Trip from Dallas, TX to Prairie View, TX

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

Drive Time

4h 5m

Distance

228.3 mi

367 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$31

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 39 min

4 AM

3h 53m ★

6 AM

4h 6m

8 AM

4h 32m

10 AM

4h 15m

12 PM

4h 12m

3 PM

4h 16m

5 PM

4h 31m

8 PM

3h 58m

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

Best Time

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Download GPX

Dallas, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Prairie View, TX

Sam McCool

Trip Overview

Dallas, TX to Prairie View, TX is 228.3 miles and takes about 4h 5m via South R L Thornton Freeway, East State Highway 6, and North Earl Rudder Freeway, with a fuel budget near $35 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This highway-focused drive stays within Texas, beginning in the Great Plains region and ending in the same region. It's a straightforward, one-day trip that offers a practical way to travel between these two points. Given the relatively short duration and high percentage of highway driving, it’s a manageable journey for a single day.

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

114.1 miles from Dallas, TX

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h into the drive .

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
South R L Thornton Freeway	89.9 mi	1h 32m
East State Highway 6	46.6 mi	46m
North Earl Rudder Freeway	30.1 mi	31m
State Highway 6	22.4 mi	25m
South State Highway 6	13.7 mi	14m
North State Highway 6	6.2 mi	6m
US 290	5 mi	5m
Marlin Highway	2.7 mi	3m

Longest stretch: South R L Thornton Freeway — 89.9 mi, about 1h 32m

Traffic on I-35

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~4,837 veh/hr typical · worst 5,660

Quietest

2 AM

~666 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

7.3×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 43 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

Start on North Lamar Street

0.2 mi · 34 sec · North Lamar Street

Turn right onto Elm Street

0.2 mi · 30 sec · Elm Street

Continue on Elm Street

0.1 mi · 14 sec · Elm Street

Take the ramp

327 ft · 7 sec

Toward I 30, I 35E

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 20 sec

Toward I 30 West, I 35E South Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork

330 ft · 8 sec

Toward I 35E South Use the slight left / slight right lanes.

Merge onto I 35E

0.8 mi · 1 min · South Stemmons Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on I 35E

0.5 mi · 44 sec · South R L Thornton Freeway

Continue on I 35E

89 mi · 1 hr 31 min · South R L Thornton Freeway

Exit 426 Toward Dallas Zoo Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on I 35; US 77

0.1 mi · 8 sec · North Jack Kultgen Expressway

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 53 sec

Exit 337 Toward US 77 Business: Elm Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Turn straight onto North Jack Kultgen Expressway

0.1 mi · 16 sec · North Jack Kultgen Expressway

Turn left onto US 77 Bus

1.0 mi · 1 min · North Loop Drive

Continue on Loop 484

2.7 mi · 3 min · Marlin Highway

Continue on TX 6

9.1 mi · 9 min · East State Highway 6

Continue on TX 6

2.1 mi · 2 min · North Memorial Street

Continue on TX 6

37 mi · 37 min · East State Highway 6

Continue on TX 6

2.2 mi · 3 min · North Main Street

Continue on TX 6

6.2 mi · 6 min · North State Highway 6

Continue on US 79; TX 6

2.1 mi · 2 min · North Market Street

Continue on US 190; TX 6

14 mi · 14 min · South State Highway 6

Continue on US 190; TX 6

30 mi · 31 min · North Earl Rudder Freeway

Continue on TX 6

22 mi · 25 min · State Highway 6

Use the straight / right lanes.

Continue on US 290 Business

423 ft · 10 sec · US 290 Business

Toward US 290 East, TX 6 South

Turn left

0.4 mi · 48 sec

Toward US 290 East, TX 6 South Use the left lane.

Merge onto US 290

5.0 mi · 5 min · US 290

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 50 sec

Toward Prairie View A&M University

Keep slight left at fork

129 ft · 5 sec

Use the left lane.

Turn left onto FM 1098

0.6 mi · 1 min · Sandra Bland Parkway

Use the left lane.

Continue on University Drive

0.3 mi · 1 min · University Drive

At end of road, turn left onto L. W. Minor Street

10 ft · 0 sec · L. W. Minor Street

Arrive at destination

L. W. Minor Street

Trip Plan

With a drive time of just over 4 hours, this trip is easily completed in a single day. Consider leaving Dallas in the morning to give yourself ample time for the drive and to arrive in Prairie View before evening. You'll encounter only one recommended stop, but with a longest stretch of 89.9 miles, you might want to plan for a brief break during that segment. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as the estimated cost is $35, and it’s always wise to top off before embarking on a journey of this length.

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.

Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.

The halfway point lands around 114.1 miles from Dallas, TX, or about 2h into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 89.9 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 50 miles or 52m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 114.1 miles or 2h in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 17m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Prairie View, 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.

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 Dallas, TX

This is one driving day of about 228.3 miles and 4h 5m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 50 miles from Dallas, 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 South R L Thornton Freeway for about 89.9 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Waco, TX

114 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

Italy, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 50 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Groesbeck, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 114.1 miles from Dallas, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, short detour

1.4 mi from route ~3 min detour

Dallas, Texas

Hours: 10 am–5 pm

+19724823055

Visit website

Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 227.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

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

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

91.7 mi into trip | ~1h 35m in

Take the exit toward US 77 Business: Elm Avenue

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 337 Toward US 77 Business: Elm Avenue

221.6 mi into trip | ~3h 55m in

Turn left toward US 290 East, TX 6 South

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the left lane. Toward US 290 East, TX 6 South

227.4 mi into trip | ~4h 3m in

Keep slight left at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$31.27 one way

$62.54 round trip

$3.48/gal 25.4 MPG avg 80 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$3.89	$34.93	$69.86
premium	$4.23	$37.98	$75.95
diesel	$4.80	$43.11	$86.21

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$31

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$56–$81

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 79.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $24 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	Stops	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	68.5	0	$23.97	$10.96
Efficient EV	57.1	0	$19.98	$9.13
EV Truck/SUV	91.3	1	$31.96	$14.61

Gas CO2

80 kg

EV CO2

27 kg (66% less)

Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.

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 Jul 18, 2026

Origin

Dallas, TX

Late night in Dallas on Sunday

Local time

5:42 AM

CDT

Current temp

97°F

Mostly Sunny

S 5 to 10 mph 2% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 18 at 12:27PM CDT until July 20 at 3:00AM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 18 at 9:55AM CDT until July 19 at 11:00AM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX

Destination

Prairie View, TX

Late night in Prairie View on Sunday

Local time

5:42 AM

CDT

Current temp

93°F

Mostly Sunny

S 5 mph 9% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 18 at 12:27PM CDT until July 20 at 3:00AM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 18 at 9:55AM CDT until July 19 at 11:00AM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio 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

4 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

4h 5m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

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...

6 mi from route ~14 min detour Free near mile 86.6

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 is predominantly a highway drive, with 94% of the journey utilizing major roadways. You'll experience long, uninterrupted stretches, including one segment of 89.9 miles on South R L Thornton Freeway. The profile suggests a consistent pace on the main roads like East State Highway 6 and North Earl Rudder Freeway. Expect a driving experience that prioritizes efficiency and steady progress, characteristic of a well-connected highway system.

94% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.

32 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.

Longest single stretch: 89.9 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 State Highway 6. 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

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a demanding drive. With 13 significant decision points across 228.3 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 0.6 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; at 91.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

670 ft 209 ft

Total Climb

458 ft

Total Descent

618 ft

Highest Point

670 ft

~48.9 mi in

Elevation Range

462 ft

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 4h 5m. Total distance: 228.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

4h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 89.9 miles on South R L Thornton Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 15 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 Prairie View, 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 15 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.

Yes — Waco Mammoth National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Possible but tiring. At 4.1 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.2 hours — manageable with a long break at Prairie View, TX, but most travelers stay overnight.

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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Explore more options from Dallas, TX or browse trips ending in Prairie View, TX.

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Trip from Dallas, TX to Prairie View, TX

Best Time to Leave

Trip Overview

Main Roads

Traffic on I-35

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Trip Plan

Before You Leave

Where to Stop

Pacing Suggestions

Stops Along Your Drive

Love's Travel Stop

Hill County Northbound Rest Area

Love's Travel Stop

Petro Stopping Centers

Service Plaza

QuikTrip

Hill County Southbound Rest Area

Pilot Travel Center

Road Ranger

Love's Travel Stop

Buc-ee's

TA

Love's Travel Stop

Service Plaza

Pilot Travel Center

City Park

Heads-up: tricky spots

Fuel & Cost

Travel Intel

Dallas, TX

Prairie View, TX

Same local time

4 degrees cooler at arrival

4h 5m on the road

National Parks Near This Route

Waco Mammoth National Monument

What kind of drive is this?

How Hard Is This Drive?

Elevation Profile

About the Cities

Starting in Dallas, TX

Who Is This Route For?

Frequently Asked Questions

Which road carries most of the drive?

Are there rest areas on this route?

Should I avoid arriving after dark?

Is this a good trip with kids?

Where does this route get tricky?

Are there national parks near this route?

Can I do this as a round trip in one go?

How this page is built

Explore More

Continue From Prairie View, TX

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