This 573-mile journey from Tolar, Texas, to El Paso, Texas, will take approximately 8 hours and 40 minutes of pure driving time. Given the distance and duration, this long-distance drive is best split over two days, with two planned stops to break up the journey. The estimated fuel cost for this trip is around $88. You'll be traveling primarily on Highway 377 and FM 4, with some segments on I-20, all within the Great Plains region of Texas. Plan for a straightforward drive that covers a significant portion of the state.
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
291.7 miles from Tolar, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 5h 4m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 20
380.4 mi
6h 17m
I 10
166.7 mi
2h 43m
US 281
10 mi
10m
West US Highway 377
8.4 mi
9m
FM 1188
7.8 mi
13m
South FM 4
6.6 mi
11m
FM 1189
2.3 mi
4m
I-20 Service Road
0.4 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 20
— 380.4 mi, about 6h 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Tolar, TX and El Paso, TX.
1
Start on US 377; FM 56
8.4 mi·9 min·West US Highway 377
2
Turn right onto FM 1188
7.8 mi·13 min·FM 1188
3
At end of road, turn left onto FM 1189
2.3 mi·4 min·FM 1189
4
Turn right onto US 281
10 mi·10 min·US 281
5
Turn left onto FM 4
6.6 mi·11 min·South FM 4
6
Turn left onto I-20 Service Road
0.4 mi·56 sec·I-20 Service Road
7
Take the ramp
0.1 mi·17 sec
Toward I 20 West: Abilene
8
Merge onto I 20
380 mi·6 hr 17 min·I 20
9
Merge onto I 10
167 mi·2 hr 43 min·I 10
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi·20 sec
Exit 19BToward Missouri Avenue, DowntownUse the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn straight onto East Missouri Avenue
0.3 mi·49 sec·East Missouri Avenue
12
Turn left onto TX 20
0.3 mi·27 sec·North Mesa Street
13
Arrive at destination
North Mesa Street
Trip Plan
To make the most of this 573-mile drive, consider departing early in the morning to maximize daylight hours. Splitting the 8-hour and 40-minute drive over two days is highly recommended, with two stops planned to ensure a comfortable pace. Keep a close eye on your fuel gauge, as services can become more spaced out in certain West Texas areas. A practical tip for this route: familiarize yourself with the locations of your two planned stops beforehand to ensure they offer adequate amenities for rest and refueling.
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.
This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 291.7 miles from Tolar, TX, or about 5h 4m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 380.4 miles.
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 128 miles or 2h 22m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 291.7 miles or 5h 4m 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 291.7 miles or 5h 4m
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 8h 53m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near El Paso, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Tolar, 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 Tolar, TX
Aim for roughly 292 miles and 4.9 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into El Paso, TX
Aim for roughly 292 miles and 4.9 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 128 miles from Tolar, TX.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 20 for about 380.4 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 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 8.4 and 582.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
8.4 mi into trip|~9m in|FM 1188
Turn right onto FM 1188
Navigation decision point
5
16.2 mi into trip|~23m in|FM 1189
At end of road, turn left onto FM 1189
Navigation decision point
4
18.5 mi into trip|~27m in|US 281
Turn right onto US 281
Navigation decision point
5
416 mi into trip|~7h 8m in|I 10
Merge onto I 10
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
582.7 mi into trip|~9h 51m in
Take the exit toward Missouri Avenue, Downtown
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 19B
Toward Missouri Avenue, Downtown
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$88.17 one way
$176.34 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg204 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.20
$96.51
$193.01
premium
$4.54
$104.18
$208.36
diesel
$5.61
$128.83
$257.66
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$88
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$218–$328
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 204.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $61 in charging
· 2 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
175
2
$61.27
$28.01
Efficient EV
145.9
1
$51.06
$23.34
EV Truck/SUV
233.4
2
$81.69
$37.34
Gas CO2
204 kg
EV CO2
68 kg (67% less)
Plan for 2 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 15, 2026
Origin
Tolar, TX
Late night
in Tolar on Sunday
Local time
5:10 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
El Paso, TX
Late night
in El Paso on Sunday
Local time
4:10 AM
MDT
Current temp
85°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.
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
1 hour earlier
The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.
Temperature spread
27 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
9h 53m on the road
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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Chamizal National Memorial
National Memorial
Chamizal is more than just an urban park to recreate or enjoy a quiet afternoon. These grounds are a reminder of the harmonious settlement of a 100-year boundary dispute between the United States and...
2 mi from route
~5 min detour
Free
near mile 583.5
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route offers a mix of driving experiences, utilizing local roads like Highway 377 and FM 4 before transitioning to the faster pace of I-20. With a 0% highway share, you'll be on more direct, local routes for the majority of the trip. While there isn't a specified longest uninterrupted stretch, expect varied road conditions and speeds as you navigate through different parts of Texas. The drive progresses by moving from the more rural landscapes of the Great Plains towards the West Texas terrain.
100% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 380.4 mi on I 20.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 20 and I 10. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 8.4 miles in near FM 1188.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The route itself is not hard, but at 9h 53m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 10 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 8.4 miles (FM 1188): Navigation decision point; at 16.2 miles (FM 1189): Navigation decision point; at 18.5 miles (US 281): Navigation decision point.
El Paso is the sixth largest city in Texas, with 679,000 residents (2020). It is on the United States-Mexico border. The city on the other side of the border is Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. El Paso is often called the Sun City. Collectively, the city of El Paso and other nearby cities, such as Juarez and Las Cruces, New Mexico are referred to as The Borderland.
The longest stretch is about 380.4 miles on I 20. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — a 2-day pace is more comfortable than one long haul. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 292 miles on day one.
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 is a long drive, so arriving tired and in the dark compounds. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at El Paso, 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 2 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 8.4 miles (FM 1188): Navigation decision point; at 16.2 miles (FM 1189): Navigation decision point; at 18.5 miles (US 281): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Chamizal National Memorial. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 9.9 hours each way, a round trip means 19.8 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at El Paso, TX before the return drive.
