Van Zandt County Westbound Rest Area
0 mi from route
Trip from Dallas, TX to San Augustine, TX
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 20, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
3h 54m
Distance
207 mi
333 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$28
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
3h 42m
★
6 AM
3h 55m
8 AM
4h 21m
10 AM
4h 4m
12 PM
4h 1m
3 PM
4h 5m
5 PM
4h 19m
8 PM
3h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Dallas, TX
Wikimedia Commons
San Augustine, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Dallas to San Augustine is 207 miles and takes about 3 hours 54 minutes via I 20 and US 96, with a fuel budget near $32 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This mostly highway trip begins in the Great Plains region of Texas and ends in the same region. Expect a straightforward drive with a high percentage of highway miles, making it a good option for a quick trip. The route is designed for a single day of travel, so you can easily make it to San Augustine with plenty of time to spare.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
103.5 miles from Dallas, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 49m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 20 | 91.8 mi | 1h 31m |
| US 96 | 27.6 mi | 30m |
| TX 149 | 25.7 mi | 38m |
| US 80 | 19.2 mi | 20m |
| US 59 | 16.8 mi | 19m |
| East R L Thornton Freeway | 5.9 mi | 7m |
| FM 349 | 4.8 mi | 6m |
| Spur 557 | 4.5 mi | 4m |
Longest stretch:
I 20
— 91.8 mi, about 1h 31m
Traffic on I-20
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 16 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,892 veh/hr typical · worst 2,466
Quietest
2 AM
~279 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
6.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 48 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 San Augustine, TX.
1
Start on North Lamar Street
0.3 mi
·
53 sec
·
North Lamar Street
2
Turn left onto Commerce Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Commerce Street
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Toward I 45 South
Use the straight / left lanes.
4
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Toward I 30
Use the slight right lane.
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Toward I 30 East
6
Merge onto I 30; US 67
5.9 mi
·
7 min
·
East R L Thornton Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto US 80
19 mi
·
20 min
·
US 80
Exit 53B
Toward US 80 East: Terrell
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Continue on Spur 557
4.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Spur 557
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 20
92 mi
·
1 hr 31 min
·
I 20
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Toward FM 2011, FM 2087
11
Continue on FM 2011
2.8 mi
·
3 min
·
FM 2011
12
Turn left onto FM 349
4.8 mi
·
6 min
·
FM 349
13
Turn right onto TX 149
26 mi
·
38 min
·
TX 149
14
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
15
Merge onto US 79; TX 149
4.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Northwest Loop
16
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
Toward US 59 South: Houston
17
Turn right onto US 59
17 mi
·
19 min
·
US 59
18
Continue on US 96
28 mi
·
30 min
·
US 96
19
Turn left onto TX 21
523 ft
·
8 sec
·
TX 21
20
Continue on TX 21
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
West Columbia Street
21
Turn straight onto TX 21
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West Main Street
22
Turn left onto FM 2213
373 ft
·
12 sec
·
South Liberty Street
23
Turn right onto Loop 547
289 ft
·
8 sec
·
Columbia Street
24
Arrive at destination
Loop 547
Trip Plan
With a drive time under 4 hours, you have flexibility on when to depart. Leaving Dallas in the morning will get you to San Augustine well before evening. You'll encounter only one recommended stop, so plan for that to be your primary break. Since it's a relatively short, single-day drive, focus on keeping your fuel tank topped off before leaving Dallas, as the estimated fuel cost is only $32. The majority of the drive is on interstates, so the main thing to watch for is traffic exiting and entering I 20 near the Dallas area.
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 103.5 miles from Dallas, TX, or about 1h 49m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 91.8 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 46 miles or 51m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 103.5 miles or 1h 49m 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 13m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near San Augustine, 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 207 miles and 3h 54m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 46 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 I 20 for about 91.8 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
104 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 46 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 103.5 miles from Dallas, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 20 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 91.8 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.
Van Zandt County Eastbound Rest Area
0 mi from route
Love's Travel Stop
0.1 mi from route
Service Plaza
0.1 mi from route
Winona Westbound Picnic Area
0.1 mi from route
Winona Eastbound Picnic Area
0.1 mi from route
Love's Travel Stop
0.1 mi from route
Service Plaza
0.1 mi from route
TA Express
0.1 mi from route
TA Express
0.1 mi from route
QuikTrip
0.1 mi from route
TA
0.2 mi from route
Texas Best Smokehouse Travel Plaza
0.2 mi from route
Pilot Travel Center
0.2 mi from route
Love's Travel Stop
0.2 mi from route
QuikTrip
0.2 mi from route
Buc-ee's
0.3 mi from route
Love's Travel Stop
2.3 mi from route
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 175 decision points cluster between mile 1.2 and 7.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 45 South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Toward I 45 South
8
1.4 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 30
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 30
5
1.6 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 30 East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 30 East
5
2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 30; US 67 / East R L Thornton Freeway
Merge onto I 30; US 67 / East R L Thornton Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
7.8 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
US 80
Keep slight right at fork onto US 80 toward US 80 East: Terrell
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 53B
Toward US 80 East: Terrell
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$28.35 one way
$56.70 round trip
$3.48/gal
25.4 MPG avg
72 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $3.89 | $31.67 | $63.34 |
| premium | $4.23 | $34.43 | $68.86 |
| diesel | $4.80 | $39.09 | $78.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$28
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$53–$78
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 72.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $22 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 62.1 | 0 | $21.74 | $9.94 |
| Efficient EV | 51.8 | 0 | $18.11 | $8.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 82.8 | 1 | $28.98 | $13.25 |
Gas CO2
72 kg
EV CO2
24 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.
Origin
Dallas, TX
Late night in Dallas on Monday
Local time
2:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
73°F
Mostly Cloudy
S 5 to 10 mph
10% chance
Live forecast
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued July 15 at 6:43PM CDT until July 16 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX
Dust Advisory
Dust Advisory issued July 15 at 4:59PM MDT until July 15 at 7:00PM MDT by NWS El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM
Destination
San Augustine, TX
Late night in San Augustine on Monday
Local time
2:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Mostly Cloudy
0 mph
13% chance
Live forecast
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued July 15 at 6:43PM CDT until July 16 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX
Dust Advisory
Dust Advisory issued July 15 at 4:59PM MDT until July 15 at 7:00PM MDT by NWS El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM
97°F
Gladewater, TX
104 mi in
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
3 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
3h 54m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend 94% of this trip on highways, so expect smooth sailing for most of the 207 miles. The longest stretch without a significant change in road type is 91.8 miles on I 20. After leaving I 20, you'll transition to US 96 and TX 149, which will feel more like cruising through rural Texas. Given the highway focus, be prepared for a steady pace with fewer intersections until you reach the latter part of the route.
94% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 91.8 mi on I 20.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 20 and US 96. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 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 17 significant decision points across 207 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 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
539 ft
258 ft
Total Climb
320 ft
Total Descent
378 ft
Highest Point
539 ft
~88.7 mi in
Elevation Range
281 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Dallas, TX and San Augustine, TX, road signs point toward Fm 2011 and Fm 2087.
Fm 2011
123.3 mi in
|
~2h 8m
Fm 2087
123.3 mi in
|
~2h 8m
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...
Arriving in San Augustine, TX
Full guide →San Augustine is a picturesque town in Deep East Texas, and the site of Mission Dolores, one of the first Spanish missions established in east Texas in the early 18th century. Today, San Augustine is a Texas Main Street Community of 1900 people (2020) with several old buildings in its historic downtown. It is within an hour's drive of two of east Texas' largest lakes: Sam Rayburn Reservoir and Toledo Bend Reservoir.
Top landmarks
- • San Augustine County Courthouse and Jail — historic place in San Augustine, San Augustine County, Texas
- • Ezekiel W. Cullen House — building in San Augustine, San Augustine 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 3h 54m. Total distance: 207 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 54m 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 91.8 miles on I 20. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 18 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 San Augustine, 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 18 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Possible but tiring. At 3.9 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.8 hours — manageable with a long break at San Augustine, 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, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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