Farm-to-market Road

In the United States, a farm-to-market road or ranch-to-market road (sometimes farm road or ranch road for short) is a state road or county road which traditionally served to connect rural or agricultural areas to market towns. These routes serve as a better quality road, usually a highway, which allows farmers and ranchers to transport their products to market towns and/or distribution centers.

Specifically, in the state of Texas, the terms Farm to Market Road and Ranch to Market Road indicate roadways that are part of the state's system of secondary and connecting routes, built and maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). This system was established in 1949 as a project to provide access to rural areas. The system consists primarily of paved, two-lane roads. Generally, roads found west of US 281 (or Interstate 35 in some locations) are designated Ranch to Market Roads, while those located east of US 281 are designated Farm to Market Roads, though there are exceptions to this naming system, such as RM 2588 in Henderson County in East Texas or FM 1215 in Reeves County West Texas. Some segments are even expressways, including a segment of FM 1764 (the Emmett F. Lowry Expressway between Interstate 45 and Texas City, Texas).

Although these roads are signed with route markers that contain the words "FARM ROAD" or "RANCH ROAD", the proper name is "Farm to Market Road" and "Ranch to Market Road" (hence the abbreviation "F.M." and "R.M." on guide sign assemblies). The only road to explicitly use the nomenclature "Ranch Road" is Ranch Road 1, which runs near the former ranch home of former President Lyndon B. Johnson.

As with other state-maintained highways in Texas, all Farm/Ranch to Market roads are paved. Speeds along Farm/Ranch to Market roads vary, but may be as high as 75 mph in rural areas, such as in Andrews and Pecos Counties (for example, along FM 1788, FM 1776, and FM 1053).