Picnic Area
0 mi from route
Trip from Corpus Christi, TX to Elkhart, TX
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
6h 33m
Distance
340.2 mi
548 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$47
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
6h 22m
★
6 AM
6h 34m
8 AM
6h 58m
10 AM
6h 42m
12 PM
6h 40m
3 PM
6h 43m
5 PM
6h 57m
8 PM
6h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Corpus Christi, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Elkhart, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Corpus Christi, TX to Elkhart, TX is 340.2 miles and takes about 6h 33m via TX 21, United States Highway 77, and North Navarro Street, with a fuel budget near $50 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within the Great Plains region, primarily traversing Texas. Expect a straightforward drive with most of your travel on established highways. With a recommended one-day duration, this trip is ideal for a quick transit between these two Texas locations, keeping you on the road for a manageable amount of time.
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
170.1 miles from Corpus Christi, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 19m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| TX 21 | 79.2 mi | 1h 31m |
| United States Highway 77 | 57.9 mi | 1h 5m |
| North Navarro Street | 40.1 mi | 45m |
| State Highway 21 | 38.8 mi | 42m |
| US 287 | 23.4 mi | 26m |
| Farm to Market Road 136 | 17.8 mi | 23m |
| North US Highway 77 | 17.3 mi | 19m |
| US 59 | 13.2 mi | 14m |
Longest stretch:
TX 21
— 79.2 mi, about 1h 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Corpus Christi, TX and Elkhart, TX.
1
Start on I 37
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
I 37
2
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
3
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
4
Turn right onto North Brownlee Boulevard
122 ft
·
2 sec
·
North Brownlee Boulevard
5
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
6
Merge onto US 181; TX 35
10 mi
·
11 min
·
New Harbor Bridge
7
Keep slight left at fork onto TX 35
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
TX 35
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
9
Turn straight onto State Highway 35
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
State Highway 35
10
Turn left onto FM 136
18 mi
·
23 min
·
Farm to Market Road 136
11
Continue on FM 2678
9.6 mi
·
9 min
·
FM 2678
12
At end of road, turn left onto FM 774
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
FM 774
13
Turn right onto US 77
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
South Alamo Street
14
Turn slight right onto US 77
33 mi
·
37 min
·
United States Highway 77
15
Keep slight right at fork onto US 77
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
US Highway 77 South
16
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
Use the left lane.
17
Merge onto US 59; US 77
13 mi
·
14 min
·
US 59; US 77
18
Take the exit onto US 77
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
US 77
19
Turn left onto US 77
40 mi
·
45 min
·
North Navarro Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
20
At end of road, turn right onto US 77; US 90 Alt
0.4 mi
·
26 sec
·
Fairwinds Street
21
Continue on US 77; US 90 Alt
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
·
West 4th Street
22
Turn left onto US 77
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North Texana Street
23
Continue on US 77
0.2 mi
·
14 sec
·
United States Highway 77
24
Continue on US 77
6.8 mi
·
7 min
·
US 77
25
Continue on US 77; FM 532
25 mi
·
28 min
·
United States Highway 77
26
Continue on US 77
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
South Jefferson Street
27
Continue on US 77
17 mi
·
19 min
·
North US Highway 77
28
Continue on US 77
9.5 mi
·
10 min
·
South Main Street
29
Take the exit
186 ft
·
5 sec
30
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
this road
31
Merge onto TX 21
39 mi
·
42 min
·
State Highway 21
32
Keep slight left at fork onto TX 21
79 mi
·
1 hr 31 min
·
TX 21
33
At end of road, turn right onto TX 7; TX 21
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
TX 7; TX 21
34
Turn left onto Loop 304
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Loop 304
35
Turn left onto US 287; TX 19
23 mi
·
26 min
·
US 287; TX 19
36
Turn left onto TX 294
0.4 mi
·
36 sec
·
East Parker Street
37
Turn left onto FM 861
113 ft
·
3 sec
·
South Main
38
Arrive at destination
FM 861
Trip Plan
Given the 6h 33m estimated drive time, leaving Corpus Christi in the morning should allow you to reach Elkhart within the same day. The estimated fuel cost is around $50, so plan accordingly. With only one stop recommended, you have flexibility in deciding when and where to take a break. Pay attention to the transition from highway driving to local roads as you get closer to Elkhart, as this can impact your travel time. Ensure you have enough fuel before departing, especially for the longest stretch of 79.2 miles on TX 21.
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.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 170.1 miles from Corpus Christi, TX, or about 3h 19m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 79.2 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 75 miles or 1h 29m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 170.1 miles or 3h 19m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 5h 23m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Elkhart, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Corpus Christi, 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 Corpus Christi, TX
This is one driving day of about 340.2 miles and 6h 33m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 75 miles from Corpus Christi, 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 TX 21 for about 79.2 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
170 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 75 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 170.1 miles from Corpus Christi, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before TX 21 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 79.2 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Stops Along Your Drive
Picked by where they fit in your drive — first break, midpoint reset, final stretch.
Pilot Travel Center
0.1 mi from route
Buc-ee's
0.1 mi from route
290 Travel Plaza
1 mi from route
Bayfront Park
4.7
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Near the start, right off the route
0.5 mi from route
~1 min detour
Corpus Christi, Texas
Hours: 6 am–10 pm
+13618267529
Visit websiteHarbor Playhouse
4.8
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Near the start, right off the route
0.6 mi from route
~1 min detour
Corpus Christi, Texas
+13618825500
Visit websiteWhataburger Field
4.8
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Near the start, right off the route
0.7 mi from route
~2 min detour
Corpus Christi, Texas
Visit websiteCorpus Christi Museum of Science and History
4.6
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Near the start, right off the route
0.7 mi from route
~2 min detour
Corpus Christi, Texas
Hours: 10 am–5 pm
+13618264667
Visit websiteThe Art Museum of South Texas
4.5
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Near the start, right off the route
0.7 mi from route
~2 min detour
Corpus Christi, Texas
Hours: 10 am–5 pm
+13618253500
Visit websiteTexas State Aquarium
4.6
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Near the start, right off the route
0.9 mi from route
~2 min detour
Corpus Christi, Texas
Hours: 10 am–5 pm
+13618811200
Visit websiteTexas State Museum of Asian Cultures & Education Center
4.6
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Near the start, right off the route
0.6 mi from route
~1 min detour
Corpus Christi, Texas
Hours: 12–5 pm
+13618818827
Visit websiteWater's Edge Park
4.6
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Near the start, right off the route
0.8 mi from route
~2 min detour
Corpus Christi, Texas
Hours: 6 am–10 pm
+13618263460
Visit websitePlace data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 255 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 92.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
40.8 mi into trip
|
~49m in
|
FM 774
At end of road, turn left onto FM 774
Navigation decision point
6
78.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 33m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
92.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 50m in
|
US 77 / North Navarro Street
Turn left onto US 77 / North Navarro Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$46.60 one way
$93.19 round trip
$3.48/gal
25.4 MPG avg
119 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $3.89 | $52.05 | $104.10 |
| premium | $4.23 | $56.59 | $113.18 |
| diesel | $4.80 | $64.24 | $128.47 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$47
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$72–$97
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 119 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $36 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 102.1 | 1 | $35.72 | $16.33 |
| Efficient EV | 85.1 | 0 | $29.77 | $13.61 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 136.1 | 1 | $47.63 | $21.77 |
Gas CO2
119 kg
EV CO2
40 kg (66% 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.
Origin
Corpus Christi, TX
Late night in Corpus Christi on Tuesday
Local time
4:33 AM
CDT
Current temp
89°F
Mostly Sunny
SE 13 to 20 mph
8% chance
Live forecast
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued July 17 at 7:36AM CDT until July 17 at 10:30AM CDT by NWS San Angelo TX
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 17 at 7:22AM CDT until July 17 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS San Angelo TX
Destination
Elkhart, TX
Late night in Elkhart on Tuesday
Local time
4:33 AM
CDT
Current temp
91°F
Mostly Sunny
S 0 to 5 mph
10% chance
Live forecast
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued July 17 at 7:36AM CDT until July 17 at 10:30AM CDT by NWS San Angelo TX
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 17 at 7:22AM CDT until July 17 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS San Angelo 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
2 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
6h 33m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend about 74% of the 340.2 miles on highways. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 79.2 miles along TX 21. Expect a shift from highway cruising to surface streets as you approach your destination, indicated by the highway share percentage. The profile is mostly highway, suggesting a consistent driving experience for much of the trip.
74% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
38 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 79.2 mi on TX 21.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on TX 21 and United States Highway 77. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in.
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 25 significant decision points across 340.2 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 0.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 40.8 miles (FM 774): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
383 ft
7 ft
Total Climb
413 ft
Total Descent
37 ft
Highest Point
383 ft
~340.2 mi in
Elevation Range
376 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Corpus Christi, TX
Full guide →Corpus Christi (called Corpus by the locals) is Texas's largest coastal city and the gateway to Padre Island. While Corpus Christi isn't on the way to much of anything except itself (and the islands off its coast), it offers enough to fill a visit in its own right, or a multi-day trip from San Antonio, Austin, or Houston. The name is Latin for "Body of Christ".
Top landmarks
- • USS Lexington — 1942 Essex-class aircraft carrier
- • Corpus Christi Cathedral — historic place in Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas
- • Sherman Building — listed on the NRHP in Nuences County, Texas
Arriving in Elkhart, TX
Full guide →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 6h 33m. Total distance: 340.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
6h 33m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 79.2 miles on TX 21. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 4 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 Elkhart, 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 4 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 40.8 miles (FM 774): Navigation decision point.
Not recommended in a single day. At 6.6 hours each way, a round trip means 13.1 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Elkhart, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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