Origin
DeSoto, TX
Late night in DeSoto on Sunday
Local time
2:30 AM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from DeSoto, TX to Plano, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
44m
Distance
35.6 mi
57 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
DeSoto, TX
Action Construction Equipment Ltd. - ACE
Plano, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from DeSoto to Plano covers 35.6 miles through the Great Plains of Texas. With a travel time of approximately 44 minutes, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip. You will spend the vast majority of your time on major thoroughfares, specifically I-35E, the North Central Expressway, and East Belt Line Road. Budgeting about $5 for fuel makes this a very economical transit between these two cities. Since both locations are situated within the same region, you won't encounter major environmental shifts, keeping the experience consistent from start to finish. It is a straightforward, practical connection that functions best as a direct commute.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Central Expressway | 16.6 mi | 18m |
| I 35E | 11.2 mi | 12m |
| East Belt Line Road | 2 mi | 4m |
| East R L Thornton Freeway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Julius Schepps Freeway | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| East 15th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North Interstate 35E | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North Lyndalyn Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Central Expressway
— 16.6 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between DeSoto, TX and Plano, TX.
1
Start on North Hampton Road
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
North Hampton Road
2
Turn right onto Lion Street
336 ft
·
11 sec
·
Lion Street
3
Turn right onto North Lyndalyn Avenue
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
North Lyndalyn Avenue
4
Turn left onto FM 1382
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
East Belt Line Road
5
Turn left onto North Interstate 35E
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North Interstate 35E
Use the left / straight lanes.
6
Turn straight
0.3 mi
·
23 sec
Toward I 35E North
7
Merge onto I 35E
11 mi
·
12 min
·
I 35E
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
Exit 427A
Toward I 30 East: Texarkana, Riverfront Boulevard, Griffin Street
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
422 ft
·
5 sec
Toward I 35E North, I 30 West: Denton, Fort Worth, Texarkana
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 30 East: Texarkana, Convention Center
11
Keep slight left at fork
385 ft
·
6 sec
Toward I 30 East: Texarkana
12
Continue on I 30; US 67
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East R L Thornton Freeway
13
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
45 sec
Exit 46
Toward I 45, US 75: Houston, McKinney
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward US 75 North: McKinney
Use the slight left lane.
15
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
Toward US 75 North: McKinney, Bryan Street East
16
Merge onto US 75
0.7 mi
·
49 sec
·
Julius Schepps Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Continue on US 75
15 mi
·
16 min
·
North Central Expressway
Use the straight / right lanes.
18
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Exit 28A
Toward Plano Parkway, 15th Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Turn straight onto North Central Expressway
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
North Central Expressway
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
20
Turn right onto East 15th Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East 15th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
21
Arrive at destination
East 15th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 14.3 and 33.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
14.3 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward I 30 East: Texarkana, Riverfront Boulevard, Griffin Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 427A
Toward I 30 East: Texarkana, Riverfront Bouleva...
6
14.7 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 35E North, I 30 West: Denton, Fort Worth, Texarkana
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 35E North, I 30 West: Denton, Fort Wor...
8
16.1 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward I 45, US 75: Houston, McKinney
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 46
Toward I 45, US 75: Houston, McKinney
7
16.5 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 75 North: McKinney
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward US 75 North: McKinney
8
33.2 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Take the exit toward Plano Parkway, 15th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 28A
Toward Plano Parkway, 15th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.38 one way
$10.76 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $5.89 | $11.78 |
| premium | $4.54 | $6.36 | $12.71 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.86 | $15.72 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.32
Central Expressway
(16.6 mi)
$1.32
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$1
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.7 | 0 | $3.74 | $1.71 |
| Efficient EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.11 | $1.42 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.2 | 0 | $4.98 | $2.28 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Plano, TX
Late night in Plano on Sunday
Local time
2:30 AM
CDT
Current temp
54°F
Mostly Cloudy then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SW 15 mph
69% chance
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
20 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
44m 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?
This highway-focused drive is defined by its efficiency, with 84% of the journey spent on high-speed roads. You can expect a consistent flow as you transition between major arteries, including a significant 16.6-mile stretch along the North Central Expressway. The route lacks the winding character of rural backroads, favoring instead the predictable pace of a metropolitan transit corridor. While the drive is relatively short, the infrastructure demands your full attention due to the high volume of highway travel. You will find that the road maintains a steady, business-like personality from the moment you leave DeSoto until you arrive in Plano.
84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.6 mi on North Central Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on North Central Expressway and I 35E. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 14.3 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 35.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 44m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 14.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 DeSoto, TX and Plano, TX, road signs point toward Fort Worth, Texarkana, Convention Center, Mckinney and Bryan Street East.
Fort Worth
14.7 mi in
|
~19m
Texarkana
14.7 mi in
|
~19m
Convention Center
14.8 mi in
|
~19m
Mckinney
16.1 mi in
|
~21m
Bryan Street East
17 mi in
|
~22m
About the Cities
Arriving in Plano, TX
Full guide →Plano is a city of 285,000 people (2020) in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex region of Texas and is north of Dallas. It is home to the headquarters of several large corporations.
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 44m. Total distance: 35.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.6 miles on North Central Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.32 in tolls one way, starting with Central Expressway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 Plano, 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 14.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Plano, 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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