Dark Hour Haunted House
Near the end, right off the route
Plano, Texas
+14692980556
Visit websiteCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
5h 35m
Distance
317.4 mi
511 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$48
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Floresville, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Plano, TX
Wikimedia Commons
If you are planning a trip from Floresville to Plano, you are looking at a 317.4-mile trek that takes approximately 5 hours and 35 minutes to complete. This journey keeps you entirely within the Great Plains region of Texas, making it a straightforward north-bound corridor. Because the drive is manageable in a single day, you can easily complete it without needing an overnight stay, though you should budget about $48 for fuel. You will primarily navigate via the Purple Heart Trail, Pickle Parkway, and I-35E. It is a practical, highway-focused route that is best suited for those looking to get from point A to point B efficiently.
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
158.7 miles from Floresville, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 47m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Purple Heart Trail | 97.7 mi | 1h 39m |
| Pickle Parkway | 86 mi | 1h 19m |
| I 35E | 56.2 mi | 58m |
| North Central Expressway | 16.6 mi | 18m |
| Farm to Market Road 775 | 14.9 mi | 20m |
| I 10 | 12.4 mi | 12m |
| FM 539 | 8.3 mi | 10m |
| US 87 | 6.8 mi | 8m |
Step-by-step road directions between Floresville, TX and Plano, TX.
Start on this road
Turn right onto Loop 181
Turn right onto FM 536
Turn left onto FM 539
Turn left onto US 87
Turn sharp right onto FM 775
Turn right onto Loop 321; FM 775
Turn left onto FM 775
Continue on FM 775
Turn right onto West Interstate 10
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 10; US 90; TX 130
Continue on I 10; TX 130
Take the exit
Continue on TX 130 Toll
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 35
Continue on I 35
Continue on I 35; US 77
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Continue on I 30; US 67
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto US 75
Continue on US 75
Take the exit
Turn straight onto North Central Expressway
Turn right onto East 15th Street
Arrive at destination
To keep your drive smooth, plan for at least one dedicated stop to break up the 317.4-mile haul. Since the route is highway-heavy, try to avoid peak traffic hours when merging onto I-35E, as congestion can quickly increase your 5-hour-and-35-minute estimated time. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge throughout the journey, keeping that $48 budget in mind for your refill stops. A great strategy is to leave Floresville early in the morning to maximize your daylight hours and stay ahead of the flow of traffic. Given the efficiency of this route, your biggest advantage is the flexibility to adjust your departure time to suit your personal schedule.
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.
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 70 miles or 1h 22m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 158.7 miles or 2h 47m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 31m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Plano, TX than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Floresville, 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 Floresville, TX
This is one driving day of about 317.4 miles and 5h 35m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
159 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.
A short stop after about 70 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 158.7 miles from Floresville, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Purple Heart Trail if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 97.7 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Restaurants, cafes, gas stations and more along your route.
Near the end, right off the route
Plano, Texas
+14692980556
Visit websiteAround the midpoint, short detour
Waco, Texas
Hours: Open 24 hours
Visit websiteNear the end, right off the route
Plano, Texas
Hours: 12–5:30 pm
+14692095978
Visit websiteNear the end, short detour
Waxahachie, Texas
Hours: 5–9 pm
+12149801053
Visit websiteNear the end, short detour
Plano, Texas
Hours: Closed
+19728810140
Visit websiteNear the end, short detour
Dallas, Texas
Hours: 10 am–5 pm
+19724823055
Visit websiteAround the midpoint, ~12 min detour
Salado, Texas
Hours: 9 am–5 pm
+12549478634
Visit websitePlace data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
5 decision points cluster between mile 48.3 and 315 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward TX 130 Toll North: Austin, Waco
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 35 North: Waco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
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
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
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
Regular Gas
$47.96 one way
$95.92 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $52.50 | $104.99 |
| premium | $4.54 | $56.67 | $113.34 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $70.08 | $140.16 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.32
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$48
Tolls
$1
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$74–$99
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 111.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $33 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 95.2 | 1 | $33.33 | $15.24 |
| Efficient EV | 79.4 | 0 | $27.77 | $12.70 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 127 | 1 | $44.44 | $20.31 |
Gas CO2
111 kg
EV CO2
37 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Floresville on Sunday
Local time
3:06 AM
CDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Destination
Late night in Plano on Sunday
Local time
3:06 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
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...
National Historical Park
Welcome to San Antonio Missions, a National Park Service site and the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas. Each mission in the park is a center of community and has been since the early 1700s. Th...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Expect a trip defined by highway travel, as 61% of this route is comprised of major thoroughfares. You will spend a significant portion of your time on the Purple Heart Trail, which features the longest uninterrupted stretch of the trip at 97.7 miles. The drive transitions from the smaller roads near Floresville onto the faster-paced Pickle Parkway and eventually the I-35E corridor as you approach the Plano area. While you won't encounter technical mountain roads, the mix of highway infrastructure ensures a consistent pace throughout the 5-hour-plus drive. It is a functional, high-speed experience designed for long-distance transit.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Purple Heart Trail and Pickle Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 48.3 miles in.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 26 significant decision points across 317.4 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 48.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 135.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 296.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Floresville, TX and Plano, TX, road signs point toward Austin, Waco, Fort Worth, Texarkana, Convention Center and Mckinney - among others.
Austin
Waco
Fort Worth
Texarkana
Convention Center
Mckinney
Bryan Street East
Top landmarks
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).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 35m. Total distance: 317.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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