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Trip from Friendswood, TX to Village of Tiki Island, TX

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

36m

Distance

27.1 mi

44 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 34m ★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m

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
Downtown Friendswood, TX, TX

Friendswood, TX

Action Construction Equipment Ltd. - ACE

Downtown Village of Tiki Island, TX, TX

Village of Tiki Island, TX

ZaetaFlow Sec

Trip Overview

Friendswood, TX to Village of Tiki Island, TX is 27.1 miles and takes about 36m via North Gulf Freeway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short, single-day trip stays within the Great Plains region, making for a straightforward journey. You'll primarily be on highway, so expect a quick transit between these two Texas locations. It's a practical option if you're looking to cover a small distance with minimal fuss, allowing you to reach your destination without a significant time commitment.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
North Gulf Freeway 19.2 mi 22m
FM 528 1.9 mi 2m
East Parkwood Avenue 1.7 mi 2m
Gulf Freeway Frontage Road 1.4 mi 2m
South Friendswood Drive 1.2 mi 2m
Tiki Drive 0.8 mi 1m
East Winding Way Drive 0.3 mi <1m
Tahiti <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: North Gulf Freeway — 19.2 mi, about 22m

Traffic on I-45

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 2 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

5 PM

~3,016 veh/hr typical · worst 3,885

Quietest

2 AM

~129 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

23.4×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 50 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 Friendswood, TX and Village of Tiki Island, TX.

1

Start on FM 518

1.2 mi · 2 min · South Friendswood Drive
2

Turn slight left onto East Winding Way Drive

0.3 mi · 56 sec · East Winding Way Drive
3

Turn left onto FM 528

1.7 mi · 2 min · East Parkwood Avenue
Use the left lane.
4

Continue on FM 528

1.9 mi · 2 min · FM 528
5

Turn slight right

156 ft · 5 sec
Use the right lane.
6

Turn slight right onto Gulf Freeway Frontage Road

1.4 mi · 2 min · Gulf Freeway Frontage Road
Use the right lane.
7

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 33 sec
Toward I 45 South
8

Merge onto I 45

19 mi · 22 min · North Gulf Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Exit 4 Toward Village of Tiki Island Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight right at fork

171 ft · 4 sec
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Turn left onto Tiki Drive

0.8 mi · 1 min · Tiki Drive
12

Turn right onto Tahiti

175 ft · 7 sec · Tahiti
13

Arrive at destination

Tahiti

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.6 and 26.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
1.6 mi into trip | ~3m in | FM 528 / East Parkwood Avenue

Turn left onto FM 528 / East Parkwood Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
3
5.2 mi into trip | ~8m in

Turn slight right

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
5
6.9 mi into trip | ~12m in | I 45 / North Gulf Freeway

Merge onto I 45 / North Gulf Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
26.1 mi into trip | ~34m in

Take the exit toward Village of Tiki Island

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 4 Toward Village of Tiki Island
7
26.2 mi into trip | ~34m in

Keep slight right at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.71 one way

$7.42 round trip

$3.48/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $3.89 $4.15 $8.29
premium $4.23 $4.51 $9.02
diesel $4.80 $5.12 $10.23

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.1 0 $2.85 $1.30
Efficient EV 6.8 0 $2.37 $1.08
EV Truck/SUV 10.8 0 $3.79 $1.73

Gas CO2

9 kg

EV CO2

3 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.

Forecast as of Jul 19, 2026

Origin

Friendswood, TX

Afternoon in Friendswood on Sunday

Local time

2:54 PM

CDT

Current temp

95°F

Sunny

SW 5 to 10 mph 2% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 19 at 2:25PM CDT until July 21 at 12:08AM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 19 at 2:23PM CDT until July 22 at 11:17AM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX

Destination

Village of Tiki Island, TX

Afternoon in Village of Tiki Island on Sunday

Local time

2:54 PM

CDT

Current temp

90°F

Sunny

S 10 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 19 at 2:25PM CDT until July 21 at 12:08AM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 19 at 2:23PM CDT until July 22 at 11:17AM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX

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 cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

36m 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 drive is heavily highway-focused, with 83% of the journey taking place on major roadways like the North Gulf Freeway. You'll experience a longest continuous stretch of 19.2 miles on the North Gulf Freeway, offering a good opportunity to maintain a steady pace. The route incorporates FM 528 and East Parkwood Avenue, suggesting a transition from a more direct freeway experience to local road navigation as you approach your destination. Overall, expect a driving experience that prioritizes speed and efficiency over winding scenic byways.

83% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.2 mi on North Gulf Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on North Gulf Freeway and FM 528. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.6 miles in near FM 528 / East Parkwood Avenue.

Driving Effort 7/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 27.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.6 miles (FM 528 / East Parkwood Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 6.9 miles (I 45 / North Gulf Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

29 ft 6 ft

Total Climb

18 ft

Total Descent

41 ft

Highest Point

29 ft

Elevation Range

23 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Friendswood, TX

Full guide →

Founded 1960

Arriving in Village of Tiki Island, TX

Full guide →

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 36m. Total distance: 27.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

36m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 19.2 miles on North Gulf Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza 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 Village of Tiki Island, 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 1.6 miles (FM 528 / East Parkwood Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 6.9 miles (I 45 / North Gulf Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Village of Tiki Island, 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, 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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