Origin
Universal City, TX
Morning in Universal City on Tuesday
Local time
9:07 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Universal City, TX to San Antonio, TX
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
27m
Distance
18.7 mi
30 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Universal City, TX
Wikimedia Commons
San Antonio, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are traveling from Universal City to San Antonio, you are looking at a quick 21.7-mile journey that typically takes about 28 minutes. Because the distance is so short, this trip is easily completed in a single day, leaving you plenty of time to explore once you arrive. You will navigate primarily via Pat Booker Road and Interstate 35, moving entirely within the Great Plains region. With a fuel budget of just $3, this is an incredibly economical commute or visit. It is a straightforward route that functions perfectly as a quick day trip without the need for any overnight stays. Expect a practical, no-nonsense drive that gets you from point A to point B efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Pan Am Expressway | 13.9 mi | 17m |
| Pat Booker Road | 3.2 mi | 6m |
| North Main Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Interstate 35 North | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Flores Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Elmira Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Military Plaza | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Dolorosa Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Pan Am Expressway
— 13.9 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Universal City, TX and San Antonio, TX.
1
Start on this road
40 ft
·
9 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto TX 218
3.2 mi
·
6 min
·
Pat Booker Road
3
Turn left onto Interstate 35 North
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
Interstate 35 North
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Toward I 35 South
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto I 35
7.0 mi
·
8 min
·
North Pan Am Expressway
Use the slight right lane.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35
6.4 mi
·
8 min
·
North Pan Am Expressway
Toward I 35 South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35
0.6 mi
·
41 sec
·
North Pan Am Expressway
Toward I 35 South: Lower Level, Laredo
Use the slight left lane.
8
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Exit 157A
Toward Lexington Avenue, Main Avenue, San Pedro Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn straight onto East Elmira Street
526 ft
·
17 sec
·
East Elmira Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
10
Turn left onto North Main Avenue
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
·
North Main Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
11
Enter roundabout onto Navarro Street
159 ft
·
3 sec
·
Navarro Street
12
Continue on Navarro Street
111 ft
·
2 sec
·
Navarro Street
13
Keep slight right at fork onto North Main Avenue
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
·
North Main Avenue
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
14
Turn right onto West Travis Street
222 ft
·
10 sec
·
West Travis Street
15
Turn left onto North Flores Street
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
North Flores Street
16
Continue on Military Plaza
392 ft
·
15 sec
·
Military Plaza
17
Turn left onto Dolorosa Street
327 ft
·
8 sec
·
Dolorosa Street
18
Arrive at destination
Dolorosa Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 3.3 and 17.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
3.3 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
Interstate 35 North
Turn left onto Interstate 35 North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
3.5 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the ramp toward I 35 South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 35 South
7
10.6 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
I 35 / North Pan Am Expressway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35 / North Pan Am Expressway toward I 35 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 35 South
8
17 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
I 35 / North Pan Am Expressway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35 / North Pan Am Expressway toward I 35 South: Lower Level, Laredo
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 35 South: Lower Level, Laredo
8
17.5 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward Lexington Avenue, Main Avenue, San Pedro Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 157A
Toward Lexington Avenue, Main Avenue, San Pedro...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.83 one way
$5.65 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $3.09 | $6.19 |
| premium | $4.54 | $3.34 | $6.68 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.13 | $8.26 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.96 | $0.90 |
| Efficient EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.64 | $0.75 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.62 | $1.20 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
San Antonio, TX
Morning in San Antonio on Tuesday
Local time
9:07 AM
CDT
Current temp
90°F
Mostly Sunny
SE 10 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 16 at 6:45PM CDT until April 16 at 7:15PM CDT by NWS Midland/Odessa TX
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued April 16 at 4:16PM CDT until April 16 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Lubbock TX
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
21 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
27m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a long-distance highway cruise. You will spend your time navigating local roads like Pat Booker Road before transitioning onto I-35 North and South. Interestingly, the highway share for this trip is 0%, meaning you won't be dealing with long, monotonous interstate stretches. The longest uninterrupted section is 0 miles on Pat Booker Road, confirming that this is a stop-and-go experience rather than a high-speed sprint. Behind the wheel, you should be prepared for frequent turns and a driving environment that requires your full attention throughout the short 28-minute duration.
75% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.9 mi on North Pan Am Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on North Pan Am Expressway and Pat Booker Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.3 miles in near Interstate 35 North.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 18.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 27m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.3 miles (Interstate 35 North): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.6 miles (I 35 / North Pan Am Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
934 ft
645 ft
Total Climb
235 ft
Total Descent
353 ft
Highest Point
934 ft
~4 mi in
Elevation Range
289 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 Universal City, TX to San Antonio, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Laredo along the way.
Laredo
17 mi in
|
~23m
|
via I 35
About the Cities
Starting in Universal City, TX
Full guide →Top landmarks
- • Administration Building (Randolph Air Force Base) — building in Randolph AFB, Bexar County, Texas
Arriving 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
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 27m. Total distance: 18.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.9 miles on North Pan Am Expressway. 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 San Antonio, 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 3.3 miles (Interstate 35 North): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.6 miles (I 35 / North Pan Am Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at San Antonio, 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, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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