Once in OKC, I-35 overlaps with I-40 to the southeast of Downtown and with I-44 from Lake Aluma to Lake Arcadia. The freeway continues to Norman, home of the University of Oklahoma, and Moore, a south suburb of Oklahoma City. Leaving the Lone Star State behind, Interstate 35 travels north to Ardmore and the scenic Arbuckle Mountains ahead of Pauls Valley. The two reconvene at Denton, where IH 35 resumes a northward heading to Gainesville and a crossing of the Red River into Oklahoma. Interstate 35W serves Fort Worth while Interstate 35E retains the exit numbering scheme of IH 35 through Dallas.
The freeway angles northeast from there along a busy corridor to the capital city of Austin, Waco and Hillsboro where it partitions into east and west branches.
Starting in Laredo, IH 35 traverses an arid region northward to San Antonio, where it briefly overlaps with Interstate 10 by Downtown. Interstate 35 serves the heartland of America, connecting South Texas with the Arrowhead of Minnesota.