Trip from Freer, TX to Dallas, TX

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 20, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

7h 5m

Distance

389.3 mi

627 km

Drive Score

10/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$53

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 33 min

4 AM

6h 55m ★

6 AM

7h 6m

8 AM

7h 28m

10 AM

7h 13m

12 PM

7h 11m

3 PM

7h 15m

5 PM

7h 27m

8 PM

6h 59m

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

Freer, TX

Thomas balabaud

Dallas, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Freer to Dallas is 389.3 miles and takes about 7h 5m via Purple Heart Trail, Pickle Parkway, and I 35E, with a fuel budget near $59 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip takes you from the Great Plains region of South Texas up to the same region in North Texas. It's a solid one-day drive if you're looking to cover ground efficiently. You'll be on a mix of roads, so be prepared for varying conditions. Factor in your two recommended stops to break up the journey and stay refreshed.

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

2 planned breaks

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

194.7 miles from Freer, TX

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 46m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Purple Heart Trail	97.7 mi	1h 39m
Pickle Parkway	58.5 mi	54m
I 35E	58.1 mi	1h
US 59	42.9 mi	48m
King David Drive	31.8 mi	39m
State Highway 80 North	30.8 mi	35m
State Highway 80	23.6 mi	25m
Nueces Street	11.1 mi	14m

Longest stretch: Purple Heart Trail — 97.7 mi, about 1h 39m

Traffic on I-35

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 48 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~4,007 veh/hr typical · worst 4,783

Quietest

2 AM

~579 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

6.9×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 51 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 Freer, TX and Dallas, TX.

Start on US 59; TX 44

1.4 mi · 1 min · Riley Street

Turn left onto US 59

43 mi · 48 min · US 59

Turn left onto US 281

11 mi · 14 min · Nueces Street

Turn right onto TX 72

32 mi · 39 min · King David Drive

Continue on TX 72; TX 239

0.8 mi · 1 min · West Main Street

Keep slight left at fork onto TX 72; TX 239

233 ft · 3 sec · East Main Street

Continue on FM 792

8.4 mi · 10 min · Helena Road

Turn straight onto TX 80

24 mi · 25 min · State Highway 80

Continue on TX 80

1.0 mi · 2 min · South Nixon Avenue

Continue on TX 80; TX 97

31 mi · 35 min · State Highway 80 North

Continue on US 183

10 mi · 11 min · US 183

Continue on US 183

4.9 mi · 8 min · South Colorado Street

Continue on US 183

0.2 mi · 16 sec · United States Highway 183

Keep slight left at fork

0.5 mi · 35 sec

Toward TX 130 Toll North: Austin, Waco

Merge onto TX 130 Toll

59 mi · 54 min · Pickle Parkway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 49 sec

Toward I 35 North: Waco Use the slight left / slight right lanes.

Merge onto I 35

65 mi · 1 hr 6 min · Purple Heart Trail

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on I 35

6.6 mi · 7 min · South Jack Kultgen Expressway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on I 35; US 77

33 mi · 33 min · Purple Heart Trail

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E

58 mi · 1 hr · I 35E

Toward I 35E: Dallas Use the slight right lane.

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 30 sec

Exit 429A Toward Continental Avenue Use the slight right lane.

Turn right onto Continental Avenue

0.2 mi · 31 sec · Continental Avenue

Use the right lane.

Turn slight right onto North Lamar Street

433 ft · 10 sec · North Lamar Street

Arrive at destination

North Lamar Street

Trip Plan

To make the most of this 7-hour drive, aim for an early morning departure from Freer to maximize daylight. With two recommended stops, you can pace yourself effectively, perhaps taking one around the halfway point. Keep an eye on fuel levels, especially during the longer stretches on the Purple Heart Trail, as services might be more spread out. This is a manageable one-day trip, so you have flexibility in your schedule. A good tip is to ensure your vehicle is serviced before you leave, as the 97.7-mile stretch on the Purple Heart Trail is a significant portion of the drive.

Morning Departure

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

Evening Departure

This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.

You can normally do this drive in one day.

Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.

The halfway point lands around 194.7 miles from Freer, TX, or about 3h 46m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 97.7 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 86 miles or 1h 42m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 194.7 miles or 3h 46m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 6h 2m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Dallas, TX than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Freer, 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.

Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Freer, TX

This is one driving day of about 389.3 miles and 7h 5m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 86 miles from Freer, TX.

This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.

The longest stretch is on Purple Heart Trail for about 97.7 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Montopolis, TX

195 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

George West, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 86 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Montopolis, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 194.7 miles from Freer, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

2.5 mi from route

City Park

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, short detour

Home stretch 1.4 mi from route ~3 min detour

Dallas, Texas

Hours: 10 am–5 pm

+19724823055

Visit website

NTER - The Great Escape

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, short detour

Home stretch 1.7 mi from route ~4 min detour

Waxahachie, Texas

Hours: 5–9 pm

+12149801053

Visit website

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

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 167.1 and 389 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

167.1 mi into trip | ~3h 20m in

Keep slight left at fork toward TX 130 Toll North: Austin, Waco

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward TX 130 Toll North: Austin, Waco

226 mi into trip | ~4h 15m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 35 North: Waco

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward I 35 North: Waco

330.7 mi into trip | ~6h 3m in | I 35E

Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E toward I 35E: Dallas

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 35E: Dallas

388.8 mi into trip | ~7h 4m in

Take the exit toward Continental Avenue

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 429A Toward Continental Avenue

389 mi into trip | ~7h 4m in | Continental Avenue

Turn right onto Continental Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$53.32 one way

$106.64 round trip

$3.48/gal 25.4 MPG avg 136 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$3.89	$59.56	$119.12
premium	$4.23	$64.76	$129.51
diesel	$4.80	$73.51	$147.01

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$53

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$78–$103

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 136.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $41 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	Stops	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	116.8	1	$40.88	$18.69
Efficient EV	97.3	1	$34.06	$15.57
EV Truck/SUV	155.7	1	$54.50	$24.92

Gas CO2

136 kg

EV CO2

46 kg (66% 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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Jul 19, 2026

Origin

Freer, TX

Evening in Freer on Monday

Local time

6:52 PM

CDT

Current temp

77°F

Mostly Cloudy

SSE 14 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 19 at 2:06AM CDT until July 20 at 5:00AM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 19 at 2:06AM CDT until July 21 at 6:00AM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX

Destination

Dallas, TX

Evening in Dallas on Monday

Local time

6:52 PM

CDT

Current temp

79°F

Partly Cloudy

S 5 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 19 at 2:06AM CDT until July 20 at 5:00AM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 19 at 2:06AM CDT until July 21 at 6:00AM 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

2 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

7h 5m on the road

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

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...

5 mi from route ~12 min detour Free near mile 295.4

View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

What kind of drive is this?

This drive offers a mixed experience, with 59% of it on highways. You'll encounter stretches on the Purple Heart Trail, Pickle Parkway, and I 35E. The longest uninterrupted segment is 97.7 miles on the Purple Heart Trail, providing a good opportunity to settle in. As you progress north, the road character will shift, transitioning from more local routes to the faster pace of the interstate. Expect a dynamic drive rather than a monotonous one.

59% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.

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

Longest single stretch: 97.7 mi on Purple Heart Trail.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 167.1 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 11 significant decision points across 389.3 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 167.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 226 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 330.7 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

826 ft 177 ft

Total Climb

905 ft

Total Descent

992 ft

Highest Point

826 ft

~333.7 mi in

Elevation Range

649 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Freer, TX to Dallas, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Waco along the way.

Waco

167.1 mi in | ~3h 20m

About the Cities

Starting in Freer, TX

Full guide →

Arriving 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 7h 5m. Total distance: 389.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

7h 5m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 97.7 miles on Purple Heart Trail. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 28 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 Dallas, 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 2 meaningful breaks. There are 28 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.

Not recommended in a single day. At 7.1 hours each way, a round trip means 14.2 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Dallas, TX before the return drive.

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 Freer, TX or browse trips ending in Dallas, TX.

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Trip from Freer, TX to Dallas, 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

Quality Services Towing & Tires

Hill County Northbound Rest Area

Flying J Travel Plaza

Pilot Travel Center

Hill County Southbound Rest Area

Flying J Travel Center

Love's Travel Stop

Love's Travel Stop

Petro Stopping Centers

Buc-ee's

Service Plaza

QuikTrip

QuikTrip

Circle K

Bell County Northbound Rest Area

Pilot Travel Center

Bell County Southbound Rest Area

QuikTrip

Walburg Travel Center & Food Court

Road Ranger

Love's Travel Stop

QuikTrip

Buc-ee's

TA

Service Plaza

Love's Travel Stop

Service Plaza

Pilot Travel Center

City Park

NTER - The Great Escape

Heads-up: tricky spots

Fuel & Cost

Travel Intel

Freer, TX

Dallas, TX

Same local time

2 degrees warmer at arrival

7h 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

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

About the Cities

Starting in Freer, TX

Arriving 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

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