Origin
McKinney, TX
Late night in McKinney on Tuesday
Local time
4:25 AM
CDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from McKinney, TX to Allen, 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
13m
Distance
9.2 mi
15 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 12m
★
6 AM
0h 13m
8 AM
0h 16m
10 AM
0h 14m
12 PM
0h 14m
3 PM
0h 14m
5 PM
0h 16m
8 PM
0h 13m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
McKinney, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Allen, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transit between McKinney and Allen, Texas, this 9.2-mile journey is as straightforward as it gets. Clocking in at just 13 minutes, the trip is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. You will primarily navigate the Central Expressway and North Central Expressway, which make up the bulk of your travel. With a fuel budget of approximately $1, this is an incredibly economical connection within the Great Plains region. Whether you are commuting for work or heading out for a local errand, the route offers a hassle-free experience that prioritizes efficiency over sightseeing. It is an ideal option for those who value speed and simplicity when moving between these two North Texas hubs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Central Expressway | 5.6 mi | 5m |
| East Virginia Street | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| North Central Expressway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| South Central Expressway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| West Main Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North Tennessee Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Central Expressway
— 5.6 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between McKinney, TX and Allen, TX.
1
Start on North Tennessee Street
119 ft
·
12 sec
·
North Tennessee Street
2
Turn left onto East Virginia Street
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
East Virginia Street
3
Turn left onto South Central Expressway
0.6 mi
·
52 sec
·
South Central Expressway
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward US 75 South, TX 121 South
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto US 75; TX 121
5.6 mi
·
5 min
·
Central Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 34
Toward McDermott Drive
Use the slight right lane.
7
Turn straight onto North Central Expressway
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
·
North Central Expressway
8
Continue on North Central Expressway
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
North Central Expressway
Use the left / straight lanes.
9
Turn right onto West Main Street
0.4 mi
·
58 sec
·
West Main Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
10
Arrive at destination
West Main Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 8.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Virginia Street
Turn left onto East Virginia Street
Navigation decision point
6
2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward US 75 South, TX 121 South
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward US 75 South, TX 121 South
5
2.4 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
US 75; TX 121 / Central Expressway
Merge onto US 75; TX 121 / Central Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
7.9 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward McDermott Drive
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 34
Toward McDermott Drive
5
8.8 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
West Main Street
Turn right onto West Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.39 one way
$2.78 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $1.52 | $3.04 |
| premium | $4.54 | $1.64 | $3.29 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.03 | $4.06 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.54
Central Expressway
(6.8 mi)
$0.54
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Tolls
$1
Total
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.8 | 0 | $0.97 | $0.44 |
| Efficient EV | 2.3 | 0 | $0.80 | $0.37 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.29 | $0.59 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Allen, TX
Late night in Allen on Tuesday
Local time
4:25 AM
CDT
Current temp
83°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
1 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
13m 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?
Expect a highly efficient highway-focused drive, as 74% of your time behind the wheel will be spent on major expressways. The road maintains a consistent pace, allowing you to settle into the flow of traffic quickly. Your longest uninterrupted stretch covers 5.6 miles on the Central Expressway, providing a steady, predictable ride. While you start on local infrastructure like East Virginia Street, the transition to high-speed lanes happens rapidly. Because the route is short and direct, you won't encounter the complex navigation found on longer cross-country trips, making it a low-stress experience for any driver.
74% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.6 mi on Central Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Central Expressway and East Virginia Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East Virginia Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 13m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (East Virginia Street): Navigation decision point; at 2 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.4 miles (US 75; TX 121 / Central Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
677 ft
576 ft
Total Climb
144 ft
Total Descent
112 ft
Highest Point
677 ft
~8.5 mi in
Elevation Range
101 ft
About the Cities
Starting in McKinney, TX
Full guide →Founded 1848
McKinney is a city in the Blackland Prairie region of Texas.
Arriving in Allen, TX
Full guide →Founded 1953
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 13m. Total distance: 9.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (74%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.6 miles on Central Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.54 in tolls one way, starting with Central Expressway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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: near the start (East Virginia Street): Navigation decision point; at 2 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.4 miles (US 75; TX 121 / Central Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Allen, 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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