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Trip from Grand Prairie, TX to Richardson, TX

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

Drive Time

33m

Distance

26.1 mi

42 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 8 min
4 AM
0h 31m ★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 32m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Dallas, Tarrant, and Ellis counties in Texas, United States

Grand Prairie, TX

Wikimedia Commons

city in Collin and Dallas counties in Texas, United States

Richardson, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Grand Prairie, TX to Richardson, TX is 26.1 miles and takes about 33m via North Central Expressway and Tom Landry Freeway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Great Plains region of Texas. Given its brevity, the route is mostly highway driving, making it a straightforward commute or quick connector between North Texas cities. You'll likely find it a practical option for inter-city travel without significant detours.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
North Central Expressway 10.7 mi 11m
Tom Landry Freeway 10 mi 10m
Woodall Rodgers Freeway 1 mi 1m
North Belt Line Road 0.6 mi 1m
South Central Expressway 0.5 mi <1m
East Interstate 30 0.4 mi <1m
West Polk Street 0.3 mi <1m
Small Hill Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: North Central Expressway — 10.7 mi, about 11m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Grand Prairie, TX and Richardson, TX.

1

Start on this road

219 ft · 18 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto Northeast 5th Street

0.2 mi · 36 sec · Northeast 5th Street
3

Turn right onto Small Hill Street

0.2 mi · 33 sec · Small Hill Street
4

Turn left onto North Belt Line Road

0.6 mi · 1 min · North Belt Line Road
5

Turn right

176 ft · 6 sec
6

Turn straight onto East Interstate 30

0.4 mi · 31 sec · East Interstate 30
7

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 15 sec
Toward I 30 East
8

Merge onto I 30

10.0 mi · 10 min · Tom Landry Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 14 sec
Exit 45A Toward I 35E North: Denton Use the slight right lane.
10

Keep slight left at fork

0.1 mi · 15 sec
Toward I 35E North: Denton, Commerce Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight right at fork

0.4 mi · 51 sec
Toward Commerce Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight left at fork

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward Houston, McKinney Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
13

Merge onto Spur 366

1.0 mi · 1 min · Woodall Rodgers Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Toward US 75 North: McKinney, Hall Street, Lemmon Avenue
15

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 37 sec
Toward US 75 North: McKinney Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Merge onto US 75

11 mi · 11 min · North Central Expressway
Use the straight / right lanes.
17

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 30 sec
Exit 24 Toward Belt Line Road, Main Street Use the slight right lane.
18

Turn straight onto South Central Expressway

0.5 mi · 56 sec · South Central Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
19

Turn right onto West Polk Street

0.3 mi · 48 sec · West Polk Street
20

Turn left onto South Greenville Avenue

329 ft · 16 sec · South Greenville Avenue
21

Turn right

54 ft · 4 sec
22

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 18

5 decision points cluster between mile 11.6 and 25 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
11.6 mi into trip | ~14m in

Take the exit toward I 35E North: Denton

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 45A Toward I 35E North: Denton
9
11.7 mi into trip | ~14m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 35E North: Denton, Commerce Street

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: Denton, Commerce Street
8
12.3 mi into trip | ~15m in

Keep slight left at fork toward Houston, McKinney

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

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward Houston, McKinney
8
14 mi into trip | ~18m in

Keep slight left at fork toward US 75 North: McKinney

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward US 75 North: McKinney
8
25 mi into trip | ~31m in

Take the exit toward Belt Line Road, Main Street

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 24 Toward Belt Line Road, Main Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.94 one way

$7.89 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.20 $4.32 $8.63
premium $4.54 $4.66 $9.32
diesel $5.61 $5.76 $11.53

Estimated Tolls: $0.90

Central Expressway (11.2 mi) $0.90

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Tolls

$1

Total

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

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

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.8 0 $2.74 $1.25
Efficient EV 6.5 0 $2.28 $1.04
EV Truck/SUV 10.4 0 $3.65 $1.67

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 Apr 19, 2026

Origin

Grand Prairie, TX

Late night in Grand Prairie on Sunday

Local time

5:00 AM

CDT

Current temp

46°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Clear

NNE 0 to 10 mph 16% chance Live forecast

Rip Current Statement

Rip Current Statement issued April 18 at 8:31PM CDT until April 19 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Brownsville TX

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 18 at 8:28PM CDT until April 19 at 12:00PM CDT by NWS Houston/Galveston TX

Destination

Richardson, TX

Late night in Richardson on Sunday

Local time

5:00 AM

CDT

Current temp

46°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy

NE 5 to 10 mph 16% chance Live forecast

Rip Current Statement

Rip Current Statement issued April 18 at 8:31PM CDT until April 19 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Brownsville TX

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 18 at 8:28PM CDT until April 19 at 12:00PM CDT by NWS Houston/Galveston 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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

33m 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 route is predominantly highway, with 86% of the drive on freeways. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 10.7 miles on North Central Expressway. Expect a lot of merging and exiting activity as you navigate through the urban Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The transition from highway to surface streets will be gradual as you approach your destination.

86% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.7 mi on North Central Expressway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on North Central Expressway and Tom Landry Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 11.6 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 18 decision points packed into just 26.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 11.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

629 ft 407 ft

Total Climb

324 ft

Total Descent

214 ft

Highest Point

629 ft

~26.1 mi in

Elevation Range

222 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Grand Prairie, TX and Richardson, TX, road signs point toward Houston and Mckinney.

Houston

12.3 mi in | ~15m

Mckinney

12.3 mi in | ~15m

About the Cities

Starting in Grand Prairie, TX

Full guide →

Founded 1863

Grand Prairie is a city in the Prairies and Lakes region of Texas.

Arriving in Richardson, TX

Full guide →

Founded 1840

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 33m. Total distance: 26.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

33m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (86%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 10.7 miles on North Central Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.90 in tolls one way, starting with Central Expressway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.

Yes — we found about 2 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 Richardson, 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 11.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Richardson, 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, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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