The southern terminus of SH 35 is at an interchange with Interstate 37 (I-37) near downtown Corpus Christi, concurrent with U.S. Route 181 (US 181).

In Gregory, the two routes separate, with US 181 traveling towards Sinton, and the freeway segment of SH 35 ends shortly thereafter.

[3] After crossing FM 136, SH 35 runs eastward to Aransas Pass before turning towards the northeast.

[5] SH 35 runs along the western edge of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge before entering Refugio County.

[8] The route then runs east to Palacios before turning north[9] toward Blessing, where it resumes its northeasterly trajectory[10] toward Bay City[11] and Angleton.

[17] On January 20, 1919, the highway was rerouted through Coldspring, Cleveland, and Humble to end in Houston, while the old route was replaced by the new SH 35A.

On April 27, 1995, another bypass opened, so that SH 35 no longer goes through Aransas Pass or Rockport.

This portion extends from Spur 5 to Dowling Street (now Emancipation Avenue), a distance of about 1.6 miles (2.6 km).

[23] In Houston, SH 35 is Telephone Road and Reveille Street from its northern terminus at I-45.

As of 2006, only 1.3 miles (2.1 km) had been built, under the sign Spur 5 (constructed between 1996–99; officially opened September 1999; designated 1998).

However, the mainlanes extend less than half a mile south of Interstate 45 adjacent to the University of Houston campus.

In early 2023, TxDOT unveiled construction bids for the first phase of the project, which will extend Spur 5 from its current southern terminus at US 90 Alt (Old Spanish Trail) to Griggs Road, just north of I-610.

Phase 2 of the project will extend the freeway from Griggs Road to Dixie Drive.

[29] Media related to Texas State Highway 35 at Wikimedia Commons