Origin
Allen, TX
Late night in Allen on Tuesday
Local time
5:25 AM
CDT
Current temp
83°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Allen, TX to Arlington, TX
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
53m
Distance
43.5 mi
70 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 49m
★
6 AM
0h 53m
8 AM
1h 2m
10 AM
0h 56m
12 PM
0h 55m
3 PM
0h 57m
5 PM
1h 1m
8 PM
0h 50m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Allen, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Arlington, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel from Allen to Arlington, you are looking at a straightforward 43.5-mile journey across the heart of the Great Plains region. Expect to spend about 53 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. Your route primarily utilizes the Central Expressway, the President George Bush Turnpike, and I-635 TEXpress to navigate between these two Texas cities. Budgeting roughly $7 for fuel should cover your travel costs comfortably. Because the entire drive remains within the same region, you won't encounter major environmental transitions, allowing for a predictable and efficient transit. This is a practical, no-nonsense connection that gets you from point A to point B without any necessary stops.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Central Expressway | 12.5 mi | 13m |
| President George Bush Turnpike | 12 mi | 12m |
| I 635 TEXpress | 3.5 mi | 3m |
| Tom Landry Freeway | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| Lyndon B Johnson Freeway | 3 mi | 3m |
| Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway | 2.4 mi | 2m |
| North Center Street | 1.8 mi | 4m |
| Wet N Wild Way | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Central Expressway
— 12.5 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Allen, TX and Arlington, TX.
1
Start on West Main Street
449 ft
·
15 sec
·
West Main Street
2
Turn left onto South Allen Drive
527 ft
·
14 sec
·
South Allen Drive
3
Turn right onto West McDermott Drive
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West McDermott Drive
Use the right lane.
4
Turn left onto South Central Expressway
0.4 mi
·
40 sec
·
South Central Expressway
Use the left lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward US 75 South
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
6
Merge onto US 75
13 mi
·
13 min
·
Central Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 21
Toward I 635
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.9 mi
·
55 sec
Toward I 635 West
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 635
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 635
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Lyndon B Johnson Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 635 TEXpress West
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Merge onto I 635 TEXpress
3.5 mi
·
3 min
·
I 635 TEXpress
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Merge onto I 635
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Lyndon B Johnson Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 30
Toward PGBT Toll South: President George Bush Turnpike, Las Colinas Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
15
Keep slight left at fork
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward PGBT South: President George Bush Turnpike South
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
16
Merge onto PGBT
12 mi
·
12 min
·
President George Bush Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward I 30 West: Fort Worth
Use the slight right lane.
18
Merge onto I 30
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Tom Landry Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 28B
Toward FM 157: Collins Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Turn straight onto Wet N Wild Way
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
·
Wet N Wild Way
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
21
Turn left onto North Center Street
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
North Center Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
22
Turn right onto West Abram Street
297 ft
·
8 sec
·
West Abram Street
23
Arrive at destination
West Abram Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.7 miles from Allen, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 205 decision points cluster between mile 13.7 and 40.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
13.7 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward I 635
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 21
Toward I 635
7
14 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 635 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 635 West
8
24.2 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward PGBT Toll South: President George Bush Turnpike, Las Colinas Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 30
Toward PGBT Toll South: President George Bush T...
7
24.6 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Keep slight left at fork toward PGBT South: President George Bush Turnpike South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward PGBT South: President George Bush Turnpi...
7
40.8 mi into trip
|
~47m in
Take the exit toward FM 157: Collins Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 28B
Toward FM 157: Collins Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.57 one way
$13.15 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $7.19 | $14.39 |
| premium | $4.54 | $7.77 | $15.53 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.60 | $19.21 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.99
Central Expressway
(12.9 mi)
$1.03
President George Bush Turnpike
(12 mi)
$0.96
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$2
Total
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13 | 0 | $4.57 | $2.09 |
| Efficient EV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.81 | $1.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.4 | 0 | $6.09 | $2.78 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (67% 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.
Destination
Arlington, TX
Late night in Arlington on Tuesday
Local time
5:25 AM
CDT
Current temp
83°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers
S 15 mph
19% chance
Live forecast
79°F
Addison, TX
22 mi in
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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
53m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
This highway-focused drive is defined by its efficiency, with 85 percent of the route consisting of high-speed thoroughfares. You will spend a significant portion of your time on major interstates and turnpikes, offering a consistent pace rather than a scenic, winding experience. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is a 12.5-mile segment on the Central Expressway, which sets the tone for the rest of the transit. While the road is engineered for speed and connectivity, it lacks the technical curves of rural backroads. Prepare for a modern, urban driving experience where the focus is firmly on navigating the busy infrastructure that links these two areas.
85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.5 mi on Central Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Central Expressway and President George Bush Turnpike. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 13.7 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 20 decision points packed into just 43.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 13.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 14 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Allen, TX and Arlington, TX, road signs point toward Pgbt Toll South: President George Bush Turnpike and Pgbt South: President George Bush Turnpike South.
Pgbt Toll South: President George Bush Turnpike
24.2 mi in
|
~27m
Pgbt South: President George Bush Turnpike South
24.6 mi in
|
~28m
About the Cities
Starting in Allen, TX
Full guide →Founded 1953
Arriving in Arlington, TX
Full guide →Founded 1876
Arlington is a city in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex metropolitan area, in the Prairies and Lakes region of Texas. With a population of almost 400,000 (2019), it is Texas' seventh largest, and the third largest in the Metroplex. Arlington is south of the sprawling DFW International Airport.
Top landmarks
- • Six Flags Over Texas — amusement park
- • Mini Mine Train — Steel roller coaster
- • Arlington Museum of Art — art museum in Texas, United States
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 53m. Total distance: 43.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.5 miles on Central Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.99 in tolls one way, starting with Central Expressway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 Arlington, TX before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 13.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 14 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Arlington, TX before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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