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Trip from Dallas, TX to DeSoto, TX

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

22m

Distance

16.4 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

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 20m ★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Dallas, TX, TX

Dallas, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown DeSoto, TX, TX

DeSoto, TX

Action Construction Equipment Ltd. - ACE

Trip Overview

If you are looking to travel from Dallas to DeSoto, you are in for a quick 16.5-mile journey that typically takes about 22 minutes. This trip is strictly a local drive, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day outing that requires no overnight stops. Because the route relies entirely on city streets like Ross Avenue, North Houston Street, and Elm Street, you won't encounter any highway driving. Budgeting is straightforward, as you should expect to spend only about $2 on fuel for the entire transit. Since both cities are located within the Great Plains region of Texas, the geography remains consistent throughout your time on the road. It is a practical, no-fuss connection that is best suited for those needing to move between these two points efficiently.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
South R L Thornton Freeway 11.7 mi 12m
East Belt Line Road 2 mi 4m
South Stemmons Freeway 0.8 mi 1m
North Beckley Avenue 0.7 mi 1m
Elm Street 0.3 mi <1m
North Lamar Street 0.2 mi <1m
North Hampton Road <0.1 mi

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: South R L Thornton Freeway — 11.7 mi, about 12m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Dallas, TX and DeSoto, TX.

1

Start on North Lamar Street

0.2 mi · 34 sec · North Lamar Street
2

Turn right onto Elm Street

0.2 mi · 30 sec · Elm Street
3

Continue on Elm Street

0.1 mi · 14 sec · Elm Street
4

Take the ramp

327 ft · 7 sec
Toward I 30, I 35E
5

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 20 sec
Toward I 30 West, I 35E South Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Keep slight right at fork

330 ft · 8 sec
Toward I 35E South Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
7

Merge onto I 35E

0.8 mi · 1 min · South Stemmons Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Continue on I 35E

0.5 mi · 44 sec · South R L Thornton Freeway
9

Continue on I 35E

11 mi · 12 min · South R L Thornton Freeway
Exit 426 Toward Dallas Zoo Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 33 sec
Exit 414 Toward FM 1382: Belt Line Road Use the slight right lane.
11

Turn straight onto North Beckley Avenue

0.7 mi · 1 min · North Beckley Avenue
12

Turn right onto FM 1382

2.0 mi · 4 min · East Belt Line Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
13

Turn right onto North Hampton Road

33 ft · 0 sec · North Hampton Road
14

Arrive at destination

North Hampton Road

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 13.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.6 mi into trip | ~1m in

Take the ramp toward I 30, I 35E

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 30, I 35E
9
0.6 mi into trip | ~1m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 30 West, I 35E South

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 30 West, I 35E South
8
0.8 mi into trip | ~1m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 35E South

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward I 35E South
5
0.9 mi into trip | ~1m in | I 35E / South Stemmons Freeway

Merge onto I 35E / South Stemmons Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
13.4 mi into trip | ~15m in

Take the exit toward FM 1382: Belt Line Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 414 Toward FM 1382: Belt Line Road

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.48 one way

$4.96 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.20 $2.71 $5.42
premium $4.54 $2.93 $5.86
diesel $5.61 $3.62 $7.24

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

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 $1.72 $0.79
Efficient EV 4.1 0 $1.43 $0.66
EV Truck/SUV 6.6 0 $2.30 $1.05

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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Dallas, TX

Late night in Dallas on Sunday

Local time

2:31 AM

CDT

Current temp

60°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

DeSoto, TX

Late night in DeSoto on Sunday

Local time

2:31 AM

CDT

Current temp

74°F

Unavailable

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

14 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

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 experience. With a highway share of 0%, your time behind the wheel will be spent navigating urban streets rather than cruising at highway speeds. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 0 miles on Ross Avenue, meaning you should stay alert for frequent turns and city traffic patterns. Because this path avoids major highways, you will experience a constant, hands-on driving environment from start to finish. This is a technical, low-mileage route that demands your full attention as you transition through the local road network.

76% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.7 mi on South R L Thornton Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on South R L Thornton Freeway and East Belt Line Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 16.4 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: at 0.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

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 Dallas, TX to DeSoto, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Dallas Zoo along the way.

Dallas Zoo

2.3 mi in | ~3m | via I 35E

About the Cities

Starting in Dallas, TX

Full guide →

“Big D” · Founded 1841

Dallas, with a population of more than 1.3 million residents, is the ninth largest city in the United States and the third largest in the state of Texas. It is an impressive melting pot of culture and character. Boasting high-end luxury hotels, innumerable fine dining spots, and one of the busiest airports in the world, Dallas maintains an upscale ethos reflected by an affluent population, world-class museums, and a shimmering modern skyline. Its history was marred by the infamous assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, but there is more historic and contemporary heritage to be discovered in the city. As a center of the oil and cotton industries in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Dallas was a classic American boom town and remains one of the fastest growing cities in the nation.

Top landmarks

  • Dallas Museum of Art — art museum in Dallas, Texas
  • Texas School Book Depository — building in Dallas, Texas, United States
  • George W. Bush Presidential Center — Presidential library and museum for U.S. President George W. Bush, located in Da...

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: 16.4 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 (76%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 11.7 miles on South R L Thornton Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 DeSoto, 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 0.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at DeSoto, 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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