Origin
Tool, TX
Late night in Tool on Sunday
Local time
2:27 AM
CDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Tool, TX to Plano, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 29m
Distance
74 mi
119 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 23m
★
6 AM
1h 29m
8 AM
1h 43m
10 AM
1h 34m
12 PM
1h 33m
3 PM
1h 35m
5 PM
1h 42m
8 PM
1h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tool, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Plano, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 74-mile drive from Tool, Texas, to Plano, Texas, is a straightforward, highway-focused trip that can easily be completed in about 1 hour and 29 minutes. With an estimated fuel cost of $11, it's an economical option for a day trip, allowing for flexibility in your schedule. You'll primarily be on East US Highway 175 and then transition to the Lyndon B Johnson Freeway and North Central Expressway. This route stays within the Great Plains region, offering a consistent landscape. Given its short duration and minimal stops, it's ideal for a single-day journey without the need for an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East US Highway 175 | 30.6 mi | 32m |
| Lyndon B Johnson Freeway | 18.8 mi | 20m |
| North Central Expressway | 6.7 mi | 8m |
| State Highway 274 | 5.5 mi | 8m |
| South Seven Points Boulevard | 4.2 mi | 6m |
| South Tool Drive | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| South Elm Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| East 15th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
East US Highway 175
— 30.6 mi, about 32m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Tool, TX and Plano, TX.
1
Start on TX 274
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
South Tool Drive
2
Continue on TX 274
4.2 mi
·
6 min
·
South Seven Points Boulevard
3
Continue on TX 274
5.5 mi
·
8 min
·
State Highway 274
4
Turn left onto US 175 Bus
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
South Elm Street
5
Turn left onto US 175
31 mi
·
32 min
·
East US Highway 175
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward I 20 East, I 635 North
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 20
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
Lyndon B Johnson Freeway
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 635
19 mi
·
20 min
·
Lyndon B Johnson Freeway
Exit 480
Toward I 635 North: Mesquite, Garland
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Continue on I 635
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway
10
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Exit 19A
Toward US 75 South, US 75 North: Dallas, McKinney
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi
·
54 sec
Toward US 75 North: McKinney
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
12
Merge onto US 75
5.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Central Expressway
13
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Exit 28A
Toward Plano Parkway, 15th Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn straight onto North Central Expressway
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
North Central Expressway
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
15
Turn right onto East 15th Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East 15th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Arrive at destination
East 15th Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
37 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 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 37 miles from Tool, 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 45.5 and 71.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
45.5 mi into trip
|
~55m in
Take the exit toward I 20 East, I 635 North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward I 20 East, I 635 North
9
45.9 mi into trip
|
~56m in
|
I 635 / Lyndon B Johnson Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 635 / Lyndon B Johnson Freeway toward I 635 North: Mesquite, Garland
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 480
Toward I 635 North: Mesquite, Garland
8
64.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 16m in
Take the exit toward US 75 South, US 75 North: Dallas, McKinney
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 19A
Toward US 75 South, US 75 North: Dallas, McKinn...
7
65.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 18m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 75 North: McKinney
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward US 75 North: McKinney
8
71.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 24m in
Take the exit toward Plano Parkway, 15th Street
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 28A
Toward Plano Parkway, 15th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.18 one way
$22.36 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
26 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $12.24 | $24.48 |
| premium | $4.54 | $13.21 | $26.42 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $16.34 | $32.68 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.54
Central Expressway
(6.7 mi)
$0.54
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Tolls
$1
Total
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 22.2 | 0 | $7.77 | $3.55 |
| Efficient EV | 18.5 | 0 | $6.48 | $2.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 29.6 | 0 | $10.36 | $4.74 |
Gas CO2
26 kg
EV CO2
9 kg (65% 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
Plano, TX
Late night in Plano on Sunday
Local time
2:27 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
12 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 29m 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?
Expect a drive that is predominantly highway, with 83% of the journey utilizing these faster roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 30.6 miles on East US Highway 175, offering a good period of steady driving. As you progress, the road will evolve from East US Highway 175 onto the more urban corridors of the Lyndon B Johnson Freeway and North Central Expressway, indicating a shift from potentially more open highway to busier, multi-lane city approaches. This highway-focused profile means you'll experience consistent speeds for most of the trip.
83% 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: 30.6 mi on East US Highway 175.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on East US Highway 175 and Lyndon B Johnson Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 45.5 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 74 miles you will encounter 11 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 45.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 45.9 miles (I 635 / Lyndon B Johnson Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 64.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Tool, TX and Plano, TX, road signs point toward Garland and Mckinney.
Garland
45.9 mi in
|
~56m
|
via I 635
Mckinney
64.8 mi in
|
~1h 16m
About the Cities
Arriving in Plano, TX
Full guide →Plano is a city of 285,000 people (2020) in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex region of Texas and is north of Dallas. It is home to the headquarters of several large corporations.
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 29m. Total distance: 74 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 30.6 miles on East US Highway 175. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.54 in tolls one way, starting with Central Expressway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 Plano, 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 45.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 45.9 miles (I 635 / Lyndon B Johnson Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 64.8 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 Plano, 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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