Origin
Houston, TX
Late night in Houston on Tuesday
Local time
5:22 AM
CDT
Current temp
84°F
Unavailable
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 46m
Distance
265 mi
426 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$40
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Houston, TX
Trace Hudson
Colleyville, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Houston to Colleyville is 265 miles and takes about 4h 46m via North Freeway, with a fuel budget near $40 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Great Plains region, offering a straightforward drive through Texas. With 98% highway travel, you can expect a consistent pace for most of the 265 miles. This route is designed for a single day of driving, making it a convenient option for a quick trip between these two Texas cities. You should be able to complete the drive with plenty of daylight to spare.
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
132.5 miles from Houston, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 21m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Freeway | 236.9 mi | 4h 8m |
| SH 183 TEXpress | 16.4 mi | 16m |
| North Stemmons Freeway | 4.1 mi | 5m |
| Brown Trail | 2.5 mi | 6m |
| Woodall Rodgers Freeway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| John W Carpenter Freeway | 0.8 mi | <1m |
| Colleyville Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Travis Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Houston, TX and Colleyville, TX.
Start on Louisiana Street
Turn right onto Franklin Street
Turn left onto Travis Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 45
Take the exit
Continue on Spur 366
Take the exit
Merge onto I 35E
Keep slight left at fork onto TX 183
Keep slight left at fork onto TX 183 TEXpress
Keep slight right at fork onto TX 183 TEXpress
Take the exit
Turn straight onto Airport Freeway
Turn right onto Brown Trail
Turn right onto TX 26
Turn right
Arrive at destination
Given the 4h 46m estimated duration, leaving Houston in the morning should allow you to reach Colleyville by mid-afternoon. The recommended single-day drive means you can be flexible with your departure time. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the longest stretch on North Freeway, as services might be less frequent in certain sections. With a fuel cost estimated around $40, plan your stops accordingly. Since this is a relatively short drive, a single stop for a break or fuel should suffice.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
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 58 miles or 1h 2m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 132.5 miles or 2h 21m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 50m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Colleyville, TX than in the middle of the route.
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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Houston, TX
This is one driving day of about 265 miles and 4h 46m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
133 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.
A short stop after about 58 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 132.5 miles from Houston, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before North Freeway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 236.9 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 238.4 and 261.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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
Take the exit toward I 35E North: Denton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
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
Keep slight left at fork onto TX 183 TEXpress / SH 183 TEXpress
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Brown Trail, Norwood Drive, Precinct Line Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$40.04 one way
$80.08 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $43.83 | $87.66 |
| premium | $4.54 | $47.31 | $94.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $58.51 | $117.02 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$40
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$65–$90
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 92.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $28 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 79.5 | 0 | $27.83 | $12.72 |
| Efficient EV | 66.3 | 0 | $23.19 | $10.60 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 106 | 1 | $37.10 | $16.96 |
Gas CO2
93 kg
EV CO2
31 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Houston on Tuesday
Local time
5:22 AM
CDT
Current temp
84°F
Unavailable
Destination
Late night in Colleyville on Tuesday
Local time
5:22 AM
CDT
Current temp
83°F
Unavailable
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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Expect a predominantly highway experience for this 265-mile drive, with 98% of the route on freeways. The longest continuous stretch on a main road is 236.9 miles along the North Freeway. You'll transition to surface roads towards the end of your trip as you approach Colleyville. This setup means you'll encounter a dense pattern of exits and entrances for a significant portion of the drive, requiring constant attention.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on North Freeway and SH 183 TEXpress. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 238.4 miles in.
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 14 significant decision points across 265 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 239.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; 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.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Houston, TX and Colleyville, TX, road signs point toward Waco, Denton and Dfw Airport.
Waco
Denton
Dfw Airport
“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
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 46m. Total distance: 265 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (98%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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