Garland, TX to Mission, TX is 677.2 miles and takes about 11 hours 53 minutes via I 30 and TX 130 Toll, with a fuel budget near $106 and is best split over two days. This long-haul drive spans across Texas, starting in the Great Plains region and ending in the same region. Given the substantial distance and duration, planning for an overnight stop is advisable to avoid an excessively long day behind the wheel. Consider this route if you're looking for a straightforward, primarily highway path through the state.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
3 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
338.6 miles from Garland, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 5h 59m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 30
131.8 mi
2h 16m
South R L Thornton Freeway
89.9 mi
1h 32m
TX 130 Toll
86.1 mi
1h 19m
South Nueces Street
66.2 mi
1h 10m
I 37
60.5 mi
1h 1m
Falfurrias Expressway
55.8 mi
58m
Purple Heart Trail
37.9 mi
39m
I 10
32.5 mi
33m
Longest stretch:
I 30
— 131.8 mi, about 2h 16m
Traffic on I-35
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 24 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
12a6anoon6p11p
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 Mission, TX.
1
Start on FM 1701
2.1 mi·5 min·FM 1701
2
At end of road, turn right onto US 259
16 mi·24 min·US Highway 259 South
3
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·56 sec
4
Merge onto I 30
132 mi·2 hr 16 min·I 30
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.6 mi·1 min
Exit 46AToward I 35E: Denton, WacoUse the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi·14 sec
Toward I 35E South, I 35E North: Waco, Denton
7
Keep slight left at fork
221 ft·5 sec
Toward I 35E North, I 35E South: Denton, WacoUse the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi·30 sec
Toward I 35E South: WacoUse the left / right lanes.
9
Continue on I 35E
0.5 mi·44 sec·South R L Thornton Freeway
10
Continue on I 35E
89 mi·1 hr 31 min·South R L Thornton Freeway
Exit 426Toward Dallas ZooUse the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 35; US 77
6.6 mi·7 min·North Jack Kultgen Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on I 35
38 mi·39 min·Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35
26 mi·26 min·I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.7 mi·55 sec
Exit 265Toward TX 130 Toll South: San AntonioUse the slight right lane.
15
Continue on TX 130 Toll
86 mi·1 hr 19 min·TX 130 Toll
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi·1 min
Toward I 10 West: San AntonioUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
17
Merge onto I 10; TX 130
11 mi·11 min·I 10; TX 130
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Continue on I 10; US 90; TX 130
9.4 mi·9 min·I 10; US 90; TX 130
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10; US 90; TX 130
12 mi·12 min·I 10; US 90; TX 130
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Keep slight right at fork onto I 410
1.4 mi·1 min·Connally Loop
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Merge onto I 410; TX 130
6.7 mi·7 min·Connally Loop
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Take the exit
0.2 mi·28 sec
Exit 41Toward I 37, US 281 North: San Antonio, Corpus ChristiUse the straight / slight right lanes.
23
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward I 37 South: Corpus ChristiUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
24
Merge onto I 37
60 mi·1 hr 1 min·I 37
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25
Take the exit onto US 281 South
15 mi·19 min·US 281 South
Toward US 281 SouthUse the straight / slight right lanes.
26
Keep slight left at fork onto US 281
66 mi·1 hr 10 min·South Nueces Street
27
Keep slight left at fork onto I 69C; US 281
9.5 mi·10 min·I 69C; US 281
28
Keep slight left at fork onto I 69C; US 281
56 mi·58 min·Falfurrias Expressway
Use the straight / right lanes.
29
Keep slight left at fork onto I 69C; US 281
18 mi·18 min·I 69C; US 281
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
30
Take the exit
0.8 mi·1 min
Toward US 281 South, TX 495: Pharr
31
Merge onto I 2; US 83
8.2 mi·9 min·I 2; US 83
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
32
Take the exit
0.3 mi·39 sec
Exit 136Toward FM 1016, TX 107: Conway AvenueUse the slight right lane.
33
Turn straight onto East Expressway 83
0.7 mi·1 min·East Expressway 83
34
Turn right onto TX 107
0.9 mi·1 min·South Conway Avenue
35
Turn right onto US 83 Bus
381 ft·11 sec·East 9th Street
36
Turn left onto Doherty Avenue
421 ft·23 sec·Doherty Avenue
37
Turn left onto US 83 Bus
246 ft·4 sec·East Tom Landry Street
38
Arrive at destination
US 83 Bus
Trip Plan
For this 677.2-mile trip, breaking it into two days is highly recommended to manage the nearly 12-hour driving time. Aim to depart early in the morning to maximize daylight for your first leg, allowing you to reach a convenient stopping point. With 3 planned stops, you'll have opportunities to stretch and refuel. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the longer stretches like the 131.8 miles on I 30, as services can sometimes be spaced out in certain sections of Texas.
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.
This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 338.6 miles from Garland, TX, or about 5h 59m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 131.8 miles.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 149 miles or 2h 45m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 338.6 miles or 5h 59m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 338.6 miles or 5h 59m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 10h 47m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Mission, 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.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
+
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Garland, TX
Aim for roughly 339 miles and 5.9 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Mission, TX
Aim for roughly 339 miles and 5.9 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 149 miles from Garland, TX.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 3 real breaks 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.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 30
5 decision points cluster between mile 150.7 and 675.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
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
9
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
7
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
8
440.7 mi into trip|~7h 38m in
Take the exit toward I 37, US 281 North: San Antonio, Corpus Christi
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 41
Toward I 37, US 281 North: San Antonio, Corpus...
8
675.1 mi into trip|~11h 49m in
Take the exit toward FM 1016, TX 107: Conway Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 136
Toward FM 1016, TX 107: Conway Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$106.43 one way
$212.86 round trip
$3.99/gal25.4 MPG avg237 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.39
$116.96
$233.93
premium
$4.72
$125.82
$251.63
diesel
$5.60
$149.20
$298.39
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$106
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$236–$346
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 236.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-05-18.
Driving Electric?
About $71 in charging
· 2 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
203.2
2
$71.11
$32.51
Efficient EV
169.3
1
$59.26
$27.09
EV Truck/SUV
270.9
3
$94.81
$43.34
Gas CO2
237 kg
EV CO2
79 kg (67% less)
Plan for 2 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 May 25, 2026
Origin
Garland, TX
Afternoon
in Garland on Wednesday
Local time
2:22 PM
CDT
Current temp
64°F
Partly Cloudy
NE 5 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued May 24 at 11:27PM CDT by NWS San Angelo TX
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued May 24 at 10:57PM CDT until May 25 at 1:30AM CDT by NWS Fort Worth TX
Destination
Mission, TX
Afternoon
in Mission on Wednesday
Local time
2:22 PM
CDT
Current temp
73°F
Partly Cloudy
NE 0 to 5 mph8% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued May 24 at 11:27PM CDT by NWS San Angelo TX
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued May 24 at 10:57PM CDT until May 25 at 1:30AM CDT by NWS Fort Worth 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.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
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
9 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
11h 53m on the road
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
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...
2 mi from route
~6 min detour
Free
near mile 443.7
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...
8 mi from route
~19 min detour
Free
near mile 233.5
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is predominantly on highways, with 83% of the route utilizing major roads like I 30 and TX 130 Toll. You'll experience a longest stretch of 131.8 miles on I 30, indicating significant periods of consistent cruising. The transition from highway to surface roads will occur at various points, particularly as you approach your destination.
83% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
38 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?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 30 and South R L Thornton 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 Effort10/10
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 30 significant decision points across 677.2 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 151.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 151.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
640 ft81 ft
Total Climb
619 ft
Total Descent
862 ft
Highest Point
640 ft
~435.3 mi in
Elevation Range
559 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 Mission, TX, road signs point toward Waco, Denton, Dallas Zoo and Corpus Christi.
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.
The longest stretch is about 131.8 miles on I 30. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — a 2-day pace is more comfortable than one long haul. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 339 miles on day one.
Yes — we found about 64 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 Mission, 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 3 meaningful breaks. There are 64 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
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 151.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 151.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and Waco Mammoth National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 11.9 hours each way, a round trip means 23.8 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Mission, TX before the return drive.
