State Highway 78 or SH 78 is a state highway

State highway

State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...

 that follows surface roads in a predominantly southwest-to-northeast direction in the Dallas

Dallas, Texas

Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

 before traveling 90 miles (145 km) north-northeast to the Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

 State border.

The highway's southern terminus is at Interstate 30 in Dallas. From there, it follows Grand Avenue along White Rock Lake

White Rock Lake

White Rock Lake is a reservoir located in east Dallas, Texas . The lake was formed by damming White Rock Creek, which today widens into the lake before continuing south out of the spillway and emptying into the Trinity River...

 and then Garland Road into Garland

Garland, Texas

-Climate:* The average warmest month is July.* The highest recorded temperature was in 2000.* On average, the coolest month is January.* The lowest recorded temperature was in 1989.* The maximum average precipitation occurs in May....

 as it passes Interstate 635

Interstate 635 (Texas)

Interstate 635 or the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway is a partial loop around Dallas, Texas between Interstate 20 in Balch Springs, Texas and State Highway 121 at the north entrance of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Grapevine, Texas. The route is long...

. In downtown Garland, Highway 78 follows the central streets of Avenues B and D before joining Lavon Drive and moving northeastward, where it forms the current eastern terminus of the President George Bush Turnpike

President George Bush Turnpike

The President George Bush Turnpike is a 45.1-mile toll road running generally east–west through the northern suburbs of Dallas, Texas, United States. It is named for George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States...

.

It continues to the northeast through Sachse

Sachse, Texas

Sachse is a city in Collin and Dallas Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is a northeastern suburb of Dallas. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,751, but as of 2004, the population was estimated at 16,200....

 and Wylie

Wylie, Texas

Not to be confused with the unincorporated area of Wylie, Texas just outside Abilene, Texas.Wylie is a city in Collin, Dallas, and Rockwall Counties in the U.S. state of Texas, and a suburb of Dallas. At the 2000 Census, the population was 15,132; 2004 estimates pegged it at 25,850...

, crossing between Lake Ray Hubbard

Lake Ray Hubbard

Lake Ray Hubbard, formerly Forney Lake, is a reservoir located in Dallas, Texas in the counties of Dallas, Kaufman, Collin, and Rockwall County, Texas, just north of Forney, Texas, built on the East Fork Trinity River and impounded by the Rockwall-Forney Dam.It measures 22,745 acres in size with...

 and Lake Lavon

Lake Lavon

Lake Lavon is a reservoir located in North Texas on the East Fork of the Trinity River in Collin County near Wylie. It is off of State Highway 78. Lake Lavon's dominant fish species are the largemouth bass, white bass, blue catfish, and crappie....

. It passes through Lavon

Lavon, Texas

Lavon is a city in Collin County, Texas, United States. The population was 387 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lavon is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...

 before turning north through Farmersville

Farmersville, Texas

Farmersville is a city in Collin County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,118 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Farmersville is located at ....

 and Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge, Texas

Blue Ridge is a city in Collin County, Texas, United States. The population was 672 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Blue Ridge is located at ....

. At SH 160

Texas State Highway 160

State Highway 160 or SH 160 is a Texas state highway that runs from Whitewright to a connection with SH 78. The route is about in length. It was designated by 1933 along its current route, except that its north end was at Denison. In 1939, the part from Denison to Whiteright was transferred to...

, just before SH 121, SH 78 turns east, continuing to Leonard

Leonard, Texas

Leonard is a city in Fannin County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,846 at the 2000 census. J.B. Stokes, who was a member of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, was born in Leonard.-Geography:...

 before turning northeast again to Bailey

Bailey, Texas

Bailey is a city in Fannin County, Texas, United States. The population was 213 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bailey is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....

. At Bailey, SH 78 turns north and cuts through Bonham

Bonham, Texas

Bonham is a city in Fannin County, Texas, United States. The population was 10,127 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Fannin County. James Bonham sought the aid of James Fannin at the Battle of the Alamo....

 (as Center Street) just before it reaches the border with Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

, where it crosses a 1938 truss bridge over the Red River. The route continues as Oklahoma State Highway 78

Oklahoma State Highway 78

State Highway 78 is long state highway in southern Oklahoma. It runs from the Red River to Tishomingo. It has no lettered spur routes.-Route description:...

 through Durant

Durant, Oklahoma

Durant is a city in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 15,877 at the 2010 census. Durant is the principal city of the Durant Micropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 42,416 in 2010...

 to its terminus at Tishomingo

Tishomingo, Oklahoma

Tishomingo is the largest city and the county seat of Johnston County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 3,162 at the 2000 census. It was the first capital of the Chickasaw Nation. Murray State College, a community college, with an annual enrollment of 1,600 students is located in...

.

The highway was originally designated in 1926 along its current route. Part of this route was previously designated as SH 5C.

SH 78A was a spur designated by 1928 from Desert to Denison

Denison, Texas

Denison is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States. The population was 22,773 at the 2000 census; it is estimated to have grown to 24,127 in 2009. Denison is one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

. This spur was renumbered as SH 160

Texas State Highway 160

State Highway 160 or SH 160 is a Texas state highway that runs from Whitewright to a connection with SH 78. The route is about in length. It was designated by 1933 along its current route, except that its north end was at Denison. In 1939, the part from Denison to Whiteright was transferred to...

 by 1933.

The section of the highway between I-30 and SH 66 used to be part of U.S. 67 until sometime in the 60s.

Flooding

In 1990 SH78 was flooded, as engineers at the Lake Lavon Dam decided to release the water from the lake into the East Fork of the Trinity River. For a week and a half, the traffic going between Wylie and the Eastern portion of Collin County was diverted to go through the city of Rockwall, a nearly 20 miles (32.2 km) detour. The railroad that ran adjacent to the highway was completely washed out, and significant shoulder damage was done to the highway.

Counties and junctions

County	Location	Junction	Notes
Dallas Dallas County, Texas As of the census of 2000, there were 2,218,899 people, 807,621 households, and 533,837 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,523 people per square mile . There were 854,119 housing units at an average density of 971/sq mi...	Dallas
	Garland Garland, Texas -Climate:* The average warmest month is July.* The highest recorded temperature was in 2000.* On average, the coolest month is January.* The lowest recorded temperature was in 1989.* The maximum average precipitation occurs in May....
		PGBT/SH 190 President George Bush Turnpike The President George Bush Turnpike is a 45.1-mile toll road running generally east–west through the northern suburbs of Dallas, Texas, United States. It is named for George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States...  – Garland
Collin Collin County, Texas As of the census of 2000, there were 491,675 people, 181,970 households, and 132,292 families residing in the county. The population density was 580 people per square mile . There were 194,892 housing units at an average density of 230 per square mile...
	Farmersville Farmersville, Texas Farmersville is a city in Collin County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,118 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Farmersville is located at ....
Fannin Fannin County, Texas As of the census of 2000, there were 31,242 people, 11,105 households, and 7,984 families residing in the county. The population density was 35 people per square mile . There were 12,887 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile...	Leonard Leonard, Texas Leonard is a city in Fannin County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,846 at the 2000 census. J.B. Stokes, who was a member of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, was born in Leonard.-Geography:...
	Bailey Bailey, Texas Bailey is a city in Fannin County, Texas, United States. The population was 213 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bailey is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
	Bonham Bonham, Texas Bonham is a city in Fannin County, Texas, United States. The population was 10,127 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Fannin County. James Bonham sought the aid of James Fannin at the Battle of the Alamo....