San Antonio to Franklin is 194.1 miles and takes about 3h 32m via Pickle Parkway and US 79, with a fuel budget near $29 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route cuts through the heart of Texas, moving from the Great Plains region to another section of the Great Plains. Expect a mostly highway experience for the majority of this drive. It's a straightforward trip, ideal for a single day of travel without needing to find an overnight stop. Consider this if you're looking for a direct connection between these two Texas cities.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
97 miles from San Antonio, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 37m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Pickle Parkway
73 mi
1h 6m
US 79
64.9 mi
1h 19m
90th Infantry Division Highway
22.2 mi
23m
I 10
10.9 mi
10m
Palm Valley Boulevard
5 mi
6m
Carlos G Parker Boulevard Southwest
4.3 mi
4m
East Commerce Street
3.5 mi
5m
West 2nd Street
3.1 mi
3m
Longest stretch:
Pickle Parkway
— 73 mi, about 1h 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Antonio, TX and Franklin, 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·45 sec·East Market Street
4
Turn left
363 ft·13 sec
Use the left lane.
5
Turn straight onto East Commerce Street
0.7 mi·1 min·East Commerce Street
6
Keep slight left at fork onto East Commerce Street
2.7 mi·4 min·East Commerce Street
7
Turn slight right onto East Houston Street
0.3 mi·30 sec·East Houston Street
8
Turn left onto Interstate 10 East
0.1 mi·11 sec·Interstate 10 East
Use the left / straight lanes.
9
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·21 sec
Toward I 10 East, US 90 EastUse the straight / slight left lanes.
10
Merge onto I 10; US 90
1.8 mi·2 min·Jose Lopez Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 10; US 90
22 mi·23 min·90th Infantry Division Highway
Use the slight right lane.
12
Continue on I 10; TX 130
11 mi·10 min·I 10; TX 130
Toward I 10 East: Houston, Austin, WacoUse the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
1.0 mi·2 min
Exit 614Toward TX 130 Toll North: Austin, WacoUse the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on TX 130 Toll
73 mi·1 hr 6 min·Pickle Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi·27 sec
Exit 423Toward US 79: Taylor, Round Rock, Palm Valley BoulevardUse the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Continue on this road
0.3 mi·34 sec·this road
Exit 423Toward US 79: Palm Valley Boulevard
17
Continue on TX 130 Frontage Road
0.2 mi·35 sec·TX 130 Frontage Road
18
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·33 sec
19
Merge onto US 79
5.0 mi·6 min·Palm Valley Boulevard
20
Continue on US 79
3.1 mi·3 min·West 2nd Street
21
Take the exit
0.2 mi·25 sec
Toward US 79 North: Rockdale
22
Continue on US 79
4.3 mi·4 min·Carlos G Parker Boulevard Southwest
23
Keep slight right at fork onto US 79
53 mi·1 hr 5 min·US 79
24
Take the exit onto US 79; US 190
0.1 mi·26 sec·US 79; US 190
25
At end of road, turn left onto US 79; US 190; TX 6
1.6 mi·1 min·South Market Street
26
Continue on US 79; TX 6
0.3 mi·22 sec·North State Highway 6
27
Keep slight left at fork onto US 79
12 mi·13 min·US 79
28
Arrive at destination
US 79
Trip Plan
Leaving San Antonio in the morning gives you plenty of time to reach Franklin before evening. With a drive time of just over 3.5 hours, you won't need to split this trip. You can make a single fuel stop, likely before you leave San Antonio or midway if needed, given the estimated $29 fuel cost. Keep an eye on signage for US 79, as it will be your primary surface road route after the highway sections conclude.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 97 miles from San Antonio, TX, or about 1h 37m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 73 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 43 miles or 48m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 97 miles or 1h 37m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 49m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Franklin, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from San Antonio, TX
This is one driving day of about 194.1 miles and 3h 32m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 43 miles from San Antonio, TX.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Pickle Parkway for about 73 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 16
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 113.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.8 mi into trip|~1m in
Turn left
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
4.6 mi into trip|~7m in|Interstate 10 East
Turn left onto Interstate 10 East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
4.7 mi into trip|~7m in
Take the ramp toward I 10 East, US 90 East
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I 10 East, US 90 East
8
39.7 mi into trip|~44m in
Take the exit toward TX 130 Toll North: Austin, Waco
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 614
Toward TX 130 Toll North: Austin, Waco
8
113.6 mi into trip|~1h 52m in
Take the exit toward US 79: Taylor, Round Rock, Palm Valley Boulevard
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 423
Toward US 79: Taylor, Round Rock, Palm Valley B...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$29.33 one way
$58.66 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg68 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.20
$32.10
$64.21
premium
$4.54
$34.66
$69.31
diesel
$5.61
$42.85
$85.71
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$29
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$54–$79
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 67.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $20 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
58.2
0
$20.38
$9.32
Efficient EV
48.5
0
$16.98
$7.76
EV Truck/SUV
77.6
0
$27.17
$12.42
Gas CO2
68 kg
EV CO2
23 kg (66% 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 19, 2026
Origin
San Antonio, TX
Morning
in San Antonio on Tuesday
Local time
10:07 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Franklin, TX
Morning
in Franklin on Tuesday
Local time
10:07 AM
CDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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.
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
6 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
3h 32m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Welcome to San Antonio Missions, a National Park Service site and the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas. Each mission in the park is a center of community and has been since the early 1700s. Th...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend about 78% of this 194.1-mile drive on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch on highway is 73 miles on Pickle Parkway. After that, you'll transition to surface roads for the remainder of the trip. Expect a good amount of highway cruising, punctuated by periods of more local traffic as you approach your destination.
78% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
28 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 73 mi on Pickle Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Pickle Parkway and US 79. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in.
Driving Effort9/10
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 16 significant decision points across 194.1 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 0.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (Interstate 10 East): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.7 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.
Between San Antonio, TX and Franklin, TX, road signs point toward Austin, Waco and Round Rock.
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
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 32m. Total distance: 194.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (78%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 73 miles on Pickle Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
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 Franklin, TX before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (Interstate 10 East): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 3.5 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.1 hours — manageable with a long break at Franklin, TX, but most travelers stay overnight.
