[2] It was designated as the 36th Division Memorial Highway between Cameron and Sealy by the Texas Legislature in 1985.

SH 36 was originally proposed on November 21, 1917, as a route from Cisco to Waco.

[10] On August 21, 1923, the sections from Temple to Goldthwaite and Richmond to Freeport were cancelled.

[13] On December 18, 1932, the route was extended to Rising Star, with the section from Hamilton to Comanche replacing part of SH 22.

[19] On February 11, 1937, the sections from Temple to a lateral road (now SH 317) and from Rising Star to Comanche were restored.

[23] On January 6, 1939, SH 36 had been rerouted on its current route south of Temple.

[24] On December 10, 1946, the section from Rising Star to northwest of Comanche was restored.

[26] An alternate routing just south of Temple, serving the town of Heidenheimer, was designated on May 25, 1925.

[30] A group calling itself the Highway 36A Coalition has proposed a new highway (tentatively titled Highway 36A) which would run between SH 36 at Pleak and another planned route in Waller County (the proposed Prairie Parkway), ultimately connecting to SH 6 north of Hempstead.

According to the Coalition, the new highway would be limited access (along with improvements to the existing Highway 36 between Freeport and Pleak) and provide a western bypass of the Greater Houston area (as well as a new hurricane evacuation corridor).