SH 13 was one of the original 25 state highways proposed on June 21, 1917, overlaid on top of the Ozark Trail.

From there, the highway turned east on present-day SH 152 to the border near Wheeler.

On October 8, 1917, SH 13 was completely reassigned to the route due east from New Mexico through Amarillo, Hedley, and Wellington to the Oklahoma state line.

[2] On February 17, 1919, an inter-county highway was designated from Amarillo east to the Oklahoma state line.

[6] In 1926, US 66 was overlaid on the entire SH 13 route west of Amarillo.