Poll: US-412, US-64, US-56 at NW corner of Texas Panhandle; Does it enter Texas?

[Duke87]

So, some history here (compiled from some discussion in chat) that explains just why the ROW clips the corner of Texas as it does. One might reasonably ask "couldn't they have just built the road a few feet further north and avoided complicating things?"

Well, look at this 1940 Census map of Union County NM: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/5835420
On page 2, you can see that the road which is now US 56/64/412 did not yet exist in 1940. However, you can see a railroad there, marked AT&SF. This railroad alignment is now long abandoned, but poke around satellite view and you can spot some clear remnants of it (for example, these bridge abutments) which make it clear the road was built to the south of the railroad. The railroad, which was there first, cleanly avoided Texas, but when it came time to build a road next to it, well, there wasn't quite enough room to keep the ROW from clipping the corner.

Now the question was also raised, is there actually a triangle in the corner of Texas that is part of the ROW, or does the public ROW simply have a notch in it?
According to Dallam County TX's online property tax map: https://www.dallamcad.org/interactive-map/
Yes, there is a triangle in the corner that is not part of the northwesternmost parcel.


As for the original question, I am going to say no, US 56/64/412 does not enter Texas. It is a true statement that part of the ROW for US 56/64/412 is in Texas... but none of the road itself is. Only a piece of the clear zone is. Anyone standing there would say they are standing next to US 56/64/412, not on it.

[GreenLanternCorps]

So, some history here (compiled from some discussion in chat) that explains just why the ROW clips the corner of Texas as it does. One might reasonably ask "couldn't they have just built the road a few feet further north and avoided complicating things?"

Well, look at this 1940 Census map of Union County NM: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/5835420
On page 2, you can see that the road which is now US 56/64/412 did not yet exist in 1940. However, you can see a railroad there, marked AT&SF. This railroad alignment is now long abandoned, but poke around satellite view and you can spot some clear remnants of it (for example, these bridge abutments) which make it clear the road was built to the south of the railroad. The railroad, which was there first, cleanly avoided Texas, but when it came time to build a road next to it, well, there wasn't quite enough room to keep the ROW from clipping the corner.

Now the question was also raised, is there actually a triangle in the corner of Texas that is part of the ROW, or does the public ROW simply have a notch in it?
According to Dallam County TX's online property tax map: https://www.dallamcad.org/interactive-map/
Yes, there is a triangle in the corner that is not part of the northwesternmost parcel.


As for the original question, I am going to say no, US 56/64/412 does not enter Texas. It is a true statement that part of the ROW for US 56/64/412 is in Texas... but none of the road itself is. Only a piece of the clear zone is. Anyone standing there would say they are standing next to US 56/64/412, not on it.

I wonder, based on that tax map, did Texas give New Mexico that little notch for construction of the road, so that NM would have clear title and Texas would not have to be responsible for anything having to do with it?

[Flint1979]

It comes about 10 feet from the state line but never enters the state.

[NWI_Irish96]

Say I own a piece of property that straddles the Utah-Nevada boundary, located mostly in Utah but with a small portion on the Nevada side. If I build my house entirely on the Utah side of the state line, do I live in Nevada?

Same deal with the highway. As far as I'm concerned, those US routes do not enter Texas. Nobody traveling on them will cross the actual line.

For purposes of your legal address, your state/county/municipality of residence is dependent on where the "main entrance" to the housing unit is located.

For purposes of enforcement of laws, each section of the property would have separate jurisdiction.

[US 89]

This railroad alignment is now long abandoned, but poke around satellite view and you can spot some clear remnants of it (for example, these bridge abutments)

The abandoned grade is even more obvious on street view:

https://goo.gl/maps/ZAcbF2DkL9ge2vb66
https://goo.gl/maps/rL5wBoViuCtKVsHf8

I wonder, based on that tax map, did Texas give New Mexico that little notch for construction of the road, so that NM would have clear title and Texas would not have to be responsible for anything having to do with it?

I wondered the same thing. Unfortunately, Union County NM doesn't make a nice interactive tax map (that I could find, at least)...

I could be wrong but doesn't the Constitution require Congress to sign off on any state boundary adjustments?

[ethanhopkin14]

This railroad alignment is now long abandoned, but poke around satellite view and you can spot some clear remnants of it (for example, these bridge abutments)

The abandoned grade is even more obvious on street view:

https://goo.gl/maps/ZAcbF2DkL9ge2vb66
https://goo.gl/maps/rL5wBoViuCtKVsHf8

I wonder, based on that tax map, did Texas give New Mexico that little notch for construction of the road, so that NM would have clear title and Texas would not have to be responsible for anything having to do with it?

I wondered the same thing. Unfortunately, Union County NM doesn't make a nice interactive tax map (that I could find, at least)...

I could be wrong but doesn't the Constitution require Congress to sign off on any state boundary adjustments?

The state boundary isn't different.  Just think of it as New Mexico, the state, is a person that bought land in Texas.  So one state owns property in another state. 

[abqtraveler]

This railroad alignment is now long abandoned, but poke around satellite view and you can spot some clear remnants of it (for example, these bridge abutments)

The abandoned grade is even more obvious on street view:

https://goo.gl/maps/ZAcbF2DkL9ge2vb66
https://goo.gl/maps/rL5wBoViuCtKVsHf8

I wonder, based on that tax map, did Texas give New Mexico that little notch for construction of the road, so that NM would have clear title and Texas would not have to be responsible for anything having to do with it?

I wondered the same thing. Unfortunately, Union County NM doesn't make a nice interactive tax map (that I could find, at least)...

I could be wrong but doesn't the Constitution require Congress to sign off on any state boundary adjustments?

Yes, and I believe the legislatures of each affected state has to approve boundary adjustments as well.

[wanderer2575]

If there's not a tchotchke souvenir shop at that point where I can buy a Texas magnet, then No.