Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 22, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
45m
Distance
33.4 mi
54 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
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
Johnson, TX
Thomas balabaud
If you are planning a quick excursion from Houston to Johnson, you are looking at a brief 33.4-mile journey that typically takes about 45 minutes to complete. This trip is perfectly suited for a single day, as the short duration makes it an easy out-and-back endeavor. With a modest fuel budget of just $5, it is an incredibly cost-effective way to navigate between these two Great Plains locations within Texas. Given the short distance, there is no need to worry about overnight accommodations or complicated travel logistics. You can comfortably plan this as a morning or afternoon outing without feeling rushed on the road.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Freeway | 28.6 mi | 34m |
| Interstate 45 North Frontage Road | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| Hope Road | 0.6 mi | 2m |
| Travis Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Sun Perch Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Interstate 45 South Frontage Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Franklin Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Bullfrog Lane | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 12 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
7 AM
~7,300 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~771 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 100 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Houston, TX and Johnson, 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 Interstate 45 North Frontage Road
Continue on Interstate 45 South Frontage Road
Continue on Interstate 45 North Frontage Road
Continue on Interstate 45 North Frontage Road
Turn right onto Hope Road
Turn right onto Bullfrog Lane
Continue on Sun Perch Road
At end of road, turn right onto Sun Perch Road
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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 33 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 16.7 miles from Houston, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
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 0.1 and 33.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto Franklin Street
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto Travis Street
Navigation decision point
Merge onto I 45 / North Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward TX 242: College Park Drive, Needham Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
At end of road, turn right onto Sun Perch Road
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Regular Gas
$5.01 one way
$10.03 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.22 | $5.55 | $11.10 |
| premium | $4.57 | $6.00 | $12.01 |
| diesel | $6.28 | $8.25 | $16.51 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10 | 0 | $3.51 | $1.60 |
| Efficient EV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.92 | $1.34 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.4 | 0 | $4.68 | $2.14 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Evening in Houston on Thursday
Local time
6:57 PM
CDT
Current temp
58°F
Mostly Cloudy
Destination
Evening in Johnson on Thursday
Local time
6:57 PM
CDT
Current temp
53°F
Partly Cloudy
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
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.
Expect a turn-heavy experience as you navigate this local route, which moves away from the typical high-speed interstate environment. Because the highway share is 0%, you will spend your entire travel time on local roads that demand more focus than a straight, monotonous commute. The character of the drive is defined by these constant adjustments rather than long, uninterrupted stretches of pavement. You should be prepared for a drive that requires your full attention behind the wheel due to the winding nature of the path. It feels less like a highway haul and more like a focused, localized transit through the region.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on North Freeway and Interstate 45 North Frontage Road. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Franklin Street.
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 33.4 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Franklin Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Travis Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (I 45 / North Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
138 ft
Total Descent
34 ft
Highest Point
140 ft
~33.4 mi in
Elevation Range
106 ft
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
Cafe
Near the start, short detour
Houston, TX
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Hours: Mo-Th,Sa 05:30-19:30; Fr 05:30-20:00; Su...
Visit websiteCafe
Near the start, short detour
Houston, TX
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteCafe
Near the start, short detour
Houston, TX
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Hours: Mo-Sa 05:00-21:00; Su 06:00-21:00
Visit websiteCafe
Near the start, short detour
Houston, TX
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Hours: Mo-Th,Su 04:30-22:00; Fr-Sa 04:30-21:30
Visit websiteCafe
Near the start, short detour
Houston, TX
Visit websiteCafe
Near the start, short detour
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Restaurant
Near the start, right off the route
Houston, TX
Cuisine: american
Hours: Mo-Th 11:00-15:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-20:00
Visit websiteRestaurant
Near the start, right off the route
Houston, TX
Cuisine: italian
Hours: Mo-Sa 11:00-24:00; Su 10:00-24:00
Visit websiteRestaurant
Near the start, right off the route
Houston, TX
Hours: Mo-Th 11:00-24:00; Fr 11:00-02:00, Sa 12...
Visit websiteRestaurant
Near the start, right off the route
Houston
Cuisine: pizza
Hours: Su-We 11:00-22:00, Th 11:00-01:00, Fr-Sa...
Visit websiteRestaurant
Near the start, right off the route
Houston, TX
Hours: Mo-We 11:00-23:00, Th 11:00-24:00, Fr 11...
Visit websiteFast_food
Near the start, right off the route
Houston, TX
Cuisine: mexican
Hours: Mo-Fr 11:00-20:00
Visit websiteViewpoint
Later in the drive, right off the route
Park
Around the midpoint, short detour
Artwork
Near the end, right off the route
Artwork
Near the end, right off the route
Artwork
Near the start, right off the route
Artwork
Near the end, right off the route
Artwork
Near the end, right off the route
Artwork
Near the end, right off the route
Motel
Near the end, right off the route
Points of interest from OpenStreetMap contributors. Listings may not reflect current hours or availability.
“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
This 33.4-mile drive is a perfect quick getaway, easily doable as a same-day round trip in under an hour, leaving you plenty of time for your weekend plans.
Family Friendly
With only 45 minutes of driving and mostly highway, this route is short enough for kids and the moderate 5/10 complexity won't stress out the driver.
Solo Traveler
At just 33.4 miles and 45 minutes, this is an extremely comfortable solo drive, perfect for a quick trip without feeling daunting.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
This route is ideal for a first-time driver, featuring 93% highway driving and a manageable 45-minute duration, making navigation simple and the trip feel comfortable.
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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