Regional Navigation

U.S. 67 North - Midlothian to Dallas

U.S. 67 north
This view looks east along US 67 at FM 157 at Venus. The town, with a growing population currently around 2,000 folks, was named after the daughter of a local doctor, rather than the planet. Photo taken 09/01/07.
Upon leaving Venus, US 67 continues through the semi-rural sprawl of northeastern Johnson County. The next town along the route is Midlothian, famous for what is about to be on the horizon. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 enters Ellis County with Midlothian's TXI Cement Plant filling up the horizon. This county line sign is an example of the old TxDot style, new signs are larger and feature the Clearview font. Photo taken 09/01/07.
The route's first light in Ellis County is VV Jones road, named for an early settler and farmer. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 eastbound at VV Jones Road. The cement plant is growing ever larger in the distance. In fact, three of the ten largest cement plants in the United States operate right here in Midlothian, and provide most of the town's jobs. Additionally, a TXI steel plant is here as well. Photo taken 09/01/07.
The next road encountered along US 67 eastbound is Miller Road, also named for a local farmer. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 eastbound at Miller Road. The traffic light here partially serves the Railport, which is a large multimodal transportation hub and distribution center for companies like Target and Toys R Us. Photo taken 09/01/07.

The atmosphere on US 67 through this southwestern side of Midlothian is very industrial, and almost northeastern US in nature. Cement and steel plants fill the eastern and southern views from the route, while small cranes and large warehouses are on the other sides. Photo taken 09/01/07.
Immediately following the industrial zone, the US 67 freeway segment begins. The freeway was built out to Midlothian not only to serve DFW's ever expanding sprawl, but to connect the industrial and transportation zones here with other hubs and markets. Photo taken 09/01/07.
The first freeway exit is for Ward Road. Now annexed by Midlothian, Ward was a community in its own right, up to the depression. Photo taken 09/01/07.
The first major intersection in the DFW area along US 67 is that of US 287, which bypasses Midlothian as a freeway to the south. The US 287 bypass is new, and replaced the route through town in 2006. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 northbound at US 287 and US 67 business in Midlothian. This routing of US 287 was opened in the summer of 2006, construction began in October 2003. The $46 million bypass project is just a small part of the upgrading of US 287 between Fort Worth and IH 45 to a freeway. Photo taken 09/01/07.
A view of the US 287 / US 67 stack structure. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 reassurance marker just after the US 287 exit. The US 67 business and US 287 markers can be seen in the background. The stack realigned the exit for old US 287 as well, which has been eliminated in favor of routing all town traffic through the new stack. Photo taken 09/01/07.
As the US 67 freeway makes a turn around the north side of Midlothian, US 67 Business returns from its time in downtown. Midlothian's downtown is quickly growing and is known locally as a live music / local band area. The town's motto is "DFW's Southern Star", formerly it was "Cement Capitol of Texas". Photo taken 09/01/07.
Further north along US 67, the next exit serves Dove Ln and Gifco Rd. Dove Ln connects to Midlothian Parkway, a new arterial bypass of town built to the east. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 northbound at Dove/Gifco. Gifco Road, named for an old cement company, now houses the North Texas Cement Company plant. The plant, along with the others, are the primary reason that the EPA cannot certify Ellis County's air as "clean". This rural county shares that distinction with other, more urban counties, like Dallas and Tarrant. Photo taken 09/01/07.
Now on the extreme north side of Midlothian, the concrete US 67 gets a central barrier before its next junction at Shiloh Rd. Photo taken 09/01/07.
A US 67 reassurance marker on a hilly stretch of freeway. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 northbound at Shiloh Rd. Shiloh runs in both directions and connects to various residential interests. Photo taken 09/01/07.
Cedar Hill's city limit on US 67. Cedar Hill sits at about 800 feet above sea level and is the highest point between the Red River and the Gulf of Mexico, so it really is a hill. The antenna group in the background of this photo is located on the top of Cedar Hill, and is one of the densest grouping of broadcast antennae in the US. Almost every DFW radio and TV station broadcasts from right here in Cedar Hill. Photo taken 09/01/07.
More of the antenna group on the horizon as US 67 enters Dallas County. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 northbound before its first Dallas County exit at Mt Lebanon Rd, with Cedar Hill's water tower in the background. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 at Mt Lebanon Rd. This short road was named for a nearby church which sat at the old Mt Lebanon community, just to the east of this point along a railroad. Photo taken 09/01/07.
Cutting through Cedar Hill's small industrial and manufacturing area now, US 67 approaches Tidwell St. Photo taken 09/01/07.
There is even more white concrete now as another US 67 northbound reassurance marker appears. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 goes under a railroad underpass here just before the exit at Tidwell St. Tidwell is very short, but connects to Parkerville Rd, which is a major arterial running east to IH 35E. Photo taken 09/01/07.
The next exit is the largest in Cedar Hill. Cooper Street connects the freeway to the old part of town, and Belt Line Rd is the largest arterial in town. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 northbound at Cooper/Belt Line in Cedar Hill. Belt Line is an important 96-mile loop arterial that completely encircles Dallas County. The loop was cut when Joe Pool Lake was built to the west in the late 80s, and now Belt Line Road has technically been rerouted around the lake on FM 1382, however signage here and locally in Cedar Hill still indicates the old routing. Photo taken 09/01/07.
FM 1382 is the next exit, and note the rural technique, with control points, on this sign. DeSoto is the main suburb to the east and sits along IH 35E, while Grand Prairie is to the west and north of Cedar Hill and sits along IH 20 and IH 30. FM 1382 is a beautiful road to the west, and runs through the Cedar hills area and state park, with large limestone outcroppings and hills - steep ones - at least for Dallas County. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 northbound at FM 1382. This intersection has the largest grouping of upscale retail in traditionally poor southern Dallas County. Cedar Hill is a bastion of affluence in this otherwise economically downtrodden sector of the DFW Metroplex. Traffic congestion at this intersection during the holiday shopping season and on some weekends is amazing. Photo taken 09/01/07.
While flying past the retail heaven that is FM 1382, the next signage appears for the Joe Wilson/Pleasant Run exit. While within Cedar Hill, US 67 is known as the J. Elmer Weaver Freeway. Mr. Weaver was a prominent Cedar Hill resident who headed a civic group to get the freeway built, and his wife was famous as president of the Dallas Garden Club for many years. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 northbound at Joe Wilson / Pleasant Run. Both roads are important arterials, Pleasant Run runs east some 12 miles all the way past IH 35E to IH 45. In the early 1960s, a routing of Dallas's future IH 635 loop was considered along Pleasant Run Rd. Photo taken 09/01/07.
And with that, US 67 has left Cedar Hill and enters the next suburb of Duncanville. Duncanville is famous for two things. First, the city is a center of UFO phenomena and is regularly mentioned in UFO stories and documentaries due to the relatively high number of sightings there. Second, the city is famous for its fight in court with residents who run the "Cherry Pit" orgy party house and the traffic caused by its "Naked Twister" parties. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 northbound at Wintergreen / Main in Duncanville. Main street continues north through town to IH 20. Photo taken 09/01/07.
The next northbound exit serves Danieldale Rd and residential areas. Danieldale continues eastward to IH 35E. Photo taken 09/01/07.
Prior to its junction with Danieldale, the first signs for IH 20 appear. The HC on the top right refers to IH 20s designation as a Hazardous Cargo route around Dallas. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 northbound at Danieldale. The road was named for a community that existed to the east before the depression, later to be swallowed up by the suburb of DeSoto. Photo taken 09/01/07.
Cockrell Hill Rd is the last Duncanville exit before the freeway enters Dallas. While in Duncanville. US 67 is known as S. G. Alexander Freeway, named for an early civic leader in town. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 northbound at Cockrell Hill. The freeway was opened to this point in the summer of 1982, south of here it was only built as frontage roads and slowly upgraded. Cockrell Hill runs north through south Dallas, past IH 20 and all the way to IH 30. Photo taken 09/01/07.
The next exit northbound serves Wheatland / Camp Wisdom. Note the new Clearview font on this sign. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 northbound at Wheatland / Camp Wisdom. The overhead signage for the hazardous cargo route on IH 20 is very prominent. Wheatland Rd runs east to the old community of Wheatland, now gone. Camp Wisdom Rd was named for a local girl scout camp. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 northbound at the IH 20 stack. This stack is almost identical to all of the stacks built along the Dallas loop route, and was dedicated in the summer of 1974. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 northbound at IH 20 east. IH 20 connects Dallas with Shreveport and the Deep South, while westbound travelers will follow the old routing of US 80 all the way out to west Texas. Photo taken 09/01/07.
A view of the 1974 stack, seen here from the second of four levels. Photo taken 09/01/07.
Now leaving Duncanville, US 67 becomes the Marvin D. Love Freeway. The mainlanes from this point northward to Hampton Rd opened in early 1974, while the frontage roads were opened in 1969. This sign shows the first inkling of the upcoming HOV lanes. Photo taken 09/01/07.
A northbound reassurance marker at Camp Wisdom. Southwest Center Mall is located just to the west of this picture. Formerly known as Red Bird Mall, the area has a fairly high crime rate and a lot of dead retail. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 northbound before Red Bird / Hampton. Much of the freeway through here is forested with residential areas to each side. This exit also serves Red Bird Airport, a small private aviation facility. The Dallas skyline can be seen to the left. Photo taken 09/01/07.
The HOV lanes begin here, just south of Hampton. The lanes connect with IH 35E and continue into downtown Dallas. In the morning, they are the only lanes not totally choked with traffic from 6am to 10am. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 northbound at Hampton. North of this point, the freeway's mainlanes opened in July 1969. Hampton is an important arterial road in south Dallas, and runs northward to the Trinity River. Photo taken 09/01/07.
The next intersection is a cloverleaf with Dallas' inner Loop 12. This sign is confusing because Loop 12 and Pentagon Pkwy are totally different roads. The style of this overhead would make it appear that Pentagon Pkwy is the local name of the numbered state route, when in fact it is not. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 northbound at Loop 12 / Pentagon. Loop 12 was built in the late 1930s as a loop of the city, and for many years people living beyond it were considered 'rural'. That all changed very quickly with the rapid pace of urbanization and sprawl after the 1950s. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 northbound before Polk St. Polk Street is one of the presidential streets in the old part of south Dallas known as Oak Cliff. It carried US 67 locally until 1937, when the diagonal main road was built. It was this diagonal new route that would eventually be upgraded to this freeway. Photo taken 09/01/07.
A variable message sign on the left, warning drivers that the HOV connection to IH 35E ahead is closed on this weekend day. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 northbound at Polk St. The IH 35E merge is coming up very soon. Photo taken 09/01/07.
Named after Edwin Kiest, Kiest Boulevard is an arterial road running east/west through south Dallas. Kiest is most famous for donating land that became the huge Kiest City Park, just to the west of this photo. Photo taken 09/01/07.
US 67 northbound at Kiest. Immediately after this point, US 67 merges with the IH 35E mainlanes and continues unsigned through downtown, on to IH 30, and re-emerges as a signed route in Greenville - about 50 miles away from here. Photo taken 09/01/07.

Page Updated January 10, 2008.

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