Trip from Orange County, TX to San Antonio, TX

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

5h 24m

Distance

296.1 mi

476 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$41

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 40 min

4 AM

5h 11m ★

6 AM

5h 24m

8 AM

5h 51m

10 AM

5h 33m

12 PM

5h 31m

3 PM

5h 35m

5 PM

5h 50m

8 PM

5h 16m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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Orange County, TX

Wikimedia Commons

San Antonio, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Traveling from Orange County to San Antonio covers a 298.2-mile span that takes approximately 4 hours and 31 minutes to complete. Because the route is categorized as a turn-heavy local drive, you should plan for a single day of travel rather than an overnight split. Budgeting roughly $44 for fuel is a smart way to prepare for the trip. You will stay within the Great Plains region for the duration of the journey, moving across the Texas landscape. While the drive is manageable in one go, the winding nature of the roads means you should stay alert behind the wheel. It is a straightforward trip that serves as an efficient connection between these two points.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

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

Midpoint

148 miles from Orange County, TX

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 46m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Katy Freeway	175.2 mi	3h 2m
I 10	111.5 mi	2h 4m
East Commerce Street	4.3 mi	7m
Jose Lopez Freeway	1.6 mi	1m
90th Infantry Division Highway	0.8 mi	<1m
Kristi Lane	0.4 mi	1m
Glenwood Drive	0.4 mi	1m
West I-10 Service Road	0.4 mi	<1m

Longest stretch: Katy Freeway — 175.2 mi, about 3h 2m

Traffic on I-10

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 52 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

3 PM

~2,943 veh/hr typical · worst 3,773

Quietest

2 AM

~394 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

7.5×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 52 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 Orange County, TX and San Antonio, TX.

Start on Kristi Lane

0.4 mi · 1 min · Kristi Lane

Turn left onto Lawrence Road

239 ft · 13 sec · Lawrence Road

Turn right onto Glenwood Drive

0.4 mi · 1 min · Glenwood Drive

Turn left onto FM 1442

0.4 mi · 29 sec · FM 1442

Turn left onto West I-10 Service Road

0.4 mi · 55 sec · West I-10 Service Road

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 24 sec

Toward I 10 West, US 90 West: Houston

Merge onto I 10; US 90

16 mi · 17 min · I 10; US 90

Continue on I 10; US 69; US 96; US 287

83 mi · 1 hr 34 min · I 10; US 69; US 96; US 287

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on I 10; US 90

175 mi · 3 hr 2 min · Katy Freeway

Use the straight lane.

Keep slight left at fork onto I 10; US 90; TX 130

12 mi · 12 min · I 10; US 90; TX 130

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto I 10; US 90; TX 130

0.8 mi · 51 sec · 90th Infantry Division Highway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on I 10; US 90

1.6 mi · 1 min · Jose Lopez Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 19 sec

Exit 579 Toward Commerce Street, Houston Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Turn straight onto Interstate 10 East

0.3 mi · 38 sec · Interstate 10 East

Turn right onto East Houston Street

0.2 mi · 20 sec · East Houston Street

Turn slight left onto East Commerce Street

4.3 mi · 7 min · East Commerce Street

Turn left onto Military Plaza

392 ft · 15 sec · Military Plaza

Turn left onto Dolorosa Street

327 ft · 8 sec · Dolorosa Street

Arrive at destination

Dolorosa Street

Trip Plan

Since this is a 4-hour and 31-minute drive, aim to depart early in the morning to beat local traffic congestion. Incorporating at least one scheduled stop is highly recommended to break up the technical, turn-heavy sections of the road. Keep your fuel budget of $44 in mind, and try to fill up before hitting the more rural local road segments to avoid unexpected price spikes. Because there is no highway percentage on this specific path, prioritize your comfort by adjusting your seat and mirrors before you leave. Flexibility is your biggest advantage here, so monitor your energy levels and don't hesitate to pull over if the winding roads start to wear you down.

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.

Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.

The halfway point lands around 148 miles from Orange County, TX, or about 2h 46m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 175.2 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

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

First stop

Around 65 miles or 1h 16m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 148 miles or 2h 46m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 4h 24m

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

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Orange County, 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.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Orange County, TX

This is one driving day of about 296.1 miles and 5h 24m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 65 miles from Orange County, TX.

This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

The longest stretch is on Katy Freeway for about 175.2 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Houston, TX

148 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

Houston, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 65 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Houston, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 148 miles from Orange County, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Hours: 9 am–10 pm

+12102271373

Visit website

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

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 296 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | Lawrence Road

Turn left onto Lawrence Road

Navigation decision point

276.5 mi into trip | ~4h 59m in | I 10; US 90; TX 130

Keep slight left at fork onto I 10; US 90; TX 130

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

288.6 mi into trip | ~5h 12m in | I 10; US 90; TX 130 / 90th Infantry Division Highway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 10; US 90; TX 130 / 90th Infantry Division Highway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

290.9 mi into trip | ~5h 15m in

Take the exit toward Commerce Street, Houston 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 579 Toward Commerce Street, Houston Street

296 mi into trip | ~5h 23m in | Dolorosa Street

Turn left onto Dolorosa Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$40.56 one way

$81.11 round trip

$3.48/gal 25.4 MPG avg 104 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$3.89	$45.30	$90.60
premium	$4.23	$49.25	$98.51
diesel	$4.80	$55.91	$111.82

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$41

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$66–$91

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 103.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $31 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	Stops	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	88.8	1	$31.09	$14.21
Efficient EV	74	0	$25.91	$11.84
EV Truck/SUV	118.4	1	$41.45	$18.95

Gas CO2

104 kg

EV CO2

35 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 17, 2026

Origin

Orange County, TX

Late night in Orange County on Sunday

Local time

1:40 AM

CDT

Current temp

91°F

Mostly Sunny

S 5 mph 5% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued July 17 at 4:56PM CDT by NWS Shreveport LA

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 17 at 2:38PM CDT until July 20 at 4:15PM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX

Destination

San Antonio, TX

Late night in San Antonio on Sunday

Local time

1:40 AM

CDT

Current temp

90°F

Partly Sunny

SSE 10 mph 2% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued July 17 at 4:56PM CDT by NWS Shreveport LA

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 17 at 2:38PM CDT until July 20 at 4:15PM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX

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.

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 cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

5h 24m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

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.

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

National Historical Park

Welcome to San Antonio Missions, a National Park Service site and the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas. Each mission in the park is a center of community and has been since the early 1700s. Th...

9 mi from route ~22 min detour Free near mile 296.1

View on nps.gov

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

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a driving experience that deviates from the standard interstate grind, as this route relies on Lawrence Road, Glenwood Drive, and I-10. With a highway share of 0%, this is a turn-heavy local drive that demands more active steering than a typical highway cruise. You will not encounter long, monotonous stretches, as the longest uninterrupted segment on Lawrence Road is 0 miles. This dynamic road profile keeps you engaged, requiring constant attention to turns rather than simply maintaining a consistent speed on a freeway. Prepare for a more technical, hands-on experience compared to typical long-distance transit.

98% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.

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

Longest single stretch: 175.2 mi on Katy Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Katy Freeway and I 10. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near Lawrence Road.

Driving Effort 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 296.1 miles you will encounter 12 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 0.4 miles (Lawrence Road): Navigation decision point; at 276.5 miles (I 10; US 90; TX 130): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 288.6 miles (I 10; US 90; TX 130 / 90th Infantry Division Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

649 ft 13 ft

Total Climb

653 ft

Total Descent

18 ft

Highest Point

649 ft

~296.1 mi in

Elevation Range

636 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Orange County, TX

Full guide →

Founded 1852

Top landmarks

• Rainbow Bridge — cantilever bridge crossing the Neches River, Texas, United States

Arriving in San Antonio, TX

Full guide →

Founded 1718

San Antonio is the second largest city in the state of Texas and the 7th largest in the United States. It's the 24th largest metropolitan area in the country. Visited by more than 31 million annual visitors, San Antonio is a beautiful city at the axis of three different geological terrains: Hill Country, South Texas Plains and Prairie and Lakes. There's a lot to do in this city: fine art museums, historical missions and plenty of amusement parks in addition to great dining and lots of drinking. The culture and people are vibrant and interesting. San Antonio's downtown is one of the most lively in the nation.

Top landmarks

• Alamo Mission in San Antonio — historic place in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas
• San Antonio Missions National Historical Park — historic district in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas
• Fort Sam Houston — military base in San Antonio, Texas

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 5h 24m. Total distance: 296.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

5h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (98%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 175.2 miles on Katy Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 43 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 San Antonio, 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 1 meaningful breaks. There are 43 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.

Yes — San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Not recommended in a single day. At 5.4 hours each way, a round trip means 10.8 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at San Antonio, 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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