Origin
Alvarado, TX
Late night in Alvarado on Tuesday
Local time
3:09 AM
CDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Alvarado, 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
46m
Distance
36.6 mi
59 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 55m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 44m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Alvarado, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Arlington, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 36.6-mile trip from Alvarado, TX, to Arlington, TX, is a straightforward drive that can easily be completed in about 46 minutes, making it ideal for a single day trip. You'll primarily navigate via I-35W and South Cooper Street, experiencing a mixed drive profile as you traverse the Great Plains region. With an estimated fuel cost of just $6, this short journey is very budget-friendly. It's a practical option for a quick excursion without the need for an overnight stay, offering a convenient connection between two points within Texas.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35W | 17.5 mi | 18m |
| Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway | 10.3 mi | 11m |
| South Cooper Street | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| South Center Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| North Parkway Drive | 1 mi | 1m |
| South Mesquite Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| South Interstate 35W | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West Pioneer Parkway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35W
— 17.5 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Alvarado, TX and Arlington, TX.
1
Start on this road
79 ft
·
7 sec
·
this road
2
Turn slight right onto South Friou Street
113 ft
·
17 sec
·
South Friou Street
3
At end of road, turn left onto US 67 Bus
0.4 mi
·
42 sec
·
East College Street
4
Turn right onto I 35 Bus; US 67 Bus
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
North Parkway Drive
5
Continue on I 35 Bus
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
South Interstate 35W
6
Turn right onto South Interstate 35W
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
·
South Interstate 35W
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 27
Toward County Road 707, County Road 604
8
Merge onto I 35W
18 mi
·
18 min
·
I 35W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 45B
Toward I 20 East: Dallas
Use the right lane.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
Toward I 20 East: Dallas
Use the slight left lane.
11
Merge onto I 20
5.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 20
4.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway
Toward I 20 East: Dallas
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 449A
Toward FM 157 South: UT Arlington, Mansfield
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on West Interstate 20
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
·
West Interstate 20
15
Turn left onto FM 157
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
South Cooper Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
16
Keep slight right at fork onto FM 157
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
South Cooper Street
Use the left lane.
17
Turn right onto Spur 303
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
West Pioneer Parkway
Use the right lane.
18
Turn left onto South Center Street
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
South Center Street
Use the left lane.
19
Continue on South Mesquite Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
South Mesquite Street
20
Turn left onto East Abram Street
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
East Abram Street
21
Arrive at destination
West Abram Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 36.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.3 miles from Alvarado, 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 155 decision points cluster between mile 2 and 32.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward County Road 707, County Road 604
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 27
Toward County Road 707, County Road 604
7
19.8 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the exit toward I 20 East: Dallas
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 45B
Toward I 20 East: Dallas
7
20.1 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 20 East: Dallas
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 20 East: Dallas
8
30.8 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward FM 157 South: UT Arlington, Mansfield
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 449A
Toward FM 157 South: UT Arlington, Mansfield
6
32.3 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
FM 157 / South Cooper Street
Keep slight right at fork onto FM 157 / South Cooper Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.53 one way
$11.06 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $6.05 | $12.11 |
| premium | $4.54 | $6.53 | $13.07 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.08 | $16.16 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11 | 0 | $3.84 | $1.76 |
| Efficient EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.20 | $1.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.12 | $2.34 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
3:09 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°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
21 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
46m 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 drive that's about 54% highway, offering stretches of faster travel, particularly on I-35W where the longest uninterrupted segment spans 17.5 miles. The Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway and South Cooper Street will introduce you to a more varied driving experience, blending highway speeds with potentially more local traffic. This mixed drive profile means you’ll experience changes in pace and road type throughout the 46-minute journey, keeping things from becoming too monotonous. It's a route that balances efficiency with a touch of local flavor.
54% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.5 mi on I 35W.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 2 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 15 decision points packed into just 36.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.1 miles: 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.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Alvarado, TX and Arlington, TX, road signs point toward County Road 707, County Road 604, Fm 157 South: Ut Arlington and Mansfield.
County Road 707
2 mi in
|
~4m
County Road 604
2 mi in
|
~4m
Fm 157 South: Ut Arlington
30.8 mi in
|
~36m
Mansfield
30.8 mi in
|
~36m
About the Cities
Starting in Alvarado, TX
Full guide →Founded 1885
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 46m. Total distance: 36.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (54%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.5 miles on I 35W. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 2 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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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