Trip from Murillo Colonia, TX to Plano, TX

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 20, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

9h 24m

Distance

511.7 mi

823 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

2-day trip

Fuel Cost

$70

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 25 min

4 AM

9h 16m ★

6 AM

9h 24m

8 AM

9h 41m

10 AM

9h 30m

12 PM

9h 28m

3 PM

9h 31m

5 PM

9h 40m

8 PM

9h 19m

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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Murillo Colonia, TX

Brent Singleton

city in Collin and Denton counties in Texas, United States

Plano, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Murillo Colonia to Plano is 511.7 miles and takes about 9h 24m via I 69C, Purple Heart Trail, and Pickle Parkway, with a fuel budget near $81 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a long-haul drive that stays within Texas, taking you across the Great Plains region. You'll spend most of your time on highways, so plan for a steady pace. Given the distance, it's a good idea to break this trip into two days to make it more comfortable.

Trip Pace

Best split across 2 days

Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.

Break Rhythm

2 planned breaks

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

255.8 miles from Murillo Colonia, TX

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 56m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
I 69C	141.7 mi	2h 35m
Purple Heart Trail	97.7 mi	1h 39m
Pickle Parkway	58.5 mi	54m
I 35E	56.2 mi	58m
King David Drive	31.8 mi	39m
State Highway 80 North	30.8 mi	35m
State Highway 80	23.6 mi	25m
North Central Expressway	16.6 mi	18m

Longest stretch: I 69C — 141.7 mi, about 2h 35m

Traffic on I-35

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 48 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~4,007 veh/hr typical · worst 4,783

Quietest

2 AM

~579 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

6.9×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 51 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Murillo Colonia, TX and Plano, TX.

Start on Murillo Street

0.2 mi · 41 sec · Murillo Street

Turn left onto FM 907

2.5 mi · 4 min · South Alamo Road

Continue on FM 907

0.6 mi · 1 min · North Alamo Road

Turn left onto FM 2128

0.5 mi · 40 sec · East Schunior Street

Continue on FM 2128

0.8 mi · 1 min · East Richardson Street

Continue on FM 2128

1.2 mi · 1 min · East Richardson Road

Turn right onto North Expressway 281

181 ft · 3 sec · North Expressway 281

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 35 sec

Toward I 69C North, US 281 North

Merge onto I 69C; US 281

71 mi · 1 hr 15 min · I 69C; US 281

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork onto I 69C; US 281

70 mi · 1 hr 19 min · I 69C; US 281

Keep slight left at fork onto US 281

11 mi · 14 min · Nueces Street

Turn right onto TX 72

32 mi · 39 min · King David Drive

Continue on TX 72; TX 239

0.8 mi · 1 min · West Main Street

Keep slight left at fork onto TX 72; TX 239

233 ft · 3 sec · East Main Street

Continue on FM 792

8.4 mi · 10 min · Helena Road

Turn straight onto TX 80

24 mi · 25 min · State Highway 80

Continue on TX 80

1.0 mi · 2 min · South Nixon Avenue

Continue on TX 80; TX 97

31 mi · 35 min · State Highway 80 North

Continue on US 183

10 mi · 11 min · US 183

Continue on US 183

4.9 mi · 8 min · South Colorado Street

Continue on US 183

0.2 mi · 16 sec · United States Highway 183

Keep slight left at fork

0.5 mi · 35 sec

Toward TX 130 Toll North: Austin, Waco

Merge onto TX 130 Toll

59 mi · 54 min · Pickle Parkway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 49 sec

Toward I 35 North: Waco Use the slight left / slight right lanes.

Merge onto I 35

65 mi · 1 hr 6 min · Purple Heart Trail

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on I 35

6.6 mi · 7 min · South Jack Kultgen Expressway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on I 35; US 77

33 mi · 33 min · Purple Heart Trail

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E

56 mi · 58 min · I 35E

Toward I 35E: Dallas Use the slight right lane.

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 41 sec

Exit 427A Toward I 30 East: Texarkana, Riverfront Boulevard, Griffin Street Use the slight right lane.

Keep slight left at fork

422 ft · 5 sec

Toward I 35E North, I 30 West: Denton, Fort Worth, Texarkana

Keep slight right at fork

0.4 mi · 32 sec

Toward I 30 East: Texarkana, Convention Center

Keep slight left at fork

385 ft · 6 sec

Toward I 30 East: Texarkana

Continue on I 30; US 67

0.8 mi · 1 min · East R L Thornton Freeway

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 45 sec

Exit 46 Toward I 45, US 75: Houston, McKinney Use the slight right lane.

Keep slight left at fork

0.5 mi · 1 min

Toward US 75 North: McKinney Use the slight left lane.

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 26 sec

Toward US 75 North: McKinney, Bryan Street East

Merge onto US 75

0.7 mi · 49 sec · Julius Schepps Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on US 75

15 mi · 16 min · North Central Expressway

Use the straight / right lanes.

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 52 sec

Exit 28A Toward Plano Parkway, 15th Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Turn straight onto North Central Expressway

1.4 mi · 2 min · North Central Expressway

Use the straight / left / right lanes.

Turn right onto East 15th Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · East 15th Street

Use the straight / right lanes.

Arrive at destination

East 15th Street

Trip Plan

For this 511.7-mile drive, consider splitting it over two days. Aim to depart early in the morning to maximize your daylight hours. With two recommended stops, you can break up the drive into manageable segments. Watch your fuel gauge, especially on the 141.7-mile stretch of I 69C, and plan your refueling stops accordingly. This route is best tackled by driving roughly half the distance each day, perhaps stopping around the halfway point for an overnight stay.

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.

This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.

Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.

The halfway point lands around 255.8 miles from Murillo Colonia, TX, or about 4h 56m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 141.7 miles.

Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 113 miles or 2h 6m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 255.8 miles or 4h 56m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Overnight split

Day 1 wrap after about 255.8 miles or 4h 56m

Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 8h 17m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Plano, TX than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Murillo Colonia, 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.

Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Murillo Colonia, TX

Aim for roughly 256 miles and 4.7 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 2

Finish the approach into Plano, TX

Aim for roughly 256 miles and 4.7 hours of wheel time on this day.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 113 miles from Murillo Colonia, TX.

This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.

Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.

The longest stretch is on I 69C for about 141.7 miles.

Where to Stop

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

First major stop

Coffee and fuel

San Antonio, TX

169 mi into the route

Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch

This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.

city in and county seat of Ellis County, Texas, United States

Second major stop

Overnight candidate

Waxahachie, TX

338 mi into the route

Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start

This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.

Find hotels in Waxahachie, TX

Overnight Options

Night 1

San Antonio, TX

256 mi · about 4.7h in

A practical overnight split lands near San Antonio, TX after about 256 miles or 4.7 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Pacing Suggestions

San Diego, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 113 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

San Antonio, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 255.8 miles from Murillo Colonia, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before I 69C if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 141.7 miles.

Overnight split

1.9 mi from route

Service Plaza

2.3 mi from route

Pilot Travel Center

2.5 mi from route

4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Later in the drive, short detour

Final third 2.7 mi from route ~7 min detour

Waco, Texas

Hours: Open 24 hours

Visit website

South Texas Motorcycle Museum

4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, short detour

3.1 mi from route ~8 min detour

Edinburg, Texas

Hours: Closed

+19562920770

Visit website

Museum of South Texas History

4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, ~11 min detour

4.4 mi from route ~11 min detour

Edinburg, Texas

Hours: 10 am–5 pm

+19563836911

Visit website

Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 25

5 decision points cluster between mile 329.5 and 509.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

329.5 mi into trip | ~6h 11m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 35 North: Waco

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward I 35 North: Waco

434.2 mi into trip | ~7h 59m in | I 35E

Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E toward I 35E: Dallas

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 35E: Dallas

490.4 mi into trip | ~8h 57m in

Take the exit toward I 30 East: Texarkana, Riverfront Boulevard, Griffin Street

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 427A Toward I 30 East: Texarkana, Riverfront Bouleva...

492.1 mi into trip | ~9h in

Take the exit toward I 45, US 75: Houston, McKinney

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 46 Toward I 45, US 75: Houston, McKinney

509.3 mi into trip | ~9h 19m in

Take the exit toward Plano Parkway, 15th Street

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 28A Toward Plano Parkway, 15th Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$70.09 one way

$140.17 round trip

$3.48/gal 25.4 MPG avg 179 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$3.89	$78.29	$156.57
premium	$4.23	$85.12	$170.23
diesel	$4.80	$96.62	$193.24

Estimated Tolls: $1.32

Central Expressway (16.6 mi) $1.32

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

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$70

Tolls

Hotel (1n)

$80–$140

Meals

$50–$100

Total

$201–$311

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 179 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $54 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	Stops	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	153.5	1	$53.73	$24.56
Efficient EV	127.9	1	$44.77	$20.47
EV Truck/SUV	204.7	2	$71.64	$32.75

Gas CO2

179 kg

EV CO2

60 kg (66% 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.

Forecast as of Jul 16, 2026

Origin

Murillo Colonia, TX

Morning in Murillo Colonia on Monday

Local time

9:14 AM

CDT

Current temp

96°F

Partly Sunny

SE 17 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued July 16 at 5:23PM CDT until July 16 at 8:30PM CDT by NWS Midland/Odessa TX

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 16 at 5:19PM CDT until July 16 at 5:30PM CDT by NWS Shreveport LA

Destination

Plano, TX

Morning in Plano on Monday

Local time

9:14 AM

CDT

Current temp

90°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

S 10 mph 36% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued July 16 at 5:23PM CDT until July 16 at 8:30PM CDT by NWS Midland/Odessa TX

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 16 at 5:19PM CDT until July 16 at 5:30PM CDT by NWS Shreveport LA

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.

For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.

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

6 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

9h 24m on the road

This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.

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.

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...

5 mi from route ~14 min detour Free near mile 405.8

View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

What kind of drive is this?

This drive is primarily on highways, with 68% of the route utilizing them. You'll experience a substantial stretch of 141.7 miles on I 69C, which means you can maintain a consistent speed for a significant portion of the trip. The remaining portion will involve surface roads, likely with more frequent intersections and varying speed limits. Expect a mix of open cruising and areas with more local traffic.

68% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.

42 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.

Longest single stretch: 141.7 mi on I 69C.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

At 9h 24m, this is a long-haul route where pacing matters more than any single turn. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 329.5 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a demanding drive. With 25 significant decision points across 511.7 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 329.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 434.2 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 490.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Gently rolling terrain

754 ft 75 ft

Total Climb

1,161 ft

Total Descent

587 ft

Highest Point

754 ft

~438.6 mi in

Elevation Range

679 ft

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 Murillo Colonia, TX to Plano, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Waco along the way.

Waco

270.5 mi in | ~5h 15m

About the Cities

Arriving in Plano, TX

Full guide →

Founded 1873

Plano is a city of 285,000 people (2020) in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex region of Texas and is north of Dallas. It is home to the headquarters of several large corporations.

Top landmarks

• Heritage Farmstead Museum — building in Texas, United States
• Plano Station, Texas Electric Railway — historic place in Plano, Collin County, Texas

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 141.7 miles on I 69C. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — a 2-day pace is more comfortable than one long haul. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 256 miles on day one.

Expect about $1.32 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 — we found about 36 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 Plano, 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. There are 36 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.

Yes — Waco Mammoth National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Not recommended in a single day. At 9.4 hours each way, a round trip means 18.8 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Plano, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Explore More

Explore more options from Murillo Colonia, TX or browse trips ending in Plano, TX.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse TX road trips.

Trip from Murillo Colonia, TX to Plano, TX

Best Time to Leave

Trip Overview

Main Roads

Traffic on I-35

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Trip Plan

Before You Leave

Where to Stop

Overnight Options

Pacing Suggestions

Stops Along Your Drive

Quality Services Towing & Tires

Hill County Northbound Rest Area

Rest Area

Brooks County Rest Area

TA

Love's Travel Stop

Flying J Travel Plaza

Pilot Travel Center

Hill County Southbound Rest Area

Rest Area

Flying J Travel Center

Love's Travel Stop

Flying J Travel Center

Pilot Travel Center

Love's Travel Stop

Petro Stopping Centers

Buc-ee's

Service Plaza

QuikTrip

QuikTrip

Circle K

Bell County Northbound Rest Area

Pilot Travel Center

Bell County Southbound Rest Area

QuikTrip

Walburg Travel Center & Food Court

Road Ranger

Love's Travel Stop

QuikTrip

Buc-ee's

TA

Service Plaza

Love's Travel Stop

SoPac Trail Rest Area

Service Plaza

Pilot Travel Center

Dark Hour Haunted House

Cultural Activities Center

11th Hour Escape

Heritage Farmstead Museum

Edinburg Scenic Wetlands & World Birding Center

Doris D Miller Park

South Texas Motorcycle Museum

Museum of South Texas History

Heads-up: tricky spots

Fuel & Cost

Travel Intel

Murillo Colonia, TX

Plano, TX

Same local time

6 degrees cooler at arrival

9h 24m on the road

National Parks Near This Route

Waco Mammoth National Monument

What kind of drive is this?

How Hard Is This Drive?

Elevation Profile

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

About the Cities

Arriving in Plano, TX

Frequently Asked Questions

Which road carries most of the drive?

Should I split this drive into multiple days?

How do I pay the tolls on this route?

Are there rest areas on this route?

Should I avoid arriving after dark?

Is this a good trip with kids?

Where does this route get tricky?