Origin
Alpine, TX
Morning in Alpine on Monday
Local time
7:18 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Alpine, TX to Houston, TX
Drive Time
9h 40m
Distance
571.5 mi
920 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$87
one way
EV Charging
Loading...
station data
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
9h 31m
★
6 AM
9h 40m
8 AM
9h 58m
10 AM
9h 46m
12 PM
9h 45m
3 PM
9h 47m
5 PM
9h 57m
8 PM
9h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Alpine, TX
Timo Niedermann
Houston, TX
Trace Hudson
Trip Overview
Spanning 573.4 miles, this trek from Alpine to Houston is a significant journey across Texas that requires roughly 8 hours and 17 minutes of pure drive time. Because of the length, trying to complete this in a single day is exhausting, and we highly recommend splitting the trip over 2 days to maintain your energy. You will navigate using North 6th Street, West Holland Avenue, and Highway 90 to make your way toward the coast. Budgeting approximately $85 for fuel is a smart move before you head out, as costs can fluctuate along the way. While both cities sit within the Great Plains region, the landscape shifts significantly as you leave the high desert plains for the more humid, lower-elevation environment of Houston. Treat this as a multi-day commitment to ensure you arrive safely and without unnecessary fatigue.
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
285.8 miles from Alpine, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 50m into the drive .
Drive Character
Expect a grounded, steady experience behind the wheel, as this route features a 0% highway share, relying instead on local roads and highways like Highway 90. You will transition from the quiet, open stretches near Alpine onto the more populated corridors leading into the Houston area. Because you are avoiding major interstates, the driving pace feels more deliberate and less like a monotonous highway grind. Staying alert is essential, as the lack of high-speed divided lanes means you will be managing varying traffic patterns and road conditions throughout the 573.4-mile journey. It is a true long-distance drive that demands your full attention as the character of the road evolves from rural, wide-open spaces to the denser, more complex transit networks approaching your destination.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 24 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North 6th Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
At 9h 40m, this is a long-haul route where pacing matters more than any single turn. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.
Route Complexity
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
The route itself is not hard, but at 9h 40m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Alpine, TX to Houston, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North 6th Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| West Holland Avenue | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Highway 90 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Highway 67 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| South US Higway 67 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Interstate 10 West | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 10 East | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Frontage Road | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Longest stretch:
North 6th Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Alpine, TX and Houston, TX.
1
Start on West Avenue E
243 ft
·
9 sec
·
West Avenue E
2
Turn left onto North 6th Street
338 ft
·
20 sec
·
North 6th Street
3
Turn left onto West Holland Avenue
0.7 mi
·
50 sec
·
West Holland Avenue
4
Continue on East US Highway 90
7.6 mi
·
8 min
·
East US Highway 90
5
Turn straight onto US Highway 67
22 mi
·
24 min
·
US Highway 67
6
Continue on South US Higway 67
25 mi
·
28 min
·
South US Higway 67
7
Turn right onto Interstate 10 West
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
Interstate 10 West
8
Take the ramp straight toward I 10 East: Fort Stockton
247 mi
·
3 hr 52 min
·
I 10 East: Fort Stockton
9
Continue straight
54 mi
·
54 min
10
Keep slight right
5.4 mi
·
5 min
11
Take the exit slight right toward Frontage Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Frontage Road
12
Turn straight onto Interstate 10 West
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
·
Interstate 10 West
13
Turn left onto North Loop 1604 West
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
·
North Loop 1604 West
14
Take the ramp straight toward Loop 1604 East
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
Loop 1604 East
15
Merge slight left onto Anderson Loop
25 mi
·
29 min
·
Anderson Loop
16
Turn left onto Interstate 10 East
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Interstate 10 East
17
Take the ramp slight left
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
18
Merge slight left onto 90th Infantry Division Highway
15 mi
·
15 min
·
90th Infantry Division Highway
19
Continue on I 10 East: Houston, Austin, Waco
166 mi
·
2 hr 52 min
·
I 10 East: Houston, Austin, Waco
20
Take the exit slight right toward Downtown, Theatre District
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
·
Downtown, Theatre District
21
Continue on Smith Street
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
Smith Street
22
Turn left onto Preston Street
331 ft
·
17 sec
·
Preston Street
23
Turn left onto Louisiana Street
180 ft
·
5 sec
·
Louisiana Street
24
Arrive at your destination
Trip Plan
To tackle this 8-hour and 17-minute trek effectively, plan to depart early in the morning to maximize your daylight hours and minimize the time spent driving in evening traffic. We suggest scheduling at least 2 stops along the way to stretch your legs and refresh your focus, especially since the route demands constant navigation rather than interstate cruising. Keep a close eye on your fuel gauge, as spending $85 on gas suggests you will need to map out your refueling points carefully between the start and end of the trip. Since you are traveling across a large portion of the state, be prepared for shifting weather patterns that can impact your visibility and comfort. Our biggest tip for this specific drive is to double-check your route markers when transitioning between North 6th Street and Highway 90, as keeping your navigation clear is vital for such a long-distance haul.
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 285.8 miles from Alpine, TX, or about 4h 50m into the drive.
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 126 miles or 2h 7m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 285.8 miles or 4h 50m 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 285.8 miles or 4h 50m
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 39m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Houston, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Alpine, 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 Alpine, TX
Aim for roughly 286 miles and 4.8 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Houston, TX
Aim for roughly 286 miles and 4.8 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 126 miles from Alpine, 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.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 285.8 mi from Alpine, TX · 4h 50m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
189 mi into the route
Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch
This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.
Second major stop
Overnight candidate
377 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in San Antonio, TXOvernight Options
Night 1
286 mi · about 4.8h in
A practical overnight split lands near San Antonio, TX after about 286 miles or 4.8 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 126 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 285.8 miles from Alpine, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 286 miles or 4.8 hours on the road.
Arriving in Houston, TX
The final approach into Houston, TX usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Houston, TX.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Houston, TX with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$87.30 one way
$174.60 round trip
$3.88/gal
25.4 MPG avg
200 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $95.67 | $191.34 |
| premium | $4.59 | $103.30 | $206.60 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $126.97 | $253.94 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$87
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$217–$327
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 200 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $60 in charging · 2 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 171.5 | 2 | $60.01 | $27.43 |
| Efficient EV | 142.9 | 1 | $50.01 | $22.86 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 228.6 | 2 | $80.01 | $36.58 |
Gas CO2
200 kg
EV CO2
67 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.
Destination
Houston, TX
Morning in Houston on Monday
Local time
7:18 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°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
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
9h 40m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Alpine, TX to Houston, TX covers 571.5 miles and takes about 9h 40m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North 6th Street, West Holland Avenue, Highway 90. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Yes. This route is usually more comfortable as a 2-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 286 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 285.8 miles from Alpine, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $87.30 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
The route itself is not hard, but at 9h 40m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Alpine, TX to Houston, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Alpine, TX to Houston, TX does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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