Washington State Route 261

State Route 261
SR 261 is highlighted in red.
Route information
Auxiliary route of SR 26
Defined by RCW 47.17.480
Maintained by WSDOT
Length:	62.71 mi (100.92 km)
Existed:	1964 – present
Major junctions
South end:	US 12 near Starbuck
	SR 260 near Kahlotus SR 26 / SR 260 in Washtucna
North end:	I‑90 / US 395 in Ritzville
Location
Counties:	Columbia, Franklin, Adams
Highway system
State highways in Washington Interstate US State Scenic Former PSH 1964 renumbering Former ← SR 260 SR 262 →

State Route 261 (SR 261) is a 62.71-mile-long (100.92 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Washington. Serving Columbia, Franklin, and Adams counties, the highway begins at U.S. Route 12 (US 12) east of Starbuck and becomes concurrent with SR 260 from Kahlotus to SR 26 in Washtucna before ending at Interstate 90 (I-90) and US 395 in Ritzville. The highway has been legislated since 1937 from Ritzville to Washtucna as Secondary State Highway 11E (SSH 11E) and in 1957 from Waschtucna to the Starbuck area as a branch of SSH 11B. The two secondary highways became SR 261 during the 1964 highway renumbering, and a gap between Washtucna and Starbuck was not paved until the construction of the Snake River Bridge was completed in 1968.

SR 261 begins its 62.71-mile-long (100.92 km) route at an intersection with US 12 east of the town of Starbuck in rural Columbia County. The roadway travels north over the Pataha Creek and turns west, paralleling the Tucannon River through Starbuck and to the south bank of the Snake River. The highway passes over a rail bridge owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation before turning northwest and crossing the steel cantilever Snake River Bridge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, into Franklin County near Lyons Ferry Park. At the north end of the bridge, SR 261 continues northwest, passing under a Union Pacific Railroad bridge and near Palouse Falls State Park, before crossing the Columbia Plateau Trail and intersecting SR 260 northeast of Kahlotus. A concurrency with SR 260 travels northeast into Adams County parallel to the Columbia Plateau Trail in the Palouse before entering Washtucna and being designated as Main Street. Main Street intersects SR 26, forming the eastern terminus of SR 260, after the Columbia Plateau Trail turns east. SR 261 continues north into farmland and crosses the John Wayne Pioneer Trail in Ralston before its northern terminus at a diamond interchange with I-90 and US 395 southeast of Ritzville, becoming Division Street as it serves the city.