Texas State Highway 302
Encyclopedia
State Highway 302 or SH 302 is a Texas
state highway
maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
. The 83.2 miles (133.9 km) route runs from U.S. Route 285 northwest of Pecos
to Interstate 20
near Odessa
. The route passes through Reeves
, Loving
, Winkler
, and Ector counties. SH 302 has intersections with SH 115 and SH 18 in the Kermit
area, and SH 158 east of Notrees
. The route intersects Loop 338
and Spur 450 in West Odessa
and then follows Loop 338 along the west side of Odessa until SH 302 terminates at I-20. SH 302 also intersects several Farm to Market Roads and an Interstate business route.
SH 302 was originally designated in 1939 as a route between Kermit and Odessa, but has since incorporated the former SH 276
and a defunct Farm to Market Road to achieve its present length. Loving County, where the route passes through Mentone
, is the nation's least populous county in stark contrast to the urbanized eastern end of the route in the Odessa area.
SH 302 was originally created between Kermit and Odessa during the 1939 general redescription of the Texas highway system, but with the route's designation being contingent upon completion of work then being done in Winkler County. Soon after, the state assumed maintenance of the Ector County portion, and the following year in 1940 the state assumed maintenance of the Winkler County part of the route. Also during the 1939 redescription of the highway system, SH 276 was designated over the current western terminus at US 285 to Mentone, although a portion of that route existed as early as 1936 as an earth road from US 285 to the former town of Arno.
In 1946, SH 276 was designated over a second, discontinuous portion of the present route between SH 115 west of Kermit to SH 82 in Kermit. Later that year, that designation was dropped and that segment was added as an extension of SH 302 westward to SH 115. In 1949, Farm to Market Road 1211 was designated over a 2 miles (3.2 km) section of the present route from Mentone to the northeast. In 1952, FM 1211 was extended incrementally to the Winkler County line and then to SH 115. The following year the designation of SH 276 was dropped and that road between US 285 and Mentone was assigned as a discontinuous segment of SH 302. In 1958 SH 82, the intersecting route Kermit, was renamed SH 18.
In 1967, SH 302 was rerouted over Loop 338 in Ector County to I-20. Its former route between Loop 338 and US 385 in Odessa was then designated as Spur 450. The discontinuous nature of SH 302 remained until 1990 when FM 1211 between Mentone and SH 115 near Kermit was canceled and combined with SH 302 unifying the current route.
in Reeves County as a two-lane road. The route proceeds to the northeast crossing the Pecos River
before passing through Mentone in Loving County. The route continues eastward crossing into Winkler County and intersecting SH 115 just outside of Kermit. In Kermit, the route is known as Jim Sharp Blvd. and widens to four lanes with a left turn lane in the middle. After crossing SH 18, the route continues eastward losing the left turn lane as it leaves town. The route continues as a four-lane, undivided highway into Ector County where the route is known as Kermit Hwy. Just east of Notrees, the route becomes a divided highway and passes along the northern edge of West Odessa before joining along Loop 338, Odessa's beltway. The passage of SH 302 along Loop 338 begins as a freeway, but later has limited crossings at grade. SH 302 terminates at the intersection of Loop 338 and I-20.
The route passes through largely level terrain requiring only gentle grades. The route traverses many oil fields along its length, and encounters fields of sand dunes east of Kermit. The western portion of the highway west of Kermit is especially isolated as the route passes through Loving County, the only county in the nation with fewer than 100 residents.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
state highway
Texas state highways
Texas state highways are a network of highways owned and maintained by the U.S. state of Texas. The Texas Department of Transportation is the state agency responsible for the day-to-day operations and maintenance of the system. In addition to the nationally-numbered Interstate highways and U.S...
maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
Texas Department of Transportation
The Texas Department of Transportation is a governmental agency in the U.S. state of Texas. Its stated mission is to "work cooperatively to provide safe, effective and efficient movement of people and goods" throughout the state...
. The 83.2 miles (133.9 km) route runs from U.S. Route 285 northwest of Pecos
Pecos, Texas
Pecos is the largest city in and the county seat of Reeves County, Texas, United States. It is situated in the river valley on the west bank of the Pecos River at the eastern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert and the Trans-Pecos region of west Texas and near the southern border of New Mexico...
to Interstate 20
Interstate 20 in Texas
Interstate 20 in Texas is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States, running east from a junction with Interstate 10 east of Kent, Texas, through the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to the border with Louisiana near Waskom, Texas...
near Odessa
Odessa, Texas
Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan...
. The route passes through Reeves
Reeves County, Texas
Reeves County is a county located in the US state of Texas. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. In 2000, its population was 13,137. Its seat is Pecos. Reeves County is named for George R. Reeves, a Texas state legislator and colonel in the...
, Loving
Loving County, Texas
US Census 2000Of the 67 residents, 60 were White, 6 of "some other race", and 1 person of two or more races. There were 7 residents who were Hispanic or Latino of any race...
, Winkler
Winkler County, Texas
Winkler County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 7,173. Its county seat is Kermit. The county is named for Clinton M. Winkler, a Colonel in the Confederate Army....
, and Ector counties. SH 302 has intersections with SH 115 and SH 18 in the Kermit
Kermit, Texas
Kermit is a city in and the county seat of Winkler County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,708 at the 2010 census. The city was named for Kermit Roosevelt after a visit by his father Theodore Roosevelt to the county.-History: -Establishment:...
area, and SH 158 east of Notrees
Notrees, Texas
Notrees is an unincorporated community in west central Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located on State Highway 302, approximately twenty miles northwest of Odessa. The community is part of the Odessa Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. The route intersects Loop 338
Texas State Highway Loop 338
-Junction List:Starting at US 385 in North Odessa, and proceeding clockwise....
and Spur 450 in West Odessa
West Odessa, Texas
West Odessa is a census-designated place in Ector County, Texas, United States. The population was 17,799 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Odessa Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:West Odessa is located at ....
and then follows Loop 338 along the west side of Odessa until SH 302 terminates at I-20. SH 302 also intersects several Farm to Market Roads and an Interstate business route.
SH 302 was originally designated in 1939 as a route between Kermit and Odessa, but has since incorporated the former SH 276
Texas State Highway 276
State Highway 276 or SH 276 is a Texas state highway that runs from Rockwall east to Emory. This route was designated in 1960 between Rockwall and Quinlan, and was extended to its current terminus in 1990, replacing FM 35.-Junction list:...
and a defunct Farm to Market Road to achieve its present length. Loving County, where the route passes through Mentone
Mentone, Texas
Mentone is an unincorporated area in Loving County, Texas, the least populous county in the United States. As the county's only community, it serves as the county seat and has a 2010 population of 19, almost one-fourth of the county's 82 people. It is the least populated county seat in the United...
, is the nation's least populous county in stark contrast to the urbanized eastern end of the route in the Odessa area.
History
In 1946, SH 276 was designated over a second, discontinuous portion of the present route between SH 115 west of Kermit to SH 82 in Kermit. Later that year, that designation was dropped and that segment was added as an extension of SH 302 westward to SH 115. In 1949, Farm to Market Road 1211 was designated over a 2 miles (3.2 km) section of the present route from Mentone to the northeast. In 1952, FM 1211 was extended incrementally to the Winkler County line and then to SH 115. The following year the designation of SH 276 was dropped and that road between US 285 and Mentone was assigned as a discontinuous segment of SH 302. In 1958 SH 82, the intersecting route Kermit, was renamed SH 18.
In 1967, SH 302 was rerouted over Loop 338 in Ector County to I-20. Its former route between Loop 338 and US 385 in Odessa was then designated as Spur 450. The discontinuous nature of SH 302 remained until 1990 when FM 1211 between Mentone and SH 115 near Kermit was canceled and combined with SH 302 unifying the current route.
Route description
SH 302 begins at US 285 between Pecos and OrlaOrla, Texas
Orla is a ghost town in Reeves County, Texas, United States. It lies about 38 miles north of Pecos. It is believed to have two residents and has its own post office, located on U.S. Route 285. The post office was established 26 December 1906 with Joshua D. McAdams as first postmaster....
in Reeves County as a two-lane road. The route proceeds to the northeast crossing the Pecos River
Pecos River
The headwaters of the Pecos River are located north of Pecos, New Mexico, United States, at an elevation of over 12,000 feet on the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County. The river flows for through the eastern portion of that state and neighboring Texas before it...
before passing through Mentone in Loving County. The route continues eastward crossing into Winkler County and intersecting SH 115 just outside of Kermit. In Kermit, the route is known as Jim Sharp Blvd. and widens to four lanes with a left turn lane in the middle. After crossing SH 18, the route continues eastward losing the left turn lane as it leaves town. The route continues as a four-lane, undivided highway into Ector County where the route is known as Kermit Hwy. Just east of Notrees, the route becomes a divided highway and passes along the northern edge of West Odessa before joining along Loop 338, Odessa's beltway. The passage of SH 302 along Loop 338 begins as a freeway, but later has limited crossings at grade. SH 302 terminates at the intersection of Loop 338 and I-20.
The route passes through largely level terrain requiring only gentle grades. The route traverses many oil fields along its length, and encounters fields of sand dunes east of Kermit. The western portion of the highway west of Kermit is especially isolated as the route passes through Loving County, the only county in the nation with fewer than 100 residents.
Major intersections
| County | Location | Mile | Roads Intersected | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reeves Reeves County, Texas Reeves County is a county located in the US state of Texas. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. In 2000, its population was 13,137. Its seat is Pecos. Reeves County is named for George R. Reeves, a Texas state legislator and colonel in the... |
0 | , Carlsbad, NM Carlsbad, New Mexico Carlsbad is a city in and the county seat of Eddy County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 26,138. Carlsbad is the center of the designated micropolitan area of Carlsbad-Artesia, which has a total population of 55,435... |
Western terminus | |
| Loving Loving County, Texas US Census 2000Of the 67 residents, 60 were White, 6 of "some other race", and 1 person of two or more races. There were 7 residents who were Hispanic or Latino of any race... |
3.6 | |||
| Mentone Mentone, Texas Mentone is an unincorporated area in Loving County, Texas, the least populous county in the United States. As the county's only community, it serves as the county seat and has a 2010 population of 19, almost one-fourth of the county's 82 people. It is the least populated county seat in the United... |
5.4 | |||
| 5.4 | ||||
| Winkler Winkler County, Texas Winkler County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 7,173. Its county seat is Kermit. The county is named for Clinton M. Winkler, a Colonel in the Confederate Army.... |
30.3 | |||
| 33.5 | ||||
| 35.4 | Begin brief overlay of SH 115 | |||
| 35.5 | End overlay of SH 115 | |||
| Kermit Kermit, Texas Kermit is a city in and the county seat of Winkler County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,708 at the 2010 census. The city was named for Kermit Roosevelt after a visit by his father Theodore Roosevelt to the county.-History: -Establishment:... |
37.5 | , Jal, NM Jal, New Mexico Jal is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,996 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Jal is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.... |
||
| Ector | 59.0 | |||
| 63.0 | ||||
| West Odessa West Odessa, Texas West Odessa is a census-designated place in Ector County, Texas, United States. The population was 17,799 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Odessa Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:West Odessa is located at .... |
68.5 | |||
| 76.2 | ||||
| 78.4 | Begin overlay of Loop 338 | |||
| Odessa Odessa, Texas Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan... |
79.5 | |||
| 80.5 | ||||
| 82.2 | ||||
| 83.2 | End overlay of Loop 338; eastern terminus |