Site Navigation Arkansas Louisiana Oklahoma New Mexico Texas       Interstate 27 North - Lubbock County Interstate 27 & U.S. 87 North IH 27 finally begins at the offramps for the Loop. Loop 289 encircles Lubbock as a freeway, and predates the interstate by two decades. The southern and eastern portions were the first to be constructed in the early 1960s. Photo taken 07/05/08. Although IH 27 has officially started, the first reassurance marker north of exit 1 belongs to US 87 alone. Photo taken 07/05/08. New concrete is the order of the day along IH 27 as it prepares to head into Lubbock. The interstate is almost entirely paved with concrete from its end here to its other end in Amarillo. Photo taken 07/05/08. IH 27 heads under Loop 289 on the south end of Lubbock. The cloverleaf interchange was constructed here in the 1970s, but was upgraded in 1992 with several direct-connection ramps. Photo taken 07/05/08. 50th Street, another important east/west arterial, is the first exit in Lubbock proper. Photo taken 07/05/08. US 84 comes into the city from the southeast here, and has a grade separated exit system with IH 27, which is evident in the three levels of roadway in this photo. Ramps allow traffic from US 84, and IH 20, to access northbound IH 27 directly here. Photo taken 07/05/08. Another advance sign for the 50th Street exit. Photo taken 07/05/08. IH 27 northbound at 50th Street in Lubbock. 50th is mostly a residential street, and continues west to meet Loop 289. Lubbock primarily sprawls to the west, while the east side is poorer with more industry. Almost all Texas cities sprawl to the west, because railroads and cattleyards were usually placed on the east side of new towns here. Most residents wanted to live upwind from the cattle yards, and the prevailing wind in this part of the world blows in from the west. Hence the westward sprawling. Photo taken 07/05/08. 34th Street is different from 50th in the way that is primarily fronted by businesses. It was the first street outside of downtown to develop business frontage. Today, many old 50s and 60s storefronts still line the street. Photo taken 07/05/08. IH 27 northbound at exit 2. Buddy Holly Avenue was renamed (from Avenue H) in 1996 temporarily after Lubbock's most famous native son. The change was soon made permanent, and the road runs through the city's entertainment district. Photo taken 07/05/08. IH 27 has a very wide right of way as it runs north through Lubbock, and the city's skyline can be seen here on the left. The interstate sees very little traffic compared to the other freeways in town, mostly because the majority of the population lives far to the west. Photo taken 07/05/08. US 62, or 19th Street, is multiplexed with SH 114 through town. SH 114 connects the DFW area to Lubbock and continues west to the New Mexico border. Photo taken 07/05/08. The Depot District, the aforementioned entertainment area, is located just to the west of the exit here. 19th Street and US 62 also form the main route to Lubbock's largest employer and reason-for-being, Texas Tech University. Photo taken 07/05/08. Another view of IH 27s very wide right of way and the modest Lubbock skyline. Photo taken 07/05/08. IH 27 northbound at US 62. Photo taken 07/05/08. This view looks north along IH 27 just north of downtown Lubbock towards the Loop 289 exit. This was one of the last stretches of interstate to open in Texas, and this road opened in the summer of 1991. Photo taken 05/26/08. IH 27 in Lubbock is a new freeway, and sees very little traffic. In the city it is entirely 6 lanes and has a very wide right of way. Soon after it opened, in 1996, a magazine named the freeway through Lubbock the nation's 8th deadliest. Photo taken 05/26/08. Loop 289 has no direct connection with IH 27 on the north end of town, as can be seen here, there are also no control points. Photo taken 05/26/08. The loop is a freeway, and the two roads meet on a second level with stop signs and frontage roads. Photo taken 05/26/08. Yucca Lane is the first exit north of Loop. The minor street runs west to the local country club. Photo taken 05/26/08. FM 2641 is the next exit, the road runs east/west along the far north end of Lubbock. Photo taken 05/26/08. Amarillo is the sole northbound control point along IH 27, and a pull through sign can be seen here. US 87 is cosigned here as well, the freeway here overtook that road's 4 lane expressway section. Photo taken 05/26/08. Still 6 lanes, IH 27 prepares to lose a lane with the city's airport on the east side of the road. Photo taken 05/26/08. The Regis Street exit serves Lubbock's airport and air cargo hub. Additionally, much of the city's industrial areas are here. Photo taken 05/26/08. The first northbound mileage sign sits here at the Lubbock airport, showing mileage to the terminus of the interstate, the largest town along the way, and the next town. Photo taken 05/26/08. Exit 9 also connects the interstate with the north end of the Lubbock airport, and runs directly to the air cargo area. Photo taken 05/26/08. Yet another mileage sign just a few feet past the last one, points to the same locations. Photo taken 05/26/08. The next exit and the last one in Lubbock is for Keuka Street. Photo taken 05/26/08. For most of its length, IH 27 is coexistant with US 87, which predates it along this exact route. Photo taken 05/26/08. Keuka Street is just a county road, that runs west from the interstate to ranches and far flung sprawl. Photo taken 05/26/08. FM 1294 runs west to the suburb of Shallowater and US 84. Photo taken 05/26/08. IH 27 northbound at FM 1294. Photo taken 05/26/08. A few of the bridges through here are surfaced with asphalt, and a few miles of the interstate in Amarillo are as well. Other than those very few miles, IH 27 is entirely paved with concrete. Photo taken 05/26/08. IH 27 northbound at CR 58, the town of New Deal is visible in the background. Photo taken 05/26/08. Loop 461 forms the main drag in New Deal, and is also the old routing of US 87. Photo taken 05/26/08. IH 27 northbound at New Deal. New Deal was formed in 1935 and named for Franklin Roosevelt's social program. The town incorporated in 1970, and has about 700 residents. Photo taken 05/26/08. This view looks north at the next interchange at FM 1729. Photo taken 05/26/08. FM 1729 is an east/west road and eventually turns south to end at US 82/62 near Idalou. Photo taken 05/26/08. CR 53 is a simple ranch road that runs east/west from the interstate, conforming to the county's grid pattern. Photo taken 05/26/08. The next town, Abernathy, appears on the horizon. Photo taken 05/26/08. Abernathy is not a large town, but has two exits along the interstate. Texas normally signs towns in this way that have more than two exits. Photo taken 05/26/08. FM 597 is the first exit in town, and continues westward to Anton and US 84. Photo taken 05/26/08. This view looks at a state trooper and the FM 597 exit. IH 27 is heavily patrolled and has a few towns that almost always have police speed patrols. Photo taken 05/26/08. FM 2060 is the next exit and runs right into the center of town. Photo taken 05/26/08. Abernathy was founded in 1909 when the railroad was built through town, and was named for Monroe Abernathy who was one of the developers. Photo taken 05/26/08. Hale County is encountered in town. Hale County was named for a Texan who died at San Jacinto, and was organized in 1888. Photo taken 05/26/08. Page Updated August 23, 2008.