Embarking on a journey from Garland, TX, to Monahans, TX, covers 538.1 miles and will likely take around 9 hours and 29 minutes of driving time. This long-distance drive is best split over two days, especially considering the recommended two stops along the way. You'll be traversing highways within the Great Plains region for the entirety of your trip. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $82. Given the distance, it's not a feasible day trip if you want to arrive feeling refreshed. Plan for a comfortable pace, utilizing the recommended overnight stop to break up the 9+ hours of travel.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
269 miles from Garland, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 4h 54m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 20
337 mi
5h 41m
I 30
178.9 mi
3h 11m
US Highway 259 South
16.3 mi
24m
East Interstate 20
3 mi
5m
FM 1701
2.1 mi
5m
East Sealy Avenue
0.1 mi
<1m
South Main Avenue
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 20
— 337 mi, about 5h 41m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Garland, TX and Monahans, 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
179 mi·3 hr 11 min·I 30
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Merge onto I 20
337 mi·5 hr 41 min·I 20
Use the slight right lane.
6
Take the exit
0.1 mi·11 sec
Exit 83Toward I 20 Business West: Monahans
7
Continue on I 20 Bus
0.1 mi·11 sec·East Sealy Avenue
8
Continue on I 20 Bus
3.0 mi·5 min·East Interstate 20
9
Turn left onto TX 18
178 ft·8 sec·South Main Avenue
10
Turn left
104 ft·7 sec
11
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
For this 9-hour, 29-minute drive, departing early in the morning is highly recommended to maximize daylight hours and avoid potential traffic congestion. Splitting the 538.1 miles over two days with two planned stops will make the journey much more manageable. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as services can sometimes be spread out on stretches of I-20. Aim to refuel whenever you see a convenient exit with multiple options. The estimated fuel cost of $82 should help you budget accordingly for the entire trip.
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 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 269 miles from Garland, TX, or about 4h 54m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 337 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 118 miles or 2h 16m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 269 miles or 4h 54m 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 269 miles or 4h 54m
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 8h 26m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Monahans, 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 269 miles and 4.7 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Monahans, TX
Aim for roughly 269 miles and 4.7 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 118 miles from Garland, TX.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 20 for about 337 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 7
5 decision points cluster between mile 2.1 and 538.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
2.1 mi into trip|~5m in|US 259 / US Highway 259 South
At end of road, turn right onto US 259 / US Highway 259 South
Navigation decision point
5
18.9 mi into trip|~30m in|I 30
Merge onto I 30
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
197.8 mi into trip|~3h 42m in|I 20
Merge onto I 20
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
5
534.8 mi into trip|~9h 23m in
Take the exit toward I 20 Business West: Monahans
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 83
Toward I 20 Business West: Monahans
5
538.1 mi into trip|~9h 29m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$81.31 one way
$162.62 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg188 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.20
$89.00
$178.00
premium
$4.54
$96.07
$192.15
diesel
$5.61
$118.81
$237.61
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$81
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$211–$321
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 188.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $57 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
161.4
1
$56.50
$25.83
Efficient EV
134.5
1
$47.08
$21.52
EV Truck/SUV
215.2
2
$75.33
$34.44
Gas CO2
188 kg
EV CO2
63 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 Apr 14, 2026
Origin
Garland, TX
Late night
in Garland on Tuesday
Local time
3:08 AM
CDT
Current temp
83°F
Partly Sunny
S 15 mph9% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Monahans, TX
Late night
in Monahans on Tuesday
Local time
3:08 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
23 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
9h 29m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is characterized by its extensive use of major highways, with a significant portion relying on I-20. While there's no direct highway percentage provided, the route relies heavily on these faster roads, suggesting a predominantly straightforward driving experience. You'll navigate through sections of Highway 259 South and East Sealy Avenue as well, offering some variation. The drive is a long-distance trek, and while no specific longest stretch is noted, expect sustained periods of highway driving as you cover the 538.1 miles across Texas.
100% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 337 mi on I 20.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 20 and I 30. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 2.1 miles in near US 259 / US Highway 259 South.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The route itself is not hard, but at 9h 29m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 7 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.1 miles (US 259 / US Highway 259 South): Navigation decision point; at 18.9 miles (I 30): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 197.8 miles (I 20): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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 337 miles on I 20. 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 269 miles on day one.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
It helps. This is a long drive, so arriving tired and in the dark compounds. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Monahans, 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. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.1 miles (US 259 / US Highway 259 South): Navigation decision point; at 18.9 miles (I 30): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 197.8 miles (I 20): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Not recommended in a single day. At 9.5 hours each way, a round trip means 19.0 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Monahans, TX before the return drive.
