Origin
Melissa, TX
Morning in Melissa on Tuesday
Local time
10:51 AM
CDT
Current temp
79°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Melissa, TX to Frisco, 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
32m
Distance
21.7 mi
35 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Melissa, TX
Victor Gavela
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transition between Melissa and Frisco, this 21.7-mile trek is a straightforward journey across the Great Plains of Texas. Expect to spend about 32 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stops. Your route will primarily utilize Central Expressway, Main Street, and Stacy Road to navigate between these two points. With a fuel cost estimate of just $3, it is an incredibly budget-friendly excursion for any traveler. Since both the origin and destination are located within the same region, you will experience a consistent environment throughout the entire drive. It is a practical, no-fuss connection that gets you to your destination efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Central Expressway | 7.4 mi | 7m |
| Main Street | 5.3 mi | 9m |
| Stacy Road | 2.8 mi | 5m |
| Sam Rayburn Tollway | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| McKinney Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| Sam Rayburn Highway | 1 mi | 1m |
| State Highway 121 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| West Cooper Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Central Expressway
— 7.4 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Melissa, TX and Frisco, TX.
1
Start on FM 545
375 ft
·
22 sec
·
West Cooper Street
2
Turn left onto TX 5
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
McKinney Street
3
Turn right onto TX 121
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Sam Rayburn Highway
4
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward US 75 South, TX 121 South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Merge onto US 75; TX 121
7.4 mi
·
7 min
·
Central Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 38C
Toward SRT Toll South: Sam Rayburn Tollway
Use the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto SRT
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Sam Rayburn Tollway
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward Stacy Road
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn straight onto TX 121
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
·
State Highway 121
10
Turn right onto Stacy Road
2.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Stacy Road
Use the right lane.
11
Continue on FM 3537
5.3 mi
·
9 min
·
Main Street
Use the left lane.
12
Arrive at destination
Main Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 2.1 and 13.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
2.1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 75 South, TX 121 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 75 South, TX 121 South
5
2.9 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
10.3 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward SRT Toll South: Sam Rayburn Tollway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 38C
Toward SRT Toll South: Sam Rayburn Tollway
6
12.8 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward Stacy Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Stacy Road
6
13.5 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
Stacy Road
Turn right onto Stacy Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.28 one way
$6.56 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $3.59 | $7.18 |
| premium | $4.54 | $3.87 | $7.75 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.79 | $9.58 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.74
Central Expressway
(7.4 mi)
$0.59
Sam Rayburn Tollway
(1.9 mi)
$0.15
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$1
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.28 | $1.04 |
| Efficient EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.90 | $0.87 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.04 | $1.39 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Frisco, TX
Morning in Frisco on Tuesday
Local time
10:51 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
4 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
32m 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?
This drive offers a mixed experience, balancing local surface streets with larger thoroughfares. You will spend roughly 36% of your time on highways, providing a blend of steady cruising and slower-paced navigation. The longest continuous stretch you will encounter is a 7.4-mile run along Central Expressway, which serves as the backbone of your journey. As you transition from the highway segments onto the local roads, the feel of the drive shifts from high-speed transit to a more controlled, urban environment. It is a functional route that keeps things moving without the monotony of a long-haul interstate grind.
36% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.4 mi on Central Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 2.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 21.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.9 miles (US 75; TX 121 / Central Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
754 ft
550 ft
Total Climb
274 ft
Total Descent
258 ft
Highest Point
754 ft
~20.1 mi in
Elevation Range
204 ft
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.
On the drive from Melissa, TX to Frisco, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Srt Toll South: Sam Rayburn Tollway along the way.
Srt Toll South: Sam Rayburn Tollway
10.3 mi in
|
~12m
About the Cities
Starting in Melissa, TX
Full guide →Founded 1853
Arriving in Frisco, TX
Full guide →Founded 1904
Frisco is a suburb of Dallas and part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
Top landmarks
- • Videogame History Museum — computer museum in Texas, USA
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 32m. Total distance: 21.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (36%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.4 miles on Central Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.74 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.
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 Frisco, 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 2.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.9 miles (US 75; TX 121 / Central Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Frisco, 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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