Trip from Brownwood, TX to San Antonio, TX

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 20, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

4h 8m

Distance

219 mi

353 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$30

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 39 min

4 AM

3h 56m ★

6 AM

4h 9m

8 AM

4h 35m

10 AM

4h 18m

12 PM

4h 15m

3 PM

4h 19m

5 PM

4h 34m

8 PM

4h 1m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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Brownwood, TX

Wikimedia Commons

San Antonio, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 219-mile drive from Brownwood, TX to San Antonio, TX takes approximately 4 hours and 8 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. You'll spend most of your time on major highways, with a 95% highway share, including stretches of the Katy Freeway and East Freeway as you approach your destination. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $33. This route is a straightforward, highway-focused experience connecting two points within the Great Plains region of Texas. Given its manageable length, you can easily complete it in one go, allowing for a flexible schedule.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

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

Midpoint

109.5 miles from Brownwood, TX

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 10m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Katy Freeway	175.2 mi	3h 2m
East Freeway	18.9 mi	23m
I 10	12 mi	12m
East Commerce Street	4.3 mi	7m
Jose Lopez Freeway	1.6 mi	1m
Decker Drive	1.5 mi	1m
Bayway Drive	1.5 mi	2m
Bayshore Drive	1.3 mi	8m

Longest stretch: Katy Freeway — 175.2 mi, about 3h 2m

Traffic on I-10

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 72 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

3 PM

~2,943 veh/hr typical · worst 3,773

Quietest

2 AM

~394 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

7.5×

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 Brownwood, TX and San Antonio, TX.

Start on Mapleton Avenue

0.2 mi · 1 min · Mapleton Avenue

Turn right onto Bayshore Drive

0.8 mi · 5 min · Bayshore Drive

Keep slight right at fork onto Bayshore Drive

0.5 mi · 3 min · Bayshore Drive

Turn left onto West Schreck Street

0.7 mi · 3 min · West Schreck Street

Turn left onto Bayway Drive

1.5 mi · 2 min · Bayway Drive

Turn left onto Decker Drive

0.9 mi · 1 min · Decker Drive

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 14 sec

Toward I 10 West

Merge onto Spur 330

0.7 mi · 46 sec · Decker Drive

Use the straight lane.

Merge onto I 10

19 mi · 23 min · East Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on I 10; US 90

175 mi · 3 hr 2 min · Katy Freeway

Use the straight lane.

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

0.8 mi · 51 sec · 90th Infantry Division Highway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on I 10; US 90

1.6 mi · 1 min · Jose Lopez Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 19 sec

Exit 579 Toward Commerce Street, Houston Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Turn straight onto Interstate 10 East

0.3 mi · 38 sec · Interstate 10 East

Turn right onto East Houston Street

0.2 mi · 20 sec · East Houston Street

Turn slight left onto East Commerce Street

4.3 mi · 7 min · East Commerce Street

Turn left onto Military Plaza

392 ft · 15 sec · Military Plaza

Turn left onto Dolorosa Street

327 ft · 8 sec · Dolorosa Street

Arrive at destination

Dolorosa Street

Trip Plan

For this 4-hour, 219-mile drive, you can comfortably depart anytime and arrive the same day. With only one recommended stop and a manageable fuel cost of $33, flexibility is on your side. Consider leaving in the morning to maximize daylight and avoid potential evening traffic. Since the longest stretch without a break is over 175 miles, plan for a brief rest stop midway through your journey. A good tip is to ensure your gas tank is full before leaving Brownwood, as this will minimize any need to search for fuel stations during the longest highway segments.

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.

Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.

The halfway point lands around 109.5 miles from Brownwood, TX, or about 2h 10m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 175.2 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 48 miles or 1h 6m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 109.5 miles or 2h 10m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 23m

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 Brownwood, 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 Brownwood, TX

This is one driving day of about 219 miles and 4h 8m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 48 miles from Brownwood, TX.

This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

The longest stretch is on Katy Freeway for about 175.2 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Houston, TX

110 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

Houston, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 48 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Houston, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 109.5 miles from Brownwood, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Hours: 9 am–10 pm

+12102271373

Visit website

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

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 14

5 decision points cluster between mile 4.7 and 213.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4.7 mi into trip | ~18m in | Spur 330 / Decker Drive

Merge onto Spur 330 / Decker Drive

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.

5.4 mi into trip | ~18m in | I 10 / East Freeway

Merge onto I 10 / East Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

199.5 mi into trip | ~3h 44m in | I 10; US 90; TX 130

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

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

211.6 mi into trip | ~3h 57m in | I 10; US 90; TX 130 / 90th Infantry Division Highway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 10; US 90; TX 130 / 90th Infantry Division Highway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

213.9 mi into trip | ~3h 59m in

Take the exit toward Commerce Street, Houston Street

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 579 Toward Commerce Street, Houston Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$30.00 one way

$59.99 round trip

$3.48/gal 25.4 MPG avg 77 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$3.89	$33.51	$67.01
premium	$4.23	$36.43	$72.86
diesel	$4.80	$41.35	$82.70

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$30

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$55–$80

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 76.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $23 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	Stops	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	65.7	0	$23.00	$10.51
Efficient EV	54.8	0	$19.16	$8.76
EV Truck/SUV	87.6	1	$30.66	$14.02

Gas CO2

77 kg

EV CO2

26 kg (66% less)

Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.

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 18, 2026

Origin

Brownwood, TX

Morning in Brownwood on Monday

Local time

6:07 AM

CDT

Current temp

89°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

S 15 mph 19% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 18 at 4:30PM CDT until July 18 at 4:45PM CDT by NWS Lubbock TX

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 18 at 4:30PM CDT until July 22 at 12:26PM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX

Destination

San Antonio, TX

Morning in San Antonio on Monday

Local time

6:07 AM

CDT

Current temp

93°F

Partly Sunny

SSE 10 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 18 at 4:30PM CDT until July 18 at 4:45PM CDT by NWS Lubbock TX

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 18 at 4:30PM CDT until July 22 at 12:26PM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX

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

4 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

4h 8m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

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...

9 mi from route ~22 min detour Free near mile 219

View on nps.gov

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

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a predominantly highway-focused drive on this route, with 95% of the journey utilizing major roadways like I-10. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 175.2 miles on the Katy Freeway. This means you'll experience consistent speeds and minimal traffic disruptions for significant portions of the trip. While primarily highway, keep an eye out for any transitions as you get closer to San Antonio, though the overall feel remains that of efficient travel.

95% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.

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

Longest single stretch: 175.2 mi on Katy Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Katy Freeway and East Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.7 miles in near Spur 330 / Decker Drive.

Driving Effort 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a demanding drive. With 14 significant decision points across 219 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 4.7 miles (Spur 330 / Decker Drive): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.4 miles (I 10 / East Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 199.5 miles (I 10; US 90; TX 130): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

649 ft 5 ft

Total Climb

739 ft

Total Descent

95 ft

Highest Point

649 ft

~219 mi in

Elevation Range

644 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Brownwood, TX

Full guide →

Brownwood is a city in central Texas. Founded in 1857, it has some of the common origin stories of Texas towns with railroads and oil booms, and it was considered to be the biggest cotton center west of Fort Worth at the turn of the century. What really spurred its growth though was the establishment of a WWII training camp called Camp Bowie. Today, Brownwood is known for its Baptist college Howard Payne University and its reservoir with fishing and swimming nearby.

Top landmarks

• St. John's Episcopal Church — church building in Brownwood, Texas, United States of America

Arriving in San Antonio, TX

Full guide →

Founded 1718

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

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 4h 8m. Total distance: 219 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

4h 8m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (95%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 175.2 miles on Katy Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 35 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 San Antonio, 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 1 meaningful breaks. There are 35 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.

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

Possible but tiring. At 4.1 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.3 hours — manageable with a long break at San Antonio, TX, but most travelers stay overnight.

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

Explore more options from Brownwood, TX or browse trips ending in San Antonio, TX.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse TX road trips.

Trip from Brownwood, TX to San Antonio, TX

Best Time to Leave

Trip Overview

Main Roads

Traffic on I-10

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Trip Plan

Before You Leave

Where to Stop

Pacing Suggestions

Stops Along Your Drive

Road Ranger

Flying J Travel Center

Guadalupe County Westbound Rest Area

Guadalupe County Eastbound Rest Area

Buc-ee's

Road Ranger

Roady's Truck Stops

Buc-ee's

Flying J Travel Center

Pilot Travel Center

Pilot Travel Center

Love's Travel Stop

Love's Travel Stop

Service Plaza

QuikTrip

QuikTrip

Petro Stopping Centers

Colorado County Eastbound Rest Area

Colorado County Westbound Rest Area

Love's Travel Stop

Jud's Travel Center

Amigos Country Corner

TA

Love's Travel Stop

TA

Super Travel Center

Flying J Travel Center

Flying J Travel Center

TA

Love's Travel Stop

Love's Travel Stop

Love's Travel Stop

Pilot Travel Center

Buc-ee's

Service Plaza

Spanish Governor's Palace

GO RIO San Antonio River Cruises

San Antonio | The Saga

Hemisfair

San Antonio Fire Museum

The Amazing Mirror Maze

SEA LIFE San Antonio

San Antonio River Lock & Dam

Heads-up: tricky spots

Fuel & Cost

Travel Intel

Brownwood, TX

San Antonio, TX

Same local time

4 degrees warmer at arrival

4h 8m on the road

National Parks Near This Route

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

What kind of drive is this?

How Hard Is This Drive?

Elevation Profile

About the Cities

Starting in Brownwood, TX

Arriving in San Antonio, TX

Who Is This Route For?

Frequently Asked Questions

Which road carries most of the drive?

Are there rest areas on this route?

Should I avoid arriving after dark?

Is this a good trip with kids?

Where does this route get tricky?

Are there national parks near this route?

Can I do this as a round trip in one go?

How this page is built