Welcome to Interstate 35 in Waco! This covers only the section called Jack Kultgen Expressway, from the Brazos River south toward the Hewitt area where the numbering resets. (The confusing numbering was why I didn't update it but I understand now.) This freeway has largely been under construction since the late 2010s and construction still continues, with this page discussing some of the businesses both current and historic. Version 13 cut out a lot of material and Version 14 does the same...but Version 13 had a bunch of technical problems that rendered the page almost unreadable.
Additions: Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers (incorrectly removed), Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar, and University Mazda
Removals: Everything north of the Brazos River (38 entries), 7-Eleven (701 S. University Parks Drive), Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center (incorporated into header), SpringHill Suites by Marriott (Numbered Exits), Twisted Root Burger Company (not on I-35, besides, it has its own page), Premier ER & Urgent Care (Numbered Exits), Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q, Quality Inn & Suites (New Road), Flying J Travel Center (New Road), Cinemark Waco and XD Theatre, Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center, Tractor Supply Company Distribution Center, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, and everything south of West Loop 340 (except Victorious Life Church, McDonald's, and Pilot Travel Center, 22 entries total)
Updates: Schlotzsky's (referred to the old Burger King), 2609 S. Jack Kultgen Expy. (Tikka House is new), and Central Texas Marketplace (Tia Juanita's Fish Camp).
Several pages here have Numbered Exits or Carbon-izer entries including Texian Inn (now Spring Hill Suites by Marriott, 115 Jack Kultgen Expressway), Tanglewood Farms (now Premier ER & Urgent Care - Waco, 221 S. Jack Kultgen Expy.), Burger King (now Jakes Burgers, 1500 Interstate 35)
Premier ER & Urgent Care / 221 S. Jack Kultgen Expy.
For years (building built in '79), this was Tanglewood Farms (a restaurant) and later the home of Magic China, which was here starting in 2001. Magic China closed in 2015 at this location to look for a third new location, but it never did. After that, it was demolished for the current tenant.
To south of here is In-N-Out and CVS (both of which replaced a large Clarion hotel) then a cluster of fast foods which are covered here, none of which have I-35 addresses (except for Raising Cane's, which is on that page)
Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers /
801 S. Jack Kultgen Expressway
I'm seemingly missing a lot of stuff here like the In-N-Out Burger and CVS (part of a redevelopment that replaced the Clarion hotel) and numerous other fast food restaurants like McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, and Fazoli's, but these don't have Jack Kultgen Expressway addresses and can be found here. This particular Raising Cane's restaurant (Waco's third) opened in September 2016 as part of the redevelopment in this stretch of I-35 where new commercial development has overtaken older residential.
The Salvation Army Corps Church & Community Center / 1225 Jack Kultgen Expy.
We do not have much information on this church and community center operated by The Salvation Army's Waco Corps. The buildings have been here since at least the 1960s but weren't connected until at some point in the 1970s.
Super 8 / 1320 South Jack Kultgen Expy.
This hotel (Super 8 by Wyndham Waco University Area) opened in 1994. Next to it (across 14th Street) is a vacant lot from highway ROW construction. This was a Popeyes restaurant at 1401 Park Avenue, opened in 2001 but closed in 2017. To the north of the hotel is another vacant lot at 1231 Baylor. A Genie Self Service Car Wash mets its demise in 2017 but indications are it closed as early as 2009.
Studio 6 / 1430 South Jack Kultgen Expy.
This was Econo Lodge as of 2007 and briefly "Magnuson Hotel" before becoming Deluxe Inn by the mid-2010s. It has been Studio 6 since around 2020-2021.
Schlotzsky's / 1508 South Jack Kultgen Expy.
Schlotzsky's Deli as the chain was known back then opened here in 1996. Since then, it has has just had updates as corporate policy has dictated (to the "lotz better" prototype in the early 2010s, which dropped the "Deli" name.
Fuego Tortilla Grill / 1524 South Jack Kultgen Expy.
This taco shop was built on the site of Legends Cycle, which moved out in the early 2010s. Prior to that, it was Euro Shop, which was another motorcycle dealership until the partnership disintegrated and the business partners went separate ways (that was 2011), and back in the 1990s was Harley-Davidson of Waco before they moved in 2003 (see further down in this page). It had moved here from 928 North Valley Mills Drive. In late 2013, the building was torn down, and the new Fuego Tortilla Grill opened in August 27th 2015, the fourth location in the chain and second in Waco, though Fuego's dual-location presence in Waco only lasted a year.
1700 S. Jack Kultgen Expy.
This motel and restaurant were both built in 1970; today, the motel operates as Budget Inn (which has had that name since the mid-1990s), with the restaurant operating as Mexican restaurant La Jaivita (which has been here since 1993).
Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar / 2501 S. Jack Kultgen Expy.
This Japanese restaurant opened in June 2021 after a long construction period and delays.
Bubba's 33 / 2601 S. Jack Kultgen Expy.
One of the new commercial establishments to come out of the University High School redevelopment (see next entry), Bubba's 33 is a sports bar style restaurant owned by Texas Roadhouse featuring beer, pizza, and hamburgers, with a flagship hamburger featuring 33% ground bacon. This location opened in June 2015.
2609 S. Jack Kultgen Expy.
This building contains a Starbucks (here since 2015), however, the other co-tenant, Potbelly Sandwich Shop, closed sometime around the end of 2018. This remained vacant until the mid-2020s when it was replaced by Tikka House, an Indian restaurant with other Texas locations.
Bomgaars / 2701 S. Jack Kultgen Expy.
Bomgaars and the surrounding retail including the Home2 Suites by Hilton, Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar, Bubba's 33, Chili's, and the now-defunct Zoës Kitchen was built on the site of University High School at 2600 Bagby.
It was originally known as "Waco Technical High School" when it opened in 1946 and became University High School in 1954. I had read that the reason it became "University High School" was because of the campus' original spread-out nature (like a university) but I can't find the article anymore. However, topography maps and aerial photographs support the article I had remembered reading, as the school did have more buildings until construction of I-35 wiped all but one out, at which point, newer, more traditional buildings were built closer to Valley Mills.
After serving as a high school for decades, in the 2011-2012 school year, it became University Middle School (which moved from across the street) as University High School moved to a new location at New Road and Old Robinson Road. UMS closed as the school district reorganized, and after inviting former alumni, the old UHS torn down and redeveloped as commercial space, retiring the address. Briefly, during construction, 2600 Bagby was used as the address for the first tenant that was here, Gander Mountain, which opened in fall 2014. Just over two years later (spring 2017), the store closed, and Orscheln Farm & Home, its replacement (see its archived store page), opened in November 2018.
I never went to UHS, but I always do remember seeing it from above (on the ramp from Valley Mills to I-35) coming back home from visiting my grandfather, cementing the memories made while I was there.
Going back to the present, a few years later, Tractor Supply Company acquired Orscheln, but the FTC required it to be divested to Bomgaars, which at the time had no stores beyond Kansas. It became Bomgaars in 2023.
University Mazda / 3000 Interstate 35
This was Miller Mazda until the mid-2010s. I haven't looked into this dealership's history.
Days Inn / 3120 Jack Kultgen Expy.
This used to be a Motel 6 (Days Inn since late 2021/early 2022) and for a while there were actually two Motel 6 hotels between Valley Mills and New Road. Somewhere around this point, the highway drops the Jack Kultgen name, but I don't know where officially.
Crash Champions / 3305 N. Interstate 35
Wade Auto Body opened here in 2001 and around 2013 was converted to Service King with a repaint of the facilities. Between 2023 and 2025 it converted to Crash Champions. From 1990 to 2001 this was Cen-Tex Brake & Spring and before that was Waco Spring & Brake Service Inc. (possibly same company) back to 1980.
Relax Inn / 3824 Interstate 35
This motel has been here since 1957 under some name or another. Work in 2018 demolished the old lobby and built a new one on the south side of the complex (as well as filling in a small central courtyard in the middle of the parking lot). The old logo of the motel, which it had from at least 2007 to the re-do, looked a lot like the old Pepsi logo (the one pre-2008) except with green instead of blue.
It appears that this was the Thunderbird Motel until some point in the 1990s.
Motel 6 / 3912 Interstate 35 South
This Motel 6, from Google searching, was originally Rodeway Inn and converted sometime around 2017.
3921 Jack Kultgen Expy.
This now-defunct Hooters opened in January 2006 among opposition but proved to be a big hit anyway. The driveway doesn't connect to the development to the south, making access a bit difficult. A new QuikTrip (see Numbered Exits) connected its driveway to it but it still doesn't connect to the Quality Inn/Dave's Hot Chicken/IHOP parking lot.
Dave's Hot Chicken / 4017 Interstate 35 South
This restaurant opened in June 2022. It was formerly a Carl's Jr. (with a Green Burrito inside), which returned to Waco in January 2011 but closed around late 2019.
IHOP / 4109 Interstate 35 South
This IHOP opened in the mid-2000s. It is open 24 hours.
New Road Inn / 4000 Interstate 35 South
This was initially "Royal Inn" in 1985 but became New Road Inn in 1987. It has been like that since.
Conoco / 4020 Jack Kultgen Expy.
This gas station at the northeast corner of I-35 and New Road has seen several brands over its lifetime, it was Chevron in 2007 and Philips 66 in 2010s (still Philips 66 as of 2018, but Conoco as of 2021).
Harley-Davidson of Waco / 4201 Jack Kultgen Fwy.
Harley-Davidson of Waco has been around since the late 1960s and this is the fourth location they've been in, moving here in 2003 from 1524 S. Jack Kultgen Expressway (now the site of Fuego Tortilla Grill). The parking lot also connects to Flying J next door.
WCTractor / 4204 I-35 South
Just north of here, 4200 Jack Kultgen Expressway, was a gas station. It was demolished in 2012 after being closed since the late 1990s and served as a Texaco at some point (possibly closing as such).
Central Texas Marketplace / 4633 Jack Kultgen Expy.
The eastern, newer half of Central Texas Marketplace built in the early 2010s, featuring Cabela's Outpost, Office Depot, Best Buy, and others. I can't actually find a leasing map for this one, so you'll have to do with my hacked-up map here. Of note is 4671 Jack Kultgen Expressway, which has already gone through four restaurants over 7 years. The first, Twin Peaks, was operational from August 2014 to May 2015 when it closed following the 2015 Waco shootout. It finally reopened as Scotty's Brewhouse in March 2018, but it closed in December of that year (parent company went bankrupt). Louisiana Crab Shack operated in the spot from November 2019 but closed in spring 2021, and the building is now occupied by Tia Juanita's Fish Camp, which opened September 2025.
In the map I labeled Cabela's as Cabela's Outpost as it says on signage and what it opened as in October 2013. Since Cabela's has gone through change since then, including a merger with Bass Pro Shops, the current page for the store makes no mention of the Outpost name, but as of May 2020 the signage is still up.
Also 4633-109 used to be Charming Charlie with James Avery picking it up in April 2019 (before Charming Charlie closed its remainder of its stores).
Victorious Life Church / 7459 N. I-35
This church has been here since the mid-1990s and had its name since at least 2007. It shares the property with Abundant Fellowship Church which operates out of the gym building in the back. Google assings the 7537 address to AFC but that's not true...7537 belonged to Waco Memorial Funeral Home, which was demolished in 2023 and sat just south of the church, with its geodesic dome structures.
McDonald's / 7961 Interstate 35 S.
Opened 2002, an exterior renovation happened sometime in the mid-2010s.
Pilot Travel Center / 8055 Interstate 35
This Pilot Travel Center has a Wendy's inside the main convenience store as well as a Subway.
