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Trip from McKinney, TX to Kennedale, TX

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 13m

Distance

61.7 mi

99 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 8m ★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 25m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 10m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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city in Collin County, Texas, United States

McKinney, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Kennedale, TX, TX

Kennedale, TX

Jeff Stapleton

Trip Overview

The drive from McKinney, TX to Kennedale, TX covers 61.7 miles and takes about 1h 13m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Sam Rayburn Tollway, TX 121, I 820 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 23.8 miles on Sam Rayburn Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.95 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Sam Rayburn Tollway 23.8 mi 25m
TX 121 21.9 mi 24m
I 820 10.3 mi 12m
South McDonald Street 2.4 mi 4m
West Kennedale Parkway 1.3 mi 2m
Spur 399 0.9 mi 1m
Corry A Edwards Drive 0.3 mi <1m
East Louisiana Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Sam Rayburn Tollway — 23.8 mi, about 25m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between McKinney, TX and Kennedale, TX.

1

Start on North Tennessee Street

119 ft · 12 sec · North Tennessee Street
2

Turn left onto East Virginia Street

228 ft · 13 sec · East Virginia Street
3

Turn left onto North Kentucky Street

236 ft · 15 sec · North Kentucky Street
4

Turn left onto East Louisiana Street

0.2 mi · 28 sec · East Louisiana Street
5

Turn right onto TX 5

2.4 mi · 4 min · South McDonald Street
Use the left lane.
6

Continue on Spur 399

0.9 mi · 1 min · Spur 399
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Continue on SRT

20 mi · 21 min · Sam Rayburn Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Continue on TX 121

1.4 mi · 1 min · TX 121
9

Continue on SRT

3.4 mi · 3 min · Sam Rayburn Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Continue on TX 121

6.9 mi · 7 min · TX 121
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight left at fork onto TX 121

14 mi · 15 min · TX 121
Toward TX 121 South: Forth Worth, Arlington, Grand Praire Use the left / right lanes.
12

Keep slight left at fork onto I 820

10 mi · 12 min · I 820
Toward I 820 South Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Exit 442A Toward US 287 BUS: Mansfield Highway, Kennedale Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Continue on Southeast Loop 820

411 ft · 10 sec · Southeast Loop 820
15

Turn left onto US 287 Bus

485 ft · 17 sec · Mansfield Highway
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
16

Continue on US 287 Bus

1.3 mi · 2 min · West Kennedale Parkway
17

Turn right onto Corry A Edwards Drive

0.3 mi · 46 sec · Corry A Edwards Drive
18

At end of road, turn left onto West 3rd Street

426 ft · 13 sec · West 3rd Street
19

Turn right onto Municipal Drive

133 ft · 7 sec · Municipal Drive
20

Turn right

265 ft · 19 sec
21

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Grapevine, TX

31 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

Frisco, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Grapevine, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 30.8 miles from McKinney, 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 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 61.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.3 mi into trip | ~1m in | TX 5 / South McDonald Street

Turn right onto TX 5 / South McDonald Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
8
35.7 mi into trip | ~40m in | TX 121

Keep slight left at fork onto TX 121 toward TX 121 South: Forth Worth, Arlington, Grand Praire

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the left / right lanes. Toward TX 121 South: Forth Worth, Arlington, Gr...
7
49.3 mi into trip | ~56m in | I 820

Keep slight left at fork onto I 820 toward I 820 South

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 820 South
8
59.6 mi into trip | ~1h 9m in

Take the exit toward US 287 BUS: Mansfield Highway, Kennedale

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 442A Toward US 287 BUS: Mansfield Highway, Kennedale
6
61.5 mi into trip | ~1h 13m in | West 3rd Street

At end of road, turn left onto West 3rd Street

Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.95 one way

$17.90 round trip

$3.69/gal 25.4 MPG avg 22 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.08 $9.92 $19.84
premium $4.43 $10.77 $21.53
diesel $5.60 $13.60 $27.20

Estimated Tolls: $1.91

Sam Rayburn Tollway (23.8 mi) $1.91

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Tolls

$2

Total

$11

Estimated CO2 emission: 21.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 18.5 0 $6.48 $2.96
Efficient EV 15.4 0 $5.40 $2.47
EV Truck/SUV 24.7 0 $8.64 $3.95

Gas CO2

22 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (68% 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.

Forecast as of Aug 24, 2026

Origin

McKinney, TX

Evening in McKinney on Friday

Local time

8:24 PM

CDT

Current temp

83°F

Mostly Clear

SSW 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Extreme Heat Warning

Extreme Heat Warning issued August 24 at 1:01AM CDT until August 24 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Norman OK

Extreme Heat Warning

Extreme Heat Warning issued August 24 at 12:44AM CDT until August 24 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Fort Worth TX

Destination

Kennedale, TX

Evening in Kennedale on Friday

Local time

8:24 PM

CDT

Current temp

81°F

Mostly Clear

SSW 10 to 15 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Extreme Heat Warning

Extreme Heat Warning issued August 24 at 1:01AM CDT until August 24 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Norman OK

Extreme Heat Warning

Extreme Heat Warning issued August 24 at 12:44AM CDT until August 24 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Fort Worth TX

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

2 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

1h 13m 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?

61.7 mi in 1h 13m — 54% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: Sam Rayburn Tollway.

54% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 23.8 mi on Sam Rayburn Tollway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

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 0.3 miles in near TX 5 / South McDonald Street.

Driving Effort 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 61.7 miles you will encounter 11 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 (TX 5 / South McDonald Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 35.7 miles (TX 121): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 49.3 miles (I 820): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

713 ft 436 ft

Total Climb

371 ft

Total Descent

367 ft

Highest Point

713 ft

~13.2 mi in

Elevation Range

277 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between McKinney, TX and Kennedale, TX, road signs point toward Arlington and Grand Praire.

Arlington

35.7 mi in | ~40m | via TX 121

Grand Praire

35.7 mi in | ~40m | via TX 121

About the Cities

Starting in McKinney, TX

Full guide →

Founded 1848

McKinney is a city in the Blackland Prairie region of Texas.

Arriving in Kennedale, TX

Full guide →

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 13m. Total distance: 61.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (54%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 23.8 miles on Sam Rayburn Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $1.91 in tolls one way, starting with Sam Rayburn Tollway. 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.

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 Kennedale, 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 0.3 miles (TX 5 / South McDonald Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 35.7 miles (TX 121): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 49.3 miles (I 820): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Kennedale, 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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