State Highway 31, or SH 31, runs from U.S. Highway 84 northeast of Waco

Waco, Texas

Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....

 via Corsicana

Corsicana, Texas

Corsicana is a city in Navarro County, Texas, United States. It is located on Interstate 45 some fifty-five miles south of downtown Dallas. The population was 24,485 at the 2000 census...

, Athens

Athens, Texas

Athens is a city in Henderson County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,710. It is the county seat of Henderson County. According to the Texas Legislature, Athens is the "Original Home of the Hamburger"...

, Tyler

Tyler, Texas

Tyler is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, in the United States. It takes its name from President John Tyler . The city had a population of 109,000 in 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau...

, Kilgore

Kilgore, Texas

Kilgore is a city in Gregg and Rusk Counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the home of Kilgore College, and was also the childhood home of famous classical pianist Van Cliburn...

 to U.S. Highway 80 in Longview

Longview, Texas

Longview is a city in Gregg and Harrison Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 80,455. Most of the city is located in Gregg County, of which it is the county seat; only a small part extends into the western part of neighboring Harrison County. It is...

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SH 31 was a route proposed by 1919 to run from Waco northeast via Corsicana and Athens to Tyler, which remains the western portion of its current route to this day. By 1933, the route had been extended northeast to Gladewater

Gladewater, Texas

Gladewater is a city in Gregg and Upshur Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 6,228 at the 2010 census. U.S. Highway 80 traverses the city....

. In 1939, this extension was reassigned to U.S.