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Trip from Ricardo, TX to Plano, TX
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
8h 11m
Distance
440 mi
708 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$60
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
8h 4m
★
6 AM
8h 12m
8 AM
8h 28m
10 AM
8h 18m
12 PM
8h 16m
3 PM
8h 18m
5 PM
8h 27m
8 PM
8h 7m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ricardo, TX
Action Construction Equipment Ltd. - ACE
Plano, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Ricardo, TX to Plano, TX is 440 miles and takes about 8h 11m via Purple Heart Trail, Pickle Parkway, and I-35E, with a fuel budget near $64 and an overnight recommendation. This drive takes you across the Great Plains region of Texas, transitioning from a more rural start to an urban approach. With a recommended two days for this trip, you'll have ample time to break up the 440 miles. It's a straightforward route that's good for getting from point A to point B 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
220 miles from Ricardo, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 23m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Purple Heart Trail | 97.7 mi | 1h 39m |
| Pickle Parkway | 58.5 mi | 54m |
| I 35E | 56.2 mi | 58m |
| US 281 | 54.2 mi | 1h 1m |
| King David Drive | 31.8 mi | 39m |
| State Highway 80 North | 30.8 mi | 35m |
| State Highway 80 | 23.6 mi | 25m |
| North Central Expressway | 16.6 mi | 18m |
Longest stretch:
Purple Heart Trail
— 97.7 mi, about 1h 39m
Traffic on I-35
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 48 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~4,007 veh/hr typical · worst 4,783
Quietest
2 AM
~579 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
6.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 51 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 Ricardo, TX and Plano, TX.
1
Start on FM 1118
132 ft
·
10 sec
·
Farm to Market Road 1118
2
Turn left
2.2 mi
·
5 min
3
Turn left onto FM 772
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
FM 772
4
Turn straight onto US 77 Business
4.4 mi
·
7 min
·
South 6th Street
5
Turn left onto TX 141
14 mi
·
17 min
·
West King Avenue
6
Take the ramp
0.6 mi
·
1 min
7
Merge onto US 281
54 mi
·
1 hr 1 min
·
US 281
8
Keep slight left at fork onto US 281
11 mi
·
14 min
·
Nueces Street
9
Turn right onto TX 72
32 mi
·
39 min
·
King David Drive
10
Continue on TX 72; TX 239
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West Main Street
11
Keep slight left at fork onto TX 72; TX 239
233 ft
·
3 sec
·
East Main Street
12
Continue on FM 792
8.4 mi
·
10 min
·
Helena Road
13
Turn straight onto TX 80
24 mi
·
25 min
·
State Highway 80
14
Continue on TX 80
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
South Nixon Avenue
15
Continue on TX 80; TX 97
31 mi
·
35 min
·
State Highway 80 North
16
Continue on US 183
10 mi
·
11 min
·
US 183
17
Continue on US 183
4.9 mi
·
8 min
·
South Colorado Street
18
Continue on US 183
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
United States Highway 183
19
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
35 sec
Toward TX 130 Toll North: Austin, Waco
20
Merge onto TX 130 Toll
59 mi
·
54 min
·
Pickle Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Toward I 35 North: Waco
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
22
Merge onto I 35
65 mi
·
1 hr 6 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23
Continue on I 35
6.6 mi
·
7 min
·
South Jack Kultgen Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24
Continue on I 35; US 77
33 mi
·
33 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E
56 mi
·
58 min
·
I 35E
Toward I 35E: Dallas
Use the slight right lane.
26
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
Exit 427A
Toward I 30 East: Texarkana, Riverfront Boulevard, Griffin Street
Use the slight right lane.
27
Keep slight left at fork
422 ft
·
5 sec
Toward I 35E North, I 30 West: Denton, Fort Worth, Texarkana
28
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 30 East: Texarkana, Convention Center
29
Keep slight left at fork
385 ft
·
6 sec
Toward I 30 East: Texarkana
30
Continue on I 30; US 67
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East R L Thornton Freeway
31
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
45 sec
Exit 46
Toward I 45, US 75: Houston, McKinney
Use the slight right lane.
32
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward US 75 North: McKinney
Use the slight left lane.
33
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
Toward US 75 North: McKinney, Bryan Street East
34
Merge onto US 75
0.7 mi
·
49 sec
·
Julius Schepps Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
35
Continue on US 75
15 mi
·
16 min
·
North Central Expressway
Use the straight / right lanes.
36
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Exit 28A
Toward Plano Parkway, 15th Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
37
Turn straight onto North Central Expressway
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
North Central Expressway
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
38
Turn right onto East 15th Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East 15th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
39
Arrive at destination
East 15th Street
Trip Plan
Given the 8-hour drive time, it's best to split this trip over two days. Aim to leave early on your first day to cover about half the distance, perhaps stopping for the night around the halfway point. This allows for a more relaxed pace and avoids a full day of driving. Watch for the transition from surface roads to I-35E, as this is where traffic density will likely increase. Ensure you have sufficient fuel before entering longer stretches where services might be spaced out, especially on the Purple Heart Trail.
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 220 miles from Ricardo, TX, or about 4h 23m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 97.7 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 97 miles or 2h in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 220 miles or 4h 23m 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 220 miles or 4h 23m
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 7h 5m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Plano, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Ricardo, 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.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
+
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 Ricardo, TX
Aim for roughly 220 miles and 4.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Plano, TX
Aim for roughly 220 miles and 4.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 97 miles from Ricardo, 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 Purple Heart Trail for about 97.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
220 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Montopolis, TXOvernight Options
Night 1
220 mi · about 4.1h in
A practical overnight split lands near Montopolis, TX after about 220 miles or 4.1 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 97 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 220 miles from Ricardo, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Purple Heart Trail if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 97.7 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 220 miles or 4.1 hours on the road.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Stops Along Your Drive
Picked by where they fit in your drive — first break, midpoint reset, final stretch.
Hill County Northbound Rest Area
0 mi from route
Rest Area
0 mi from route
Flying J Travel Plaza
0.1 mi from route
Pilot Travel Center
0.1 mi from route
Hill County Southbound Rest Area
0.1 mi from route
Rest Area
0.1 mi from route
Flying J Travel Center
0.1 mi from route
Love's Travel Stop
0.1 mi from route
Love's Travel Stop
0.1 mi from route
Petro Stopping Centers
0.1 mi from route
Buc-ee's
0.1 mi from route
Service Plaza
0.1 mi from route
QuikTrip
0.1 mi from route
QuikTrip
0.1 mi from route
Circle K
0.1 mi from route
Bell County Northbound Rest Area
0.2 mi from route
Pilot Travel Center
0.2 mi from route
Bell County Southbound Rest Area
0.2 mi from route
QuikTrip
0.2 mi from route
Walburg Travel Center & Food Court
0.2 mi from route
Road Ranger
0.2 mi from route
Love's Travel Stop
0.2 mi from route
QuikTrip
0.2 mi from route
Buc-ee's
0.2 mi from route
TA
0.3 mi from route
Service Plaza
0.3 mi from route
Love's Travel Stop
0.9 mi from route
Love's Travel Stop
1.8 mi from route
SoPac Trail Rest Area
1.9 mi from route
Service Plaza
2.3 mi from route
Pilot Travel Center
2.5 mi from route
Dark Hour Haunted House
4.5
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Near the end, right off the route
Home stretch
0.8 mi from route
~2 min detour
Plano, Texas
+14692980556
Visit website11th Hour Escape
4.5
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Near the end, right off the route
Home stretch
0.9 mi from route
~2 min detour
Plano, Texas
Hours: 12–5:30 pm
+14692095978
Visit websiteHeritage Farmstead Museum
4.6
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Near the end, short detour
Home stretch
1.9 mi from route
~5 min detour
Plano, Texas
Hours: Closed
+19728810140
Visit websiteDick Kleberg Park
4.3
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Near the start, ~9 min detour
3.7 mi from route
~9 min detour
Kingsville, Texas
Hours: 8 am–10 pm
+13612218705
Visit websitePlace data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 245 decision points cluster between mile 257.9 and 437.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
257.9 mi into trip
|
~4h 59m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 35 North: Waco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 35 North: Waco
7
362.6 mi into trip
|
~6h 47m in
|
I 35E
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E toward I 35E: Dallas
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 35E: Dallas
8
418.8 mi into trip
|
~7h 45m in
Take the exit toward I 30 East: Texarkana, Riverfront Boulevard, Griffin Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 427A
Toward I 30 East: Texarkana, Riverfront Bouleva...
8
420.5 mi into trip
|
~7h 48m in
Take the exit toward I 45, US 75: Houston, McKinney
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 46
Toward I 45, US 75: Houston, McKinney
8
437.6 mi into trip
|
~8h 7m in
Take the exit toward Plano Parkway, 15th 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 28A
Toward Plano Parkway, 15th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$60.27 one way
$120.53 round trip
$3.48/gal
25.4 MPG avg
154 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $3.89 | $67.32 | $134.63 |
| premium | $4.23 | $73.19 | $146.38 |
| diesel | $4.80 | $83.08 | $166.16 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.32
Central Expressway
(16.6 mi)
$1.32
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$60
Tolls
$1
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$192–$302
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 153.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $46 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 132 | 1 | $46.20 | $21.12 |
| Efficient EV | 110 | 1 | $38.50 | $17.60 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 176 | 2 | $61.60 | $28.16 |
Gas CO2
154 kg
EV CO2
51 kg (67% 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.
Origin
Ricardo, TX
Night in Ricardo on Monday
Local time
9:22 PM
CDT
Current temp
77°F
Partly Cloudy
SSE 9 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued July 18 at 10:11PM CDT by NWS Brownsville TX
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued July 18 at 8:53PM CDT until July 20 at 6:00AM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX
Destination
Plano, TX
Night in Plano on Monday
Local time
9:22 PM
CDT
Current temp
79°F
Mostly Clear
S 5 mph
1% chance
Live forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued July 18 at 10:11PM CDT by NWS Brownsville TX
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued July 18 at 8:53PM CDT until July 20 at 6:00AM 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.
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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
8h 11m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Waco Mammoth National Monument
National Monument
Standing as tall as 14 feet and weighing 20,000 pounds, Columbian mammoths roamed across what is present-day Texas thousands of years ago. Today, the fossil specimens represent the nation's first and...
5 mi from route
~14 min detour
Free
near mile 333.8
View on nps.gov
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend about 59% of this 440-mile trip on highways. The longest continuous stretch on a surface road is 97.7 miles on the Purple Heart Trail. Expect a mix of rural cruising and urban merging as you transition from the Pickle Parkway to I-35E. This means you'll see a variety of exit densities and traffic patterns along the way.
59% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
39 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 97.7 mi on Purple Heart Trail.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 257.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 24 significant decision points across 440 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 257.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 362.6 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 418.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
721 ft
53 ft
Total Climb
766 ft
Total Descent
151 ft
Highest Point
721 ft
~251.4 mi in
Elevation Range
668 ft
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 Ricardo, TX to Plano, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Waco along the way.
Waco
198.9 mi in
|
~4h 3m
About the Cities
Starting in Ricardo, TX
Full guide →Arriving in Plano, TX
Full guide →Founded 1873
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.
Top landmarks
- • Heritage Farmstead Museum — building in Texas, United States
- • Plano Station, Texas Electric Railway — historic place in Plano, Collin County, Texas
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Solo Traveler
8h 11m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 97.7 miles on Purple Heart Trail. 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 220 miles on day one.
Expect about $1.32 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 32 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 Plano, 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 32 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 257.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 362.6 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 418.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Waco Mammoth National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 8.2 hours each way, a round trip means 16.4 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Plano, 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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