This year marks a decade since I received my Texas driver’s license.

I might have forgotten how to properly parallel park my car on the first try, but I’ll never forget what my father told me soon after he reluctantly handed me the keys to our dark red 1997 Camry — the car that I still drive — and let me drive myself to my after-school orchestra practice in Grand Prairie.

“If you get lost, just find Belt Line Road,” he said. “It will bring you back around.”

I didn’t get lost that afternoon, but I have used Belt Line Road to travel throughout Dallas County in the past 10 years. But I never had the chance or a good enough excuse to circumnavigate the greater Dallas metropolitan area on the road until now.

Roger Frederick, one of our readers, recently piqued my interest with his request on our Curious Texas line: "Thought you might do a new story on Belt Line Road. I think there was one done several years ago about the ubiquitous road that touches many parts of Dallas and Dallas County. I live two blocks north of it in North Dallas, and I know it goes on for a long way beyond my little stretch."

I saw Frederick’s suggestion as a challenge to ride through the more than 90 miles of Belt Line Road, explore a large chunk of Dallas County and bid farewell to our Curious Texas project as I leave Dallas for Austin.

Curious Texas is an ongoing project from The Dallas Morning News that invites you to join in our reporting process. The idea is simple: You have questions, and our journalists are trained to track down answers.

Frederick sent his question to our Curious Texas texts line. You can send us your questions by texting "DMN" to 214-817-3868. Follow the prompts and introduce yourself to us, share your story or questions, and we'll text you with information as we report the story.

The history

Belt Line Road was officially created in 1928 as part of a $6.9 million Dallas County bond — the county's second bond issue, The News reported at the time. City officials wanted to link several disconnected sections of country road and a handful of main streets into some type of system. The solution became a 96-mile loop.

The road underwent a face-lift in 1952 thanks to a $22.5 million county bond. But Belt Line Road remained under different jurisdictions, which complicated its maintenance, paving standards and alignment, The News reported.

Construction worker Jesse Hernandez shovels sand into a mixer as he and a crew build a cinder block wall outside a new restaurant along North Belt Line Road and East Town East Boulevard in Sunnyvale. (Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

Belt Line became Dallas County's responsibility in 1966, but by then the long loop was competing with interstate systems, such as I-635, that facilitated travel across the county.

Belt Line is now a way to bypass the traffic passing through the county’s major highways and a way to avoid Dallas’ city center.

The trip

I began my tour around Belt Line Road slightly south of Interstate 30 in Garland. Belt Line Road is tricky to navigate because it changes names a few times. My starting location was at a traffic light where Broadway Boulevard turns back into Belt Line Road.

I decided to head south toward Mesquite, opposite of Broadway Boulevard. The trip is a straight-shot through Mesquite and into Balch Springs.

The road changes from Belt Line to Beltline throughout this strip. There is debate on whether it is one word or two, but according to the county, the correct spelling is two words, despite it being displayed as one throughout several cities.

Its name also changes into one-word Beltline Road as it makes a sharp left, which is easy to miss. Drivers who miss the turn and instead head straight will find themselves on Lake June Road, where they’ll have to turn back and make the turn if they want to continue on Beltline.

1 / 3A street sweeper cleans the South Belt Line Road bridge crossing the Trinity River in Seagoville.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer) 2 / 3The hot summer sun shines over E. Belt Line Road in Lancaster, Texas, Wednesday, August 7, 2019. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer) 3 / 3A sign warns drivers in Balch Springs, Texas, that Belt Line Rd merges into a traffic circle at Pioneer Rd, Wednesday, August 7, 2019. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

Beltline Road reverts to Belt Line Road in Hutchins as you head into Wilmer. The drive through both of these cities is a stark contrast from the office parks, small businesses and suburban residential areas that surround the loop in the northern part of the county.

The loop becomes two lanes of asphalt surrounded by plowed fields in Wilmer. This part of the road seems to be stuck in the '20s, but it's also one of the most scenic parts of the drive.

The Bluebird Farm entrance is pictured along Belt Line Road in Wilmer. (Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

The road twists and turns as it goes through Lancaster and DeSoto. Belt Line splits into West Belt Line Road and West FM1382 in Cedar Hill. Drivers should take the latter, since the West Belt Line direction will lead to a dead-end at a barricade with a “Keep Out, Authorized Personnel Only” sign. The dam for Joe Pool Lake looms beyond the fence.

The West Farm to Market Road passes around the lake and next to Cedar Hill State Park. It also leads into Grand Prairie, Irving and Coppell, where traffic begins to pile up.

1 / 2A large longhorn made out of steel looms over evening rush hour along Belt Line Road at Cypress Waters in Dallas.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer) 2 / 2The evening rush hour traffic along Belt Line Road waits at a light below DART's Downtown Carrollton Station in Carrollton.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

The drive through Carrollton is mostly across residential and business areas, but traffic intensifies more in Addison. There is an endless lineup of restaurants along Addison’s strip of Belt Line Road.

Rush hour traffic along Belt Line Road in Carrollton. (Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

The road becomes Main Street in Richardson and later transforms into First Street in Garland before changing into Broadway Boulevard as the loop nears Interstate 30. Drivers will pass more suburban residential areas enclosed by brick walls, chain restaurants and local businesses throughout this strip.

As I made my way back to my starting point a little more than four hours after starting my journey, I’m glad I didn’t have to rely on Belt Line Road at age 17. I would have arrived several hours past my curfew if I had, and the road is not easy to navigate.

Belt Line does bring you back to your original spot if you manage to navigate its twists and turns, backtrack at its dead-ends and don't second-guess the route after every name change. But the challenge will turn any driver into an expert on Dallas County roads, as long as he or she has lots of time to spare.

Tell Us

What do you wonder about the culture, people and institutions of North Texas — and the rest of our great state? Help us investigate stories that matter to you.

No question is too big or too small. Let's get started. Visit dallasnews.com/curious-texas to pose your question and vote on which questions we should answer.