Decoding Texas Road Signs

Texas, it seems, always has to be a little different.

Everywhere else, state highway signs usually have the state route number inside of an outline of the state, or, simply the route number with a state name. That’s always been easy enough. But here in Texas, things are a bit more complicated. Here, the state highway signs are coded with an FM or RM. Visitors to Texas always want to know what the letters mean.

Apparently, it was important when the rural state roads were established to give them a nomenclature that would have some meaning. While the meaning may be less important today than it was at one time, the signs represent a visible piece of Texas history for today’s motorists.

Let’s decode the signs:

FM: Farm to Market
RM: Ranch to Market

And while we’re on the subject of Texas road sign codes, there are two more you may see from time to time. CR, which means County Road, and RR, which means Ranch Road.

Now then, from now on, there is no excuse for us not finding our way to the market from either a farm or a ranch. FM means Farm to Market and RM means Ranch to Market. But what road do we take if we are not going to the market from a farm or ranch? Or, how do we get back to the farm, ranch, or some place else from the market? There don't seem to be any codes for those situations, and that's a problem.

"Dry" Or Drive-Thru Liquor?

There are plenty of “dry” or partially “dry” counties in Texas. But I’m not referring to the current drought.

Our state has the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC). Other states have an Alcoholic Beverage Commission as well. I can understand an "Alcohol" Beverage Commission, but an "Alcoholic" Beverage Commission? Who is minding things? The prior name in Texas was the Texas Liquor Control Board. Someone must have figured that the name sounded too authoritarian and too controlling. That's probably not a good thing in Texas. In typical Texas fashion it was decided to let loose, have a drink or two and change the name. Of course, I'm just kidding.

Anyway, the TABC states that out of the 254 counties in Texas, there are 32 completely dry counties, 42 completely wet counties, and the rest are a combination. You know, you can’t just be all one way or another on this stuff. There’s partially wet, or perhaps it’s partially dry. Beer only, beer and wine only, part of the county wet and part of the county dry. It all seems very confusing to me.

The point to all of this is, where it’s dry, it's bone dry. But, where it's wet, it can be really wet. There are quite a few states with drive-thru beer and wine, but only a few, like Texas, that go all the way with drive-thru liquor.

It is now possible, in some Texas counties, to pick up food at the local fast food drive-thru, get your mixers and ice at another drive-thru, obtain your favorite booze at the liquor drive-thru, and pull up to the pharmacy drive-thru the next morning to get something for the hangover. What a crazy drive-thru world Texas is.

And remember, as you pull into the drive-thru, please pay attention to the sign cautioning you to be careful pulling your boat or truck and trailer through the building while picking up your fifth of liquor. We can't be too careful now, can we?