Traveling from Alice to San Antonio covers 125.8 miles and typically takes about 1 hour and 58 minutes. Since both cities are located within the Great Plains region of Texas, the environment remains consistent throughout your journey. This trip is perfectly manageable as a single-day excursion, meaning you won't need to worry about booking an overnight stay. With a fuel budget of approximately $19, it is an affordable option for a quick transit between these two points. Because the route relies on local roads rather than major interstates, plan for a steady, focused drive rather than a high-speed sprint.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
62.7 miles from Alice, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 16m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 281
105.3 mi
1h 53m
Nueces Street
14.7 mi
18m
North Johnson Street
2.7 mi
4m
East Commerce Street
0.9 mi
1m
East 3rd Street
0.8 mi
1m
Military Plaza
<0.1 mi
<1m
Interstate 37 South
<0.1 mi
<1m
North Cameron Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
US 281
— 105.3 mi, about 1h 53m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Alice, TX and San Antonio, 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
15 mi·18 min·Nueces Street
8
Continue on US 281
0.2 mi·15 sec·US 281
9
Take the exit onto US 281
69 mi·1 hr 11 min·US 281
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi·33 sec
Exit 141Toward Commerce Street, Downtown, The AlamoUse the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn straight onto Interstate 37 South
380 ft·11 sec·Interstate 37 South
12
Turn left onto East Commerce Street
0.9 mi·1 min·East Commerce Street
13
Turn left onto Military Plaza
392 ft·15 sec·Military Plaza
14
Turn left onto Dolorosa Street
327 ft·8 sec·Dolorosa Street
15
Arrive at destination
Dolorosa Street
Trip Plan
Given the 1 hour and 58 minute duration, you have plenty of flexibility to plan your departure time around your own schedule. Since there are no scheduled stops in the data, try to build in your own breaks to maintain focus during this turn-heavy drive. Keep your fuel budget of $19 in mind when planning your refueling stops before you head out. Because you are traveling exclusively on local roads, stay alert for changing speed limits and intersection turns that define this path. Embracing the lack of highway segments allows you to take the drive at a consistent, steady pace without the pressure of merging into fast-moving traffic.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 62.7 miles from Alice, TX, or about 1h 16m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 105.3 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 28 miles or 35m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 62.7 miles or 1h 16m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 57m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near San Antonio, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Alice, TX
This is one driving day of about 125.5 miles and 2h 22m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 28 miles from Alice, TX.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on US 281 for about 105.3 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 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 125.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|North Cameron Street
Turn right onto North Cameron Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.9 mi into trip|~2m in|US 281 Business / North Johnson Street
At end of road, turn right onto US 281 Business / North Johnson Street
Navigation decision point
5
55.3 mi into trip|~1h 8m in|US 281
Take the exit onto US 281
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
124.1 mi into trip|~2h 19m in
Take the exit toward Commerce Street, Downtown, The Alamo
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 141
Toward Commerce Street, Downtown, The Alamo
5
125.4 mi into trip|~2h 22m in|Dolorosa Street
Turn left onto Dolorosa Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$18.96 one way
$37.93 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg44 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.20
$20.76
$41.51
premium
$4.54
$22.41
$44.81
diesel
$5.61
$27.71
$55.42
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$19
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$44–$69
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 43.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $13 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
37.7
0
$13.18
$6.02
Efficient EV
31.4
0
$10.98
$5.02
EV Truck/SUV
50.2
0
$17.57
$8.03
Gas CO2
44 kg
EV CO2
15 kg (66% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
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 14, 2026
Origin
Alice, TX
Late night
in Alice on Sunday
Local time
3:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
89°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
San Antonio, TX
Late night
in San Antonio on Sunday
Local time
3:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Mostly Cloudy
SSE 10 mph9% chanceLive 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
18 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
2h 22m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
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.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Welcome to San Antonio Missions, a National Park Service site and the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas. Each mission in the park is a center of community and has been since the early 1700s. Th...
2 mi from route
~4 min detour
Free
near mile 116.8
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel. Unlike a monotonous interstate slog, this route features zero highway miles, focusing instead on local navigation through North Cameron Street, East 3rd Street, and North Johnson Street. You will find no long, uninterrupted stretches here, as the longest segment on North Cameron Street is 0 miles, indicating frequent transitions and turns. Navigating these local roads requires your full attention, as the character of the drive is defined by its winding, non-highway layout. It is a practical path that prioritizes local connectivity over rapid transit speeds.
84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 105.3 mi on US 281.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 281 and Nueces Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North Cameron Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 22m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Cameron Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (US 281 Business / North Johnson Street): Navigation decision point; at 55.3 miles (US 281): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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".
San Antonio is the second largest city in the state of Texas and the 7th largest in the United States. It's the 24th largest metropolitan area in the country. Visited by more than 31 million annual visitors, San Antonio is a beautiful city at the axis of three different geological terrains: Hill Country, South Texas Plains and Prairie and Lakes. There's a lot to do in this city: fine art museums, historical missions and plenty of amusement parks in addition to great dining and lots of drinking. The culture and people are vibrant and interesting. San Antonio's downtown is one of the most lively in the nation.
Top landmarks
•Alamo Mission in San Antonio — historic place in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas
•San Antonio Missions National Historical Park — historic district in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas
•Fort Sam Houston — military base in San Antonio, Texas
The longest stretch is about 105.3 miles on US 281. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Cameron Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (US 281 Business / North Johnson Street): Navigation decision point; at 55.3 miles (US 281): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at San Antonio, TX before heading back.
