US 79 highlighted in red | ||||
Route information | ||||
Maintained by TxDOT | ||||
Length | 271.788 mi[1] (437.400 km) | |||
Existed | 1935–present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end | ![]() | |||
North end | ![]() | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Texas | |||
Counties | Williamson, Milam, Robertson, Leon, Freestone, Anderson, Cherokee, Rusk, Panola | |||
Highway system | ||||
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U.S. Route 79 (US 79) is a U.S. highway that begins in the state of Texas at Interstate 35 in Round Rock. The highway travels northeast–southwest through the state, crossing into Louisiana approximately 23 miles northeast of Carthage. US 79 is entwined with two tragedies of country music: Johnny Horton was killed by a drunk driver on the highway near Milano in 1960 and Jim Reeves, killed in a plane crash in 1964, is buried and memorialized on US 79 in his hometown of Carthage.