US 96
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US 96 highlighted in red
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by TxDOT | ||||
| Length: | 133.746 mi (215.243 km) | |||
| Existed: | September 26, 1939 – present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end: |
   US 69 / US 287 / SH 87 in Port Arthur
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| North end: |
  US 59 / US 84 in Tenaha
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| Location | ||||
| Counties: | Jefferson, Hardin, Jasper, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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→
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| Location: | Buna |
| Length: | 1.334 mi (2.147 km) |
| Existed: | 1990–present |
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| Location: | Silsbee |
| Length: | 5.223 mi (8.406 km) |
| Existed: | 1990–present |
U.S. Highway 96 (US 96) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs for about 117.11 miles (188.47 km) entirely in the U.S state of Texas. Its number is a violation of the standard numbering convention, as even-numbered two-digit highways are east–west routes by rule. As of 2004, the highway's southern terminus (as well as those of US 287 and US 69) is in Port Arthur at an intersection with State Highway 87 (SH 87). Its northern terminus is in Tenaha at an intersection with US 59 (Future I-69)/(Future I-369) and US 84 (Future I-69).
U.S. Highway 96 is designated by the State of Texas as a major hurricane evacuation route, with the local county governments facilitating the evacuation of citizens along U.S. Highway 96 from Coastal Region counties, including but not limited to, Harris County, Galveston County, Brazoria County, Chambers County, Jefferson County, Orange County, Hardin County, Jasper County, Newton County and Tyler County.
U.S. Highway 96 has been utilized many times in the past for hurricane evacuations, with the most recent being Hurricane Rita in 2005, Hurricane Gustav in 2008 and Hurricane Ike in 2008. During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, U.S. Highway 96 was also utilized to route evacuees from Louisiana, who had fled west out of the hurricane's path. This designated hurricane evacuation route is utilized to evacuate citizens to the north into North and Northeast Texas, Northwest Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma, out of the range of a hurricane's deadly winds, tornadoes, flooding and storm surge.
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