Origin
Combes, TX
Morning in Combes on Tuesday
Local time
11:57 AM
CDT
Current temp
93°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Combes, 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
9h 40m
Distance
516.4 mi
831 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$78
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
9h 32m
★
6 AM
9h 41m
8 AM
9h 58m
10 AM
9h 47m
12 PM
9h 45m
3 PM
9h 48m
5 PM
9h 57m
8 PM
9h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Combes, TX
Thomas balabaud
Plano, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Embarking on this 516.4-mile journey from Combes, TX, to Plano, TX, will take approximately 9 hours and 40 minutes of pure driving time. Given the duration, this is best suited as a two-day trip, allowing for a more relaxed pace and time to enjoy the drive. You'll primarily navigate U.S. Highway 77, the Purple Heart Trail, and Pickle Parkway, with 74% of the route being highway driving. The estimated fuel cost for this long-distance drive is around $78. Both your starting and ending points are within the Great Plains region, suggesting a consistent landscape throughout your travels.
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
258.2 miles from Combes, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 5h 9m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Highway 77 | 106.5 mi | 1h 57m |
| Purple Heart Trail | 97.7 mi | 1h 39m |
| Pickle Parkway | 58.5 mi | 54m |
| I 35E | 56.2 mi | 58m |
| US Highway 181 South | 40.2 mi | 45m |
| State Highway 80 North | 30.8 mi | 35m |
| State Highway 80 | 23.6 mi | 25m |
| I 37 | 19.7 mi | 19m |
Longest stretch:
U.S. Highway 77
— 106.5 mi, about 1h 57m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Combes, TX and Plano, TX.
1
Start on TX 107
90 ft
·
3 sec
·
Templeton Avenue
2
Turn right onto US 77 Bus
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Business 77
3
Continue on US 77 Bus
383 ft
·
6 sec
·
Business 77
4
Continue on US 77 Bus
393 ft
·
8 sec
·
15th Street
5
Turn left onto Interstate 69E Frontage Road
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
Interstate 69E Frontage Road
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
7
Merge onto I 69E; US 77
82 mi
·
1 hr 31 min
·
U.S. Highway 77
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
14 sec
9
Merge onto I 69E; US 77
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
I 69E; US 77
10
Continue on U.S. Highway 77
12 mi
·
12 min
·
U.S. Highway 77
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
12
Turn straight onto US Highway 77 Frontage Road
485 ft
·
17 sec
·
US Highway 77 Frontage Road
13
Turn right onto County Road 10
1.0 mi
·
4 min
·
County Road 10
14
Turn left onto County Road 79
4.0 mi
·
15 min
·
County Road 79
15
Turn left onto County Road 18
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
County Road 18
16
Turn sharp right
1.1 mi
·
2 min
17
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
18
Merge onto US 77
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Driscoll Bypass
19
Continue on US 77
13 mi
·
14 min
·
U.S. Highway 77
20
Merge onto I 37; US 77; I 69E
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
I 37; US 77; I 69E
21
Keep slight left at fork
1.3 mi
·
1 min
22
Continue on I 37
18 mi
·
18 min
·
I 37
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Toward TX 359: Mathis, Skidmore
24
Turn right onto TX 359
12 mi
·
16 min
·
State Highway 359
25
At end of road, turn left onto US 181
0.8 mi
·
55 sec
·
South 8th Street
26
Continue on US 181
40 mi
·
45 min
·
US Highway 181 South
27
Continue on US 181
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
South Sunset Strip Drive
28
Turn right onto TX 72; TX 239
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West Main Street
29
Keep slight left at fork onto TX 72; TX 239
233 ft
·
3 sec
·
East Main Street
30
Continue on FM 792
8.4 mi
·
10 min
·
Helena Road
31
Turn straight onto TX 80
24 mi
·
25 min
·
State Highway 80
32
Continue on TX 80
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
South Nixon Avenue
33
Continue on TX 80; TX 97
31 mi
·
35 min
·
State Highway 80 North
34
Continue on US 183
10 mi
·
11 min
·
US 183
35
Continue on US 183
4.9 mi
·
8 min
·
South Colorado Street
36
Continue on US 183
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
United States Highway 183
37
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
35 sec
Toward TX 130 Toll North: Austin, Waco
38
Merge onto TX 130 Toll
59 mi
·
54 min
·
Pickle Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
39
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Toward I 35 North: Waco
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
40
Merge onto I 35
65 mi
·
1 hr 6 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
41
Continue on I 35
6.6 mi
·
7 min
·
South Jack Kultgen Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
42
Continue on I 35; US 77
33 mi
·
33 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
43
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E
56 mi
·
58 min
·
I 35E
Toward I 35E: Dallas
Use the slight right lane.
44
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
Exit 427A
Toward I 30 East: Texarkana, Riverfront Boulevard, Griffin Street
Use the slight right lane.
45
Keep slight left at fork
422 ft
·
5 sec
Toward I 35E North, I 30 West: Denton, Fort Worth, Texarkana
46
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 30 East: Texarkana, Convention Center
47
Keep slight left at fork
385 ft
·
6 sec
Toward I 30 East: Texarkana
48
Continue on I 30; US 67
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East R L Thornton Freeway
49
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
45 sec
Exit 46
Toward I 45, US 75: Houston, McKinney
Use the slight right lane.
50
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward US 75 North: McKinney
Use the slight left lane.
51
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
Toward US 75 North: McKinney, Bryan Street East
52
Merge onto US 75
0.7 mi
·
49 sec
·
Julius Schepps Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
53
Continue on US 75
15 mi
·
16 min
·
North Central Expressway
Use the straight / right lanes.
54
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Exit 28A
Toward Plano Parkway, 15th Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
55
Turn straight onto North Central Expressway
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
North Central Expressway
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
56
Turn right onto East 15th Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East 15th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
57
Arrive at destination
East 15th Street
Trip Plan
To make the most of this 9-hour and 40-minute drive, splitting it over two days is highly recommended. Aim to start early each day to maximize daylight hours and allow for two planned stops along the way. With a total of 516.4 miles, consider breaking your journey around the halfway point to avoid fatigue. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the longest stretch of 106.5 miles on U.S. Highway 77, and plan your refueling stops accordingly. The $78 fuel estimate is a good baseline for budgeting your expenses.
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 258.2 miles from Combes, TX, or about 5h 9m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 106.5 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 114 miles or 2h 24m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 258.2 miles or 5h 9m 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 258.2 miles or 5h 9m
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 33m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Plano, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Combes, 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 Combes, TX
Aim for roughly 258 miles and 4.8 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Plano, TX
Aim for roughly 258 miles and 4.8 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 114 miles from Combes, 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 U.S. Highway 77 for about 106.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
170 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
341 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 Killeen, TXOvernight Options
Night 1
258 mi · about 4.8h in
A practical overnight split lands near Austin, TX after about 258 miles or 4.8 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 114 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 258.2 miles from Combes, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before U.S. Highway 77 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 106.5 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 258 miles or 4.8 hours on the road.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 355 decision points cluster between mile 334.3 and 514 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
334.3 mi into trip
|
~6h 27m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 35 North: Waco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 35 North: Waco
7
439 mi into trip
|
~8h 15m in
|
I 35E
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E toward I 35E: Dallas
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 35E: Dallas
8
495.2 mi into trip
|
~9h 14m in
Take the exit toward I 30 East: Texarkana, Riverfront Boulevard, Griffin Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 427A
Toward I 30 East: Texarkana, Riverfront Bouleva...
8
496.9 mi into trip
|
~9h 16m in
Take the exit toward I 45, US 75: Houston, McKinney
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 46
Toward I 45, US 75: Houston, McKinney
8
514 mi into trip
|
~9h 36m in
Take the exit toward Plano Parkway, 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 28A
Toward Plano Parkway, 15th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$78.03 one way
$156.06 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
181 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $85.41 | $170.82 |
| premium | $4.54 | $92.20 | $184.40 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $114.01 | $228.03 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.32
Central Expressway
(16.6 mi)
$1.32
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$78
Tolls
$1
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$209–$319
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 180.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $54 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 154.9 | 1 | $54.22 | $24.79 |
| Efficient EV | 129.1 | 1 | $45.18 | $20.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 206.6 | 2 | $72.30 | $33.05 |
Gas CO2
181 kg
EV CO2
60 kg (67% 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.
Destination
Plano, TX
Morning in Plano on Tuesday
Local time
11:57 AM
CDT
Current temp
83°F
Unavailable
Live 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.
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
10 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
9h 40m 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.
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 409.6
View on nps.gov
Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park
National Historical Park
On May 8, 1846, U.S. and Mexican troops clashed on the prairie of Palo Alto. The battle was the first in a two-year long war that changed the map of North America. Although the two countries have deve...
23 mi from route
~57 min detour
Free
View on nps.gov
Padre Island National Seashore
National Seashore
Protecting sixty-six miles of wild coastline along the Gulf of America, the narrow barrier island is home to one of the last intact coastal prairie habitats in the United States. Along the hypersaline...
27 mi from route
~68 min detour
$25
near mile 53.4
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 offers a substantial highway component, making up 74% of the total mileage, which means you'll experience significant stretches of faster travel. The longest uninterrupted segment you'll encounter is 106.5 miles on U.S. Highway 77, providing a good opportunity to settle into a steady rhythm. While the highway sections will dominate, be prepared for the character of the roads to shift as you traverse U.S. Highway 77 and the Purple Heart Trail. This isn't a monotonous interstate grind, but rather a drive with a clear highway focus punctuated by the specific routes you'll be following.
74% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
57 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 106.5 mi on U.S. Highway 77.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on U.S. Highway 77 and Purple Heart Trail. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 334.3 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 35 significant decision points across 516.4 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 334.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 439 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 495.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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.
Between Combes, TX and Plano, TX, road signs point toward Skidmore and Waco.
Skidmore
140.5 mi in
|
~2h 51m
Waco
275.3 mi in
|
~5h 32m
About the Cities
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).
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 106.5 miles on U.S. Highway 77. 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 258 miles on day one.
Expect about $1.32 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.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
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.
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. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 334.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 439 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 495.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Waco Mammoth National Monument, Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park and Padre Island National Seashore. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 9.7 hours each way, a round trip means 19.4 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Plano, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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