Origin
San Antonio, TX
Morning in San Antonio on Tuesday
Local time
6:13 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
8h 32m
Distance
489.8 mi
788 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$74
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Antonio, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Canyon, TX
Wikimedia Commons
San Antonio to Canyon is 489.8 miles and takes about 8h 32m via Marshall Formby Memorial Highway and I-10, with a fuel budget near $74 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip cuts across Texas, moving from the Great Plains region to another part of the Great Plains. The route is primarily on highways, offering a straightforward drive. With two recommended days for the trip, you can comfortably break up the 489.8 miles. This path is best suited for travelers looking for an efficient way to cover ground within Texas.
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
244.9 miles from San Antonio, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 19m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Marshall Formby Memorial Highway | 105.2 mi | 1h 46m |
| I 10 | 98.7 mi | 1h 37m |
| US 84 | 74.5 mi | 1h 14m |
| Frisco Avenue | 41.9 mi | 44m |
| State Highway 153 | 29.5 mi | 33m |
| North Main Street | 29.3 mi | 30m |
| Highway 84 | 20 mi | 19m |
| Roberts Avenue | 16.5 mi | 18m |
Step-by-step road directions between San Antonio, TX and Canyon, TX.
Start on Dolorosa Street
Continue on West Market Street
Turn left onto Navarro Street
Enter roundabout onto San Pedro Avenue
Continue on San Pedro Avenue
Turn left onto West Cypress Street
Turn straight onto East Fredericksburg Road
Turn right onto Interstate 10 West
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 10; US 87
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10; US 87
Take the exit onto US 83
Turn right onto US 83; US 377
Continue on US 83
Continue on US 83
Turn right onto US 67; US 83
Turn left onto TX 158
Turn right onto FM 2111
Turn left onto TX 153
Keep slight right at fork onto TX 153
Turn right onto TX 70
Continue on TX 70
Turn left onto Northwest Georgia Avenue
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 20; US 84
Take the exit onto US 84
Keep slight left at fork onto US 84
Turn right onto Loop 46
Keep slight left at fork onto TX 207
Turn straight onto TX 207
Turn left onto Spur 575
Turn right onto US 84
Continue on US 84
Continue on US 84
Continue on US 84
Continue on US 84
Take the exit
Turn slight right onto Interstate 27
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 27; US 87
Take the exit
Turn straight onto I-27 Frontage Road
Turn left onto TX 217
Turn right onto US 87
Arrive at destination
Given the 8.5-hour drive time, planning for two days is a smart move to avoid fatigue. Consider leaving San Antonio in the morning to make good progress, aiming to stop for the night after roughly half the distance. The route involves two recommended stops, so use those as natural break points. Keep an eye on your fuel, especially as you transition to surface roads where stations might be less frequent than on the interstate. The Marshall Formby Memorial Highway section is the longest stretch, so ensure you're fueled up before heading into that 105.2-mile segment.
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.
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 108 miles or 1h 51m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 244.9 miles or 4h 19m 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 244.9 miles or 4h 19m
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 30m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Canyon, TX than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving San Antonio, 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 San Antonio, TX
Aim for roughly 245 miles and 4.3 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Canyon, TX
Aim for roughly 245 miles and 4.3 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
245 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 Sweetwater, TXNight 1
245 mi · about 4.3h in
A practical overnight split lands near Sweetwater, TX after about 245 miles or 4.3 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 108 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 244.9 miles from San Antonio, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Marshall Formby Memorial Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 105.2 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 245 miles or 4.3 hours on the road.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 16.1 and 268.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10; US 87
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit onto US 83 toward US 83 North, US 377: Junction, Menard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn right onto US 67; US 83 / Hutchings Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto TX 158 / North Broadway Street
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit onto US 84 toward US 84 West: Snyder, Lubbock
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$74.01 one way
$148.02 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $81.01 | $162.02 |
| premium | $4.54 | $87.45 | $174.90 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $108.14 | $216.28 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$74
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$204–$314
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 171.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $51 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 146.9 | 1 | $51.43 | $23.51 |
| Efficient EV | 122.5 | 1 | $42.86 | $19.59 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 195.9 | 2 | $68.57 | $31.35 |
Gas CO2
171 kg
EV CO2
57 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in San Antonio on Tuesday
Local time
6:13 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Destination
Morning in Canyon on Tuesday
Local time
6:13 AM
CDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
86°F
Sweetwater, TX
245 mi in
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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
About 56% of this drive is on highways, meaning you'll spend a good portion of the time on faster roads. The longest continuous stretch without a major change is 105.2 miles along the Marshall Formby Memorial Highway. You'll transition between highway driving and surface roads, so be prepared for varying speed limits and exit densities. Expect a mix of rural cruising and sections with more frequent intersections as you move between the interstate and other main roads.
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 16.1 miles in near I 10; US 87.
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 30 significant decision points across 489.8 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 16.1 miles (I 10; US 87): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 114.7 miles (US 83): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 202.8 miles (US 67; US 83 / Hutchings Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between San Antonio, TX and Canyon, TX, road signs point toward Menard and Lubbock.
Menard
Lubbock
Founded 1718
San Antonio is the second largest city in the state of Texas and the 7th largest in the United States. It's the 24th largest metropolitan area in the country. Visited by more than 31 million annual visitors, San Antonio is a beautiful city at the axis of three different geological terrains: Hill Country, South Texas Plains and Prairie and Lakes. There's a lot to do in this city: fine art museums, historical missions and plenty of amusement parks in addition to great dining and lots of drinking. The culture and people are vibrant and interesting. San Antonio's downtown is one of the most lively in the nation.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
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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