State Highway 44 is a Texas state highway that runs from west of Encinal

Encinal, Texas

Encinal is a city in La Salle County, Texas, United States. The population was 629 at the 2000 census. Interstate 35 Business runs through the community. There are few businesses in Encinal; most have closed along the main street....

 to Corpus Christi, Texas

Corpus Christi, Texas

Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...

. This highway is also known as the Cesar Chavez Memorial Highway outside the city limits of Robstown

Robstown, Texas

Robstown is a city in Nueces County, Texas, United States, and a western suburb of Corpus Christi. It was founded about 1906, and was named for Robert Driscoll Jr., a landowner...

, Banquete, Agua Dulce, Alice

Alice, Texas

At the 2000 census, there were 19,010 people, 6,400 households and 4,915 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,597.4 per square mile . There were 6,998 housing units at an average density of 588.0 per square mile...

 and Corpus Christi in Nueces and Jim Hogg Counties.

History

SH 44 was originally proposed in 1919 as a connector route between 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....

 and Giddings

Giddings, Texas

Giddings is the county seat of Lee County, Texas, United States situated on the intersection of U.S. Highways 77 and 290, east of Austin. Its population was 5,105 at the 2000 census. The city's motto is "Giddings Texas: Experience Hometown Hospitality"....

. By 1933, construction was continuing on the highway, with the southern terminus extended south to LaGrange, and was cosigned with U.S. Highway 77. By 1938, this route had been fully converted to US 77, with a new designation from Sinton

Sinton, Texas

Sinton is a city in San Patricio County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,676 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of San Patricio County...

 to Alice

Alice, Texas

At the 2000 census, there were 19,010 people, 6,400 households and 4,915 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,597.4 per square mile . There were 6,998 housing units at an average density of 588.0 per square mile...

 via Robstown

Robstown, Texas

Robstown is a city in Nueces County, Texas, United States, and a western suburb of Corpus Christi. It was founded about 1906, and was named for Robert Driscoll Jr., a landowner...

 over former SH 128

State Highway 128 (Texas)

State Highway 128 is a state highway in Andrews County, Texas.-Route description:SH 128 begins at the New Mexico state line east of Jal, New Mexico, as New Mexico Highway 128 crosses into Texas. The route immediately encounters its only intersection between its termini, at , which runs just inside...

. In 1939, the section from Sinton to Robstown was reassigned, again taking on the US 77 designation. The western terminus was then extended to Freer

Freer, Texas

Freer is a city in Duval County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,241 at the 2000 census. The city and county are heavily Hispanic in ethnicity and Democratic in voting history. From the 1930s-1960s, the county was dominated by the political boss, called a patron in South Texas, George...

 in 1940. The section west of Freer approximately 56.4 miles (90.8 km) was Farm to Market Road 863 which traveled west to United States Route 83 in Webb County, today's State Highway 44 terminus.

From 1948 to 1953, FM 863 went from Beaver Creek to the town of Hilda which became RM 648 and is now RM 783. FM 863 was designated over a new route and part of FM 133 from Encinal

Encinal, Texas

Encinal is a city in La Salle County, Texas, United States. The population was 629 at the 2000 census. Interstate 35 Business runs through the community. There are few businesses in Encinal; most have closed along the main street....

 to Freer in 1953. Before 1955, FM 863 ended at the Webb/Lasalle County Line. In 1990 FM 863 mileage was transferred to State Highway 44.

Major intersections

County	Location	Junction	Notes
Webb Webb County, Texas Webb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The official 2010 population for the county is 250,304. In 2000, its population was 193,117, and in 2006 its population had been estimated to have reached to 231,470. Its county seat is Laredo...
La Salle	Encinal Encinal, Texas Encinal is a city in La Salle County, Texas, United States. The population was 629 at the 2000 census. Interstate 35 Business runs through the community. There are few businesses in Encinal; most have closed along the main street....
Duval	Freer Freer, Texas Freer is a city in Duval County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,241 at the 2000 census. The city and county are heavily Hispanic in ethnicity and Democratic in voting history. From the 1930s-1960s, the county was dominated by the political boss, called a patron in South Texas, George...		concurrent through Freer
	San Diego San Diego, Texas As of the census of 2000, there were 4,753 people, 1,548 households, and 1,187 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,917.1 people per square mile . There were 1,793 housing units at an average density of 1,100.4 per square mile...		begin TX 359 concurrency
Jim Wells Jim Wells County, Texas At the 2000 census, there were 39,326 people, 12,961 households and 10,096 families residing in the county. The population density was 46 per square mile . There were 14,819 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...	Alice Alice, Texas At the 2000 census, there were 19,010 people, 6,400 households and 4,915 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,597.4 per square mile . There were 6,998 housing units at an average density of 588.0 per square mile...
			end TX 359 concurrency
Nueces	Robstown Robstown, Texas Robstown is a city in Nueces County, Texas, United States, and a western suburb of Corpus Christi. It was founded about 1906, and was named for Robert Driscoll Jr., a landowner...
	Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...