Spanning 116.5 miles, the journey from Carrizo Springs to San Antonio is a straightforward trip that typically takes about 1 hour and 56 minutes. Since both locations sit within the Great Plains region of Texas, you will experience a consistent landscape throughout your travel. You can easily complete this drive in a single day, making it a perfect candidate for a quick turnaround rather than an overnight stay. Expect to spend approximately $17 on fuel, keeping this an affordable transit between the two cities. Whether you are heading out for business or a change of pace, the route is manageable and requires minimal logistical planning.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
58.1 miles from Carrizo Springs, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 17m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Purple Heart Trail
60.4 mi
1h
East Nopal Street
43.9 mi
1h 2m
South Pan Am Expressway
9.9 mi
11m
South Santa Rosa Street
0.5 mi
<1m
South Laredo Street
0.4 mi
<1m
Dolorosa Street
0.3 mi
<1m
Peña Street
0.2 mi
<1m
North 1st Street
0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Purple Heart Trail
— 60.4 mi, about 1h
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Carrizo Springs, TX and San Antonio, TX.
1
Start on US 277
0.2 mi·21 sec·Peña Street
2
At end of road, turn left onto US 83
0.1 mi·12 sec·North 1st Street
3
Turn right onto TX 85
44 mi·1 hr 2 min·East Nopal Street
4
Turn left onto I-35 Access Road East
0.1 mi·18 sec·I-35 Access Road East
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·31 sec
6
Merge onto I 35
60 mi·1 hr·Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on I 35
9.3 mi·11 min·South Pan Am Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35
0.5 mi·40 sec·South Pan Am Expressway
9
Take the exit
0.1 mi·15 sec
Exit 155AToward Spur 536: South Alamo StreetUse the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn straight onto South Laredo Street
0.4 mi·45 sec·South Laredo Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
11
Continue on South Santa Rosa Street
0.5 mi·51 sec·South Santa Rosa Street
12
Turn right onto Dolorosa Street
0.3 mi·32 sec·Dolorosa Street
13
Arrive at destination
Dolorosa Street
Trip Plan
Since this is a relatively short trip, you have the flexibility to depart whenever fits your schedule best, though leaving early helps you avoid peak local traffic. There are no planned stops on this 116.5-mile route, allowing you to reach San Antonio in under two hours if you maintain a steady pace. Keep your $17 fuel budget in mind before you pull out of Carrizo Springs, as you may want to fuel up locally to avoid searching for stations along the more technical sections of the route. Because the drive is turn-heavy, double-check your navigation settings before leaving to ensure you are comfortable with the local road transitions. Enjoy the freedom of a short drive that gets you to your destination without the fatigue of an all-day trek.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 58.1 miles from Carrizo Springs, TX, or about 1h 17m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 60.4 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 26 miles or 37m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 58.1 miles or 1h 17m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 54m
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 Carrizo Springs, 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 Carrizo Springs, TX
This is one driving day of about 116.1 miles and 2h 18m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 26 miles from Carrizo Springs, TX.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Purple Heart Trail for about 60.4 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 114.9 — 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|US 83 / North 1st Street
At end of road, turn left onto US 83 / North 1st Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.3 mi into trip|~0m in|TX 85 / East Nopal Street
Turn right onto TX 85 / East Nopal Street
Navigation decision point
5
44.6 mi into trip|~1h 3m in|I 35 / Purple Heart Trail
Merge onto I 35 / Purple Heart Trail
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
114.3 mi into trip|~2h 15m in|I 35 / South Pan Am Expressway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35 / South Pan Am Expressway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
7
114.9 mi into trip|~2h 16m in
Take the exit toward Spur 536: South Alamo Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 155A
Toward Spur 536: South Alamo Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$17.54 one way
$35.09 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg41 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.20
$19.20
$38.40
premium
$4.54
$20.73
$41.46
diesel
$5.61
$25.63
$51.27
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$18
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$43–$68
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 40.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $12 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
34.8
0
$12.19
$5.57
Efficient EV
29
0
$10.16
$4.64
EV Truck/SUV
46.4
0
$16.25
$7.43
Gas CO2
41 kg
EV CO2
14 kg (66% 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.
Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026
Origin
Carrizo Springs, TX
Late night
in Carrizo Springs on Sunday
Local time
5:29 AM
CDT
Current temp
79°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
San Antonio, TX
Late night
in San Antonio on Sunday
Local time
5:29 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Mostly Cloudy
SSE 5 to 15 mph1% chanceLive forecast
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
11 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
2h 18m 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.
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...
7 mi from route
~17 min detour
Free
near mile 112.1
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive functions as a turn-heavy local route rather than a standard interstate cruise, requiring your full attention as you navigate through the initial segments. You will begin by navigating North 1st Street and East Nopal Street before transitioning toward the I-35 corridor. With a highway share of 0% on the local portions, the road demands a more engaged driving style compared to a monotonous freeway slog. Because the route relies heavily on local roads, you should prepare for fluctuating speeds and frequent turns as you transition between communities. It is a practical, functional drive that avoids the repetitive nature of long-haul highway travel.
Only 9% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 60.4 mi on Purple Heart Trail.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near US 83 / North 1st Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 18m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (US 83 / North 1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (TX 85 / East Nopal Street): Navigation decision point; at 44.6 miles (I 35 / Purple Heart Trail): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 60.4 miles on Purple Heart Trail. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (US 83 / North 1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (TX 85 / East Nopal Street): Navigation decision point; at 44.6 miles (I 35 / Purple Heart Trail): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at San Antonio, TX before heading back.
