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San Antonio Area Freeway System
Interstate 35 North
(North PanAm Freeway)

This page last updated February 3, 2024

I-35 North highlight map
I-35 North highlight map

This page covers Interstate 35 north of downtown San Antonio from the I‑10 West interchange to FM 482 in Schertz. For information on I‑35 continuing north, see the San Antonio-Austin Corridor page. For details on I‑35 south of downtown, see the I‑35 South page.

Length: 20 miles



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On this page:

Overview Roadway
details
Lanes Access
roads
       
Exits Speed
limits
Special features
and notes
Traffic
       
Media
gallery
Construction
projects
Future
plans
History
       

Overview

This freeway serves the northeast corridor and provides access to Joint Base San Antonio Fort Sam Houston and Randolph, Brooke Army Medical Center, the Frost Bank Center and Freeman Coliseum, the headquarters for Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union, Retama Park racetrack, the Forum and Live Oak Town Center shopping centers, a significant portion of the region's warehouse space, and the suburban cities of Kirby, Windcrest, Live Oak, Converse, Universal City, Selma, and Schertz.

The route is entirely urban and suburban, and the majority of the adjacent land use consists of warehouse, light industry, and heavy commercial development.

This route is also the southern continuation of the San Antonio-Austin Corridor, is part of the so-called "NAFTA Superhighway", and is on one leg of the Pan American Highway.


Roadway details

LANES
I-35 North lanes map
  • 10 lanes double-decked (6 lanes on the upper levels; 4 lanes on the lower level) between I‑10 West and I‑37/US 281.
  • 6 lanes between I‑37/US 281 and Rittiman Rd.
  • 8 lanes between Rittiman Rd. and Pat Booker Rd with a short 6 lane section through the Fratt Interchange (Loop 410 NE)
  • 6 lanes between Pat Booker Rd. and Forum Pkwy.
  • 8 lanes between Forum Pkwy. and FM 3009
  • 6 lanes between FM 3009 and FM 482
I-35 North lanes map
   
ACCESS ROADS
I-35 North access roads map
  • No traditional access roads from I‑10 West to I‑37/US 281 — however, Elmira St. functions as a southbound access road and Quincy St. functions as a northbound access road
  • Continuous access roads along most of route north of downtown with the following exceptions:
    • Northbound access road through-traffic requires a left turn at Binz-Engleman Rd.
    • Northbound access road does not continue through the Loop 1604 interchange
    • Southbound access road through-traffic requires two left turns at Loop 1604.
I-35 North access roads map
   
EXITS

Click here for a list of I‑35 North exits.
 
 
SPEED LIMITS
I-35 North speed limit map
  • 60 mph between I‑10 West and Loop 410 North (Fratt Interchange)
  • 65 mph between Loop 410 North and Forum Pkwy.
  • 70 mph between Forum Pkwy and FM 482
I-35 North speed limit map
   
SPECIAL FEATURES AND NOTES
I-35 North special features map
  • Four miles of concurrent (multiplexed) from Loop 410 South Cutoff to Fratt Interchange
    • was concurrent (multiplexed) with I‑35 in Bexar County before it was decommissioned south of Ft. Worth in 1991
  • Double-decked freeway northbound and southbound between I‑10 West and I‑37/US 281
  • TransGuide coverage along entire route
  • VIA Metropolitan Transit Randolph Park & Ride located adjacent to Fratt Interchange
  • Carpool parking ("Park & Pool") lots at following locations:
    • Shin Oak Dr. (southbound side) (Temporarily closed)
    • Olympia Pkwy. (southbound side)
    • Evans Rd. (under freeway)
I-35 North special features map
   
TRAFFIC
I-35 North traffic map

Heavy to extremely heavy along entire route.

This route experiences significant recurring bi-directional morning and evening congestion throughout most of the corridor.


Traffic volume legend
I-35 North traffic map
   
AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC
LOCATION 2002 2012 2017 2019 2021 2022 '12-'22
% CHG
N of FM 2252 82,000 114,000 120,233 117,327 142,456 132,938 +16.61%
N of Cibolo Valley Dr. 85,000 118,000 121,936 126,373 151,947 155,912 +32.13%
S of FM 3009 108,000 144,000 153,820 148,484 182,384 186,124 +29.25%
Bexar/Guadalupe line 124,000 153,000 172,800 171,758 217,401 222,111 +45.17%
S of Loop 1604 109,000 164,000 165,061 183,775     N/A
N of O'Connor Rd. 160,000 178,000 197,824 232,237 236,781 231,683 +30.16%
S of Thousand Oaks Dr. 188,000 205,000 218,058 235,528 243,909 237,645 +15.92%
N of Walzem Rd. 171,000 188,000 191,564 202,221 218,126 202,265 +7.59%
S of Walzem Rd. 173,000 184,000 210,091 212,846 183,715 170,062 -7.58%
S of Rittiman Rd. 182,000 188,000 179,075 204,463 175,867 183,254 -2.52%
N of George Beach Ave. 115,000 111,000 124,529 124,240 101,569 94,172 -15.16%
N of Salado Creek 135,000 136,000 142,003 143,756 151,727 140,421 +3.25%
W of New Braunfels Ave. 157,000 156,000 166,941 175,710 183,377 169,816 +8.86%
S of St. Mary's St. 187,000 195,000 196,505 196,852 220,106 196,854 +0.95%

(NOTE: In 2021, TxDOT changed the location of several traffic counting stations. Discontinued stations will show no history for 2021 and thereafter.)



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Media gallery

Click here for historical photos of this freeway.

Click here for video of this freeway.


Construction projects

Click here to view information for all projects in this corridor.


Future plans

With the majority of this corridor now undergoing expansion as part of the the I‑35 NEX project, there are no other future plans for this freeway at this time.


History

The first sections to be built were simply called "US 81 Expressway" and later the "Northeast Expressway". The designation as I‑35 was authorized on October 1, 1959. It is currently named the "PanAm Freeway" because it is a segment of the Pan American Highway. US 81 was decommissioned south of Fort Worth in 1991.

Most of the section north of Judson Rd. was part of the original route of US 81 and its predecessor SH 2. The short section of Old Austin Rd. at Loop 1604 was bypassed by the current route in 1934 as part of the Arneson Plan to improve state highways in Bexar County. The section between the two Loop 410 interchanges was originally built as a two-lane road as part of Loop 13 in 1953. Finally, the section between Walters and Salado Creek was originally part of the earliest route for SH 3 and US 90 to Seguin.

I-35 North history map
I-35 North history map
I-35 at Broadway looking southwest in 1960

I‑35 at Broadway looking southwest in 1960
In the foreground, you can see construction of I‑35 underway to the east of Broadway.
(Photo courtesy of TxDOT)

I-35 at Pat Booker Rd. interchange looking southeast ca. 1957

I‑35 at Pat Booker Rd. interchange looking southeast ca. 1957
(Photo courtesy of TxDOT)

Snippet of ca. 1955 plan for US 81 (I-35) and Loop 13 (Loop 410) interchange

Snippet of ca. 1955 plan for US 81 (I‑35) and Loop 13 (Loop 410) interchange
This proposal seemingly favored traffic headed from the northeast to the west and vice-versa. However, the plans were changed to a design more similar to today's interchange before it was constructed. Note the community of Fratt shown at the lower right side.
(Document courtesy of TxDOT)

More historical photos of I-35 are available here.