When it was first created, it was only 150 miles (241 km) long, but it has since been expanded into a Minnesota to Texas cross-country route.

US-69, US-96, and US-287 continue in a northwest, then west, route until its intersection with I-10 in southern Beaumont.

Just after the intersection with US-90, I-10 splits from the multiplex and resumes its easterly course, leaving US-69, US-96, and US-287 heading northwest through Beaumont.

In Lumberton, US-96 splits from US-69 and US-287 and heads northeast towards Jasper, while US-69 and US-287 continue on a northwest path towards Woodville.

In this area, between US-190 in Woodville and FM-256 in Colmesneil, US-69 is a part of the Texas Forest Trail.

In Lufkin, US-69 is concurrent with US-59 and State Loop 287 while the route through the city is named Business US-69.

US-69 and State Loop 287 continue until the intersection of SH-103 and Business US-69 on the northwest section of Lufkin.

At that point, US-69 is concurrent for a short distance with SH-103 and State Loop 287.

US-69 continues on a north to northwest path through the towns of Alto, Rusk, Jacksonville and Bullard.

At FM-16 in Lindale, US-69 begins its third and last segment as part of the Texas Forest Trail.

Before leaving town, at its intersection with SH-37, the Texas Forest Trail turns off of US-69 to share a segment with SH-37.

US-69 takes a more northwest turn on its way through several small towns, including Emory, on its way to Greenville.

There, as it begins to enter the city, a Business route of US-69 turns off to the right to serve the downtown Greenville area, and then on to a junction with I-30.

The concurrency continues around the southern and western sides of Greenville until an intersection with Spur 302.

At that intersection, US-380 heads west while US-69 continues north, until it reaches the northern end of its Business route, which has passed through the downtown Greenville area, then US-69 turns northwest, from Greenville to Leonard, where it encounters a brief concurrency with SH-78.

In Downtown Miami, SH-10 continues heading east, while HR-66 and US-69 turn northward.

In Columbus, K-7 continues heading north, while US-69 turns east and merges with US-160.

North of Frontenac, US-160 splits from US-69 and heads east towards Lamar and Springfield, Missouri.

US-69 passes through Riverside, Northmoor, Gladstone, Claycomo, Pleasant Valley and parts of Kansas City proper before merging with I-35 for a second time, near Liberty.

At State Route B, in rural Liberty, MO-33 heads north-northeast and US-69 continues northeast.

At the intersection with Iowa Highway 5, US 65 heads east concurrent Iowa Highway 5 and US 69 continues to head north through Des Moines and Ankeny.

US-69 enters the state at Emmons and travels north-northeast through southern Minnesota, passing through Twin Lakes.

[2] When it was first commissioned in 1926, US-69 extended only from Leon, Iowa to Kansas City, Missouri.

The route was extended north into Minnesota in 1934, mostly along what had previously been marked State Highway 13, ending at U.S. 16 in Albert Lea.

[9] [10] {{{annotations}}} U.S. Route 69 Alternate is a special route of U.S. Highway 69, traveling 20.3 miles (32.7 km) between junctions east of Commerce, Oklahoma and north of Crestline, Kansas.

US 69 Alt., cosigned with Historic Route 66, splits from mainline US-69 south of Picher and west of Quapaw.

and HR-66 head ENE through the towns of Quapaw and Baxter Springs, Kansas.