Origin
Plano, TX
Late night in Plano on Sunday
Local time
1:02 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Plano, TX to Kaufman, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
56m
Distance
49.5 mi
80 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 52m
★
6 AM
0h 57m
8 AM
1h 6m
10 AM
1h 0m
12 PM
0h 59m
3 PM
1h 1m
5 PM
1h 6m
8 PM
0h 54m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Plano, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Kaufman, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Plano to Kaufman is 49.5 miles and takes about 56 minutes via C F Hawn Freeway and Lyndon B Johnson Freeway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Great Plains region of Texas, offering a straightforward journey. It's a short trip, ideal for a quick errand or a relaxed evening arrival. You'll primarily be on well-maintained highways, making it an easy and efficient way to get from point A to point B.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| C F Hawn Freeway | 19.4 mi | 20m |
| Lyndon B Johnson Freeway | 18.5 mi | 19m |
| Central Expressway | 7 mi | 7m |
| TX 243 | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East 15th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| West Mulberry Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Jackson Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
C F Hawn Freeway
— 19.4 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Plano, TX and Kaufman, TX.
1
Start on East 15th Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East 15th Street
Use the straight lane.
2
Turn left onto Central Expressway
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
Central Expressway
Use the left / straight lanes.
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Toward US 75 South
4
Merge onto US 75
6.8 mi
·
7 min
·
Central Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 21
Toward I 635
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 635 East
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 635 East
8
Merge onto I 635
0.3 mi
·
17 sec
·
Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway
9
Continue on I 635
19 mi
·
19 min
·
Lyndon B Johnson Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Exit 479B
Toward US 175 East: Kaufman
Use the right lane.
11
Merge onto US 175
19 mi
·
20 min
·
C F Hawn Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit onto TX 243
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
TX 243
Toward TX 243: Kaufman, Canton
13
Turn right onto TX 243
261 ft
·
6 sec
·
North Jackson Street
14
At end of road, turn left onto TX 243
366 ft
·
8 sec
·
West Mulberry Street
15
Arrive at destination
TX 243
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.8 miles from Plano, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 28.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Central Expressway
Turn left onto Central Expressway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
1 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 75 / Central Expressway
Merge onto US 75 / Central Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
7.8 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward I 635
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 21
Toward I 635
7
8.1 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 635 East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 635 East
7
28.2 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Take the exit toward US 175 East: Kaufman
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 479B
Toward US 175 East: Kaufman
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.48 one way
$14.96 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $8.19 | $16.37 |
| premium | $4.54 | $8.84 | $17.68 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.93 | $21.86 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.56
Central Expressway
(7 mi)
$0.56
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$1
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.9 | 0 | $5.20 | $2.38 |
| Efficient EV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.33 | $1.98 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.8 | 0 | $6.93 | $3.17 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
Kaufman, TX
Late night in Kaufman on Sunday
Local time
1:02 AM
CDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
54°F
Mesquite, TX
25 mi in
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
12 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
56m 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 is a highway-focused drive, with 93% of the route utilizing major roadways. Expect a consistent pace for most of the trip, especially during the longest stretch of 19.4 miles on C F Hawn Freeway. The journey is characterized by efficient travel, minimizing time spent on slower local roads. You'll find the transition between highways smooth, contributing to the overall ease of navigating this 49.5-mile segment.
93% 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: 19.4 mi on C F Hawn Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on C F Hawn Freeway and Lyndon B Johnson Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near Central Expressway.
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 13 decision points packed into just 49.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 56m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (Central Expressway): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (US 75 / Central Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Plano, TX
Full guide →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.
Arriving in Kaufman, TX
Full guide →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 56m. Total distance: 49.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
56m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19.4 miles on C F Hawn Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.56 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 Kaufman, 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 0.6 miles (Central Expressway): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (US 75 / Central Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.8 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 Kaufman, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Kaufman, TX
More trips to Kaufman, TX
Explore more options from Plano, TX or browse trips ending in Kaufman, TX.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse TX road trips.