Red Lick, TX to Corpus Christi, TX is 500.5 miles and takes about 9h 36m via US Highway 59, with a fuel budget near $76 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip covers ground within Texas, moving from the Great Plains region towards the coast. It's a long haul that's best split over two days to avoid fatigue. You'll be covering a significant distance, so planning for overnight accommodations is recommended. Consider this route if you're looking for a straightforward drive to reach your destination efficiently.
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
250.2 miles from Red Lick, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 4h 46m into the drive
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Given the 9h 36m estimated drive time, it's highly recommended to break this 500.5-mile trip into two days. Aim to depart early in the morning to maximize daylight hours for the first leg. Plan for about two stops to refuel and stretch your legs. The longest stretch without a significant break is 113.5 miles, so be mindful of that when planning your interim stops. Budgeting around $76 for fuel should cover your needs for this drive across Texas.
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 250.2 miles from Red Lick, TX, or about 4h 46m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 113.5 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 110 miles or 2h 8m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 250.2 miles or 4h 46m 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 250.2 miles or 4h 46m
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 23m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Corpus Christi, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
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Open the route before leaving Red Lick, TX so your first major turns are already loaded.
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Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
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Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
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Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
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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 Red Lick, TX
Aim for roughly 250 miles and 4.8 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Corpus Christi, TX
Aim for roughly 250 miles and 4.8 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 110 miles from Red Lick, 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 Diboll Relief Route for about 113.5 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 29
5 decision points cluster between mile 3.5 and 459 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
3.5 mi into trip|~6m in|FM 989 / North Kings Highway
Turn right onto FM 989 / North Kings Highway
Navigation decision point
5
27.9 mi into trip|~36m in|US 59
Take the exit onto US 59 toward US 59 South, TX 77 West: Marshall, Naples
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 59 South, TX 77 West: Marshall, Naple...
5
102.6 mi into trip|~2h 1m in|TX 149
Keep slight right at fork onto TX 149
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
6
326.8 mi into trip|~6h 13m in
Take the exit toward Spur 10: Cottonwood, Church Road, Hartledge Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 94
Toward Spur 10: Cottonwood, Church Road, Hartle...
6
459 mi into trip|~8h 46m in|FM 2678
Turn right onto FM 2678
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$68.55 one way
$137.11 round trip
$3.48/gal25.4 MPG avg175 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$3.89
$76.57
$153.15
premium
$4.23
$83.25
$166.50
diesel
$4.80
$94.50
$189.01
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$69
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$199–$309
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 175.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $53 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
150.2
1
$52.55
$24.02
Efficient EV
125.1
1
$43.79
$20.02
EV Truck/SUV
200.2
2
$70.07
$32.03
Gas CO2
175 kg
EV CO2
59 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
Red Lick, TX
Late night
in Red Lick on Sunday
Local time
3:14 AM
CDT
Current temp
90°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SW 5 mph18% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued July 16 at 5:35PM CDT by NWS Shreveport LA
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued July 16 at 5:31PM CDT by NWS Shreveport LA
Destination
Corpus Christi, TX
Late night
in Corpus Christi on Sunday
Local time
3:14 AM
CDT
Current temp
88°F
Mostly Sunny
SE 18 mph7% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued July 16 at 5:35PM CDT by NWS Shreveport LA
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued July 16 at 5:31PM 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
2 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 36m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is predominantly highway cruising, with 66% of the 500.5 miles on major roadways. You'll experience a long stretch of 113.5 miles on Diboll Relief Route and US 59, offering consistent speed. The remaining portion will shift to surface roads, likely with more varied speed limits and potentially more local traffic. Expect a mix of efficient highway travel and slower sections as you get closer to your destination.
66% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
59 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 113.5 mi on Diboll Relief Route.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
At 9h 36m, 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 3.5 miles in near FM 989 / North Kings Highway.
Driving Effort10/10
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 29 significant decision points across 500.5 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 3.5 miles (FM 989 / North Kings Highway): Navigation decision point; at 27.9 miles (US 59): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 102.6 miles (TX 149): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
553 ft7 ft
Total Climb
377 ft
Total Descent
732 ft
Highest Point
553 ft
~143 mi in
Elevation Range
546 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Red Lick, TX and Corpus Christi, TX, road signs point toward Naples and Spur 10: Cottonwood.
Corpus Christi (called Corpus by the locals) is Texas's largest coastal city and the gateway to Padre Island. While Corpus Christi isn't on the way to much of anything except itself (and the islands off its coast), it offers enough to fill a visit in its own right, or a multi-day trip from San Antonio, Austin, or Houston. The name is Latin for "Body of Christ".
The longest stretch is about 113.5 miles on Diboll Relief Route. 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 250 miles on day one.
Yes — we found about 26 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 Corpus Christi, 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 26 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 3.5 miles (FM 989 / North Kings Highway): Navigation decision point; at 27.9 miles (US 59): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 102.6 miles (TX 149): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Not recommended in a single day. At 9.6 hours each way, a round trip means 19.2 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Corpus Christi, TX before the return drive.
