End of U.S. Highway 285 in Sanderson, TX

View a map showing this route.

Photo credits: Stephen Taylor; me

The photo below shows me and my 1966 Barracuda (may it RIP) in front of the Post Office in Sanderson:

me, Aug. 1988

I had pulled out my fan to commemorate how hot it was. The desk clerk postmarked some letters for me, and told me he'd moved to Sanderson from Connecticut of all places...

That was the masthead from the local newspaper (it was free). More cool artwork from Sanderson can be viewed on this page.

Back then, the Texas highway department didn't have an "End" sign at the junction with US 90, so I didn't take a photo of the terminus. Several years later, when I started these pages, I could've kicked myself for that. I mean, what were the chances I'd ever be in Sanderson again? But I was finally redeemed when a fellow road-enthusiast visited Sanderson and shot the photos below:

Taylor, Sep. 2000

That first shot is looking south on 285, just before the "Y" intersection where it ends at US 90. I've enlarged a portion of it, below:

Taylor, Sep. 2000

Barely visible in the far right is the signage marking the beginning of US 285 for eastbound US 90 traffic. Marathon's arrow is pointing to an "End" sign assembly, which must've been posted sometime after 1988. That sign is shown in greater detail below:

Taylor, Sep. 2000

That's a train on the Southern Pacific in the background. The blue arrow is to guide travelers following one of a dozen-or-so official Texas scenic routes (this particular one is the "Wild West" driving tour). The shot below is looking west on US 90:

Taylor, Sep. 2000

Downtown Sanderson is about a half-mile behind the camera. The assembly at right is shown close-up below:

Taylor, Sep. 2000

The photo below shows the first northbound US 285 sign, heading out of Sanderson:

Taylor, Sep. 2000

Whoa, pardner - better turn around and top off that gas tank...

Taylor, Sep. 2000

At the south terminus of US 285, it's hard to even imagine what must be going on in the vastly different world that exists at its other end - 835 miles to the north. For photos from Denver, and for the full history of US 285's endpoints, please view the main 285 index page.