Origin
Rowlett, TX
Late night in Rowlett on Sunday
Local time
5:10 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rowlett, TX to Dallas, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
27m
Distance
20 mi
32 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rowlett, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Dallas, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Rowlett to Dallas covers a short 20.9-mile distance, making this a straightforward trek that typically takes about 28 minutes. Because the trip is so brief, you can easily complete it in a single day without needing an overnight stay. Your route primarily utilizes Main Street, the President George Bush Highway, and the PGBT Toll South to navigate the Great Plains landscape. With a modest fuel budget of approximately $3, this drive is highly economical for commuters or casual travelers. Since both cities are located within the same region, you will experience a consistent environment throughout the journey. It is a practical, no-nonsense connection that gets you between these two Texas hubs efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 30 | 13.9 mi | 16m |
| President George Bush Turnpike | 2 mi | 2m |
| Elm Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| President George Bush Highway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North Lamar Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Rowlett Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 30
— 13.9 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rowlett, TX and Dallas, TX.
1
Start on Rowlett Street
31 ft
·
3 sec
·
Rowlett Street
2
Turn right onto Main Street
258 ft
·
10 sec
·
Main Street
3
Enter roundabout onto Main Street
131 ft
·
7 sec
·
Main Street
4
Continue on Main Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
5
Turn right onto TX 190
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
·
President George Bush Highway
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward PGBT Toll South
Use the slight left lane.
7
Merge onto PGBT
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
President George Bush Turnpike
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 30: Texarkana, Dallas
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 30 West: Dallas
Use the slight right lane.
10
Merge onto I 30; US 67
14 mi
·
16 min
·
I 30; US 67
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 47B
Toward I 45 South, US 75 North: Houston, McKinney
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Toward US 75 North: McKinney
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward Main Street West, Elm Street
Use the slight left lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
Toward Elm Street
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
15
Turn straight onto Elm Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Elm Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
16
Turn right onto North Lamar Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
North Lamar Street
17
Arrive at destination
North Lamar Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 3.2 and 18.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
3.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 30: Texarkana, Dallas
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 30: Texarkana, Dallas
7
3.4 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 30 West: Dallas
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 30 West: Dallas
8
18.1 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the exit toward I 45 South, US 75 North: Houston, McKinney
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 47B
Toward I 45 South, US 75 North: Houston, McKinn...
8
18.6 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Main Street West, Elm Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward Main Street West, Elm Street
8
18.8 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Elm Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Elm Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.02 one way
$6.04 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $3.31 | $6.62 |
| premium | $4.54 | $3.57 | $7.14 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.42 | $8.83 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.16
President George Bush Turnpike
(2 mi)
$0.16
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$0
Total
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6 | 0 | $2.10 | $0.96 |
| Efficient EV | 5 | 0 | $1.75 | $0.80 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8 | 0 | $2.80 | $1.28 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Dallas, TX
Late night in Dallas on Sunday
Local time
5:10 AM
CDT
Current temp
83°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers
S 15 mph
20% chance
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
23 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
27m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
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 prioritizes navigation through suburban and urban corridors over long-distance highway cruising. While the route incorporates the President George Bush Highway, it features a 0% highway share, meaning you will spend your time navigating local surface streets and toll segments rather than open interstate. You will not encounter any significant uninterrupted stretches, as the longest segment of the drive is 0 miles on Main Street. This personality makes the trip feel more like a series of connected local maneuvers than a high-speed transit. Be prepared for frequent turns and a changing pace as you transition from Rowlett into the heart of Dallas.
79% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.9 mi on I 30.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 30 and President George Bush Turnpike. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.2 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 14 decision points packed into just 20 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 27m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.1 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.
Between Rowlett, TX and Dallas, TX, road signs point toward Mckinney and Main Street West.
Mckinney
18.1 mi in
|
~23m
Main Street West
18.6 mi in
|
~24m
About the Cities
Starting in Rowlett, TX
Full guide →Founded 1952
Arriving in Dallas, TX
Full guide →“Big D” · Founded 1841
Dallas, with a population of more than 1.3 million residents, is the ninth largest city in the United States and the third largest in the state of Texas. It is an impressive melting pot of culture and character. Boasting high-end luxury hotels, innumerable fine dining spots, and one of the busiest airports in the world, Dallas maintains an upscale ethos reflected by an affluent population, world-class museums, and a shimmering modern skyline. Its history was marred by the infamous assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, but there is more historic and contemporary heritage to be discovered in the city. As a center of the oil and cotton industries in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Dallas was a classic American boom town and remains one of the fastest growing cities in the nation.
Top landmarks
- • Dallas Museum of Art — art museum in Dallas, Texas
- • Texas School Book Depository — building in Dallas, Texas, United States
- • George W. Bush Presidential Center — Presidential library and museum for U.S. President George W. Bush, located in Da...
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 27m. Total distance: 20 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (79%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.9 miles on I 30. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.16 in tolls one way, starting with President George Bush Turnpike. 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 Dallas, 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 3.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.1 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 Dallas, 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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