1.
Texas Department of Transportation
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The Texas Department of Transportation is a government agency in the U. S. state of Texas. The agency has been headquartered in the Dewitt C, greer Building at 125 East 11th Street in downtown Austin, Texas, since 1933. The Texas Legislature created the Texas Highway Department in 1916 to administer federal highway construction, in 1975, its responsibilities increased when the agency merged with the Texas Mass Transportation Commission, to form the State Department of Highways and Public Transportation. In 1986, the department started using Dont Mess with Texas as its slogan to reduce littering on Texas roadways, the phrase was prominently shown on road signs on major highways, as well as in television, radio, and print advertisements. The slogan is still in use and remains very popular, in 2009, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles was created by the state legislature, taking over some functions from TxDOT. The executive director is currently James Bass, previously Bass served as chief financial officer since 2005. He is assisted by one deputy director and four assistant executive directors, the current interim Deputy Executive Director is Marc Williams. The department is organized into 25 geographical districts and 34 divisions, TxDOT is one of the states largest departments in terms of the number of subordinate offices – it maintains 25 geographical districts throughout the state. The large number of departments is needed due to the size of the state, the widely varying climate and soil conditions affecting public roads. In 2010, TxDOT was reorganized into four regions, North, South, East, the regions are designated as Regional Support Centers. The number of districts remained the same, each district, managed by a district engineer, is responsible for the design, location, construction, and maintenance of its area transportation systems. Local field offices within districts are known as area offices, and many also have separate maintenance offices. Functional divisions and offices headquartered in Austin provide administrative and technical support to the districts, TxDOT also publishes the annual Texas Travel Guide, which offers points of interests for all regions of Texas. Horizon is a quarterly journal focusing on policy issues and financing in particular
2.
U.S. Route 83 in Texas
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It is the longest highway in Texas at a length of about 895 miles, besting the east–west I-10, which has a length of 879 miles. In the Lower Rio Grande Valley, US83 is a freeway that is at or close to interstate standards from Brownsville to Penitas. In May 2013, the Texas Department of Transportation applied to the American Association of State Highway, on May 29,2013, the segment of US83 was approved as an I-69 connector using the I-2 designation extending approximately 46 miles from Harlingen to west of Mission. US 83s southern terminus is at a concurrency with I-69E/US77 on the side of Brownsville at the Brownsville – Veterans Port of Entry at the US/Mexico border. It remains co-signed with I-69E/US77 until Harlingen, where I-69E/US77 makes a turn northward and US83 maintains a westerly route to McAllen. From there, the highway parallels the Rio Grande until Laredo where it makes a northwesterly turn toward Carrizo Springs. The speed limit on US83 is briefly 75 mph through Dimmit County, merging with I-35 just south of downtown, US83 remains co-signed with the interstate until an exit at Botines, Texas. From there, it continues northward, intersecting with I-10 just south of Junction, US83 is co-signed with I-10 for approximately 8 miles, turning northward and leaving I-10 at the Kimble County Airport. After continuing northward through rural western Texas towns, US83 then merges with US84 east of Tuscola. US 83/84 remains a co-signed route until Abilene, where US84 turns to the northwest and US83 remains northbound, US 83/277 remains a co-signed route until approximately 2 miles north of Anson, where US277 turns northeast, and US83, northwest. After merging with US380 in Aspermont and briefly sharing a route, US83 continues northward, roads portal Media related to U. S. Route 83 in Texas at Wikimedia Commons
3.
Uvalde, Texas
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Uvalde is a city in and the county seat of Uvalde County, Texas, United States. The population was 15,751 at the 2010 census, Uvalde was founded by Reading Wood Black in 1853 as the town of Encina. In 1856, when the county was organized, the town was renamed Uvalde after Spanish governor Juan de Ugalde and was chosen as county seat and it is usually considered the southern limit of the Texas Hill Country or the most northerly part of South Texas. Historically, Uvalde is known as the Honey Capital of the World for production of huajillo honey, Uvalde was the home of John Nance Cactus Jack Garner, former Speaker of the House and Vice President of the United States. Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey, actress Dale Evans, and former Governor of Texas Dolph Briscoe, were born in Uvalde, the city is also home to the Grammy Award-winning Tejano/Norteño group Los Palominos. Uvalde is located at 29°12′52″N 99°47′23″W at the crossroads of U. S Hwy 90, according to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.6 square miles, all of it land. Uvalde is known as one of the best locations for soaring in the United States and it is the site of the 1991 and 2012 World Gliding Championships. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers, according to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Uvalde has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa, on climate maps. At the 2010 census, the population was 15,751 people At the 2000 census, the population density was 2,220.2 per square mile. There were 5,313 housing units at a density of 790.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 73. 27% White,0. 47% African American,0. 62% Native American,0. 48% Asian,0. 07% Pacific Islander,22. 12% from other races, and 2. 97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 75. 48% of the population,20. 1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10. 4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the family size was 3.50. 32. 4% of the population were under the age of 18,9. 6% from 18 to 24,25. 7% from 25 to 44,18. 3% from 45 to 64, the median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 90.3 males, for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males. The median household income was $25,259 and the family income was $27,897. Males had an income of $25,600 compared with $15,674 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,735, about 24. 2% of families and 29. 0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40. 1% of those under age 18 and 23. 8% of those age 65 or over
4.
Texas Hill Country
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The Texas Hill Country is a 25-county region of Central Texas and South Texas featuring karst topography and tall rugged hills consisting of thin layers of soil atop limestone or granite. It also includes the Llano Uplift and the second largest granite dome in the United States, the Hill Country reaches into portions of the two major metropolitan areas, especially in San Antonios northern suburbs and the western half of Travis County, ending southwest of Downtown Austin. The region is the portion of the Edwards Plateau and is bound by the Balcones Fault on the east. The terrain is punctuated by a number of limestone or granite rocks and boulders and a thin layer of topsoil. The Texas Hill Country is also home to several types of vegetation, such as various yucca, prickly pear cactus, cedar scrub. Several cities were settled at the base of the Balcones Escarpment, including Austin, San Marcos, the regions economy is one of the fastest growing in the US. The deeper caverns of the area form several aquifers which serve as a source of drinking water for the residents of the area, wonder Cave in San Marcos was formed by an earthquake along the Balcones Fault. The Guadalupe, San Antonio, Frio, Medina, and Nueces rivers originate in the Hill Country and this region is a dividing line for certain species occurrence. For example, the California Fan Palm is the species of palm tree that is native to the continental United States west of the Hill Countrys Balcones Fault. The region has hot summers, particularly in July and August, winter temperatures are sometimes as much as ten degrees cooler than in other parts of Texas to the east. For example, the accordion was popularized in Tejano music in the 19th century due to exposure to German settlers. It later re-aired when this series was hosted by Dennis Farina, the region has emerged as the center of the Texas wine industry. Three American Viticultural Areas are located in the areas, Texas Hill Country AVA, Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country AVA, the Hill Country is also known for its tourism. In 2008, The New York Times listed the Hill Country in an article about North American vacation destinations, Hill Country has also made Texas second to Florida as the most popular retirement destination in the United States. The region has attracted Baby Boomers as they near retirement age, frederick Day, a demographer with Texas State University, said that the Hill Country life-style reminds one of the small towns of the recent past. Cost of living is pretty low, to people who have spent their work life in Houston or Dallas, the Hill Country is very attractive
5.
Rocksprings, Texas
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Rocksprings is a town in Edwards County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,182. It is the county seat of Edwards County, the town received its name from natural springs that bubble forth from the porous limestone rocks in the area. J. R. Sweeten sited Rocksprings in 1891 because of the springs nearby, also in 1891, the town acquired a post office and was made county seat. The original courthouse built in the town burned in 1897, by 1914 Rocksprings had a population of around 500. On April 12,1927, the town was hit by an F5 tornado that destroyed 235 of the 247 buildings in the town, the tornado killed 72 townspeople and injured 205, almost 1/3 of the population at the time. Rocksprings is located northeast of the center of Edwards County at 30°0′58″N 100°12′32″W, Rocksprings sits on top of the Edwards Plateau. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 1.2 square miles. U. S. Route 377 passes through the center of the town, leading northeast 46 miles to Junction, Texas State Highway 55 joins US377 as Main Street through Rocksprings, but leads northwest 55 miles to Sonora and south 68 miles to Uvalde. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers, according to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Rocksprings has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated Cfa on climate maps. The economy of Rocksprings is centered on the wool and mohair industry, tourism has become a growing part of the economy with the opening of Devils Sinkhole State Natural Area located approximately 8 miles northeast of Rocksprings. As of the census of 2000, there were 1,285 people,420 households, the population density was 1,064.1 people per square mile. There were 535 housing units at a density of 443.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 76. 26% White,1. 17% African American,0. 93% Native American,0. 16% Asian,18. 75% from other races, hispanic or Latino of any race were 66. 69% of the population. 23. 1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11. 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.58. In the town, the population was out with 33. 5% under the age of 18,8. 3% from 18 to 24,25. 6% from 25 to 44,20. 5% from 45 to 64. The median age was 32 years, for every 100 females there were 105.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males, the median income for a household in the town was $19,970, and the median income for a family was $22,614
6.
Texas
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Texas is the second largest state in the United States by both area and population. Other major cities include Austin, the second most populous state capital in the U. S. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State to signify its former status as an independent republic, and as a reminder of the states struggle for independence from Mexico. The Lone Star can be found on the Texan state flag, the origin of Texass name is from the word Tejas, which means friends in the Caddo language. Due to its size and geologic features such as the Balcones Fault, although Texas is popularly associated with the U. S. southwestern deserts, less than 10 percent of Texas land area is desert. Most of the centers are located in areas of former prairies, grasslands, forests. Traveling from east to west, one can observe terrain that ranges from coastal swamps and piney woods, to rolling plains and rugged hills, the term six flags over Texas refers to several nations that have ruled over the territory. Spain was the first European country to claim the area of Texas, Mexico controlled the territory until 1836 when Texas won its independence, becoming an independent Republic. In 1845, Texas joined the United States as the 28th state, the states annexation set off a chain of events that caused the Mexican–American War in 1846. A slave state before the American Civil War, Texas declared its secession from the U. S. in early 1861, after the Civil War and the restoration of its representation in the federal government, Texas entered a long period of economic stagnation. One Texan industry that thrived after the Civil War was cattle, due to its long history as a center of the industry, Texas is associated with the image of the cowboy. The states economic fortunes changed in the early 20th century, when oil discoveries initiated a boom in the state. With strong investments in universities, Texas developed a diversified economy, as of 2010 it shares the top of the list of the most Fortune 500 companies with California at 57. With a growing base of industry, the leads in many industries, including agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, computers and electronics, aerospace. Texas has led the nation in export revenue since 2002 and has the second-highest gross state product. The name Texas, based on the Caddo word tejas meaning friends or allies, was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves, during Spanish colonial rule, the area was officially known as the Nuevo Reino de Filipinas, La Provincia de Texas. Texas is the second largest U. S. state, behind Alaska, though 10 percent larger than France and almost twice as large as Germany or Japan, it ranks only 27th worldwide amongst country subdivisions by size. If it were an independent country, Texas would be the 40th largest behind Chile, Texas is in the south central part of the United States of America. Three of its borders are defined by rivers, the Rio Grande forms a natural border with the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south
US 277
US 377
US 83 at Uvalde
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US 83
RM 334 west
RM 337 east
RM 335 north
US 377 north
US 277