Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
26m
Distance
17.2 mi
28 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
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
Pearland, TX
Wikimedia Commons
If you are planning a quick excursion from Houston to Pearland, you are looking at a brief 17.2-mile journey. Expect to spend about 26 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stays. You will navigate entirely through the Great Plains region of Texas, ensuring a consistent landscape throughout your travels. With a fuel budget of just $3, this is an incredibly economical commute or visit. Because the trip is so short and straightforward, you have plenty of flexibility to plan your departure whenever it suits your schedule.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| TX 35 | 9.6 mi | 15m |
| Gulf Freeway | 6.3 mi | 7m |
| Memorial Drive Frontage Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Prairie Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Smith Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Pierce Elevated | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Bagby Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Capitol Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Houston, TX and Pearland, TX.
Start on Louisiana Street
Turn left onto Congress Street
Turn left onto Smith Street
Turn right onto Prairie Street
Turn slight left onto Bagby Street
Turn right onto Capitol Street
Continue on Memorial Drive Frontage Road
Keep slight left at fork onto Memorial Drive Frontage Road
Turn left onto Houston Avenue
Take the ramp
Continue on this road
Continue on Pierce Elevated
Turn straight
Merge onto I 45
Take the exit onto TX 35
Keep slight left at fork onto TX 35
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 7.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto Congress Street
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto Memorial Drive Frontage Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto Houston Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
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
Take the exit onto TX 35 toward TX 35 South, I 610 West: Pearland, Alvin
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$2.60 one way
$5.20 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $2.84 | $5.69 |
| premium | $4.54 | $3.07 | $6.14 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.80 | $7.60 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.81 | $0.83 |
| Efficient EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.51 | $0.69 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.41 | $1.10 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Late night in Houston on Tuesday
Local time
4:46 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Mostly Cloudy
Destination
Late night in Pearland on Tuesday
Local time
4:46 AM
CDT
Current temp
84°F
Unavailable
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.
Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive that moves away from the typical highway experience. You will not spend any time on major interstates, as the route consists entirely of local roads like Congress Street, Smith Street, and Prairie Street. Since the highway share is 0%, you should anticipate frequent stops and intersections rather than long, open stretches of road. In fact, the longest uninterrupted stretch is 0 miles on Congress Street, meaning you will be navigating urban or suburban turns for the duration of the trip. Stay alert, as the personality of this drive demands your full attention at the wheel.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on TX 35 and Gulf Freeway. 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.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 17.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
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.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Houston, TX to Pearland, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Alvin along the way.
Alvin
“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
Founded 1894
Pearland is in the North Barrier Coast region of Texas.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 26m. Total distance: 17.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore more options from Houston, TX or browse trips ending in Pearland, TX.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse TX road trips.
