Texas Highways is ushering in its next half-century as the state’s official travel magazine with reimagined print and digital products. Last week, subscribers received the 50th anniversary July/August issue featuring a bold new look and upgraded paper.
“After working on this issue and redesign for over a year, we’re thrilled to share the final product with our readers,” Editor-in-Chief Emily Roberts Stone says. “As we celebrate this milestone anniversary and look toward the next 50 years, we’re furthering our commitment to a high-quality print product.”
Printed on a thicker, matte paper, the issue is the largest in the magazine’s history at 160 pages. The cover features Hancock Springs Park in Lampasas, one of the communities featured in the reader-favorite annual list of Small Towns to Visit Now. The five cities that made the list this year were picked by prominent Texas authors, including Stacey Swann on Lampasas, May Cobb on Longview, and C.S. Humble on Monahans.
This is the first redesign in nearly a decade for the award-winning magazine. The redesign was done in partnership with design-firm Pentagram’s Austin office and led by partner and principal DJ Stout and senior designer Davian-Lynn Hopkins.
“As a fifth-generation West Texan, I grew up with the magazine and it showed me the power of good regional journalism,” Stout says. “I’m proud of our collaboration with the Texas Highways team to reimagine the iconic publication’s print and digital offerings on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.”
The visual refresh also includes a reorganization and revamping of the magazine’s content. Practical travel guidance—what to book now, where to stay, and what to see on the way—is packaged in a new Roadmap section, while narrative essays, history stories, and interviews are compiled under a section called Postcards.
“The new design is sharp, clean, and modern while maintaining a timeless appeal,” Creative Director Mark Mahorsky says. “The redesign features a stacked logo and a contemporary color scheme inspired by the Texas landscape.”
Elsewhere in the issue, senior writer Ian Dille pens a riveting game day narrative on the iconic Permian-Odessa rivalry that inspired the book, movie, and TV series Friday Night Lights. Other standout stories include a Red River Valley photo essay by longtime Texas Highways photographer Dave Shafer, who has spent years documenting the river and small towns along its course; and an ode to five of Texas’ iconic college mascots, including Reveille and Bevo.
The print redesign is complemented by a digital redesign launching on July 2 that will include a striking new homepage and offer a more user-friendly navigation bar. The 50th anniversary issue hits newsstands the same day at H-E-B, Barnes and Noble, and Tractor Supply stores. Subscriptions and individual issues can also be purchased online.
Texas Highways has a distinguished history of offering insight into the state’s hidden gems, diverse cultures, iconic destinations, and complex history. The refreshed magazine aims to provide more detailed and practical travel ideas, tap further into the state’s culture and history, and better showcase departments like essay section Open Road, a National Magazine Award finalist.
The magazine is also a driving force of Texas tourism. As a direct result of Texas Highways’ recommendations, people make more trips, stay longer, and spend more at local businesses, generating $243 million annually in economic impact to Texas, according to a joint study with MRI-Simmons in 2022.
“When we write about a destination or attraction, people know that it’s worth visiting, and they do,” Publisher Andrea Lin says. “That can only happen because we’ve built trust with our readers over five decades, through inspiring visuals, carefully researched and fact-checked recommendations, editorial integrity, and engaging writing. I’m proud that our coverage directly benefits Texas destinations and businesses, large and small.”
Texas Highways has connected readers around their shared love of Texas for generations. The new iteration will continue to do so through the same engaging storytelling, curated recommendations, and beloved photography.
“The incredible diversity of the state’s geography, landscapes, people, food, and history ensures we’ll never run out of interesting stories to tell,” Stone says. “In an increasingly divided media landscape, Texas Highways is a unifying portrait of the state’s wild beauty and distinctive personality.”
