Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
5h 24m
Distance
317.2 mi
510 km
Drive Score
10/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$48
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Laredo, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Killeen, TX
Wikimedia Commons
This 317.2-mile drive from Laredo, TX to Killeen, TX, will take approximately 5 hours and 24 minutes, making it a feasible day trip. You'll primarily navigate on the Purple Heart Trail, Pickle Parkway, and State Highway 195. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $48, with about half of the drive being on highways. This route offers a mixed driving experience as you traverse from the Great Plains region of Texas to another part of the same region. Planning for one stop along the way should be sufficient for this 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
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
158.6 miles from Laredo, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 44m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Purple Heart Trail | 144.4 mi | 2h 27m |
| Pickle Parkway | 86 mi | 1h 19m |
| State Highway 195 | 34 mi | 38m |
| 90th Infantry Division Highway | 22.2 mi | 23m |
| I 10 | 10.9 mi | 10m |
| South Pan Am Expressway | 8.4 mi | 9m |
| Jose Lopez Freeway | 8 mi | 9m |
| West Veterans Memorial Boulevard | 0.9 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Laredo, TX and Killeen, TX.
Start on Matamoros Street
Turn left onto San Dario Avenue
Continue on I 35; I 27; US 83
Continue on I 35
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 10; US 87; US 90
Continue on I 10; US 90
Continue on I 10; TX 130
Take the exit
Continue on TX 130 Toll
Keep slight right at fork
Continue on North Interstate 35
Turn left onto TX 195
Turn slight right
Turn slight right onto US 190 Bus
Turn left
Turn right
Arrive at destination
To make the most of this 5-hour, 24-minute drive, consider an early morning departure from Laredo to maximize daylight. With a total distance of 317.2 miles, you can comfortably complete this in one day, but plan for that single recommended stop to stretch your legs and refuel. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the 144.4-mile stretch on the Purple Heart Trail, as services might be less frequent. The $48 fuel cost is a good baseline for budgeting your trip.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
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 70 miles or 1h 11m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 158.6 miles or 2h 44m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 23m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Killeen, TX than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Laredo, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Laredo, TX
This is one driving day of about 317.2 miles and 5h 24m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
159 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 70 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 158.6 miles from Laredo, 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 144.4 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 0.3 and 281.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto San Dario Avenue
Navigation decision point
Take the exit toward I 10 East, US 90 West, US 90 East, US 87 South: Houston, Del Rio
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward I 10 East, US 90 East, US 87 South: Houston
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward TX 130 Toll North: Austin, Waco
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward TX 195 North: Florence, Killeen
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$47.93 one way
$95.86 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $52.46 | $104.93 |
| premium | $4.54 | $56.63 | $113.27 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $70.03 | $140.07 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$48
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$73–$98
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 111 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $33 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 95.2 | 1 | $33.31 | $15.23 |
| Efficient EV | 79.3 | 0 | $27.76 | $12.69 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 126.9 | 1 | $44.41 | $20.30 |
Gas CO2
111 kg
EV CO2
37 kg (67% 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 Laredo on Sunday
Local time
2:46 AM
CDT
Current temp
94°F
Mostly Sunny
Destination
Late night in Killeen on Sunday
Local time
2:46 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°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
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
This route presents a mixed driving profile, with 47% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter a longest uninterrupted stretch of 144.4 miles on the Purple Heart Trail, indicating substantial portions of consistent travel. The combination of main roads like the Pickle Parkway and State Highway 195 suggests a varied experience behind the wheel, moving from potentially faster highway sections to more localized road characteristics. Expect a dynamic drive that isn't solely a monotonous interstate cruise.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near San Dario Avenue.
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 317.2 miles you will encounter 12 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 0.3 miles (San Dario Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 153.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 153.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Laredo, TX and Killeen, TX, road signs point toward Del Rio, Austin and Waco.
Del Rio
Austin
Waco
“The Gateway City” · Founded 1755
Laredo is a city with 262,000 (2019) inhabitants on the South Texas Plains. Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, is just across the Rio Grande.
Top landmarks
Killeen is a city in the Central Hill Country of Texas. It is home to U.S. Army installation Fort Cavasos, one of the largest military bases in the world.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 24m. Total distance: 317.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
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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