End of US highway 77

View a map showing this route.

Photo credits: Steven Nelson; Bob Otterson; Mike Wiley; me
Additional research: Monte Castleman

Approx. time period North terminus South terminus
1926-1930 South Sioux City, NE Dallas, TX
1930-1933 Ortonville, MN Dallas, TX
1933-1935 Ortonville, MN Sinton, TX
1935-1945 Ortonville, MN Corpus Christi, TX
1945-1982 Ortonville, MN Brownsville, TX
1982-present Sioux City, IA Brownsville, TX

US 77 was an original 1926 route; at the time its south end was in Dallas TX (you can view photos from there on this page). The original north end of US 77 was in South Sioux City NE (just across the river from Sioux City IA); you can view photos from there on this page.

In 1930 the north end of US 77 was extended to Milbank SD, and then co-signed with US 12 to Ortonville MN, where it terminated at US 75. The 1933 map scan below illustrates this:

scan by Castleman

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly where in Ortonville US 77 would've ended, since the routings of both US 12 and US 75 have changed over the years there. Below is my best guess; please let me know if you come across any info that confirms or denies this:

When US 77 was first signed into Ortonville, US 75 did not bypass the city as it does today. Instead it continued along its northwesterly angle (following what is now MN hwy. 7) into town, then jogged back out to the north and east to rejoin today's US 75 alignment towards Clinton (the map above seems to indicate the east-west segment of US 75 was on Stevens Avenue). Not only that, but it appears US 12 coming eastbound from Big Stone City was about a block south of its modern alignment, such that it had a fairly straightforward four-way intersection with old US 75 (as opposed to having a jog, like it does today where it multiplexes with MN 7). So the 1930 endpoint of US 77 was probably right about in the middle of this multiplexed section (I don't have a photo from there).

At some point US 12 was changed to its current alignment between Big Stone City and Ortonville (that is, a block north of its original alignment). If that happened before the US 75 bypass was built, then US 77 would've ended at the intersection shown below:

Otterson, July 2003

There we're eastbound on US 12 at its junction with MN 7 (old US 75). As you may be able to see from the signage, US 12 continues to the right with MN 7. After one block, the mainline (US 12) veers left, continuing eastward again - while southeastbound MN 7 is a right turn. If you were to turn right before you get to that next junction (heading west, across the railroad), you'd be on the original US 12... and, as I described above, I believe you'd also be on a historic north beginning of US 77.

Also at some point, US 75 was changed to its modern alignment, which bypasses Ortonville to the east (based on the architecture along that stretch, Bob believes this would've happened in the late 1950's - early 1960's). If it was prior to 1982, then the US 77 designation probably would've been extended with US 12 about a half-mile further east, to its junction with the new US 75. If so, then that ending is shown below:

Otterson, July 2003

That's looking east on US 12 at US 75, just south and east of Ortonville.

The south end of US 77 was extended to Sinton TX in 1933. The photo below is looking east on Sinton Street, or north on US 181:

Nelson, Feb. 2004

For about two years, US 77 began to the right (north on Vineyard Avenue)...

...but then in 1935 the US 77 designation was extended further south: co-signed with US 181 into Corpus Christi. You can view this page for photos and more info.

In 1945 the US 77 designation was removed from the segment between Sinton and Corpus, and instead the route followed its current corridor through Kingsville and all the way down to Mexico at Brownsville. For photos from that city, please view this page.

In 1982, the north end of US 77 was truncated back to its current terminus in Sioux City. The photo below shows the last northbound reassurance marker:

me, Aug. 2005

That's in South Sioux City NE; the bridge leads over the Missouri River to Sioux City IA (and as you go over that bridge, if you look west [left], you can see the southeasternmost tip of South Dakota, lying between the Missouri and Big Sioux rivers). The "End" sign is visible in the distance at right, but first a close-up of the sign at left:

me, Aug. 2005

That sign dates back to the time when US 77 used northbound I-29 to continue north to Ortonville. But now US 77 no longer exits here - rather, it ends just ahead, as the sign below indicates:

me, Aug. 2005

I-29 runs perpendicular (under the viaduct), and Wesley Parkway (straight ahead) is a local spur into downtown. Heading the opposite way on Wesley, the north beginning of US 77 is heralded thus:

me, Aug. 2005

That's actually Business US 20 ahead, too. In Nebraska, the two routes split, with Business 20 continuing ahead on Dakota Avenue and US 77 turning west on 9th Street:

me, Aug. 2005

Upon making that turn, one encounters the first standalone southbound confirming marker:

me, Aug. 2005

For more detailed information about this terminus - and to view many more photos (including some taken from both directions on I-29) - please view Jeff Morrison's page.