Origin
Allen, TX
Late night in Allen on Sunday
Local time
2:58 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Allen, TX to Dallas, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
29m
Distance
24.7 mi
40 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Allen, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Dallas, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Allen to Dallas covers a modest 24.7 miles, making this a straightforward journey that easily fits into a single day. You can expect the drive to take roughly 29 minutes under normal traffic conditions. Because this route stays entirely within the Great Plains, you won't experience any major shifts in regional terrain. With a fuel cost of approximately $4, it is a very budget-friendly trip that requires no overnight stops. Whether you are commuting for work or heading into the city for an afternoon, this short distance offers excellent flexibility for your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Central Expressway | 22 mi | 23m |
| South Central Expressway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Woodall Rodgers Freeway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| West McDermott Drive | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Broom Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Allen Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Lamar Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Central Expressway
— 22 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Allen, TX and Dallas, 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
22 mi
·
23 min
·
Central Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
Exit 1A
Toward Waco, Denton
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward Saint Paul Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on Spur 366
0.4 mi
·
36 sec
·
Woodall Rodgers Freeway
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward Field Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on Broom Street
170 ft
·
3 sec
·
Broom Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
12
Continue on Broom Street
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
Broom Street
13
Turn slight left
173 ft
·
7 sec
Toward Lamar Street, Continental Avenue
14
Turn straight
136 ft
·
6 sec
15
Keep slight right at fork
251 ft
·
15 sec
16
Turn left onto North Lamar Street
433 ft
·
10 sec
·
North Lamar Street
17
Arrive at destination
North Lamar Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 24.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West McDermott Drive
Turn right onto West McDermott Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
South Central Expressway
Turn left onto South Central Expressway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
23.2 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward Waco, Denton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 1A
Toward Waco, Denton
7
23.6 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Saint Paul Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Saint Paul Street
6
24.1 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward Field Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Field Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.73 one way
$7.46 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $4.09 | $8.17 |
| premium | $4.54 | $4.41 | $8.82 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.45 | $10.91 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.79
Central Expressway
(22.4 mi)
$1.79
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$2
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.59 | $1.19 |
| Efficient EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.16 | $0.99 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.9 | 0 | $3.46 | $1.58 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Dallas, TX
Late night in Dallas on Sunday
Local time
2:58 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
29m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate cruise. You will navigate via South Allen Drive, West McDermott Drive, and the South Central Expressway to reach your destination. Because the highway share is 0%, you should prepare for frequent intersections and city traffic patterns rather than open, uninterrupted stretches. The longest segment of the journey is 0 miles on South Allen Drive, indicating that you will be maneuvering through various local roads for the duration of the trip. The experience is purely functional, prioritizing city navigation over scenic highway cruising.
93% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22 mi on Central Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Central Expressway and South Central Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near West McDermott Drive.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 24.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 29m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (West McDermott Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (South Central Expressway): Lane positioning matters here; at 23.2 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 Dallas, TX, road signs point toward Waco and Denton.
Waco
23.2 mi in
|
~26m
Denton
23.2 mi in
|
~26m
About the Cities
Arriving in Dallas, TX
Full guide →“Big D” · Founded 1841
Dallas, with a population of more than 1.3 million residents, is the ninth largest city in the United States and the third largest in the state of Texas. It is an impressive melting pot of culture and character. Boasting high-end luxury hotels, innumerable fine dining spots, and one of the busiest airports in the world, Dallas maintains an upscale ethos reflected by an affluent population, world-class museums, and a shimmering modern skyline. Its history was marred by the infamous assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, but there is more historic and contemporary heritage to be discovered in the city. As a center of the oil and cotton industries in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Dallas was a classic American boom town and remains one of the fastest growing cities in the nation.
Top landmarks
- • Dallas Museum of Art — art museum in Dallas, Texas
- • Texas School Book Depository — building in Dallas, Texas, United States
- • George W. Bush Presidential Center — Presidential library and museum for U.S. President George W. Bush, located in Da...
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 29m. Total distance: 24.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 22 miles on Central Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.79 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 Dallas, 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 0.2 miles (West McDermott Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (South Central Expressway): Lane positioning matters here; at 23.2 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 Dallas, 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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