Origin
Mesquite, TX
Night in Mesquite on Saturday
Local time
11:15 PM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Mesquite, TX to Dallas, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
20m
Distance
14.3 mi
23 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mesquite, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Dallas, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to head from Mesquite into the heart of Dallas, you are looking at a quick 15.2-mile journey that typically takes about 22 minutes to complete. Because this trip is so brief, it works perfectly as a straightforward day trip, requiring no overnight stops along the way. You will primarily navigate via West Main Street, Scyene Road, and I-635 North rather than relying on a single long-haul highway. Budgeting just $2 for fuel makes this an incredibly economical excursion within the Great Plains region. Since both cities are located within the same state and region, you won't experience major shifts in landscape, making this a practical, no-fuss commute.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East R L Thornton Freeway | 6 mi | 7m |
| US 80 | 3 mi | 3m |
| Lyndon B Johnson Freeway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Scyene Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Elm Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| West Main Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North Lamar Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Galloway Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
East R L Thornton Freeway
— 6 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Mesquite, TX and Dallas, TX.
1
Start on South Galloway Avenue
4 ft
·
7 sec
·
South Galloway Avenue
2
Turn left onto TX 352
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
·
West Main Street
3
Continue on TX 352
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Scyene Road
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward I 635 North
5
Merge onto I 635
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Lyndon B Johnson Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 6A
Toward US 80 West: Dallas
Use the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto US 80
3.0 mi
·
3 min
·
US 80
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 30; US 67
6.0 mi
·
7 min
·
East R L Thornton Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 47B
Toward I 45 South, US 75 North: Houston, McKinney
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Toward US 75 North: McKinney
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward Main Street West, Elm Street
Use the slight left lane.
12
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
Toward Elm Street
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
13
Turn straight onto Elm Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Elm Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
14
Turn right onto North Lamar Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
North Lamar Street
15
Arrive at destination
North Lamar Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 2.6 and 13.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
2.6 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the exit toward US 80 West: Dallas
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 6A
Toward US 80 West: Dallas
8
12.4 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward I 45 South, US 75 North: Houston, McKinney
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 47B
Toward I 45 South, US 75 North: Houston, McKinn...
7
12.6 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 75 North: McKinney
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward US 75 North: McKinney
8
12.9 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Main Street West, Elm Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward Main Street West, Elm Street
8
13.1 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Elm Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Elm Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.16 one way
$4.32 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $2.37 | $4.73 |
| premium | $4.54 | $2.55 | $5.11 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.16 | $6.31 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.50 | $0.69 |
| Efficient EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.25 | $0.57 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.7 | 0 | $2.00 | $0.92 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Dallas, TX
Night in Dallas on Saturday
Local time
11:15 PM
CDT
Current temp
60°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
14 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
20m 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 turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate grind. With 0% highway share, this route keeps you engaged with local roads that require constant attention to navigation and traffic flow. You won't find any particularly long, uninterrupted stretches here, as the journey is defined by its frequent transitions between city streets. Behind the wheel, you should prepare for a stop-and-go feel that contrasts sharply with wide-open highway driving. The road's personality is functional and busy, reflecting the urban density you encounter as you move between these two Texas locations.
70% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6 mi on East R L Thornton Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on East R L Thornton Freeway and US 80. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 14.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.6 miles: 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 Mesquite, TX and Dallas, TX, road signs point toward Mckinney and Main Street West.
Mckinney
12.4 mi in
|
~16m
Main Street West
12.9 mi in
|
~17m
About the Cities
Starting in Mesquite, TX
Full guide →Mesquite, also known as the Rodeo Capital of Texas, and prior hangout of outlaw train robber Sam Bass, is an eastern suburb of Dallas.
Arriving in Dallas, TX
Full guide →“Big D” · Founded 1841
Dallas, with a population of more than 1.3 million residents, is the ninth largest city in the United States and the third largest in the state of Texas. It is an impressive melting pot of culture and character. Boasting high-end luxury hotels, innumerable fine dining spots, and one of the busiest airports in the world, Dallas maintains an upscale ethos reflected by an affluent population, world-class museums, and a shimmering modern skyline. Its history was marred by the infamous assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, but there is more historic and contemporary heritage to be discovered in the city. As a center of the oil and cotton industries in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Dallas was a classic American boom town and remains one of the fastest growing cities in the nation.
Top landmarks
- • Dallas Museum of Art — art museum in Dallas, Texas
- • Texas School Book Depository — building in Dallas, Texas, United States
- • George W. Bush Presidential Center — Presidential library and museum for U.S. President George W. Bush, located in Da...
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 20m. Total distance: 14.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (70%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6 miles on East R L Thornton Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Dallas, 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 2.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.6 miles: 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 Dallas, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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