Trip from Garland, TX to Brownwood, TX

Pin this trip

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

Drive Time

6h 1m

Distance

317.7 mi

511 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$44

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 39 min

4 AM

5h 48m ★

6 AM

6h 1m

8 AM

6h 27m

10 AM

6h 10m

12 PM

6h 8m

3 PM

6h 12m

5 PM

6h 26m

8 PM

5h 53m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time

Google Maps Waze Apple Maps

Download GPX

Garland, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Brownwood, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Garland, TX to Brownwood, TX is 317.7 miles and takes about 6 hours 1 minute via I 30 and US Highway 67, with a fuel budget near $47 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Great Plains region, moving from the eastern edge toward the more central parts of Texas. You'll primarily be on highway stretches, making it a straightforward drive for a single day. Plan for a relatively quick transit between these two Texas locations.

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

158.9 miles from Garland, TX

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 56m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
I 30	131.8 mi	2h 16m
North J Elmer Weaver Freeway	61.7 mi	1h 10m
US Highway 67	34.4 mi	39m
Southwest Big Bend Trail	28.8 mi	32m
US Highway 259 South	16.3 mi	24m
South US Highway 377	7.5 mi	8m
Marvin D Love Freeway	5.3 mi	5m
Dublin Bypass	4.8 mi	5m

Longest stretch: I 30 — 131.8 mi, about 2h 16m

Traffic on I-30

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 18 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

7 AM

~3,768 veh/hr typical

Quietest

2 AM

~449 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

8.4×

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 Garland, TX and Brownwood, TX.

Start on FM 1701

2.1 mi · 5 min · FM 1701

At end of road, turn right onto US 259

16 mi · 24 min · US Highway 259 South

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 56 sec

Merge onto I 30

132 mi · 2 hr 16 min · I 30

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min

Exit 46A Toward I 35E: Denton, Waco Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork

0.1 mi · 14 sec

Toward I 35E South, I 35E North: Waco, Denton

Keep slight left at fork

221 ft · 5 sec

Toward I 35E North, I 35E South: Denton, Waco Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 30 sec

Toward I 35E South: Waco Use the left / right lanes.

Continue on I 35E

0.5 mi · 44 sec · South R L Thornton Freeway

Continue on I 35E

3.7 mi · 4 min · South R L Thornton Freeway

Exit 426 Toward Dallas Zoo Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 13 sec

Exit 423 Toward US 67 South: Cleburne, Kiest Boulevard

Keep slight left at fork onto US 67

5.3 mi · 5 min · Marvin D Love Freeway

Toward US 67 South: Cleburne Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on US 67

2.1 mi · 2 min · East S G Alexander Freeway

Use the right lane.

Continue on US 67

0.6 mi · 36 sec · West S G Alexander Freeway

Continue on US 67

62 mi · 1 hr 10 min · North J Elmer Weaver Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on US 67

29 mi · 32 min · Southwest Big Bend Trail

Continue on US 67

0.4 mi · 31 sec · Glen Rose Road

Turn left onto US 67; US 377

2.4 mi · 3 min · East South Loop

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on US 67; US 377

1.4 mi · 2 min · West Washington Street

Use the straight / right lanes.

Continue on US 67; US 377

7.5 mi · 8 min · South US Highway 377

Continue on US 67; US 377

4.8 mi · 5 min · Dublin Bypass

Continue on US 67; US 377

2.3 mi · 2 min · Southwest US Highway 377

Continue on US 67; US 377

15 mi · 17 min · US Highway 67

Continue on US 67; US 377; TX 36

2.9 mi · 3 min · East Central Avenue

Continue on US 67; US 377

19 mi · 21 min · US Highway 67

Continue on US 67; US 377

4.5 mi · 5 min · Early Boulevard

Continue on US 67; US 84; US 377

0.5 mi · 44 sec · East Commerce Street

Turn left onto US 377

1.6 mi · 2 min · Main Street

Turn left onto 8th Street

117 ft · 10 sec · 8th Street

Turn left onto Swiss Avenue

306 ft · 18 sec · Swiss Avenue

Turn left onto 7th Street

138 ft · 7 sec · 7th Street

Turn right

155 ft · 7 sec

Turn right

25 ft · 1 sec

Arrive at destination

Trip Plan

Given the 6-hour drive time, leaving Garland, TX in the morning is recommended to take full advantage of daylight. With only one recommended stop and a manageable fuel cost of around $47, this route is easily completed in a single day without feeling rushed. The longest stretch without exiting a major highway is over 130 miles, so ensure you have sufficient fuel before starting that segment. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge as you approach the end of US Highway 67, where services might be less frequent than on the interstate.

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 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.

The halfway point lands around 158.9 miles from Garland, TX, or about 2h 56m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 131.8 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 70 miles or 1h 23m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 158.9 miles or 2h 56m 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 54m

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

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Garland, 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 Garland, TX

This is one driving day of about 317.7 miles and 6h 1m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 70 miles from Garland, TX.

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

Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

The longest stretch is on I 30 for about 131.8 miles.

Where to Stop

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

city in Texas, USA; suburb of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Mansfield, TX

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.

Pacing Suggestions

Greenville, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 70 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Dallas, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 158.9 miles from Garland, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

2.3 mi from route

The Martin & Frances Lehnis Railroad Museum

4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, right off the route

Home stretch 0.9 mi from route ~2 min detour

Brownwood, Texas

Hours: 10 am–4 pm

+13256436376

Visit website

Brown County Museum of History

4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, short detour

Home stretch 1.1 mi from route ~3 min detour

Brownwood, Texas

Hours: 10 am–4 pm

+13256411926

Visit website

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

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 17

5 decision points cluster between mile 150.7 and 156.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

150.7 mi into trip | ~2h 46m in

Take the exit toward I 35E: Denton, Waco

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 46A Toward I 35E: Denton, Waco

151.3 mi into trip | ~2h 48m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 35E South, I 35E North: Waco, Denton

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

Toward I 35E South, I 35E North: Waco, Denton

151.4 mi into trip | ~2h 48m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 35E North, I 35E South: Denton, Waco

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 35E North, I 35E South: Denton, Waco

151.4 mi into trip | ~2h 48m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 35E South: Waco

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / right lanes. Toward I 35E South: Waco

156.2 mi into trip | ~2h 54m in | US 67 / Marvin D Love Freeway

Keep slight left at fork onto US 67 / Marvin D Love Freeway toward US 67 South: Cleburne

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward US 67 South: Cleburne

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$43.51 one way

$87.03 round trip

$3.48/gal 25.4 MPG avg 111 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$3.89	$48.61	$97.21
premium	$4.23	$52.85	$105.69
diesel	$4.80	$59.99	$119.98

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$44

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$69–$94

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 111.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $33 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	Stops	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	95.3	1	$33.36	$15.25
Efficient EV	79.4	0	$27.80	$12.71
EV Truck/SUV	127.1	1	$44.48	$20.33

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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Jul 17, 2026

Origin

Garland, TX

Morning in Garland on Sunday

Local time

11:38 AM

CDT

Current temp

91°F

Partly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

S 5 mph 16% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued July 17 at 11:14AM CDT until July 17 at 2:15PM CDT by NWS San Angelo TX

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued July 17 at 11:03AM CDT until July 17 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS San Angelo TX

Destination

Brownwood, TX

Morning in Brownwood on Sunday

Local time

11:38 AM

CDT

Current temp

86°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers

S 15 mph 16% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued July 17 at 11:14AM CDT until July 17 at 2:15PM CDT by NWS San Angelo TX

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued July 17 at 11:03AM CDT until July 17 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS San Angelo TX

101°F

Mansfield, TX

159 mi in

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

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

6h 1m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This route is predominantly highway driving, with 84% of the 317.7 miles on major roads like I 30 and US Highway 67. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 131.8 miles on I 30. Expect a period of focused highway cruising before transitioning to surface roads for the final portion of your trip. The frequent exits on I 30 mean you'll encounter many opportunities for services.

84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.

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

Longest single stretch: 131.8 mi on I 30.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 30 and North J Elmer Weaver Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 150.7 miles in.

Driving Effort 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a demanding drive. With 17 significant decision points across 317.7 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 150.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 151.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 151.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Gently rolling terrain

1,646 ft 273 ft

Total Climb

1,597 ft

Total Descent

620 ft

Highest Point

1,646 ft

~295 mi in

Elevation Range

1,373 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Garland, TX and Brownwood, TX, road signs point toward Waco, Denton and Dallas Zoo.

Waco

150.7 mi in | ~2h 46m

Denton

151.3 mi in | ~2h 48m

Dallas Zoo

152.3 mi in | ~2h 49m | via I 35E

About the Cities

Starting in Garland, TX

Full guide →

Founded 1891

Garland is a city in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex area in the State of Texas. Mike Judge, the creator of Beavis and Butthead and King of the Hill, used to live in Garland, as well as some other small towns around Texas. So, yeah. Don't be shocked if you take a wrong turn through a downscale neighborhood and see someone barbecuing hot dogs using one of those things that turns your truck's air filter into a grill. On the other hand, Garland's north side is a palacial monument to suburban living in all its McMansioned, strip malling, Starbucks-sipping glory. Garland is basically an unprepossessing, pleasant place. While it's hard to get too excited about much that happens in Garland, it is just so darned pleasant.

Arriving in Brownwood, TX

Full guide →

Brownwood is a city in central Texas. Founded in 1857, it has some of the common origin stories of Texas towns with railroads and oil booms, and it was considered to be the biggest cotton center west of Fort Worth at the turn of the century. What really spurred its growth though was the establishment of a WWII training camp called Camp Bowie. Today, Brownwood is known for its Baptist college Howard Payne University and its reservoir with fishing and swimming nearby.

Top landmarks

• St. John's Episcopal Church — church building in Brownwood, Texas, United States of America

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 6h 1m. Total distance: 317.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

6h 1m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 131.8 miles on I 30. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 16 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 Brownwood, 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 1 meaningful breaks. There are 16 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.

Not recommended in a single day. At 6.0 hours each way, a round trip means 12.0 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Brownwood, 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, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Garland, TX or browse trips ending in Brownwood, TX.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse TX road trips.

Trip from Garland, TX to Brownwood, TX

Best Time to Leave

Trip Overview

Main Roads

Traffic on I-30

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Trip Plan

Before You Leave

Where to Stop

Pacing Suggestions

Stops Along Your Drive

Rest Area

Hopkins County Eastbound Rest Area

Love's Travel Stop

Pilot Travel Center

Love's Travel Stop

Love's Travel Stop

Buc-ee's

Service Plaza

QuikTrip

QuikTrip

Hopkins County Westbound Rest Area

QuikTrip

Pilot Travel Center

Love's Travel Stop

TA

Love's Travel Stop

The Martin & Frances Lehnis Railroad Museum

Brown County Museum of History

Heads-up: tricky spots

Fuel & Cost

Travel Intel

Garland, TX

Brownwood, TX

Same local time

5 degrees cooler at arrival

6h 1m on the road

What kind of drive is this?

How Hard Is This Drive?

Elevation Profile

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

About the Cities

Starting in Garland, TX

Arriving in Brownwood, 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?

Can I do this as a round trip in one go?

How this page is built

Explore More

Continue From Brownwood, TX

More from Garland, TX

More trips to Brownwood, TX