Origin
Balch Springs, TX
Night in Balch Springs on Friday
Local time
11:52 PM
CDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Balch Springs, TX to Dallas, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
21m
Distance
14 mi
22 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 20m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Balch Springs, TX
Jeff Stapleton
Dallas, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Balch Springs to Dallas is 14 miles and takes about 21 minutes via C F Hawn Freeway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Great Plains region, offering a straightforward transition between two Texas locations. Expect a mixed drive profile that's more about efficiency than scenery. Given its brevity, this trip is ideal for a quick commute or a brief leg of a larger journey, allowing for plenty of flexibility in your schedule. You'll primarily be on well-maintained freeways, making for a predictable and uncomplicated travel experience.
About the Cities
Arriving in Dallas, TX
Full guide →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.
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 21m. Total distance: 14 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (55%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This route features a 55% highway share, meaning you'll spend a good portion of your 21-minute journey on faster-paced roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 5.4 miles on the C F Hawn Freeway, providing a consistent segment of highway driving. The drive is characterized as a 'Mixed drive,' suggesting you'll navigate through a combination of freeway and possibly some arterial roads as you approach your destination. It's not a particularly winding or challenging drive, but rather a functional connection between two points, reflecting its urban setting.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
C F Hawn Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 5.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.7 miles in near C F Hawn Freeway.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 14 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.7 miles (C F Hawn Freeway): Lane positioning matters here; at 5 miles (US 175 / C F Hawn Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.3 miles (I 45 / Julius Schepps Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
4.7 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
C F Hawn Freeway
Turn right onto C F Hawn Freeway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
5 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
US 175 / C F Hawn Freeway
Merge onto US 175 / C F Hawn Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
10.3 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
I 45 / Julius Schepps Freeway
Merge onto I 45 / Julius Schepps Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
12.5 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward Main Street West, Elm Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 284B
Toward Main Street West, Elm Street
8
12.8 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Elm Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Elm Street
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Balch Springs, TX to Dallas, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Main Street West along the way.
Main Street West
12.5 mi in
|
~18m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| C F Hawn Freeway | 5.4 mi | 6m |
| Elam Road | 4.1 mi | 7m |
| Julius Schepps Freeway | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| Elm Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Hickory Tree Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| North Lamar Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Terry Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
C F Hawn Freeway
— 5.4 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Balch Springs, TX and Dallas, TX.
1
Start on Terry Drive
47 ft
·
3 sec
·
Terry Drive
2
Turn right onto Hickory Tree Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Hickory Tree Road
3
Turn right onto Elam Road
4.1 mi
·
7 min
·
Elam Road
4
Turn right onto C F Hawn Freeway
519 ft
·
10 sec
·
C F Hawn Freeway
Use the right lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward US 175 West
6
Merge onto US 175
5.3 mi
·
6 min
·
C F Hawn Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 45
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Julius Schepps Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 284B
Toward Main Street West, Elm Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
Toward Elm Street
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
10
Turn straight onto Elm Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Elm Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
11
Turn right onto North Lamar Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
North Lamar Street
12
Arrive at destination
North Lamar Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.12 one way
$4.23 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $2.32 | $4.63 |
| premium | $4.54 | $2.50 | $5.00 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.09 | $6.18 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.47 | $0.67 |
| Efficient EV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.22 | $0.56 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.96 | $0.90 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Night in Dallas on Friday
Local time
11:52 PM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
15 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
21m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Balch Springs, TX to Dallas, TX covers 14 miles and takes about 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are C F Hawn Freeway, Elam Road, Julius Schepps Freeway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 7 miles from Balch Springs, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.12 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 14 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.
The main spots that need attention: at 4.7 miles (C F Hawn Freeway): Lane positioning matters here; at 5 miles (US 175 / C F Hawn Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.3 miles (I 45 / Julius Schepps Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Balch Springs, TX to Dallas, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Main Street West along the way.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Dallas, TX
More from Balch Springs, TX
More trips to Dallas, TX
Explore more options from Balch Springs, TX or browse trips ending in Dallas, TX.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse TX road trips.