Origin
Texas City, TX
Night in Texas City on Saturday
Local time
11:22 PM
CDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Texas City, TX to Houston, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
52m
Distance
42.1 mi
68 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 48m
★
6 AM
0h 53m
8 AM
1h 1m
10 AM
0h 56m
12 PM
0h 55m
3 PM
0h 56m
5 PM
1h 1m
8 PM
0h 50m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Texas City, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Houston, TX
Trace Hudson
Trip Overview
If you are planning to head north from Texas City to Houston, you are looking at a manageable 42.1-mile trek. Expect to spend about 52 minutes behind the wheel, making this a straightforward day trip that requires no overnight stay. You will spend roughly 89% of your time on highways, specifically utilizing the Emmett F. Lowry Expressway, Palmer Highway, and the Gulf Freeway. With a fuel budget of just $6, this is an incredibly economical route to navigate within the Great Plains region. Whether you are commuting or heading into the city for the day, the simplicity of this connection makes it an easy addition to your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Gulf Freeway | 31.6 mi | 36m |
| Emmett F Lowry Expressway | 5.8 mi | 7m |
| Palmer Highway | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| 9th Avenue North | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| 6th Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Louisiana Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Rusk Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Memorial Drive Frontage Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Gulf Freeway
— 31.6 mi, about 36m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Texas City, TX and Houston, TX.
1
Start on this road
48 ft
·
8 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto Spur 197
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
6th Street
3
Turn left onto 9th Avenue North
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
9th Avenue North
Use the left lane.
4
Continue on FM 1764
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Palmer Highway
5
Continue on FM 1764
5.8 mi
·
7 min
·
Emmett F Lowry Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto I 45
32 mi
·
36 min
·
Gulf Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 47B
Toward Houston Avenue, Memorial Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork
444 ft
·
14 sec
Toward Memorial Drive
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Turn right onto Memorial Drive Frontage Road
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Memorial Drive Frontage Road
10
Continue on Rusk Street
0.3 mi
·
52 sec
·
Rusk Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Turn left onto Louisiana Street
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Louisiana Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
12
Arrive at destination
Louisiana Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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 42 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21 miles from Texas City, 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 41.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
9th Avenue North
Turn left onto 9th Avenue North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
9.4 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
I 45 / Gulf Freeway
Merge onto I 45 / Gulf Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
41 mi into trip
|
~49m in
Take the exit toward Houston Avenue, Memorial Drive
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 Houston Avenue, Memorial Drive
8
41.3 mi into trip
|
~50m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Memorial Drive
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Memorial Drive
6
41.8 mi into trip
|
~51m in
|
Louisiana Street
Turn left onto Louisiana Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.36 one way
$12.72 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $6.96 | $13.93 |
| premium | $4.54 | $7.52 | $15.03 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.30 | $18.59 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.6 | 0 | $4.42 | $2.02 |
| Efficient EV | 10.5 | 0 | $3.68 | $1.68 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.8 | 0 | $5.89 | $2.69 |
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.
Destination
Houston, TX
Night in Houston on Saturday
Local time
11:22 PM
CDT
Current temp
79°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
79°F
Webster, TX
21 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
22 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
52m 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?
This drive is defined by a heavy focus on highway travel, offering a consistent and efficient pace. You will spend the vast majority of your journey navigating high-speed lanes, with the longest uninterrupted stretch covering 31.6 miles on the Gulf Freeway. Transitioning from the local infrastructure of Texas City onto the major arterial roads is seamless, as the route prioritizes speed over winding backroads. Expect a predictable experience behind the wheel that stays true to its highway-focused profile from start to finish. Because you aren't dealing with complex navigation, you can focus entirely on the flow of traffic as you approach the urban core.
89% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 31.6 mi on Gulf Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Gulf Freeway and Emmett F Lowry Expressway. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in near 9th Avenue North.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 42.1 miles you will encounter 8 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: at 0.7 miles (9th Avenue North): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.4 miles (I 45 / Gulf Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 41 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Texas City, TX
Full guide →Texas City is in Galveston County and lies on the Gulf Coast of the Texas mainland.
Arriving in Houston, TX
Full guide →“Space City” · Founded 1836
Houston is a sprawling port city in Southeastern Texas. An oil boom and continuing international immigration has brought explosive growth to the city, and it is now the fifth largest metropolitan area in the United States and the most diverse large city since 2021. While at first glance, the city appears to be a 9-5 central business district surrounded by a sea of suburbs and strip malls, there are many hidden gems to be discovered.
Top landmarks
- • Museum of Fine Arts, Houston — art museum in Houston, Texas
- • Astrodome — historic place in Houston, Harris County, Texas
- • Rothko Chapel — building in Houston, Harris County, Texas
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 52m. Total distance: 42.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
52m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 31.6 miles on Gulf Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Houston, 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 0.7 miles (9th Avenue North): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.4 miles (I 45 / Gulf Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 41 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 Houston, 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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