U.S. Route 290

U.S. Highway 290
US 290 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of US 90
Maintained by TxDOT
Length	261.187 mi[1] (420.340 km)
Existed	1927[1]–present
Major junctions
West end	I-10 near Segovia
Major intersections	US 87 in Fredericksburg US 281 in Johnson City I-35 in Austin US 183 in Austin US 77 in Giddings
East end	I-610 in Houston
Location
Country	United States
State	Texas
Counties	Kimble, Gillespie, Blanco, Hays, Travis, Bastrop, Lee, Fayette, Washington, Waller, Harris
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided Highways in Texas Interstate US State Toll Loops Spurs FM/RM Park Rec
← SH 289 → SH 290

U.S. Route 290 (US 290) is an east–west U.S. Highway located entirely within the state of Texas. Its western terminus is at Interstate 10 southeast of Segovia, and its eastern terminus is at Interstate 610 in northwest Houston.^[1] It is the main highway between Houston and Austin and is a cutoff for travelers wanting to bypass San Antonio on Interstate 10. Throughout its length west of Austin, US 290 cuts across mountainous hills comprising the Texas Hill Country and the Edwards Plateau; between Austin and Houston, the highway then travels through gradually hilly grasslands and pine forests comprising the Gulf Coastal Plains.

In its original designation in 1926, US 290 originally traveled from US 80 in Reeves County to terminate in San Antonio; though the highway still retains its designation from southeast of Segovia to Fredericksburg, I-10 and US 87 replaced much of the old routing in 1935. US 290 also received several minor re-routings east of Austin in 1951 that moved it further north, eliminating the old SH 20; the old routings were replaced by SH 71 and SH 21. While US 290 does not directly connect to its parent route of U.S. Route 90, ramps at its eastern terminus lead to US 90 and I-10.