Origin
Celina, TX
Morning in Celina on Tuesday
Local time
7:12 AM
CDT
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Celina, 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
43m
Distance
31.1 mi
50 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Celina, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Plano, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transition between Celina and Plano, this 31.1-mile journey is a straightforward commute that typically takes about 43 minutes. Since both locations sit within the Great Plains region of Texas, the landscape remains consistent throughout your travel. You can easily complete this trip in a single day, as it is designed for efficiency rather than a multi-day excursion. Budgeting about $5 for fuel should be sufficient for the round trip. Because the route is short and manageable, it serves as an ideal connection for those moving between these two North Texas communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Central Expressway | 13.8 mi | 15m |
| West University Drive | 7.6 mi | 11m |
| South Preston Road | 3 mi | 4m |
| Coit Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| North Oklahoma Drive | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| East Prosper Trail | 1 mi | 1m |
| North Preston Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| West 15th Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Central Expressway
— 13.8 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Celina, TX and Plano, TX.
1
Start on TX 289 Business; FM 455
478 ft
·
17 sec
·
West Pecan Street
2
Turn right onto TX 289 Business
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
North Oklahoma Drive
3
Turn right onto TX 289
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
South Preston Road
Use the straight lane.
4
Continue on TX 289
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
North Preston Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Turn left onto East Prosper Trail
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
East Prosper Trail
6
Turn right onto CR 80
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Coit Road
7
Turn left onto US 380
7.6 mi
·
11 min
·
West University Drive
Use the straight lane.
8
Take the exit
227 ft
·
6 sec
Toward US 75 South, TX 121 South
9
Turn slight right onto North Central Expressway
267 ft
·
4 sec
·
North Central Expressway
10
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward US 75 South, TX 121 South
11
Merge onto US 75; TX 121
13 mi
·
13 min
·
Central Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 29
Toward Park Boulevard, 15th Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Turn straight onto Central Expressway
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
14
Turn left onto West 15th Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West 15th Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
15
Arrive at destination
East 15th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 1.4 and 29.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.4 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
TX 289 / South Preston Road
Turn right onto TX 289 / South Preston Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
16 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward US 75 South, TX 121 South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 75 South, TX 121 South
5
16.1 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the ramp toward US 75 South, TX 121 South
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 75 South, TX 121 South
5
16.4 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
US 75; TX 121 / Central Expressway
Merge onto US 75; TX 121 / Central Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
29.3 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Take the exit toward Park Boulevard, 15th 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 29
Toward Park Boulevard, 15th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.70 one way
$9.40 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $5.14 | $10.29 |
| premium | $4.54 | $5.55 | $11.11 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.87 | $13.73 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.11
Central Expressway
(13.8 mi)
$1.11
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$1
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.3 | 0 | $3.27 | $1.49 |
| Efficient EV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.72 | $1.24 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.35 | $1.99 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Morning in Plano on Tuesday
Local time
7:12 AM
CDT
Current temp
88°F
Mostly Sunny
S 10 mph
3% chance
Live forecast
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued April 16 at 12:44PM CDT until April 16 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Amarillo TX
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued April 16 at 12:44PM CDT until April 17 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Amarillo TX
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
43m 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?
Expect a mixed driving experience as you navigate a combination of local roads and high-speed corridors. You will spend roughly 45 percent of your time on highways, utilizing West University Drive, South Preston Road, and the Central Expressway to bridge the distance. Your longest uninterrupted stretch occurs on the Central Expressway, covering 13.8 miles of the total journey. The road personality shifts from the more open, local feel of smaller connectors to the faster pace of the expressway, requiring you to adapt your driving style accordingly. This balance between local surface streets and major thoroughfares keeps the drive from feeling like a monotonous interstate haul.
45% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.8 mi on Central Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in near TX 289 / South Preston Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 31.1 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles (TX 289 / South Preston Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 16 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.1 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Celina, TX
Full guide →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 43m. Total distance: 31.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (45%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.8 miles on Central Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.11 in tolls one way, starting with Central Expressway. 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: at 1.4 miles (TX 289 / South Preston Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 16 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.1 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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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