrow two-lane section to a four-lane divided highway. The second phase is from LaRue to just east of Poynor; it also will make a very narrow two-lane section into a four-lane divided road, with a short service road-style section in front of the LaPoynor School complex, as well as a short bypass of Poynor's downtown area that will include a bridge over FM 315. The third of the three phases goes from just east of Poynor to Frankston with a widening of a two-lane section to a four-lane divided arrangement.

Plans are underway to extend the C.F. Hawn Freeway to I-45 (Julius Schepps Freeway) and "deconstruct" the S.M. Wright Freeway into a six lane surface street. This project will rid of the accident prone Dead Man's Curve and connect the neighborhoods that have been separated by the S.M. Wright Freeway for years. Environmental clearance was received September 13, 2013 and construction will begin once funds are available.

Current construction
Future plans call for widening US 175 to four lanes in phases between Baxter, Poynor and Frankston, and
 * New western terminus at I-45 and conversion of S.M. Wright Freeway to a boulevard. The new terminus will involve construction of an extension of C.F. Hawn Freeway westward past S.M. Wright to a new interchange with I-45 just south of the Lamar Street exit.
 * A new SH 34 bypass of Kaufman is being constructed; this will include a new interchange on US 175.
 * Widening to a divided four lane highway is taking place between Baxter and Larue.

Planned projects

 * Widening between Larue and the Henderson County−Anderson County line.
 * Widening between the Henderson County−Anderson County line and Frankston.
 * Widening between Frankston and Jacksonville.
 * Loop 9, which is a future extension of the President George Bush Turnpike and SH 190, is planned to be built south and southeast of Dallas. It will include an interchange of some type at its intersection with US 175; this is planned for a point in Seagoville on or near the Dallas County-Kaufman County line.
 * A planned bypass for FM 148 in Crandall, to the east of FM 148's current alignment, will cross US 175 at some point, making an interchange necessary there.

between Frankston and Jacksonville; these phases were originally scheduled to have begun construction already but plans have been delayed due to lack of funding.

Listed at: List of Farm to Market Roads in Texas

Farm to Market Roads in Texas are owned and maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).