Origin
Kingsville, TX
Morning in Kingsville on Sunday
Local time
7:03 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Kingsville, TX to Corpus Christi, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 7m
Distance
42.5 mi
68 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 2m
★
6 AM
1h 8m
8 AM
1h 18m
10 AM
1h 11m
12 PM
1h 10m
3 PM
1h 12m
5 PM
1h 18m
8 PM
1h 4m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kingsville, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Corpus Christi, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel from Kingsville to Corpus Christi, expect a straightforward 42.5-mile journey that typically takes about 1 hour and 7 minutes. This route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, as the distance is short enough that you won't need to worry about an overnight stay. You will primarily navigate via U.S. Highway 77, East State Highway 44, and I-37 as you move across the Great Plains. Budgeting roughly $6 for fuel is a safe bet for this transit. Because both cities are located within the same region, you can anticipate a consistent landscape throughout your drive. It is a practical, efficient connection that gets you to your destination quickly without any unnecessary complexity.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Highway 77 | 13.2 mi | 14m |
| East State Highway 44 | 11.2 mi | 11m |
| I 37 | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| County Road 79 | 4 mi | 15m |
| Driscoll Bypass | 2.3 mi | 2m |
| County Road 10 | 1 mi | 4m |
| East King Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
| North Padre Island Drive | 0.9 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
U.S. Highway 77
— 13.2 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Kingsville, TX and Corpus Christi, TX.
1
Start on US 77 Business
54 ft
·
8 sec
·
South 14th Street
2
Turn left onto TX 141
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
East King Avenue
3
Turn left onto South US Highway 77 Bypass
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
South US Highway 77 Bypass
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
5
Merge onto US 77
7.2 mi
·
7 min
·
U.S. Highway 77
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
7
Turn straight onto US Highway 77 Frontage Road
485 ft
·
17 sec
·
US Highway 77 Frontage Road
8
Turn right onto County Road 10
1.0 mi
·
4 min
·
County Road 10
9
Turn left onto County Road 79
4.0 mi
·
15 min
·
County Road 79
10
Turn left onto County Road 18
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
County Road 18
11
Turn sharp right
1.1 mi
·
2 min
12
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
13
Merge onto US 77
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Driscoll Bypass
14
Continue on US 77
6.0 mi
·
6 min
·
U.S. Highway 77
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward TX 44 East: Robstown, Corpus Christi
16
Turn straight onto South US Highway 77
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South US Highway 77
17
Take the ramp
267 ft
·
7 sec
18
Merge onto TX 44
11 mi
·
11 min
·
East State Highway 44
19
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward TX 358 West
20
Merge onto TX 358
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North Padre Island Drive
Use the straight lane.
21
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
Toward I 37 South
22
Merge onto I 37
4.3 mi
·
5 min
·
I 37
23
Continue on Interstate Highway 37
387 ft
·
10 sec
·
Interstate Highway 37
24
Continue on Interstate Highway 37
444 ft
·
15 sec
·
Interstate Highway 37
25
Continue on I 37
483 ft
·
9 sec
·
I 37
26
Arrive at destination
I 37
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 42.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.2 miles from Kingsville, 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 165 decision points cluster between mile 14 and 37.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
14 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Turn sharp right
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
5
23.8 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Take the exit toward TX 44 East: Robstown, Corpus Christi
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward TX 44 East: Robstown, Corpus Christi
5
36 mi into trip
|
~58m in
Keep slight left at fork toward TX 358 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward TX 358 West
5
36.6 mi into trip
|
~59m in
|
TX 358 / North Padre Island Drive
Merge onto TX 358 / North Padre Island Drive
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
37.5 mi into trip
|
~1h in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 37 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 37 South
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.42 one way
$12.84 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $7.03 | $14.06 |
| premium | $4.54 | $7.59 | $15.18 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.38 | $18.77 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.9 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 | 12.8 | 0 | $4.46 | $2.04 |
| Efficient EV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.72 | $1.70 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17 | 0 | $5.95 | $2.72 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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.
Destination
Corpus Christi, TX
Morning in Corpus Christi on Sunday
Local time
7:03 AM
CDT
Current temp
81°F
Mostly Sunny
SSE 23 mph
0% chance
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
15 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
1h 7m 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 highway-focused experience, as 70% of your time behind the wheel will be spent on major thoroughfares. You will encounter a mix of roads, starting with a significant 13.2-mile stretch on U.S. Highway 77. The drive maintains a steady pace, transitioning between these primary routes to keep traffic moving efficiently. While the terrain remains relatively uniform across the Great Plains, the shift between highway types keeps the drive from feeling entirely monotonous. You can count on a functional, high-speed transit that prioritizes directness over winding scenic detours.
70% 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: 13.2 mi on U.S. Highway 77.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on U.S. Highway 77 and East State Highway 44. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 14 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 42.5 miles you will encounter 16 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 14 miles: Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 23.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 36 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
73 ft
7 ft
Total Climb
45 ft
Total Descent
96 ft
Highest Point
73 ft
~21.2 mi in
Elevation Range
66 ft
About the Cities
Arriving in Corpus Christi, TX
Full guide →Corpus Christi (called Corpus by the locals) is Texas's largest coastal city and the gateway to Padre Island. While Corpus Christi isn't on the way to much of anything except itself (and the islands off its coast), it offers enough to fill a visit in its own right, or a multi-day trip from San Antonio, Austin, or Houston. The name is Latin for "Body of Christ".
Top landmarks
- • USS Lexington — 1942 Essex-class aircraft carrier
- • Corpus Christi Cathedral — historic place in Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas
- • Sherman Building — listed on the NRHP in Nuences 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 1h 7m. Total distance: 42.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 7m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (70%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.2 miles on U.S. Highway 77. 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 Corpus Christi, 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 14 miles: Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 23.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 36 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Corpus Christi, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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