Drive Time
11h 50m
Distance
788.5 mi
1,269 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$117
one way
Photo: Eddie O.
The drive from Amarillo, TX to Brownsville, TX covers 788.5 miles and takes about 11h 50m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on North Pierce Street, Canyon Expressway, Marshall Formby Memorial Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $117.31 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
3 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
394.3 miles from Amarillo, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 5h 55m into the drive .
At 788.5 miles and 11h 50m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are North Pierce Street and Canyon Expressway.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Pierce Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Canyon Expressway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Marshall Formby Memorial Highway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Loop 289 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Interstate 27 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| North Loop 289 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Spur 331 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Southeast Loop 289 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Step-by-step road directions between Amarillo, TX and Brownsville, TX.
Start on East Amarillo Boulevard
Turn right onto North Pierce Street
Continue on North Pierce Street
Continue on Canyon Expressway
Keep slight left to continue on Marshall Formby Memorial Highway
Take the exit slight right toward Loop 289
Turn straight onto North Interstate 27
Turn left onto North Loop 289
Take the ramp slight left
Merge slight left
Take the exit slight right toward Spur 331: Southeast Drive
Keep slight right to continue on Spur 331: Southeast Drive
Turn straight onto Southeast Loop 289
Turn right onto Southeast Drive
Merge slight right onto Slaton Road
Continue on East Highway 84
Continue on Trooper Jerry Don Davis Memorial Highway
Continue on East Highway 84
Continue on North US Highway 84
Turn left onto East 15th Street
Turn right onto Ralls Road
Turn straight onto North Avenue F
At the end of the road, turn left onto US Highway 84
Keep slight left to continue on I 20 East, US 84 East: Abilene
Take the exit slight right toward SH 70 South, SH 70 Business: Sweetwater, San Angelo
Turn slight left onto Southwest Georgia Avenue
Turn right onto Lamar Street
Continue on State Highway 70
Turn left onto State Highway 153
Turn right
Turn left
At the end of the road, turn right onto Hutchings Avenue
Turn left onto South 7th Street
Continue on Grassmeyer Street
Continue on Ellis Street
Take the exit left toward I 10 East: San Antonio
Continue straight
Keep slight right
Keep slight right to continue on McDermott Freeway
Take the exit slight right toward Santa Rosa Street, Downtown
Turn straight onto North Pecos-La Trinidad
Keep slight right to continue on North Pecos-La Trinidad
Turn left onto Dolorosa Street
Continue on West Market Street
Continue on East Market Street
Turn right onto Tower of the Americas Way
Take the ramp slight left toward I 37 South, US 281 South
Merge slight left onto William J Bordelon Freeway
Continue on Lucian Adams Freeway
Take the exit slight right toward I 69E, US 77: Kingsville, Brownsville
Keep slight left to continue on U.S. Highway 77
Keep slight left to continue on U.S. Highway 77
Continue on North Expressway
Keep slight left to continue on North Expressway
Take the exit slight right toward 12th-14th Street
Turn straight onto South Expressway
Turn right onto East 12th Street
Turn right onto East Washington Street
Arrive at your destination
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.
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 173 miles or 2h 35m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 394.3 miles or 5h 55m 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 394.3 miles or 5h 55m
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 10h 56m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Brownsville, TX than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Amarillo, 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 Amarillo, TX
Aim for roughly 394 miles and 5.9 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Brownsville, TX
Aim for roughly 394 miles and 5.9 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 394.3 mi from Amarillo, TX · 5h 55m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
260 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
520 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, TXNight 1
394 mi · about 5.9h in
A practical overnight split lands near Kerrville, TX after about 394 miles or 5.9 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 173 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 394.3 miles from Amarillo, 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 394 miles or 5.9 hours on the road.
Final-third reset
Rest stopPlan one more short stretch-and-water break in the final third of the drive so the last arrival window feels easier.
The final approach into Brownsville, 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 Brownsville, TX.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Brownsville, 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.
Regular Gas
$117.31 one way
$234.63 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $132.00 | $263.99 |
| premium | $4.59 | $142.52 | $285.04 |
| diesel | $3.99 | $123.96 | $247.91 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$117
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$247–$357
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 275.9 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $83 in charging · 2 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 236.5 | 2 | $82.79 | $37.85 |
| Efficient EV | 197.1 | 2 | $68.99 | $31.54 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 315.4 | 3 | $110.39 | $50.46 |
Gas CO2
276 kg
EV CO2
92 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. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.
Origin
Morning in Amarillo on Saturday
Local time
8:55 AM
CDT
Current temp
46°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Morning in Brownsville on Saturday
Local time
8:55 AM
CDT
Current temp
79°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
55°F
Sweetwater, TX
260 mi in
81°F
San Antonio, TX
520 mi in
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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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