Origin
Plano, TX
Morning in Plano on Sunday
Local time
6:50 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Plano, TX to Princeton, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
30m
Distance
22.4 mi
36 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Plano, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Princeton, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Plano, TX to Princeton, TX covers 22.4 miles and takes about 30m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Central Expressway, East University Drive, West Princeton Drive for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.4 miles on Central Expressway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.38 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Central Expressway | 9.4 mi | 10m |
| East University Drive | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| West Princeton Drive | 2.8 mi | 3m |
| South McDonald Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Elm Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Spur 399 | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| South Airport Drive | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East 15th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Central Expressway
— 9.4 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Plano, TX and Princeton, TX.
1
Start on East 15th Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East 15th Street
2
Turn right onto Central Expressway
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Expressway
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward US 75 North
4
Merge onto US 75
8.6 mi
·
9 min
·
Central Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 38C
Toward SRT South, TX 5: Sam Rayburn Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Use the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto Spur 399
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Spur 399
8
Continue on TX 5
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
South McDonald Street
9
Turn right onto Elm Street
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Elm Street
10
At end of road, turn left onto South Airport Drive
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
South Airport Drive
11
Turn right onto US 380
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
East University Drive
12
Continue on US 380
2.8 mi
·
3 min
·
West Princeton Drive
13
Turn left onto North 2nd Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North 2nd Street
14
Turn right onto North Front Street
434 ft
·
19 sec
·
North Front Street
15
Arrive at destination
FM 75
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 21.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Central Expressway
Turn right onto Central Expressway
Navigation decision point
5
1.7 mi into trip
|
~3m 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.
8
10.3 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward SRT South, TX 5: Sam Rayburn Tollway
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 38C
Toward SRT South, TX 5: Sam Rayburn Tollway
6
10.6 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
4
21.9 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
North 2nd Street
Turn left onto North 2nd Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.38 one way
$6.77 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $3.70 | $7.41 |
| premium | $4.54 | $4.00 | $8.00 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.95 | $9.89 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.76
Central Expressway
(9.4 mi)
$0.76
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$1
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.35 | $1.08 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.96 | $0.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9 | 0 | $3.14 | $1.43 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Princeton, TX
Morning in Princeton on Sunday
Local time
6:50 AM
CDT
Current temp
74°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
13 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
30m 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?
22.4 mi in 30m — 42% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: Central Expressway.
42% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.4 mi on Central Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. 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
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 22.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (Central Expressway): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (US 75 / Central Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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.
On the drive from Plano, TX to Princeton, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Srt South along the way.
Srt South
10.3 mi in
|
~12m
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.
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 30m. Total distance: 22.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (42%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.4 miles on Central Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.76 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 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 Princeton, 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): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (US 75 / Central Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Princeton, 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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