If you are looking to head southeast from Dallas to Malakoff, expect a journey covering 80.9 miles that typically takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. This trip is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, meaning you won't need to worry about booking an overnight stay. Budgeting approximately $12 for fuel should comfortably cover your transportation costs for the round trip. Both your starting point and destination sit within the Great Plains region of Texas, keeping the landscape consistent throughout your travels. Since there are no scheduled stops required, you have the flexibility to make this a quick transition or a leisurely local drive.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
40.4 miles from Dallas, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 45m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
C F Hawn Freeway
67.3 mi
1h 12m
State Highway 31 West
4 mi
4m
Julius Schepps Freeway
3.1 mi
3m
East Royall Boulevard
2.2 mi
2m
Jed Robinson Loop
2.1 mi
2m
Woodall Rodgers Freeway
0.4 mi
<1m
McKinney Avenue
0.2 mi
<1m
North Lamar Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
C F Hawn Freeway
— 67.3 mi, about 1h 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Dallas, TX and Malakoff, TX.
1
Start on North Lamar Street
433 ft·14 sec·North Lamar Street
2
Turn right onto McKinney Avenue
0.2 mi·24 sec·McKinney Avenue
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·29 sec
Toward US 75 North
4
Merge onto Spur 366
0.4 mi·37 sec·Woodall Rodgers Freeway
5
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi·49 sec
Toward I 45 South: HoustonUse the slight right lane.
6
Merge onto I 45
3.1 mi·3 min·Julius Schepps Freeway
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto US 175
67 mi·1 hr 12 min·C F Hawn Freeway
Toward US 175 South: KaufmanUse the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi·49 sec
9
Merge onto TX 31; Loop 7
2.1 mi·2 min·Jed Robinson Loop
10
Take the exit
0.1 mi·21 sec
11
Keep slight left at fork
445 ft·14 sec
12
Turn right onto TX 31
4.0 mi·4 min·State Highway 31 West
13
Continue on TX 31
2.2 mi·2 min·East Royall Boulevard
14
Turn left onto FM 3441
430 ft·8 sec·South Terry Street
15
Arrive at destination
FM 3441
Trip Plan
For the smoothest experience, plan your departure to avoid peak local traffic hours when navigating the initial urban sections of Dallas. Because this is a relatively short 1 hour and 30 minute trip, you have the advantage of total flexibility in your schedule. While you don't need to plan for lengthy rest breaks, keep in mind that the turn-heavy nature of the route requires more active driving than a standard highway cruise. Since the total fuel cost is estimated at $12, it is a budget-friendly way to reach your destination. Use the lack of required stops to your advantage by double-checking your route map before leaving, as navigating local roads requires more frequent directional adjustments.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 40.4 miles from Dallas, TX, or about 45m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 67.3 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 18 miles or 20m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 40.4 miles or 45m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 15m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Malakoff, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Dallas, TX so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Dallas, TX
This is one driving day of about 80.9 miles and 1h 30m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 18 miles from Dallas, TX.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on C F Hawn Freeway for about 67.3 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 74.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|McKinney Avenue
Turn right onto McKinney Avenue
Navigation decision point
7
0.9 mi into trip|~1m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 45 South: Houston
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 45 South: Houston
5
1.4 mi into trip|~2m in|I 45 / Julius Schepps Freeway
Merge onto I 45 / Julius Schepps Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
4.5 mi into trip|~6m in|US 175 / C F Hawn Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto US 175 / C F Hawn Freeway toward US 175 South: Kaufman
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 175 South: Kaufman
5
74.4 mi into trip|~1h 22m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$12.22 one way
$24.45 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg28 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.20
$13.38
$26.76
premium
$4.54
$14.44
$28.89
diesel
$5.61
$17.86
$35.72
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$12
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$37–$62
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 28.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
24.3
0
$8.49
$3.88
Efficient EV
20.2
0
$7.08
$3.24
EV Truck/SUV
32.4
0
$11.33
$5.18
Gas CO2
28 kg
EV CO2
9 kg (68% 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 13, 2026
Origin
Dallas, TX
Late night
in Dallas on Sunday
Local time
1:03 AM
CDT
Current temp
85°F
Mostly Sunny
S 15 mph4% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Malakoff, TX
Late night
in Malakoff on Sunday
Local time
1:03 AM
CDT
Current temp
54°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.
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
31 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
1h 30m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive rather than a straightforward interstate sprint. You will navigate through city infrastructure using McKinney Avenue, US 75 North, and the Woodall Rodgers Freeway to get underway. With a 0% highway share, you should anticipate a more interactive experience behind the wheel that demands your full attention. The route lacks long, monotonous stretches, instead favoring a series of local transitions as you move away from the metropolitan center. Expect the road's personality to feel consistently technical as you maneuver toward Malakoff.
93% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 67.3 mi on C F Hawn Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on C F Hawn Freeway and State Highway 31 West. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near McKinney Avenue.
Driving Effort8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 80.9 miles you will encounter 12 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 0.1 miles (McKinney Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles (I 45 / Julius Schepps Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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...
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 30m. Total distance: 80.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 67.3 miles on C F Hawn 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 Malakoff, 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 0.1 miles (McKinney Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles (I 45 / Julius Schepps Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Malakoff, TX before heading back.
