Origin
San Antonio, TX
Evening in San Antonio on Friday
Local time
8:37 PM
CDT
Current temp
78°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Antonio, TX to Charlotte, TX
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 5m
Distance
52.4 mi
84 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 0m
★
6 AM
1h 6m
8 AM
1h 16m
10 AM
1h 9m
12 PM
1h 8m
3 PM
1h 10m
5 PM
1h 16m
8 PM
1h 2m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Antonio, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Charlotte, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from San Antonio, TX to Charlotte, TX covers 52.4 miles and takes about 1h 5m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Lucian Adams Freeway, West Oaklawn Road, East State Highway 97 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 29.6 miles on Lucian Adams Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.60 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Lucian Adams Freeway | 29.6 mi | 30m |
| West Oaklawn Road | 15.5 mi | 23m |
| East State Highway 97 | 3.4 mi | 5m |
| William J Bordelon Freeway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| 2nd Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| East Market Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| West Market Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| I-37 Frontage Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Lucian Adams Freeway
— 29.6 mi, about 30m
Traffic on I-37
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 20 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,451 veh/hr typical · worst 4,130
Quietest
2 AM
~276 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
12.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 103 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 San Antonio, TX and Charlotte, TX.
1
Start on Dolorosa Street
143 ft
·
4 sec
·
Dolorosa Street
2
Continue on West Market Street
0.4 mi
·
42 sec
·
West Market Street
3
Continue on East Market Street
0.4 mi
·
40 sec
·
East Market Street
4
Turn right onto Tower of the Americas Way
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Tower of the Americas Way
Use the right lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 37 South, US 281 South
6
Merge onto I 37; US 281
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
William J Bordelon Freeway
7
Continue on I 37; US 281
30 mi
·
30 min
·
Lucian Adams Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 109
Toward TX 97: Pleasanton, Floresville
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn straight onto I-37 Frontage Road
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
I-37 Frontage Road
10
Turn right onto TX 97
3.4 mi
·
5 min
·
East State Highway 97
11
Turn left onto US 281; TX 97
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
2nd Street
12
Continue on US 281; TX 97
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
South Main Street
13
Turn slight right
158 ft
·
5 sec
14
Turn slight right onto TX 97
15 mi
·
23 min
·
West Oaklawn Road
15
Turn right onto FM 140
5 ft
·
0 sec
·
Edwards Avenue
16
Arrive at destination
FM 140
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.2 miles from San Antonio, 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 75 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 52.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Tower of the Americas Way
Turn right onto Tower of the Americas Way
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
1 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward I 37 South, US 281 South
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 37 South, US 281 South
3
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 37; US 281 / William J Bordelon Freeway
Merge onto I 37; US 281 / William J Bordelon Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining
8
32.2 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward TX 97: Pleasanton, Floresville
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 109
Toward TX 97: Pleasanton, Floresville
4
52.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
|
FM 140 / Edwards Avenue
Turn right onto FM 140 / Edwards Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.60 one way
$15.20 round trip
$3.69/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.08 | $8.42 | $16.85 |
| premium | $4.43 | $9.14 | $18.29 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $11.55 | $23.10 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.7 | 0 | $5.50 | $2.52 |
| Efficient EV | 13.1 | 0 | $4.59 | $2.10 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21 | 0 | $7.34 | $3.35 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Charlotte, TX
Evening in Charlotte on Friday
Local time
8:37 PM
CDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
75°F
Pleasanton, TX
26 mi in
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
3 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
1h 5m 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?
52.4 mi in 1h 5m, mostly highway — 29.6 mi of that is on Lucian Adams Freeway.
66% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 29.6 mi on Lucian Adams Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Lucian Adams Freeway and West Oaklawn Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in near Tower of the Americas Way.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 5m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (Tower of the Americas Way): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.2 miles (I 37; US 281 / William J Bordelon Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
649 ft
384 ft
Total Climb
240 ft
Total Descent
346 ft
Highest Point
649 ft
Elevation Range
265 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 San Antonio, TX to Charlotte, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Floresville along the way.
Floresville
32.2 mi in
|
~35m
About the Cities
Starting in San Antonio, TX
Full guide →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
- • Alamo Mission in San Antonio — historic place in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas
- • San Antonio Missions National Historical Park — historic district in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas
- • Fort Sam Houston — military base in San Antonio, Texas
Arriving in Charlotte, TX
Full guide →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 1h 5m. Total distance: 52.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (66%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 29.6 miles on Lucian Adams Freeway. 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: at 0.8 miles (Tower of the Americas Way): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.2 miles (I 37; US 281 / William J Bordelon Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining.
Yes — San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Charlotte, 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, 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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