Welcome to the Historic Bankhead Highway! One of the earliest transcontinental highways, it stretched from Washington, D.C. to San Diego, California with the Texas portion running 850 miles from Texarkana to El Paso. Often called “The Broadway of America”, the Bankhead Highway helped to transform turn-of-the-century communities into modern cities.

A rich architectural legacy from the early to mid-20th century still remains along the Bankhead, including gas stations, motels and hotels, diners and cafes, auto dealerships and repair shops, parks, signage, bridges, and tourist attractions. Many places have been restored, some are in need of love and care, all contribute to the development of roads and automobile travel over time. Note that some of these sites are on private property, please be respectful of individual property rights, viewing from the public right-of-way. Those places are indicated in the location listings.

Relive the original Texas road trip – listen to the stories, see the places, and enjoy the social media of the day – the postcard!

Find more information about the historic Bankhead Highway at the Texas Historical Commission’s website. Explore the history of the road, download regional and city maps, and learn more about the historic resources survey completed in 2014.