Origin
Dickinson, TX
Late night in Dickinson on Sunday
Local time
2:28 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Dickinson, TX to Houston, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
39m
Distance
31.2 mi
50 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 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Dickinson, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Houston, TX
Trace Hudson
Trip Overview
This quick 31.2-mile drive from Dickinson to Houston, Texas, is easily manageable in about 39 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. You'll spend most of your time on highways, with 90% of the route being high-speed roads, so it's a straightforward journey. The estimated fuel cost is around $5, which is quite economical for this short distance. Both Dickinson and Houston are situated in the Great Plains region, so you won't experience a dramatic shift in landscape. This route is ideal for a quick commute or a short hop between these two Texas locations, requiring no overnight stops.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Gulf Freeway | 27.2 mi | 31m |
| Pine Drive | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Gulf Freeway Frontage Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| Pine Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Louisiana Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Rusk Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Memorial Drive Frontage Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Gulf Freeway
— 27.2 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Dickinson, TX and Houston, TX.
1
Start on FM 517
159 ft
·
4 sec
·
Main Street
2
Continue on FM 517
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
Pine Street
3
Continue on FM 517
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Pine Drive
4
Turn right onto Gulf Freeway Frontage Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Gulf Freeway Frontage Road
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Toward I 45 North
Use the slight left lane.
6
Merge onto I 45
27 mi
·
31 min
·
South Gulf Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 47B
Toward Houston Avenue, Memorial Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork
444 ft
·
14 sec
Toward Memorial Drive
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Turn right onto Memorial Drive Frontage Road
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Memorial Drive Frontage Road
10
Continue on Rusk Street
0.3 mi
·
52 sec
·
Rusk Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Turn left onto Louisiana Street
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Louisiana Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
12
Arrive at destination
Louisiana Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 2.7 and 30.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
2.7 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward I 45 North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 45 North
5
2.9 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 45 / South Gulf Freeway
Merge onto I 45 / South Gulf Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
30.1 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward Houston Avenue, Memorial Drive
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 47B
Toward Houston Avenue, Memorial Drive
8
30.4 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Memorial Drive
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Memorial Drive
6
30.9 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
Louisiana Street
Turn left onto Louisiana Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.71 one way
$9.43 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $5.16 | $10.32 |
| premium | $4.54 | $5.57 | $11.14 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.89 | $13.78 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.28 | $1.50 |
| Efficient EV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.73 | $1.25 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.5 | 0 | $4.37 | $2.00 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Houston, TX
Late night in Houston on Sunday
Local time
2:28 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Mostly Cloudy
S 5 to 10 mph
8% chance
Live forecast
Dust Advisory
Dust Advisory issued April 18 at 12:07AM CDT until April 18 at 2:00AM CDT by NWS Midland/Odessa TX
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 18 at 12:00AM CDT until April 18 at 12:45AM CDT by NWS Norman OK
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
5 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
39m 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?
Expect a highway-focused drive for the majority of this trip, as 90% of the route involves major roadways like the South Gulf Freeway and Gulf Freeway Frontage Road. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 27.2 miles on the South Gulf Freeway, offering a consistent pace. While primarily a highway experience, you will navigate through some local roads like Pine Drive, providing brief transitions between the faster sections. The overall feel is one of efficient travel, designed for covering ground quickly within the urban and suburban sprawl of the Houston area.
90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 27.2 mi on South Gulf Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on South Gulf Freeway and Pine Drive. You will hit about 7 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.7 miles in.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 31.2 miles you will encounter 7 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 2.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles (I 45 / South Gulf Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Arriving in Houston, TX
Full guide →“Space City” · Founded 1836
Houston is a sprawling port city in Southeastern Texas. An oil boom and continuing international immigration has brought explosive growth to the city, and it is now the fifth largest metropolitan area in the United States and the most diverse large city since 2021. While at first glance, the city appears to be a 9-5 central business district surrounded by a sea of suburbs and strip malls, there are many hidden gems to be discovered.
Top landmarks
- • Museum of Fine Arts, Houston — art museum in Houston, Texas
- • Astrodome — historic place in Houston, Harris County, Texas
- • Rothko Chapel — building in Houston, Harris 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 39m. Total distance: 31.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 27.2 miles on South Gulf Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 2.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles (I 45 / South Gulf Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.1 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 Houston, 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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