Drive Time
11h 24m
Distance
625.4 mi
1,007 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$96
one way
Photo: Jeff Stapleton
The drive from Amarillo, TX to Brownwood, TX covers 625.4 miles and takes about 11h 24m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on North Lakeside Drive, East Interstate Drive, US 287 South for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $95.53 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
312.7 miles from Amarillo, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 5h 42m into the drive .
At 625.4 miles and 11h 24m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are North Lakeside Drive and East Interstate Drive.
At 11h 24m, 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.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
The route itself is not hard, but at 11h 24m, 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 Amarillo, TX to Brownwood, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Lakeside Drive | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| East Interstate Drive | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| US 287 South | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Highway 287 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Burnett Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Avenue F Northwest | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Highway 287 East | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Step-by-step road directions between Amarillo, TX and Brownwood, TX.
Start on East Amarillo Boulevard
Turn right
Take the ramp slight left
Merge slight left onto North Lakeside Drive
Turn left onto East Interstate Drive
Take the ramp slight left
Merge slight left
Take the exit slight right toward US 287 South: Fort Worth
Turn slight right onto US Highway 287
Continue on Burnett Street
Continue on US Highway 287
Continue on Avenue F Northwest
Continue on US Highway 287
Continue on Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway
Continue on US Highway 287 East
Continue on Northwest Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Northwest Freeway
Merge slight left onto Central Freeway
Continue on Lloyd Ruby Overpass
Continue on Central East Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Central East Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Central East Freeway
Continue straight
Merge slight left onto North Freeway
Take the exit slight right toward I 820
Keep slight left to continue on I 820 East
Merge slight left onto Northeast Loop
Take the exit slight left toward I 820 Express East Toll
Merge slight left onto I 820 TEXpress
Continue on SH 121/183 TEXpress
Continue on SH 183 TEXpress
Keep slight right to continue on SH 183 TEXpress
Merge slight right onto John W Carpenter Freeway
Merge slight left onto North Stemmons Freeway
Take the exit slight right toward Continental Avenue, Commerce Street West
Turn straight onto North Stemmons Freeway
Turn left onto Continental Avenue
Turn left onto McKinney Avenue
Take the ramp slight left toward US 75 North
Merge slight left onto Woodall Rodgers Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on I 45 South: Houston
Merge slight left onto Julius Schepps Freeway
Keep slight left to continue on Julius Schepps Freeway
Take the exit slight right toward Hardy Toll Road South
Keep slight left to continue on I 610 East
Merge slight left onto North Loop East
Take the exit slight right toward I 10: Beaumont, Downtown
Keep slight left to continue on I 10 East: Beaumont
Merge slight left onto East Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Decker Drive
Take the exit slight right toward Bayway Drive
Turn straight onto Decker Drive
Turn right onto Bayway Drive
Turn right onto West Schreck Street
Continue on West Schreck Street
Turn right onto Bayshore Drive
Continue on Bayshore Drive
At the end of the road, turn left onto Mapleton Avenue
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 138 miles or 2h 30m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 312.7 miles or 5h 42m 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 312.7 miles or 5h 42m
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 18m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Brownwood, 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 313 miles and 5.7 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Brownwood, TX
Aim for roughly 313 miles and 5.7 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 312.7 mi from Amarillo, TX · 5h 42m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
206 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
413 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 Dallas, TXNight 1
313 mi · about 5.7h in
A practical overnight split lands near Keller, TX after about 313 miles or 5.7 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 138 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 312.7 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 313 miles or 5.7 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 Brownwood, 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 Brownwood, TX.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Brownwood, 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
$95.53 one way
$191.07 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $104.69 | $209.39 |
| premium | $4.59 | $113.04 | $226.08 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $138.94 | $277.88 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$96
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$226–$336
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 218.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $66 in charging · 2 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 187.6 | 2 | $65.67 | $30.02 |
| Efficient EV | 156.4 | 1 | $54.72 | $25.02 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 250.2 | 3 | $87.56 | $40.03 |
Gas CO2
219 kg
EV CO2
73 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
Evening in Amarillo on Saturday
Local time
6:27 PM
CDT
Current temp
46°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Evening in Brownwood on Saturday
Local time
6:27 PM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
58°F
Wichita Falls, TX
206 mi in
61°F
Dallas, TX
413 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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