Pearsall to Killeen is 216 miles and takes about 3 hours 43 minutes via Pickle Parkway and State Highway 195, with a fuel budget near $31 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive takes you from the Great Plains region of Texas into another part of the Great Plains. You'll spend most of your time on the highway, making it a straightforward trip. It's a good option if you need to get between these two Texas locations efficiently.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
108.1 miles from Pearsall, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 55m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Pickle Parkway
86 mi
1h 19m
Purple Heart Trail
39.9 mi
40m
State Highway 195
34 mi
38m
90th Infantry Division Highway
22.2 mi
23m
I 10
10.9 mi
10m
South Pan Am Expressway
8.4 mi
9m
Jose Lopez Freeway
8 mi
9m
Business Interstate 35 East
2.4 mi
3m
Longest stretch:
Pickle Parkway
— 86 mi, about 1h 19m
Traffic on I-10
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 36 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,914 veh/hr typical
· worst 3,635
Quietest
2 AM
~347 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
8.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 102 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 Pearsall, TX and Killeen, TX.
1
Start on I 35 Bus
1.1 mi·2 min·North Oak Street
2
Continue on I 35 Bus
2.4 mi·3 min·Business Interstate 35 East
3
Turn right onto Interstate 35 North
0.1 mi·15 sec·Interstate 35 North
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·31 sec
Toward I 35 North: Devine, San Antonio
5
Merge onto I 35
40 mi·40 min·Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on I 35
8.4 mi·9 min·South Pan Am Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.1 mi·15 sec
Exit 153Toward I 10 East, US 90 West, US 90 East, US 87 South: Houston, Del RioUse the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi·52 sec
Toward I 10 East, US 90 East, US 87 South: HoustonUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 10; US 87; US 90
8.0 mi·9 min·Jose Lopez Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 10; US 90
22 mi·23 min·90th Infantry Division Highway
Use the slight right lane.
11
Continue on I 10; TX 130
11 mi·10 min·I 10; TX 130
Toward I 10 East: Houston, Austin, WacoUse the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
1.0 mi·2 min
Exit 614Toward TX 130 Toll North: Austin, WacoUse the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on TX 130 Toll
86 mi·1 hr 19 min·Pickle Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi·21 sec
Toward TX 195 North: Florence, KilleenUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on North Interstate 35
0.3 mi·25 sec·North Interstate 35
16
Turn left onto TX 195
34 mi·38 min·State Highway 195
Use the left / straight lanes.
17
Turn slight right
263 ft·9 sec
Use the right lane.
18
Turn slight right onto US 190 Bus
0.9 mi·1 min·West Veterans Memorial Boulevard
Use the right lane.
19
Turn left
83 ft·8 sec
20
Turn right
74 ft·5 sec
21
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
Consider leaving Pearsall in the morning to make the most of daylight and arrive in Killeen with time to spare. With a drive of just under 4 hours, you likely won't need to split it, but a single stop for fuel or a quick break would be sensible. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the 86-mile stretch on the Pickle Parkway, as services can be spaced out. The flexibility of a single-day drive means you can adjust your departure time based on your schedule.
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 108.1 miles from Pearsall, TX, or about 1h 55m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 86 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 48 miles or 51m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 108.1 miles or 1h 55m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 58m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Killeen, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Pearsall, 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 Pearsall, TX
This is one driving day of about 216.1 miles and 3h 43m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 48 miles from Pearsall, 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 Pickle Parkway for about 86 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 14
5 decision points cluster between mile 3.7 and 180.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
3.7 mi into trip|~5m in
Take the ramp toward I 35 North: Devine, San Antonio
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 35 North: Devine, San Antonio
8
52.2 mi into trip|~56m in
Take the exit toward I 10 East, US 90 West, US 90 East, US 87 South: Houston, Del Rio
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 153
Toward I 10 East, US 90 West, US 90 East, US 87...
8
52.3 mi into trip|~56m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 10 East, US 90 East, US 87 South: Houston
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 10 East, US 90 East, US 87 South: Hous...
8
93.8 mi into trip|~1h 40m in
Take the exit toward TX 130 Toll North: Austin, Waco
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 614
Toward TX 130 Toll North: Austin, Waco
8
180.7 mi into trip|~3h 2m in
Keep slight right at fork toward TX 195 North: Florence, Killeen
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward TX 195 North: Florence, Killeen
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$32.44 one way
$64.88 round trip
$3.81/gal25.4 MPG avg76 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.22
$35.89
$71.79
premium
$4.57
$38.84
$77.68
diesel
$6.28
$53.40
$106.79
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$32
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$57–$82
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 75.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.
Driving Electric?
About $23 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
64.8
0
$22.69
$10.37
Efficient EV
54
0
$18.91
$8.64
EV Truck/SUV
86.4
1
$30.25
$13.83
Gas CO2
76 kg
EV CO2
25 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 Oct 19, 2026
Origin
Pearsall, TX
Evening
in Pearsall on Thursday
Local time
7:11 PM
CDT
Current temp
82°F
Partly Sunny
E 5 mph2% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Killeen, TX
Evening
in Killeen on Thursday
Local time
7:11 PM
CDT
Current temp
77°F
Mostly Cloudy
ESE 0 to 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
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
5 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
3h 43m 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.
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...
7 mi from route
~19 min detour
Free
near mile 52.2
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Sixty-nine percent of this route is highway, so expect a good amount of time cruising at higher speeds. The longest stretch without a major change is 86 miles on the Pickle Parkway. After the highway portion, you'll transition to surface roads for the remaining 31% of the trip. You'll likely notice a change in traffic density and speed limits as you move from highway to state highway.
69% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 86 mi on Pickle Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Pickle Parkway and Purple Heart Trail. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.7 miles in.
Driving Effort7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 14 significant decision points across 216.1 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 3.7 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 52.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 52.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
869 ft484 ft
Total Climb
481 ft
Total Descent
287 ft
Highest Point
869 ft
~185.3 mi in
Elevation Range
385 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Pearsall, TX and Killeen, TX, road signs point toward Del Rio, Austin and Waco.
Killeen is a city in the Central Hill Country of Texas. It is home to U.S. Army installation Fort Hood, one of the largest military bases in the world.
Top landmarks
•Killeen High School — historic place in Killeen, Bell County, Texas
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 43m. Total distance: 216.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 86 miles on Pickle Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza 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 Killeen, 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 1 rest area along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 3.7 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 52.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 52.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 3.7 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.4 hours — manageable with a long break at Killeen, TX, but most travelers stay overnight.
