Origin
Cotulla, TX
Late night in Cotulla on Tuesday
Local time
3:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
95°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cotulla, TX to Laredo, 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
1h 11m
Distance
67.7 mi
109 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 6m
★
6 AM
1h 11m
8 AM
1h 23m
10 AM
1h 15m
12 PM
1h 14m
3 PM
1h 16m
5 PM
1h 22m
8 PM
1h 8m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cotulla, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Laredo, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Cotulla to Laredo is a quick, straightforward journey spanning 68 miles. You can comfortably complete this trip in about 1 hour and 7 minutes, making it an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. The route primarily utilizes North Main Street, the Purple Heart Trail, and Houston Street to navigate between these two Great Plains locations. Budgeting roughly $10 for fuel should cover your needs for the entire distance. Since there are no mandatory stops scheduled, you have the flexibility to drive straight through or build in your own breaks along the way.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Purple Heart Trail | 65.2 mi | 1h 6m |
| North Main Street | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Houston Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| I 35 Bus | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Matamoros Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Salinas Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Tilden Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Purple Heart Trail
— 65.2 mi, about 1h 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cotulla, TX and Laredo, TX.
1
Start on TX 97
49 ft
·
8 sec
·
Tilden Street
2
Turn left onto I 35 Bus
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
North Main Street
3
Turn right onto I 35 Bus
442 ft
·
12 sec
·
I 35 Bus
4
Turn left
351 ft
·
6 sec
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
6
Merge onto I 35
65 mi
·
1 hr 6 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
7
Turn right onto Houston Street
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
Houston Street
8
Turn left onto I 35 Bus
272 ft
·
12 sec
·
Salinas Avenue
9
Turn left onto Matamoros Street
306 ft
·
5 sec
·
Matamoros Street
10
Arrive at destination
Matamoros Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
34 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 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 33.9 miles from Cotulla, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Purple Heart Trail if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 65.2 miles.
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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 67.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
I 35 Bus / North Main Street
Turn left onto I 35 Bus / North Main Street
Navigation decision point
5
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
4
67.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 10m in
|
Houston Street
Turn right onto Houston Street
Navigation decision point
5
67.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 10m in
|
I 35 Bus / Salinas Avenue
Turn left onto I 35 Bus / Salinas Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
67.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 11m in
|
Matamoros Street
Turn left onto Matamoros Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.23 one way
$20.46 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
24 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $11.20 | $22.39 |
| premium | $4.54 | $12.09 | $24.17 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.95 | $29.89 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 23.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 20.3 | 0 | $7.11 | $3.25 |
| Efficient EV | 16.9 | 0 | $5.92 | $2.71 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 27.1 | 0 | $9.48 | $4.33 |
Gas CO2
24 kg
EV CO2
8 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
Laredo, TX
Late night in Laredo on Tuesday
Local time
3:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
97°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
96°F
Cactus, TX
34 mi in
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
1h 11m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate cruise, as this route features zero highway miles. You will navigate through local roads throughout the entire 68-mile trek, requiring your full attention behind the wheel. Because there are no long stretches—with zero miles spent on the longest uninterrupted segment of North Main Street—the driving experience is constant and requires frequent adjustments. The character of the road remains consistent as you transition between the two Texas towns, emphasizing a local, navigational feel over a fast-paced highway sprint.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 65.2 mi on Purple Heart Trail.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 early in the drive near I 35 Bus / North Main Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 11m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (I 35 Bus / North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles: Navigation decision point; at 67.3 miles (Houston Street): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting in Cotulla, TX
Full guide →Founded 1882
Arriving in Laredo, TX
Full guide →“The Gateway City” · Founded 1755
Laredo is a city with 262,000 (2019) inhabitants on the South Texas Plains. Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, is just across the Rio Grande.
Top landmarks
- • Cathedral of San Agustin — historic place in Laredo, Webb County, Texas
- • Fort McIntosh — historic district in Laredo, Webb County, Texas
- • San Agustin de Laredo Historic District — historic district in Laredo, Webb County, Texas
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 1h 11m. Total distance: 67.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 11m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 65.2 miles on Purple Heart Trail. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 (I 35 Bus / North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles: Navigation decision point; at 67.3 miles (Houston Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Laredo, 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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