Origin
Carrollton, TX
Late night in Carrollton on Tuesday
Local time
5:25 AM
CDT
Current temp
84°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Carrollton, TX to Plano, 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
22m
Distance
16.2 mi
26 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 21m
★
6 AM
0h 23m
8 AM
0h 27m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 24m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 27m
8 PM
0h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Carrollton, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Plano, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transit between Carrollton and Plano, this 16.2-mile trek is a straightforward journey across the Great Plains. You can expect to reach your destination in about 22 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. With a fuel budget of just $2, this commute is as economical as it is efficient. Since the route requires no scheduled stops, you have the flexibility to head out whenever your schedule allows. It is a no-frills, practical connection between these two Texas cities that gets you where you need to be without any fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| President George Bush Turnpike | 11.1 mi | 11m |
| North Josey Lane | 2.1 mi | 4m |
| East 15th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Central Expressway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| South Josey Lane | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| East Trinity Mills Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Belt Line Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
President George Bush Turnpike
— 11.1 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Carrollton, TX and Plano, TX.
1
Start on East Belt Line Road
17 ft
·
5 sec
·
East Belt Line Road
2
Turn left onto South Josey Lane
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
South Josey Lane
3
Turn slight left
164 ft
·
7 sec
4
Turn slight left
70 ft
·
7 sec
5
Turn right
183 ft
·
15 sec
6
Turn uturn onto South Josey Lane
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
South Josey Lane
7
Continue on North Josey Lane
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
North Josey Lane
8
Turn slight right
162 ft
·
8 sec
9
Turn slight right onto TX 190
471 ft
·
8 sec
·
East Trinity Mills Road
Use the right lane.
10
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Toward PGBT East
11
Merge onto PGBT
11 mi
·
11 min
·
President George Bush Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward US 75 North: McKinney
Use the slight left lane.
14
Turn slight right
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 29
Toward 15th Street
Use the slight right lane.
15
Turn straight onto Central Expressway
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Central Expressway
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Turn right onto East 15th Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East 15th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Arrive at destination
East 15th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 15.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Josey Lane
Turn left onto South Josey Lane
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
7
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Josey Lane
Turn uturn onto South Josey Lane
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
7
14.3 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 75 North: McKinney
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward US 75 North: McKinney
6
15.6 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
East 15th Street
Turn right onto East 15th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.45 one way
$4.90 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $2.68 | $5.36 |
| premium | $4.54 | $2.89 | $5.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.58 | $7.15 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.91
President George Bush Turnpike
(11.1 mi)
$0.88
Central Expressway
(0.4 mi)
$0.03
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Tolls
$1
Total
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.70 | $0.78 |
| Efficient EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.42 | $0.65 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.27 | $1.04 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Plano, TX
Late night in Plano on Tuesday
Local time
5:25 AM
CDT
Current temp
88°F
Mostly Sunny
S 10 mph
3% chance
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
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
22m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is heavily highway-focused, with 71% of your time spent on high-speed thoroughfares. You will navigate a mix of the President George Bush Turnpike, North Josey Lane, and East 15th Street as you transition through the region. The highlight of the trip is an 11.1-mile uninterrupted stretch along the President George Bush Turnpike, which offers the most consistent pace of the drive. While the local roads provide the necessary bookends to your journey, the highway portion dictates the overall character of the experience. Expect a functional, predictable ride that prioritizes speed and direct access over winding scenic detours.
71% 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: 11.1 mi on President George Bush Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on President George Bush Turnpike and North Josey Lane. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near South Josey Lane.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 16.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (South Josey Lane): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (South Josey Lane): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach.
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.
On the drive from Carrollton, TX to Plano, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Pgbt East along the way.
Pgbt East
2.7 mi in
|
~6m
About the Cities
Starting in Carrollton, TX
Full guide →Founded 1913
Carrollton is a fast-growing suburb of Dallas, part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, in the Prairies and Lakes region of Texas. In 2019, it was home to about 140,000 people.
Arriving in Plano, TX
Full guide →Plano is a city of 285,000 people (2020) in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex region of Texas and is north of Dallas. It is home to the headquarters of several large corporations.
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 22m. Total distance: 16.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (71%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.1 miles on President George Bush Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.91 in tolls one way, starting with President George Bush Turnpike. 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 Plano, 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: near the start (South Josey Lane): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (South Josey Lane): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Plano, 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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