Origin
Houston, TX
Morning in Houston on Tuesday
Local time
9:15 AM
CDT
Current temp
84°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Houston, TX to Iowa Colony, TX
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
30m
Distance
22.3 mi
36 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Houston, TX
Trace Hudson
Iowa Colony, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Houston, TX to Iowa Colony, TX is 22.3 miles and takes about 30m via TX 288 Toll, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Great Plains region, entirely within Texas. It's a straightforward drive, primarily on major roadways, making it ideal for a quick commute or a brief excursion. Consider this route when you need to get from Houston to the Iowa Colony area efficiently without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| TX 288 Toll | 14.4 mi | 16m |
| Nolan Ryan Expressway | 1.7 mi | 1m |
| Gulf Freeway | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Alvin Sugarland Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| South Freeway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| North Airline Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Memorial Drive Frontage Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Prairie Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
TX 288 Toll
— 14.4 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Houston, TX and Iowa Colony, TX.
1
Start on Louisiana Street
148 ft
·
11 sec
·
Louisiana Street
2
Turn left onto Congress Street
298 ft
·
14 sec
·
Congress Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
3
Turn left onto Smith Street
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Smith Street
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto Prairie Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Prairie Street
5
Turn slight left onto Bagby Street
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Bagby Street
6
Turn right onto Capitol Street
465 ft
·
12 sec
·
Capitol Street
7
Continue on Memorial Drive Frontage Road
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Memorial Drive Frontage Road
8
Keep slight left at fork onto Memorial Drive Frontage Road
516 ft
·
22 sec
·
Memorial Drive Frontage Road
Use the left lane.
9
Turn left onto Houston Avenue
154 ft
·
5 sec
·
Houston Avenue
Use the left lane.
10
Take the ramp
258 ft
·
6 sec
Toward I 45 South: Houston Municipal Court and Juror, Gulf Freeway
Use the straight / left lanes.
11
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
this road
Toward I 45 South: Galveston
12
Continue on Pierce Elevated
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Pierce Elevated
13
Turn straight
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
Toward I 45 South: Galveston
14
Merge onto I 45
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Gulf Freeway
15
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 46B
Toward US 59 South, TX 288 South, I 69 South: Lake Jackson, Freeport, Victoria
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward TX 288 South: Lake Jackson, Freeport
17
Continue on TX 288
0.6 mi
·
46 sec
·
South Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Keep slight left at fork onto TX 288 Toll
14 mi
·
16 min
·
TX 288 Toll
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
19
Merge onto TX 288
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
South Freeway
20
Continue on TX 288
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Nolan Ryan Expressway
21
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
Toward TX 6: Alvin, Sugar Land
22
Continue on this road
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
this road
Toward Alvin, Sugar Land
Use the straight / right lanes.
23
Turn right onto TX 6
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Alvin Sugarland Road
24
Turn left onto CR 48
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
North Airline Road
25
Continue on CR 48
356 ft
·
7 sec
·
Old Airline Road
26
Arrive at destination
CR 48
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 2.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Congress Street
Turn left onto Congress Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
0.7 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Memorial Drive Frontage Road
Keep slight left at fork onto Memorial Drive Frontage Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Houston Avenue
Turn left onto Houston Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 45 South: Houston Municipal Court and Juror, Gulf Freeway
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / left lanes.
Toward I 45 South: Houston Municipal Court and...
8
2.3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the exit toward US 59 South, TX 288 South, I 69 South: Lake Jackson, Freeport, Victoria
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 46B
Toward US 59 South, TX 288 South, I 69 South: L...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.37 one way
$6.74 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $3.69 | $7.38 |
| premium | $4.54 | $3.98 | $7.96 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.92 | $9.85 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.34 | $1.07 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.95 | $0.89 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.12 | $1.43 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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.
Destination
Iowa Colony, TX
Morning in Iowa Colony on Tuesday
Local time
9:15 AM
CDT
Current temp
86°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
2 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
30m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is mostly highway, with 81% of the 22.3 miles on major roads like TX 288 Toll and Gulf Freeway. You'll experience a longest stretch of 14.4 miles on TX 288 Toll. Expect a steady pace with frequent exits as you transition from the urban environment of Houston towards Iowa Colony. The latter part of the drive will involve less highway and more surface streets as you approach your destination.
81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
26 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.4 mi on TX 288 Toll.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on TX 288 Toll and Nolan Ryan Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Congress Street.
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 16 decision points packed into just 22.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Congress Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (Memorial Drive Frontage Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (Houston Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Iowa Colony, TX, road signs point toward Freeport, Victoria, Sugar Land and Alvin.
Freeport
2.3 mi in
|
~4m
Victoria
2.3 mi in
|
~4m
Sugar Land
20.6 mi in
|
~27m
Alvin
21 mi in
|
~27m
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
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 30m. Total distance: 22.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.4 miles on TX 288 Toll. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Iowa Colony, 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: near the start (Congress Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (Memorial Drive Frontage Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (Houston Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Iowa Colony, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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