Trip from Arlington, TX to Donna, TX

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

9h 15m

Distance

529 mi

851 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

2-day trip

Fuel Cost

$72

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 25 min

4 AM

9h 7m ★

6 AM

9h 15m

8 AM

9h 32m

10 AM

9h 21m

12 PM

9h 19m

3 PM

9h 22m

5 PM

9h 31m

8 PM

9h 10m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time

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suburban city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States

Arlington, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Donna, TX

Action Construction Equipment Ltd. - ACE

Trip Overview

Arlington, TX to Donna, TX is 529 miles and takes about 9h 15m via TX 130 Toll, with a fuel budget near $78 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This long-haul drive stays within Texas, traversing the Great Plains region. Given its duration, it's recommended to split this trip over 2 days. You'll encounter 2 planned stops along the way, making it a manageable, albeit lengthy, cross-state excursion.

Trip Pace

Best split across 2 days

Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.

Break Rhythm

2 planned breaks

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

264.5 miles from Arlington, TX

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 30m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
TX 130 Toll	86.1 mi	1h 19m
South Freeway	78 mi	1h 20m
South Nueces Street	66.2 mi	1h 10m
I 37	60.5 mi	1h 1m
Falfurrias Expressway	55.8 mi	58m
Purple Heart Trail	37.9 mi	39m
I 10	32.5 mi	33m
I 69C	27.9 mi	30m

Longest stretch: TX 130 Toll — 86.1 mi, about 1h 19m

Traffic on I-35

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 26 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~2,461 veh/hr typical · worst 3,169

Quietest

2 AM

~387 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

6.4×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Arlington, TX and Donna, TX.

Start on West Abram Street

93 ft · 8 sec · West Abram Street

Continue on West Abram Street

417 ft · 21 sec · West Abram Street

Turn right onto South Center Street

2.0 mi · 4 min · South Center Street

Use the right lane.

Turn right onto Spur 303

0.5 mi · 48 sec · West Pioneer Parkway

Use the left lane.

Turn left onto FM 157

1.5 mi · 2 min · South Cooper Street

Use the left lane.

Keep slight right at fork onto FM 157

1.0 mi · 1 min · South Cooper Street

Use the left lane.

Take the ramp

0.6 mi · 1 min

Toward I 20 West: Fort Worth

Merge onto I 20

10 mi · 11 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 28 sec

Exit 437 Toward I 35W South, I 35W North: Waco, Denton Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork

0.9 mi · 1 min

Toward I 35W South: Waco Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Merge onto I 35W

78 mi · 1 hr 20 min · South Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on I 35; US 77

6.6 mi · 7 min · North Jack Kultgen Expressway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on I 35

38 mi · 39 min · Purple Heart Trail

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto I 35

26 mi · 26 min · I 35

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 55 sec

Exit 265 Toward TX 130 Toll South: San Antonio Use the slight right lane.

Continue on TX 130 Toll

86 mi · 1 hr 19 min · TX 130 Toll

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork

0.6 mi · 1 min

Toward I 10 West: San Antonio Use the slight left / slight right lanes.

Merge onto I 10; TX 130

11 mi · 11 min · I 10; TX 130

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on I 10; US 90; TX 130

9.4 mi · 9 min · I 10; US 90; TX 130

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto I 10; US 90; TX 130

12 mi · 12 min · I 10; US 90; TX 130

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork onto I 410

1.4 mi · 1 min · Connally Loop

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Merge onto I 410; TX 130

6.7 mi · 7 min · Connally Loop

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 28 sec

Exit 41 Toward I 37, US 281 North: San Antonio, Corpus Christi Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork

0.5 mi · 1 min

Toward I 37 South: Corpus Christi Use the slight left / slight right lanes.

Merge onto I 37

60 mi · 1 hr 1 min · I 37

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit onto US 281 South

15 mi · 19 min · US 281 South

Toward US 281 South Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto US 281

66 mi · 1 hr 10 min · South Nueces Street

Keep slight left at fork onto I 69C; US 281

9.5 mi · 10 min · I 69C; US 281

Keep slight left at fork onto I 69C; US 281

56 mi · 58 min · Falfurrias Expressway

Use the straight / right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto I 69C; US 281

18 mi · 20 min · I 69C; US 281

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Merge onto I 2 East; US 83 East

0.5 mi · 33 sec · I 2 East; US 83 East

Continue on I 2; US 83

6.5 mi · 7 min · I 2; US 83

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 38 sec

Exit 154 Toward Spur 433: Main Street Use the slight right lane.

Turn straight onto East Expressway 83

0.5 mi · 58 sec · East Expressway 83

Turn right onto Spur 433

0.7 mi · 1 min · North Main Street

Turn left onto US 83 Bus

0.1 mi · 17 sec · Hooks Avenue

Use the left lane.

Turn right onto South 11th Street

22 ft · 0 sec · South 11th Street

Arrive at destination

South 11th Street

Trip Plan

For this 9-hour drive, consider an early morning departure to maximize daylight. Since it's a 2-day trip, plan for an overnight stop around the halfway point. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, especially during the longer highway stretches, and utilize the 2 recommended stops for breaks and refueling. The longest stretch without a major exit is 86.1 miles on TX 130 Toll, so ensure you have sufficient fuel before entering that segment.

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.

This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.

Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.

The halfway point lands around 264.5 miles from Arlington, TX, or about 4h 30m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 86.1 miles.

Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 116 miles or 2h 6m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 264.5 miles or 4h 30m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Overnight split

Day 1 wrap after about 264.5 miles or 4h 30m

Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 8h 8m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Donna, TX than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Arlington, 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.

Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Arlington, TX

Aim for roughly 265 miles and 4.6 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 2

Finish the approach into Donna, TX

Aim for roughly 265 miles and 4.6 hours of wheel time on this day.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 116 miles from Arlington, TX.

This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.

Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.

The longest stretch is on TX 130 Toll for about 86.1 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city in and county seat of Ellis County, Texas, United States

First major stop

Coffee and fuel

Waxahachie, TX

175 mi into the route

Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch

This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.

Second major stop

Overnight candidate

San Antonio, TX

349 mi into the route

Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start

This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.

Find hotels in San Antonio, TX

Overnight Options

Night 1

San Antonio, TX

265 mi · about 4.6h in

A practical overnight split lands near San Antonio, TX after about 265 miles or 4.6 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Pacing Suggestions

Waxahachie, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 116 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

San Antonio, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 264.5 miles from Arlington, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before TX 130 Toll if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 86.1 miles.

Overnight split

2.5 mi from route

Gibson Park

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, ~9 min detour

Home stretch 3.4 mi from route ~9 min detour

Weslaco, Texas

Hours: 7 am–9 pm

+19564473407

Visit website

Village of Salado Visitors Center

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Early in the drive, short detour

Early stretch 3 mi from route ~8 min detour

Salado, Texas

Hours: 9 am–5 pm

+12549478634

Visit website

Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 30

5 decision points cluster between mile 15.9 and 294 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

15.9 mi into trip | ~21m in

Take the exit toward I 35W South, I 35W North: Waco, Denton

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 437 Toward I 35W South, I 35W North: Waco, Denton

16.1 mi into trip | ~22m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 35W South: Waco

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 35W South: Waco

166 mi into trip | ~2h 58m in

Take the exit toward TX 130 Toll South: San Antonio

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 265 Toward TX 130 Toll South: San Antonio

252.8 mi into trip | ~4h 18m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 10 West: San Antonio

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward I 10 West: San Antonio

294 mi into trip | ~5h 1m in

Take the exit toward I 37, US 281 North: San Antonio, Corpus Christi

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 41 Toward I 37, US 281 North: San Antonio, Corpus...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$72.46 one way

$144.91 round trip

$3.48/gal 25.4 MPG avg 185 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$3.89	$80.93	$161.87
premium	$4.23	$87.99	$175.99
diesel	$4.80	$99.89	$199.77

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$72

Hotel (1n)

$80–$140

Meals

$50–$100

Total

$202–$312

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 185.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $56 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	Stops	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	158.7	1	$55.55	$25.39
Efficient EV	132.3	1	$46.29	$21.16
EV Truck/SUV	211.6	2	$74.06	$33.86

Gas CO2

185 kg

EV CO2

62 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 Jul 16, 2026

Origin

Arlington, TX

Morning in Arlington on Sunday

Local time

9:06 AM

CDT

Current temp

89°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

SSE 10 mph 37% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued July 16 at 4:47PM CDT until July 16 at 7:45PM CDT by NWS Midland/Odessa TX

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 16 at 4:46PM CDT until July 16 at 5:30PM CDT by NWS Shreveport LA

Destination

Donna, TX

Morning in Donna on Sunday

Local time

9:06 AM

CDT

Current temp

96°F

Mostly Sunny

SE 17 mph 2% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued July 16 at 4:47PM CDT until July 16 at 7:45PM CDT by NWS Midland/Odessa TX

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 16 at 4:46PM CDT until July 16 at 5:30PM CDT by NWS Shreveport LA

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.

For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.

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

7 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

9h 15m on the road

This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.

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...

4 mi from route ~9 min detour Free near mile 291.9

View on nps.gov

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...

5 mi from route ~13 min detour Free near mile 91.2

View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

What kind of drive is this?

This route is primarily highway driving, with 75% of the 529 miles on major roads. You'll experience an 86.1-mile stretch on the TX 130 Toll. The primary roads include TX 130 Toll, South Freeway, and South Nueces Street. Expect to transition from highway cruising to surface streets as you approach your destination.

75% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.

38 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.

Longest single stretch: 86.1 mi on TX 130 Toll.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on TX 130 Toll and South Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 15.9 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

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 30 significant decision points across 529 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 15.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 166 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

738 ft 75 ft

Total Climb

394 ft

Total Descent

907 ft

Highest Point

738 ft

~151.1 mi in

Elevation Range

663 ft

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 Arlington, TX to Donna, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Corpus Christi along the way.

Corpus Christi

294 mi in | ~5h 1m

Detours Along the Way

Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.

Starbucks

Cafe

Near the start, right off the route

0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour

Arlington, TX

Cuisine: coffee_shop

Hours: Mo-Th 07:00-20:00; Fr 07:00-17:00

Visit website

iCafe

Cafe

Near the start, right off the route

0.4 mi from route ~1 min detour

Cuisine: japanese

Hours: Su-Fr 11:00-15:00,16:00-21:00

Visit website

Inclusion Coffee

Cafe

Near the start, right off the route

0.1 mi from route

Arlington, TX

Cuisine: coffee_shop

Hours: Mo-Fr 07:00-19:00; Sa,Su 08:00-20:00

Kung Fu Tea

Cafe

Near the start, right off the route

0.1 mi from route

Arlington, TX

Cuisine: bubble_tea

Starbucks

Cafe

Near the start, right off the route

0.5 mi from route ~1 min detour

Arlington, TX

Cuisine: coffee_shop

Hours: Mo-Th 07:00-19:00; Fr 07:00-17:00

Fast_food

Near the start, right off the route

0.2 mi from route

Arlington, TX

Cuisine: sandwich

Hours: 07:00-02:00

Visit website

Wendy's

Fast_food

Near the start, right off the route

0.2 mi from route ~1 min detour

Arlington, TX

Cuisine: burger

Hours: Mo-Sa 06:30-22:00; Su 08:00-22:00

Visit website

Pie Five Pizza Co

Restaurant

Near the start, right off the route

0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour

Arlington, TX

Cuisine: pizza

Hours: Mo-Su 11:00-22:00

Visit website

Esports Stadium Arlington

Attraction

Near the start, short detour

Camp_site

Near the start, short detour

2.6 mi from route ~7 min detour

Points of interest from OpenStreetMap contributors. Listings may not reflect current hours or availability.

About the Cities

Starting 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

Arriving in Donna, TX

Full guide →

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 86.1 miles on TX 130 Toll. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — a 2-day pace is more comfortable than one long haul. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 265 miles on day one.

Yes — we found about 50 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 Donna, 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. There are 50 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.

Yes — San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and Waco Mammoth National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Not recommended in a single day. At 9.3 hours each way, a round trip means 18.5 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Donna, TX before the return drive.

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, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Explore more options from Arlington, TX or browse trips ending in Donna, TX.

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