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Trip from Rockwall, TX to Arlington, TX

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

57m

Distance

44 mi

71 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 53m ★
6 AM
0h 57m
8 AM
1h 7m
10 AM
1h 1m
12 PM
1h 0m
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.

city in and county seat of Rockwall County, Texas, United States

Rockwall, TX

Wikimedia Commons

suburban city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States

Arlington, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Spanning 44.9 miles across the Great Plains of Texas, this drive from Rockwall to Arlington typically takes about 54 minutes to complete. Because the duration is so brief, it functions perfectly as a straightforward day trip, requiring no overnight stays. You can expect to spend approximately $7 on fuel, making it a budget-friendly transit between these two points. Navigating this route involves a series of local streets rather than a high-speed highway slog, giving you a chance to see the landscape at a more measured pace. Overall, this journey is best viewed as a practical connection rather than a scenic tour, ideal for those who prefer local roads over interstate traffic.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Congressman Ralph Hall Highway 21.1 mi 25m
Tom Landry Freeway 16.9 mi 19m
North Center Street 1.8 mi 4m
Ridge Road 1.7 mi 3m
Wet N Wild Way 0.5 mi <1m
South Goliad Street 0.5 mi 1m
East Interstate 30 0.4 mi <1m
North Alamo Road 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Congressman Ralph Hall Highway — 21.1 mi, about 25m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Rockwall, TX and Arlington, TX.

1

Start on this road

169 ft · 14 sec · this road
2

Turn left onto TX 205

222 ft · 13 sec · North Goliad Street
3

Turn left onto West Kaufman Street

261 ft · 16 sec · West Kaufman Street
4

Turn left onto TX 205

0.2 mi · 29 sec · North Alamo Road
5

Continue on TX 205

0.5 mi · 1 min · South Goliad Street
6

Turn slight right

459 ft · 16 sec
7

Turn straight onto FM 740

1.7 mi · 3 min · Ridge Road
8

Turn right onto East Interstate 30

0.4 mi · 41 sec · East Interstate 30
9

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 35 sec
Toward I 30 West
10

Merge onto I 30; US 67

21 mi · 25 min · Congressman Ralph Hall Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Continue on I 30

17 mi · 19 min · Tom Landry Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Exit 28B Toward FM 157: Collins Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Turn straight onto Wet N Wild Way

0.5 mi · 59 sec · Wet N Wild Way
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
14

Turn left onto North Center Street

1.8 mi · 4 min · North Center Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
15

Turn right onto West Abram Street

297 ft · 8 sec · West Abram Street
16

Arrive at destination

West Abram Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Dallas, TX, TX

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Dallas, TX

22 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.

Popular next leg

Dallas, TX to Arlington, TX

20.1 mi · 26m

Pacing Suggestions

Mesquite, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Dallas, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 22 miles from Rockwall, 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 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 41.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | TX 205 / North Goliad Street

Turn left onto TX 205 / North Goliad Street

Navigation decision point

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | West Kaufman Street

Turn left onto West Kaufman Street

Navigation decision point

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | TX 205 / North Alamo Road

Turn left onto TX 205 / North Alamo Road

Navigation decision point

5
3.3 mi into trip | ~7m in | I 30; US 67 / Congressman Ralph Hall Highway

Merge onto I 30; US 67 / Congressman Ralph Hall Highway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
41.3 mi into trip | ~51m in

Take the exit toward FM 157: Collins Street

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 28B Toward FM 157: Collins Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.65 one way

$13.30 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.20 $7.28 $14.55
premium $4.54 $7.86 $15.71
diesel $5.61 $9.71 $19.43

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 15.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.2 0 $4.62 $2.11
Efficient EV 11 0 $3.85 $1.76
EV Truck/SUV 17.6 0 $6.16 $2.82

Gas CO2

15 kg

EV CO2

5 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Rockwall, TX

Late night in Rockwall on Sunday

Local time

12:59 AM

CDT

Current temp

73°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Arlington, TX

Late night in Arlington on Sunday

Local time

12:59 AM

CDT

Current temp

55°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

18 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

57m 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?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel from start to finish. With a highway share of 0%, you won't be dealing with high-speed interstate merging, but rather the constant adjustments required by city driving. You will navigate via North Goliad Street, West Kaufman Street, and North Alamo Road, which creates a rhythmic, stop-and-go experience. Because there are no long highway stretches—the longest segment is 0 miles on North Goliad Street—your focus will remain on local maneuvers. This is not a route for cruise control; it is a hands-on drive that rewards careful navigation through the local street grid.

39% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.1 mi on Congressman Ralph Hall Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near TX 205 / North Goliad Street.

Driving Effort 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 44 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (TX 205 / North Goliad Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (West Kaufman Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (TX 205 / North Alamo Road): Navigation decision point.

About the Cities

Starting in Rockwall, TX

Full guide →

Founded 1854

Rockwall is a city in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Texas.

Arriving in Arlington, TX

Full guide →

Founded 1876

Arlington is a city in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex metropolitan area, in the Prairies and Lakes region of Texas. With a population of almost 400,000 (2019), it is Texas' seventh largest, and the third largest in the Metroplex. Arlington is south of the sprawling DFW International Airport.

Top landmarks

  • Six Flags Over Texas — amusement park
  • Mini Mine Train — Steel roller coaster
  • Arlington Museum of Art — art museum in Texas, United States

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 57m. Total distance: 44 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

57m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (39%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 21.1 miles on Congressman Ralph Hall Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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: near the start (TX 205 / North Goliad Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (West Kaufman Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (TX 205 / North Alamo Road): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Arlington, 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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