Origin
Watauga, TX
Late night in Watauga on Tuesday
Local time
5:49 AM
CDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Watauga, TX to Dallas, 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
35m
Distance
30.4 mi
49 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Watauga, TX
Action Construction Equipment Ltd. - ACE
Dallas, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to head from Watauga to Dallas, you are looking at a straightforward 30.4-mile trek across the Great Plains. This drive typically takes about 36 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a quick day trip that requires no overnight stops. Budgeting around $5 for fuel should comfortably cover your travel costs for this short distance. Because the journey stays within the same region, you won't experience drastic shifts in landscape or climate. It is a practical, no-nonsense commute that gets you from point A to point B efficiently without the need for extensive planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| SH 183 TEXpress | 15 mi | 14m |
| SH 121/183 TEXpress | 4.4 mi | 4m |
| North Stemmons Freeway | 4 mi | 5m |
| I 820 TEXpress | 3.3 mi | 3m |
| Denton Highway | 1 mi | 1m |
| John W Carpenter Freeway | 0.8 mi | <1m |
| Shipp Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Continental Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
SH 183 TEXpress
— 15 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Watauga, TX and Dallas, TX.
1
Start on Whitley Road
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Whitley Road
2
Turn right onto Shipp Drive
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Shipp Drive
3
At end of road, turn left onto US 377
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Denton Highway
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
467 ft
·
11 sec
Toward I 820 Express East, I 820 East
Use the left lane.
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 820 East Express Toll
Use the slight left lane.
6
Merge onto I 820 TEXpress
3.3 mi
·
3 min
·
I 820 TEXpress
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on TX 121 TEXpress; TX 183 TEXpress
4.4 mi
·
4 min
·
SH 121/183 TEXpress
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on TX 183 TEXpress
12 mi
·
11 min
·
SH 183 TEXpress
Toward TX 183 Express East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto TX 183 TEXpress
3.3 mi
·
3 min
·
SH 183 TEXpress
10
Merge onto TX 183
0.8 mi
·
50 sec
·
John W Carpenter Freeway
11
Merge onto I 35E
3.9 mi
·
4 min
·
North Stemmons Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 429B
Toward Continental Avenue, Commerce Street West
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn straight onto North Stemmons Freeway
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
North Stemmons Freeway
14
Turn left onto Continental Avenue
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Continental Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
15
Turn slight right onto North Lamar Street
433 ft
·
10 sec
·
North Lamar Street
16
Arrive at destination
North Lamar Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 29.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
US 377 / Denton Highway
At end of road, turn left onto US 377 / Denton Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
1.8 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward I 820 Express East, I 820 East
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward I 820 Express East, I 820 East
7
1.9 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 820 East Express Toll
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 820 East Express Toll
5
2.4 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 820 TEXpress
Merge onto I 820 TEXpress
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
29.7 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward Continental Avenue, Commerce Street West
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 429B
Toward Continental Avenue, Commerce Street West
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.59 one way
$9.19 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $5.03 | $10.06 |
| premium | $4.54 | $5.43 | $10.86 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.71 | $13.42 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.19 | $1.46 |
| Efficient EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.66 | $1.22 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.26 | $1.95 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Dallas, TX
Late night in Dallas on Tuesday
Local time
5:49 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Mostly Cloudy
S 10 to 15 mph
9% chance
Live forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 13 at 7:22PM CDT by NWS San Angelo TX
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 13 at 6:54PM CDT by NWS Midland/Odessa 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
5 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
35m 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 that demands your full attention as you navigate through the urban landscape. Unlike a monotonous interstate grind, this route features a 0% highway share, meaning you will spend your time on local roads rather than high-speed lanes. Since there are no stops planned, you can anticipate a continuous, albeit winding, journey from start to finish. The road’s personality is defined by its local character, so prepare for frequent turns and a pace dictated by local traffic patterns. You will find that the lack of highway miles makes for a more hands-on driving experience.
90% 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: 15 mi on SH 183 TEXpress.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on SH 183 TEXpress and SH 121/183 TEXpress. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in near US 377 / Denton Highway.
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 11 decision points packed into just 30.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (US 377 / Denton Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Watauga, TX
Full guide →Arriving in Dallas, TX
Full guide →“Big D” · Founded 1841
Dallas, with a population of more than 1.3 million residents, is the ninth largest city in the United States and the third largest in the state of Texas. It is an impressive melting pot of culture and character. Boasting high-end luxury hotels, innumerable fine dining spots, and one of the busiest airports in the world, Dallas maintains an upscale ethos reflected by an affluent population, world-class museums, and a shimmering modern skyline. Its history was marred by the infamous assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, but there is more historic and contemporary heritage to be discovered in the city. As a center of the oil and cotton industries in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Dallas was a classic American boom town and remains one of the fastest growing cities in the nation.
Top landmarks
- • Dallas Museum of Art — art museum in Dallas, Texas
- • Texas School Book Depository — building in Dallas, Texas, United States
- • George W. Bush Presidential Center — Presidential library and museum for U.S. President George W. Bush, located in Da...
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 35m. Total distance: 30.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15 miles on SH 183 TEXpress. 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 Dallas, 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 0.8 miles (US 377 / Denton Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.9 miles: 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 Dallas, 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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