Origin
Iowa Colony, TX
Morning in Iowa Colony on Tuesday
Local time
6:03 AM
CDT
Current temp
86°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Iowa Colony, TX to Houston, 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
29m
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 27m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Iowa Colony, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Houston, TX
Trace Hudson
Trip Overview
Iowa Colony, TX to Houston, TX is 22.3 miles and takes about 29 minutes via Brazoria County Expressway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Great Plains region, specifically within Texas. You'll be covering a relatively small distance, making it a straightforward option for a quick trip. The route is mostly highway, so expect a consistent pace as you head towards your destination.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Brazoria County Expressway | 16.1 mi | 19m |
| Nolan Ryan Expressway | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Gulf Freeway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Alvin Sugarland Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| Louisiana Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Rusk Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Airline Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Memorial Drive Frontage Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Brazoria County Expressway
— 16.1 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Iowa Colony, TX and Houston, TX.
1
Start on CR 48
356 ft
·
7 sec
·
Old Airline Road
2
Continue on CR 48
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
North Airline Road
3
Turn right onto TX 6
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Alvin Sugarland Road
4
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Toward TX 288 North
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto TX 288
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Nolan Ryan Expressway
6
Continue on TX 288
0.1 mi
·
7 sec
·
South Freeway
7
Keep slight left at fork onto TX 288 Toll
16 mi
·
19 min
·
Brazoria County Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
Toward I 45 North: Dallas
Use the slight left lane.
9
Merge onto I 45
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Gulf Freeway
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 47B
Toward Houston Avenue, Memorial Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
444 ft
·
14 sec
Toward Memorial Drive
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
12
Turn right onto Memorial Drive Frontage Road
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Memorial Drive Frontage Road
13
Continue on Rusk Street
0.3 mi
·
52 sec
·
Rusk Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Turn left onto Louisiana Street
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Louisiana Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
15
Arrive at destination
Louisiana Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 1.3 and 21.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Turn left toward TX 288 North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward TX 288 North
6
3.6 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
TX 288 Toll / Brazoria County Expressway
Keep slight left at fork onto TX 288 Toll / Brazoria County Expressway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
19.7 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 45 North: Dallas
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 45 North: Dallas
8
21.2 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward Houston Avenue, Memorial Drive
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 47B
Toward Houston Avenue, Memorial Drive
8
21.5 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Memorial Drive
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Memorial Drive
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
Houston, TX
Morning in Houston on Tuesday
Local time
6:03 AM
CDT
Current temp
84°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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
29m 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 predominantly highway, with 86% of the trip taking place on major roads like the Brazoria County Expressway, Nolan Ryan Expressway, and Gulf Freeway. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 16.1 miles on the Brazoria County Expressway. As you approach Houston, expect an increase in traffic density and more frequent exits.
86% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.1 mi on Brazoria County Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Brazoria County Expressway and Nolan Ryan Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.3 miles in.
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 11 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 29m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles (TX 288 Toll / Brazoria County Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving 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 29m. Total distance: 22.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (86%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.1 miles on Brazoria County Expressway. 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 Houston, 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: at 1.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles (TX 288 Toll / Brazoria County Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Houston, 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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