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Trip from Arlington, TX to Garland, TX

Drive Time

3h 13m

Distance

171 mi

275 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$26

one way

EV Charging

None

0 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 35 min
4 AM
3h 2m ★
6 AM
3h 14m
8 AM
3h 37m
10 AM
3h 22m
12 PM
3h 20m
3 PM
3h 23m
5 PM
3h 36m
8 PM
3h 7m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Arlington, TX, TX

Arlington, TX

Jeff Stapleton

Trip Overview

The drive from Arlington, TX to Garland, TX covers 171 miles and takes about 3h 13m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on East R L Thornton Freeway, US Highway 259 North, Tom Landry Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 132.6 miles on East R L Thornton Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $26.12 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

85.5 miles from Arlington, TX

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 34m into the drive .

Drive Character

This is a 3h 13m highway drive covering 171 miles, with most of the trip on East R L Thornton Freeway and US Highway 259 North. The longest continuous stretch is about 132.6 miles on East R L Thornton Freeway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
East R L Thornton Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 132.6 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on East R L Thornton Freeway and US Highway 259 North. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near South Mesquite Street.

Route Complexity 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 171 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (South Mesquite Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3 miles (I 30 / Tom Landry Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 9 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | South Mesquite Street

Turn left onto South Mesquite Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
2.6 mi into trip | ~6m in

Take the ramp toward I 30 East

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes. Toward I 30 East
5
3 mi into trip | ~7m in | I 30 / Tom Landry Freeway

Merge onto I 30 / Tom Landry Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
27 mi into trip | ~35m in | I 30; US 67 / East R L Thornton Freeway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 30; US 67 / East R L Thornton Freeway toward I 30 East: Texarkana

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes. Toward I 30 East: Texarkana
5
152.1 mi into trip | ~2h 43m in

Take the exit toward US 259: De Kalb, Daingerfield

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward US 259: De Kalb, Daingerfield

Towns Along This Route

On the drive from Arlington, TX to Garland, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Daingerfield along the way.

Daingerfield

152.1 mi in | ~2h 43m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
East R L Thornton Freeway 132.6 mi 2h 17m
US Highway 259 North 16.5 mi 24m
Tom Landry Freeway 16.5 mi 18m
FM 1701 2.1 mi 4m
South Mesquite Street 1.2 mi 2m
East Copeland Road 0.5 mi <1m
North Center Street 0.5 mi 1m
East Interstate 30 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: East R L Thornton Freeway — 132.6 mi, about 2h 17m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Arlington, TX and Garland, TX.

1

Start on West Abram Street

93 ft · 8 sec · West Abram Street
2

Continue on West Abram Street

0.2 mi · 34 sec · West Abram Street
3

Turn left onto South Mesquite Street

1.2 mi · 2 min · South Mesquite Street
Use the left lane.
4

Turn straight onto North Center Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · North Center Street
5

Turn slight right

218 ft · 9 sec
Use the right lane.
6

Turn straight onto East Interstate 30

0.2 mi · 45 sec · East Interstate 30
7

Continue on East Copeland Road

0.5 mi · 55 sec · East Copeland Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
8

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 56 sec
Toward I 30 East Use the straight / left lanes.
9

Merge onto I 30

16 mi · 18 min · Tom Landry Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Continue on I 30; US 67

7.5 mi · 9 min · East R L Thornton Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight left at fork onto I 30; US 67

125 mi · 2 hr 8 min · East R L Thornton Freeway
Toward I 30 East: Texarkana Use the straight / right lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 46 sec
Toward US 259: De Kalb, Daingerfield
13

Turn left onto US 259

17 mi · 24 min · US Highway 259 North
14

Turn left onto FM 1701

2.1 mi · 4 min · FM 1701
15

Arrive at destination

FM 1701

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 85.5 miles from Arlington, TX, or about 1h 34m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 132.6 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 80 miles or 1h 29m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 85.5 miles or 1h 34m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 2h 31m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Garland, TX than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Arlington, 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.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Arlington, TX

This is one driving day of about 171 miles and 3h 13m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Arlington, TX.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on East R L Thornton Freeway for about 132.6 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 85.5 mi from Arlington, TX · 1h 34m into the drive

Downtown Greenville, TX, TX

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Greenville, TX

86 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Greenville, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Greenville, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 85.5 miles from Arlington, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before East R L Thornton Freeway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 132.6 miles.

Arriving in Garland, TX

The final approach into Garland, 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 Garland, TX.

After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$26.12 one way

$52.24 round trip

$3.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 60 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $28.63 $57.25
premium $4.59 $30.91 $61.82
diesel $5.64 $37.99 $75.98

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$26

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$51–$76

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 59.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $18 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 51.3 0 $17.96 $8.21
Efficient EV 42.8 0 $14.96 $6.84
EV Truck/SUV 68.4 0 $23.94 $10.94

Gas CO2

60 kg

EV CO2

20 kg (67% 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.

Forecast data refreshed 3 hours ago

Origin

Arlington, TX

Morning in Arlington on Monday

Local time

10:29 AM

CDT

Current temp

85°F

Partly Sunny

S 15 mph 10% chance Live forecast

High Wind Watch

High Wind Watch issued April 12 at 11:58PM MDT until April 14 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Midland/Odessa TX

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 13 at 12:38AM CDT until April 13 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Amarillo TX

Destination

Garland, TX

Morning in Garland on Monday

Local time

10:29 AM

CDT

Current temp

63°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Along the Route

71°F

Greenville, TX

86 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.

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

22 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

3h 13m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Arlington, TX to Garland, TX covers 171 miles and takes about 3h 13m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are East R L Thornton Freeway, US Highway 259 North, Tom Landry Freeway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 85.5 miles from Arlington, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $26.12 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 171 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (South Mesquite Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3 miles (I 30 / Tom Landry Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Arlington, TX to Garland, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Daingerfield along the way.

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