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Trip from Houston, TX to Rosenberg, TX

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

45m

Distance

34.9 mi

56 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 42m ★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 43m

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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Downtown houston-tx

Houston, TX

Trace Hudson

city in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States

Rosenberg, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are looking for a straightforward trip from Houston to Rosenberg, this 34.9-mile journey is a quick outing that takes about 45 minutes to complete. Since both cities are located within the Great Plains region of Texas, you will find a consistent landscape throughout the drive. It is perfectly suited as a simple day trip, allowing you to head out and return without needing an overnight stay. With a modest fuel budget of approximately $5, this route is highly cost-effective for commuters or weekend travelers. You will navigate primarily via Congress Street, Smith Street, and the Southwest Freeway to reach your destination. Overall, it serves as a practical, no-fuss connection between these two Texas locations.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Southwest Freeway 28.8 mi 33m
Smith Street 2.7 mi 5m
1st Street 1.7 mi 2m
Southwest Freeway Frontage Road 1.3 mi 2m
Congress Street <0.1 mi <1m
Louisiana Street <0.1 mi <1m
Avenue I <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Southwest Freeway — 28.8 mi, about 33m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Houston, TX and Rosenberg, 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

2.7 mi · 5 min · Smith Street
Use the left lane.
4

Merge onto I 69; US 59

29 mi · 33 min · Southwest Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 34 sec
Exit 97 Toward TX 36: Rosenberg Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Turn straight onto Southwest Freeway Frontage Road

1.3 mi · 2 min · Southwest Freeway Frontage Road
7

Turn right onto TX 36

1.7 mi · 2 min · 1st Street
Use the right lane.
8

Turn right onto US 90 Alt; FM 1640

77 ft · 1 sec · Avenue I
9

Arrive at destination

US 90 Alt; FM 1640

Where to Stop

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

city in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Meadows Place, TX

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.

Pacing Suggestions

Richmond, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 34.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Meadows Place, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 17.4 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.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 6

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 33.1 — 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.
5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Smith Street

Turn left onto Smith Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
2.8 mi into trip | ~6m in | I 69; US 59 / Southwest Freeway

Merge onto I 69; US 59 / Southwest Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
31.6 mi into trip | ~39m in

Take the exit toward TX 36: Rosenberg

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 97 Toward TX 36: Rosenberg
4
33.1 mi into trip | ~42m in | TX 36 / 1st Street

Turn right onto TX 36 / 1st Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.27 one way

$10.55 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.20 $5.77 $11.54
premium $4.54 $6.23 $12.46
diesel $5.61 $7.71 $15.41

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.5 0 $3.66 $1.68
Efficient EV 8.7 0 $3.05 $1.40
EV Truck/SUV 14 0 $4.89 $2.23

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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026

Origin

Houston, TX

Morning in Houston on Tuesday

Local time

7:21 AM

CDT

Current temp

71°F

Mostly Cloudy

S 5 to 10 mph 8% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 18 at 2:50AM CDT by NWS San Angelo TX

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 18 at 2:47AM CDT until April 18 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS San Angelo TX

Destination

Rosenberg, TX

Morning in Rosenberg on Tuesday

Local time

7:21 AM

CDT

Current temp

87°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

16 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

45m on the road

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.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous highway cruise, as this route features a 0% highway share. You will be navigating urban and local thoroughfares, which requires a bit more focus than a wide-open interstate stretch. Because the path relies on city streets, there is no single long, uninterrupted stretch to settle into. Instead, the personality of the road changes as you transition from the heart of Houston toward the more residential feel of Rosenberg. Be prepared for a more engaged driving experience where you will need to pay close attention to local signage and intersections.

86% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 28.8 mi on Southwest Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Southwest Freeway and Smith Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Congress Street.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 45m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Congress Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.1 miles (Smith Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (I 69; US 59 / Southwest Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

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 45m. Total distance: 34.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

45m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (86%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 28.8 miles on Southwest Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 0.1 miles (Smith Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (I 69; US 59 / Southwest Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Rosenberg, 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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