Origin
Laredo, TX
Late night in Laredo on Tuesday
Local time
5:39 AM
CDT
Current temp
97°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Laredo, TX to Mabank, 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
7h 57m
Distance
435.9 mi
701 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$66
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
7h 49m
★
6 AM
7h 57m
8 AM
8h 15m
10 AM
8h 4m
12 PM
8h 2m
3 PM
8h 4m
5 PM
8h 14m
8 PM
7h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Laredo, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Mabank, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Laredo, TX to Mabank, TX is 435.9 miles and takes about 7h 57m via Purple Heart Trail, with a fuel budget near $66 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Texas, traversing the Great Plains region for its entirety. Expect a route that largely sticks to surface roads, making it a more relaxed pace than a pure interstate trip. With only two recommended stops and a longest stretch of nearly 300 miles, you can tailor your day to your liking, whether you prefer to push through or take it easy.
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
217.9 miles from Laredo, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 51m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Purple Heart Trail | 299.7 mi | 5h 12m |
| State Highway 31 | 35.8 mi | 38m |
| South Pan Am Expressway | 21.5 mi | 26m |
| Corsicana Bypass | 11.8 mi | 13m |
| East State Highway 31 | 9.3 mi | 10m |
| Northeast 2nd Street | 8 mi | 9m |
| North Pan Am Expressway | 7.4 mi | 8m |
| State Highway 274 | 7.1 mi | 10m |
Longest stretch:
Purple Heart Trail
— 299.7 mi, about 5h 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Laredo, TX and Mabank, TX.
1
Start on Matamoros Street
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
Matamoros Street
2
Turn left onto San Dario Avenue
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
San Dario Avenue
3
Continue on I 35; I 27; US 83
144 mi
·
2 hr 27 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Continue on I 35
9.3 mi
·
11 min
·
South Pan Am Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
South Pan Am Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35
10 mi
·
13 min
·
South Pan Am Expressway
Toward I 37, US 281: Upper Level, Corpus Christi, Johnson City
Use the straight lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto North Pan Am Expressway
7.4 mi
·
8 min
·
North Pan Am Expressway
Toward I 35: Austin
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 35
12 mi
·
12 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 35
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Interstate Highway 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 35
48 mi
·
52 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35; US 290
96 mi
·
1 hr 40 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on I 35
6.0 mi
·
6 min
·
South Jack Kultgen Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 338
Toward US 84: Waco Drive, Bellmead Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn straight onto North Jack Kultgen Expressway
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
North Jack Kultgen Expressway
15
Turn right onto US 84
0.3 mi
·
52 sec
·
East Waco Drive
16
Continue on US 84
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Bellmead Drive
17
Continue on US 84
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
East US Highway 84
18
Continue on TX 31
17 mi
·
17 min
·
State Highway 31
19
Continue on TX 31
5.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Hubbard Bypass
20
Continue on TX 31
19 mi
·
21 min
·
State Highway 31
21
Turn right onto TX 31
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Corsicana Bypass
Use the straight lane.
22
Turn right onto TX 31
9.3 mi
·
10 min
·
East State Highway 31
23
Continue on TX 31
8.0 mi
·
9 min
·
Northeast 2nd Street
24
Turn left onto TX 274
7.1 mi
·
10 min
·
State Highway 274
25
Continue on TX 274
5.8 mi
·
8 min
·
South Tool Drive
26
Continue on TX 274
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
South Seven Points Boulevard
27
Turn right onto TX 334
6.0 mi
·
8 min
·
East Cedar Creek Parkway
28
Turn left onto TX 198
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
·
North Gun Barrel Lane
29
Continue on TX 198
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
South 3rd Street
30
Turn right onto East Market Street
47 ft
·
2 sec
·
East Market Street
31
Arrive at destination
East Market Street
Trip Plan
Given the 7h 57m estimated drive time, starting early from Laredo is advisable to maximize daylight. You'll have a longest stretch of 299.7 miles on the Purple Heart Trail, so plan your stops strategically, perhaps one midway and another closer to your destination. With only two recommended stops and a fuel cost estimated at $66, you have flexibility in your pacing. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, especially on the longer surface road sections where stations might be less frequent than on major interstates.
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.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 217.9 miles from Laredo, TX, or about 3h 51m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 299.7 miles.
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 96 miles or 1h 38m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 217.9 miles or 3h 51m 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 41m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Mabank, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
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.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Laredo, TX
This is one driving day of about 435.9 miles and 7h 57m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 96 miles from Laredo, TX.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Purple Heart Trail for about 299.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
218 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 96 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 217.9 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 299.7 miles.
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 125 decision points cluster between mile 154.2 and 336.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
154.2 mi into trip
|
~2h 39m in
|
I 35 / South Pan Am Expressway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35 / South Pan Am Expressway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
155.9 mi into trip
|
~2h 41m in
|
I 35 / South Pan Am Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35 / South Pan Am Expressway toward I 37, US 281: Upper Level, Corpus Christi, Johnson City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight lane.
Toward I 37, US 281: Upper Level, Corpus Christ...
7
166.4 mi into trip
|
~2h 54m in
|
North Pan Am Expressway
Keep slight left at fork onto North Pan Am Expressway toward I 35: Austin
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 35: Austin
6
235.3 mi into trip
|
~4h 10m in
|
I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
336.9 mi into trip
|
~5h 57m in
Take the exit toward US 84: Waco Drive, Bellmead 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 338
Toward US 84: Waco Drive, Bellmead Drive
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$65.87 one way
$131.73 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
153 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $72.10 | $144.19 |
| premium | $4.54 | $77.83 | $155.65 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $96.24 | $192.48 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$66
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$91–$116
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 152.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $46 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 130.8 | 1 | $45.77 | $20.92 |
| Efficient EV | 109 | 1 | $38.14 | $17.44 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 174.4 | 2 | $61.03 | $27.90 |
Gas CO2
153 kg
EV CO2
51 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Mabank, TX
Late night in Mabank on Tuesday
Local time
5:39 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
31 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
7h 57m on the road
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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Welcome to San Antonio Missions, a National Park Service site and the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas. Each mission in the park is a center of community and has been since the early 1700s. Th...
7 mi from route
~17 min detour
Free
near mile 150.3
View on nps.gov
Waco Mammoth National Monument
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...
8 mi from route
~20 min detour
Free
near mile 330.7
View on nps.gov
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
What kind of drive is this?
This route features a highway share of 23%, meaning you'll spend most of your time on surface roads. The longest stretch of continuous driving is 299.7 miles, primarily on the Purple Heart Trail. You’ll encounter a mix of rural cruising and areas with frequent intersections as you transition from the expressways to State Highway 31 and then onto other surface roads.
Only 23% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
31 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 299.7 mi on Purple Heart Trail.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 154.2 miles in near I 35 / South Pan Am Expressway.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 12 significant decision points across 435.9 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 154.2 miles (I 35 / South Pan Am Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 155.9 miles (I 35 / South Pan Am Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 166.4 miles (North Pan Am Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Laredo, TX and Mabank, TX, road signs point toward Corpus Christi and Johnson City.
Corpus Christi
155.9 mi in
|
~2h 41m
|
via I 35
Johnson City
155.9 mi in
|
~2h 41m
|
via I 35
About the Cities
Starting in Laredo, TX
Full guide →“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
- • Cathedral of San Agustin — historic place in Laredo, Webb County, Texas
- • Fort McIntosh — historic district in Laredo, Webb County, Texas
- • San Agustin de Laredo Historic District — historic district in Laredo, Webb County, Texas
Arriving in Mabank, TX
Full guide →Founded 1900
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 7h 57m. Total distance: 435.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
7h 57m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 299.7 miles on Purple Heart Trail. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
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 Mabank, TX before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 2 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 154.2 miles (I 35 / South Pan Am Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 155.9 miles (I 35 / South Pan Am Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 166.4 miles (North Pan Am Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and Waco Mammoth National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 8.0 hours each way, a round trip means 15.9 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Mabank, TX before the return drive.
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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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