Spanning 390.1 miles across the Texas landscape, this drive from Alice to Grand Prairie typically takes about 7 hours and 14 minutes. Because you are traveling within the Great Plains region, the scenery remains consistent as you head north. The route relies on a combination of the Purple Heart Trail, Pickle Parkway, and I-35E to move you through the state. With a total fuel cost of approximately $60, it is a straightforward trip that is manageable as a single-day journey. While you could break it up, the route is designed for efficiency, making it a solid choice if you prefer to reach your destination in one go.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
195 miles from Alice, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 3h 49m into the drive
.
Step-by-step road directions between Alice, TX and Grand Prairie, TX.
1
Start on East 2nd Street
94 ft·6 sec·East 2nd Street
2
Turn right onto North Cameron Street
357 ft·15 sec·North Cameron Street
3
Turn left onto East 3rd Street
0.8 mi·1 min·East 3rd Street
4
At end of road, turn right onto US 281 Business
2.7 mi·4 min·North Johnson Street
5
Take the ramp
0.6 mi·1 min
6
Merge onto US 281
36 mi·41 min·US 281
7
Keep slight left at fork onto US 281
11 mi·14 min·Nueces Street
8
Turn right onto TX 72
32 mi·39 min·King David Drive
9
Continue on TX 72; TX 239
0.8 mi·1 min·West Main Street
10
Keep slight left at fork onto TX 72; TX 239
233 ft·3 sec·East Main Street
11
Continue on FM 792
8.4 mi·10 min·Helena Road
12
Turn straight onto TX 80
24 mi·25 min·State Highway 80
13
Continue on TX 80
1.0 mi·2 min·South Nixon Avenue
14
Continue on TX 80; TX 97
31 mi·35 min·State Highway 80 North
15
Continue on US 183
10 mi·11 min·US 183
16
Continue on US 183
4.9 mi·8 min·South Colorado Street
17
Continue on US 183
0.2 mi·16 sec·United States Highway 183
18
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi·35 sec
Toward TX 130 Toll North: Austin, Waco
19
Merge onto TX 130 Toll
59 mi·54 min·Pickle Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi·49 sec
Toward I 35 North: WacoUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
21
Merge onto I 35
65 mi·1 hr 6 min·Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Continue on I 35
6.6 mi·7 min·South Jack Kultgen Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23
Continue on I 35; US 77
33 mi·33 min·Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E
47 mi·48 min·I 35E
Toward I 35E: DallasUse the slight right lane.
25
Take the exit
0.9 mi·2 min
Exit 418AToward I 20 West: Fort WorthUse the slight right lane.
26
Merge onto I 20
9.0 mi·9 min·Lyndon B Johnson Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
27
Take the exit
0.3 mi·46 sec
Exit 457Toward FM 1382Use the straight / slight right lanes.
28
Turn right onto FM 1382
5.0 mi·8 min·South Belt Line Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
29
Turn slight right onto Southeast 9th Street
0.3 mi·49 sec·Southeast 9th Street
30
Turn left onto TX 180
0.3 mi·32 sec·East Main Street
31
Turn right
74 ft·5 sec
32
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
To keep your 7-hour and 14-minute drive comfortable, plan for at least two intentional stops to stretch your legs and refresh. Leaving early in the morning is your best strategy to avoid the heavier congestion often associated with the I-35E portion of the trip. Budgeting around $60 for fuel is a safe baseline, though fluctuating prices mean keeping a little extra in your travel fund is always wise. Since this is a one-day trip, your primary goal should be maintaining a steady pace rather than rushing. Use those two scheduled breaks to manage your fatigue effectively before entering the more intense traffic patterns near your final destination.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 195 miles from Alice, TX, or about 3h 49m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 97.7 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 86 miles or 1h 46m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 195 miles or 3h 49m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 6h 5m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Grand Prairie, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Alice, TX so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Alice, TX
This is one driving day of about 390.1 miles and 7h 14m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 86 miles from Alice, TX.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Purple Heart Trail for about 97.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 18
5 decision points cluster between mile 163.2 and 384.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
163.2 mi into trip|~3h 19m in
Keep slight left at fork toward TX 130 Toll North: Austin, Waco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward TX 130 Toll North: Austin, Waco
7
222.2 mi into trip|~4h 14m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 35 North: Waco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 35 North: Waco
7
326.9 mi into trip|~6h 2m in|I 35E
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E toward I 35E: Dallas
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 35E: Dallas
7
374.2 mi into trip|~6h 51m in
Take the exit toward I 20 West: Fort Worth
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 418A
Toward I 20 West: Fort Worth
7
384.2 mi into trip|~7h 3m in
Take the exit toward FM 1382
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 457
Toward FM 1382
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$58.95 one way
$117.89 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg137 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.20
$64.52
$129.04
premium
$4.54
$69.65
$139.30
diesel
$5.61
$86.13
$172.26
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$59
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$84–$109
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 136.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $41 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
117
1
$40.96
$18.72
Efficient EV
97.5
1
$34.13
$15.60
EV Truck/SUV
156
1
$54.61
$24.97
Gas CO2
136 kg
EV CO2
46 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026
Origin
Alice, TX
Night
in Alice on Saturday
Local time
11:39 PM
CDT
Current temp
89°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Grand Prairie, TX
Night
in Grand Prairie on Saturday
Local time
11:39 PM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
28 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
7h 14m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Waco Mammoth National Monument
National Monument
Standing as tall as 14 feet and weighing 20,000 pounds, Columbian mammoths roamed across what is present-day Texas thousands of years ago. Today, the fossil specimens represent the nation's first and...
4 mi from route
~11 min detour
Free
near mile 295.9
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a mixed drive that balances highway efficiency with varied road types, as roughly 57% of your travel occurs on major highways. You will settle into a rhythm quickly, with the longest uninterrupted stretch covering 97.7 miles along the Purple Heart Trail. The experience shifts from quieter sections to the busier, high-traffic corridors of I-35E as you approach the Grand Prairie area. Since you will be navigating different types of roadways, keep your focus steady behind the wheel. It is a functional, point-to-point journey that prioritizes progress over winding, scenic detours.
57% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
32 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 97.7 mi on Purple Heart Trail.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 163.2 miles in.
Driving Effort9/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 18 significant decision points across 390.1 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 163.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 222.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 326.9 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Alice, TX to Grand Prairie, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Waco along the way.
Alice is a city of 19,000 people (2018) on the South Texas Plains between Corpus Christi, McAllen, Laredo, and San Antonio. It is a focal point for the oil industry in the area, and is considered to the "birthplace of Tejano music".
Doable as a same-day drive at 7h 14m. Total distance: 390.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
7h 14m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 97.7 miles on Purple Heart Trail. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Grand Prairie, TX before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 2 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 163.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 222.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 326.9 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Waco Mammoth National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 7.2 hours each way, a round trip means 14.5 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Grand Prairie, TX before the return drive.
