Origin
Kingsville, TX
Late night in Kingsville on Sunday
Local time
2:52 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
7h 49m
Distance
423.5 mi
682 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$64
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kingsville, TX
Wikimedia Commons
This 423.5-mile drive from Kingsville, TX to Irving, TX will take approximately 7 hours and 49 minutes of driving time. It's a feasible day trip, though you might consider an overnight stop to break up the 7 hours and 49 minutes. The route primarily uses Purple Heart Trail, Pickle Parkway, and US 281, with 57% of the journey on highways. Expect a fuel cost of around $64 for this trip. You'll pass through two stops, with the longest stretch covering 97.7 miles. Both your origin and destination are within the Great Plains region, so the landscape will remain consistent throughout your journey.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
211.8 miles from Kingsville, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 10m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Purple Heart Trail | 97.7 mi | 1h 39m |
| Pickle Parkway | 58.5 mi | 54m |
| US 281 | 54.2 mi | 1h 1m |
| I 35E | 47.3 mi | 48m |
| King David Drive | 31.8 mi | 39m |
| State Highway 80 North | 30.8 mi | 35m |
| State Highway 80 | 23.6 mi | 25m |
| East King Avenue | 15.2 mi | 19m |
Step-by-step road directions between Kingsville, TX and Irving, TX.
Start on US 77 Business
Turn right onto TX 141
Take the ramp
Merge onto US 281
Keep slight left at fork onto US 281
Turn right onto TX 72
Continue on TX 72; TX 239
Keep slight left at fork onto TX 72; TX 239
Continue on FM 792
Turn straight onto TX 80
Continue on TX 80
Continue on TX 80; TX 97
Continue on US 183
Continue on US 183
Continue on US 183
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto TX 130 Toll
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 35
Continue on I 35
Continue on I 35; US 77
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E
Take the exit
Merge onto I 20
Take the exit
Merge onto Spur 408
Merge onto Loop 12
Take the exit
Turn straight onto South Loop 12
Turn left onto TX 356
Continue on TX 356
Continue on West Irving Boulevard
Turn right onto North Ohio Street
Arrive at destination
To make the most of this 423.5-mile drive, consider an early morning departure from Kingsville to maximize daylight. With an estimated 7 hours and 49 minutes of driving, planning for two stops is a good idea for breaks and fuel. The longest stretch is 97.7 miles on Purple Heart Trail, so ensure you have adequate fuel before embarking on that segment. The $64 fuel cost is an estimate, so adjust based on current prices and your vehicle's efficiency. Given the duration, being flexible with your schedule is key.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 93 miles or 1h 51m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 211.8 miles or 4h 10m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 6h 42m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Irving, TX than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Kingsville, TX so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Kingsville, TX
This is one driving day of about 423.5 miles and 7h 49m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
212 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 93 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 211.8 miles from Kingsville, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Purple Heart Trail if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 97.7 miles.
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 192.8 and 411.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight left at fork toward TX 130 Toll North: Austin, Waco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 35 North: Waco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E toward I 35E: Dallas
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 20 West: Fort Worth
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Spur 408
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$63.99 one way
$127.98 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $70.04 | $140.09 |
| premium | $4.54 | $75.61 | $151.23 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $93.50 | $187.01 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$64
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$89–$114
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 148.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $44 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 127.1 | 1 | $44.47 | $20.33 |
| Efficient EV | 105.9 | 1 | $37.06 | $16.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 169.4 | 2 | $59.29 | $27.10 |
Gas CO2
148 kg
EV CO2
50 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 Kingsville on Sunday
Local time
2:52 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Destination
Late night in Irving on Sunday
Local time
2:52 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
National Monument
Standing as tall as 14 feet and weighing 20,000 pounds, Columbian mammoths roamed across what is present-day Texas thousands of years ago. Today, the fossil specimens represent the nation's first and...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
This route offers a mixed driving experience, with 57% of it on highways. You'll encounter stretches of faster travel interspersed with other road types. The longest uninterrupted drive segment is 97.7 miles on Purple Heart Trail, so be prepared for a sustained period on this particular road. While the 'profile' is described as mixed, expect a significant portion to be on well-maintained highways, making for relatively straightforward navigation. The journey progresses through various Texas landscapes, typical of the Great Plains.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 192.8 miles in.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 19 significant decision points across 423.5 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 192.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 251.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 356.5 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Kingsville, TX to Irving, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Waco along the way.
Waco
Irving is a city in the Prairies and Lakes region of Texas. Part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Irving has experienced exponential growth over the past fifty years, and is home to a multitude of attractions of all types, from modern art to major sporting events. Founded in 1902 out of the remnants of the small community of Kit, Irving is now a bustling city of approximately 197,000 residents. Rather like Dallas, it is divided into a highly affluent northern half and less affluent but highly diverse southern half. It is bounded to the east by the northern fork (Elm Fork) of the Trinity River and to the northwest by the sprawling D/FW International Airport.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 7h 49m. Total distance: 423.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
7h 49m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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