Interstate 610 Texas
Overview
Known as the Loop or the 610 Loop, Interstate 610 constitutes the inner beltway for the city of Houston. The middle beltway is the Sam Houston Parkway / Tollway and Beltway 8. Further out from the city, Grand Parkway (SH 99) is the outer beltway around the Houston metropolitan area. The toll road forms a semicircle north from IH 69/U.S. 59 near Sugar Land to Tomball and east to IH 69 north of Humble.
Interstate 610 provides connectivity to metropolitan area freeways radiating out of Houston including U.S. 90 (Crosby Freeway), U.S. 290 (Northwest Freeway) and SH 288 (South Freeway) among the Interstate connections with IH 10, IH 45 and IH 69/U.S. 59. The 610 Loop is heavily traveled freeway varying between six to eight lanes with multi level systems interchanges at intersecting freeways.
History
IH 610 was approved by the Texas State Highway Commission in 1962 and by AASHO on June 30, 1970. Plans in the 1950s assigned Loop 137 along the southern, western, and northern portions of the beltway. The eastern section and the bridge across the Houston Ship Channel were not included in the Loop 137 plans, but they were added to the IH 610 approval in 1962. The entire loop route was open to traffic by 1975.1
Route Information
East End – Houston, TX
West End – Houston, TX
Mileage – 37.97 (37.93*)
Cities – Houston, Bellaire, Jacinto City, Galena Park
- Junctions –
Source: December 31, 2018 Interstate Route Log and Finders List
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Statewide Planning Map
I-610 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)
Source: 2017 AADT – Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Statewide Planning Map
Highway Guides
East End
– Houston, Texas
North at
North at
East at
West at
West End
– Houston, Texas
West at
North at
The West Loop of IH 610 runs along a viaduct system between Greater Uptown and Memorial Park in Houston toward the multi level interchange (Exit 11) with IH 10/U.S. 90 (Katy Freeway). Photos taken 08/02/19.
South at
West End Throwback
The Katy Freeway reconstruction expanded westbound IH 10 to four general travel lanes with a tolled express lane from the previous two lanes at the four level interchange with IH 610. Photos taken by Chris Patriarca (04/10/03).
Sources:
- “From Anywhere to Everywhere: The Development of the Interstate Highway System in Texas.” Texas Transportation Institute, pages 29 and 38.
http://tti.tamu.edu/interstate_anniversary/white_paper/
Page updated August 12, 2019.