Origin
Richardson, TX
Morning in Richardson on Tuesday
Local time
6:47 AM
CDT
Current temp
84°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Richardson, TX to Grand Prairie, TX
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
33m
Distance
26.4 mi
42 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Richardson, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Grand Prairie, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Richardson, TX to Grand Prairie, TX is 26.4 miles and takes about 33m via South Central Expressway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short interstate hop stays within the Great Plains region of Texas. It's a quick trip, perfect for when you need to get from point A to point B without a lot of fuss. You'll be on highways for most of the way, so expect consistent speeds and straightforward navigation.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Central Expressway | 11.3 mi | 12m |
| Tom Landry Freeway | 9.9 mi | 10m |
| Woodall Rodgers Freeway | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| North Belt Line Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| East Interstate 30 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Davis Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Central Expressway
— 11.3 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Richardson, TX and Grand Prairie, TX.
1
Start on this road
99 ft
·
13 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto East Main Street
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
East Main Street
3
Continue on West Main Street
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
West Main Street
4
Turn left onto South Central Expressway
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Central Expressway
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward US 75 South
6
Merge onto US 75
11 mi
·
11 min
·
South Central Expressway
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
Exit 1A
Toward Waco, Denton
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward Saint Paul Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on Spur 366
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Woodall Rodgers Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
51 sec
Toward I 35E South: Waco
Use the right lane.
11
Turn straight onto North Stemmons Freeway
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
North Stemmons Freeway
12
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 35E South, I 30
Use the slight left lane.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
Toward I 30 West: Fort Worth
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
14
Merge onto I 30
9.9 mi
·
10 min
·
Tom Landry Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 34
Toward Belt Line Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Turn straight onto East Interstate 30
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
East Interstate 30
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
17
Turn left onto North Belt Line Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
North Belt Line Road
18
Continue on FM 1382
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
North Belt Line Road
19
Turn right onto Davis Street
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Davis Street
20
Turn slight right onto TX 180
15 ft
·
2 sec
·
East Main Street
21
Turn right
74 ft
·
5 sec
22
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 11.9 and 24.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
11.9 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward Waco, Denton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 1A
Toward Waco, Denton
7
12.2 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Saint Paul Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Saint Paul Street
7
14 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the ramp toward I 35E South, I 30
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 35E South, I 30
7
14.3 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 30 West: Fort Worth
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 30 West: Fort Worth
7
24.6 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward Belt Line Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 34
Toward Belt Line Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.99 one way
$7.98 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $4.37 | $8.73 |
| premium | $4.54 | $4.71 | $9.43 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.83 | $11.66 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.90
Central Expressway
(11.3 mi)
$0.90
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$1
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.27 |
| Efficient EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.31 | $1.06 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.70 | $1.69 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% 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
Grand Prairie, TX
Morning in Grand Prairie on Tuesday
Local time
6:47 AM
CDT
Current temp
84°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
33m 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 drive is mostly highway, with 86% of the 26.4 miles on freeways. You'll experience a longest stretch of 11.3 miles on South Central Expressway. Expect a steady pace with frequent exits as you navigate through urban and suburban Texas. The highway portion will feel familiar to most drivers, offering clear lanes and typical freeway conditions.
86% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.3 mi on South Central Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on South Central Expressway and Tom Landry Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 11.9 miles in.
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 15 decision points packed into just 26.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 11.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 14 miles: 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.
Between Richardson, TX and Grand Prairie, TX, road signs point toward Waco and Denton.
Waco
11.9 mi in
|
~14m
Denton
11.9 mi in
|
~14m
About the Cities
Starting in Richardson, TX
Full guide →Founded 1840
Arriving in Grand Prairie, TX
Full guide →Founded 1863
Grand Prairie is a city in the Prairies and Lakes region of Texas.
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 33m. Total distance: 26.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (86%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.3 miles on South Central Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.90 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 Grand Prairie, 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 11.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 14 miles: 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 Grand Prairie, 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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