Trip from Houston, TX to Clarendon, TX

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

9h 39m

Distance

543.4 mi

874 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

2-day trip

Fuel Cost

$82

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 26 min

4 AM

9h 31m ★

6 AM

9h 39m

8 AM

9h 57m

10 AM

9h 45m

12 PM

9h 44m

3 PM

9h 46m

5 PM

9h 56m

8 PM

9h 34m

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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Houston, TX

Trace Hudson

Clarendon, TX

Jeff Stapleton

Trip Overview

Houston to Clarendon is 543.4 miles and takes about 9h 39m via North Freeway and US Highway 287 East, with a fuel budget near $87 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This long-haul drive stays within Texas, beginning in the Great Plains and continuing through the same region to your destination. Given its length, you'll likely want to break this trip into two days to make the most of your time on the road. It's a straightforward path across the state, best suited for those who prefer covering distance efficiently.

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

271.7 miles from Houston, TX

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 48m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
North Freeway	236.9 mi	4h 8m
US 81	103.4 mi	1h 49m
US Highway 287 East	40.5 mi	42m
East 11th Street	28.7 mi	32m
US Highway 287	27.3 mi	28m
Boykin Drive	26.2 mi	28m
US Highway 287 West	25.7 mi	26m
SH 183 TEXpress	16.5 mi	16m

Longest stretch: North Freeway — 236.9 mi, about 4h 8m

Traffic on I-45

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 24 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~3,256 veh/hr typical · worst 3,806

Quietest

2 AM

~407 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

8×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 48 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 Houston, TX and Clarendon, TX.

Start on Louisiana Street

474 ft · 19 sec · Louisiana Street

Use the straight / left lanes.

Turn right onto Franklin Street

0.1 mi · 28 sec · Franklin Street

Turn left onto Travis Street

0.2 mi · 29 sec · Travis Street

Take the ramp

1.0 mi · 2 min

Toward I 45 North Express Lane

Merge onto I 45

237 mi · 4 hr 8 min · North Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min

Exit 286A Toward Waco, Denton Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on Spur 366

0.9 mi · 1 min · Woodall Rodgers Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 48 sec

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

Merge onto I 35E

4.1 mi · 5 min · North Stemmons Freeway

Use the slight right lane.

Keep slight left at fork onto TX 183

0.8 mi · 48 sec · John W Carpenter Freeway

Exit 433A Toward TX 183: Irving, DFW Airport Use the slight left / straight lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto TX 183 TEXpress

1.5 mi · 1 min · SH 183 TEXpress

Use the straight / slight left lanes.

Keep slight right at fork onto TX 183 TEXpress

15 mi · 14 min · SH 183 TEXpress

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on TX 121 TEXpress; TX 183 TEXpress

2.0 mi · 2 min · SH 121/183 TEXpress

Continue on TX 183 TEXpress

0.1 mi · 7 sec · SH 183 TEXpress

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on TX 121 TEXpress; TX 183 TEXpress

0.7 mi · 42 sec · SH 121/183 TEXpress

Continue on I 820 TEXpress

6.2 mi · 6 min · I 820 TEXpress

Toward I 820 Express West Toll Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 26 sec

Toward I 35W Express: Fort Worth, Denton

Keep slight right at fork

0.8 mi · 50 sec

Toward I 35W Express North: Denton Use the slight left / slight right lanes.

Merge onto I 35W TEXpress

2.3 mi · 2 min · I 35W TEXpress

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 1 min

Toward US 81 North, US 287 North: Decatur Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Merge onto US 81; US 287

1.7 mi · 1 min · US 81; US 287

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on US 81; US 287

102 mi · 1 hr 47 min · US 81; US 287

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on US 281; US 287

0.8 mi · 58 sec · Lloyd Ruby Overpass

Continue on US 277; US 281; US 287

2.4 mi · 3 min · Central Freeway

Use the straight lane.

Keep slight left at fork onto US 287

5.3 mi · 5 min · Northwest Freeway

Exit 3A Toward US 287 North: Vernon, Amarillo Use the slight left / straight lanes.

Continue on US 287

40 mi · 42 min · US Highway 287 East

Use the straight / left / right lanes.

Continue on US 70; US 183; US 287

4.1 mi · 4 min · Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on US 287

26 mi · 26 min · US Highway 287 West

Use the straight lane.

Continue on US 287

29 mi · 32 min · East 11th Street

Continue on US 287

2.8 mi · 3 min · Avenue F Northeast

Continue on US 287

14 mi · 14 min · US Highway 287

Continue on US 287

0.7 mi · 1 min · Burnett Street

Continue on US 287

14 mi · 13 min · US Highway 287

Turn straight onto US 287

26 mi · 28 min · Boykin Drive

Continue on US 287

0.9 mi · 1 min · East 2nd Street

Turn left onto South Kearney Street

78 ft · 2 sec · South Kearney Street

Arrive at destination

South Kearney Street

Trip Plan

For a 9.5-hour drive, it's best to split this trip over two days. Consider leaving Houston in the morning and aiming for a midway point, perhaps around the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, for your overnight stay. This allows for a more relaxed pace and ensures you aren't fatigued by driving the entire 543.4 miles in one go. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, especially on the longer stretches of US Highway 287 East, as services can be more spread out in rural areas. The estimated fuel cost is $87.

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 271.7 miles from Houston, TX, or about 4h 48m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 236.9 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 120 miles or 2h 7m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 271.7 miles or 4h 48m 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 271.7 miles or 4h 48m

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 34m

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

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Houston, 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 Houston, TX

Aim for roughly 272 miles and 4.8 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 2

Finish the approach into Clarendon, TX

Aim for roughly 272 miles and 4.8 hours of wheel time on this day.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 120 miles from Houston, 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 North Freeway for about 236.9 miles.

Where to Stop

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

First major stop

Coffee and fuel

Dallas, TX

179 mi into the route

Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch

This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.

city in Wichita County, Texas, United States

Second major stop

Overnight candidate

Burkburnett, TX

359 mi into the route

Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start

This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.

Find hotels in Burkburnett, TX

Overnight Options

Night 1

Arlington, TX

272 mi · about 4.8h in

A practical overnight split lands near Arlington, TX after about 272 miles or 4.8 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Pacing Suggestions

Athens, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 120 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Fort Worth, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 271.7 miles from Houston, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before North Freeway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 236.9 miles.

Overnight split

2.4 mi from route

Downtown Aquarium

4.1 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the start, right off the route

0.2 mi from route ~1 min detour

Houston, Texas

Hours: 10 am–8:30 pm

+17132233474

Visit website

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, short detour

3.1 mi from route ~8 min detour

Houston, Texas

Hours: 9 am–8 pm

+17135221138

Visit website

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

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 18

5 decision points cluster between mile 238.4 and 381.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

238.4 mi into trip | ~4h 12m in

Take the exit toward Waco, Denton

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 286A Toward Waco, Denton

244.3 mi into trip | ~4h 20m in | TX 183 / John W Carpenter Freeway

Keep slight left at fork onto TX 183 / John W Carpenter Freeway toward TX 183: Irving, DFW Airport

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

Use the slight left / straight lanes. Exit 433A Toward TX 183: Irving, DFW Airport

270.7 mi into trip | ~4h 47m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 35W Express North: Denton

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward I 35W Express North: Denton

273.8 mi into trip | ~4h 50m in

Take the exit toward US 81 North, US 287 North: Decatur

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. Toward US 81 North, US 287 North: Decatur

381.2 mi into trip | ~6h 45m in | US 287 / Northwest Freeway

Keep slight left at fork onto US 287 / Northwest Freeway toward US 287 North: Vernon, Amarillo

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

Use the slight left / straight lanes. Exit 3A Toward US 287 North: Vernon, Amarillo

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$82.49 one way

$164.99 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 190 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.25	$90.92	$181.85
premium	$4.58	$97.98	$195.97
diesel	$5.35	$114.46	$228.91

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$82

Hotel (1n)

$80–$140

Meals

$50–$100

Total

$212–$322

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 190.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.

Driving Electric?

About $57 in charging · 2 stops · 66% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	Stops	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	163	2	$57.06	$26.08
Efficient EV	135.9	1	$47.55	$21.74
EV Truck/SUV	217.4	2	$76.08	$34.78

Gas CO2

190 kg

EV CO2

64 kg (66% 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 28, 2026

Origin

Houston, TX

Afternoon in Houston on Wednesday

Local time

2:44 PM

CDT

Current temp

72°F

Mostly Cloudy then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

SE 0 to 5 mph 28% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued May 27 at 10:45PM CDT until May 27 at 11:15PM CDT by NWS Norman OK

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued May 27 at 7:33PM CDT until May 28 at 3:00PM CDT by NWS Fort Worth TX

Destination

Clarendon, TX

Afternoon in Clarendon on Wednesday

Local time

2:44 PM

CDT

Current temp

58°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

NE 5 mph 35% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued May 27 at 10:45PM CDT until May 27 at 11:15PM CDT by NWS Norman OK

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued May 27 at 7:33PM CDT until May 28 at 3:00PM 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

14 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 39m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

You'll spend about 87% of your time on highways, with the longest continuous stretch covering 236.9 miles on North Freeway. After leaving the urban areas around Houston, expect to transition to more rural cruising as you head north. This means fewer exits and more open road, allowing for steady progress. The majority of your drive will be on US Highway 287 East.

87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.

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

Longest single stretch: 236.9 mi on North Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on North Freeway and US 81. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 238.4 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

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 18 significant decision points across 543.4 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 238.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 244.3 miles (TX 183 / John W Carpenter Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 270.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Gently rolling terrain

2,732 ft 35 ft

Total Climb

2,698 ft

Total Descent

1 ft

Highest Point

2,732 ft

~543.4 mi in

Elevation Range

2,697 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Houston, TX and Clarendon, TX, road signs point toward Waco, Denton, Dfw Airport and Amarillo.

Waco

238.4 mi in | ~4h 12m

Denton

238.4 mi in | ~4h 12m

Dfw Airport

244.3 mi in | ~4h 20m | via TX 183

Amarillo

381.2 mi in | ~6h 45m | via US 287

About the Cities

Starting in Houston, TX

Full guide →

“Space City” · Founded 1836

Houston is a sprawling port city in Southeastern Texas. An oil boom and continuing international immigration has brought explosive growth to the city, and it is now the fifth largest metropolitan area in the United States and the most diverse large city since 2021. While at first glance, the city appears to be a 9-5 central business district surrounded by a sea of suburbs and strip malls, there are many hidden gems to be discovered.

Top landmarks

• Museum of Fine Arts, Houston — art museum in Houston, Texas
• Astrodome — historic place in Houston, Harris County, Texas
• Rothko Chapel — building in Houston, Harris County, Texas

Arriving in Clarendon, TX

Full guide →

Founded 1878

Clarendon is a city in the Texas Panhandle.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 236.9 miles on North Freeway. 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 272 miles on day one.

Yes — we found about 48 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 Clarendon, 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. There are 48 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.

Not recommended in a single day. At 9.7 hours each way, a round trip means 19.3 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Clarendon, 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.

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