Drive Time
9h 31m
Distance
506.9 mi
816 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$77
one way
Photo: Jeff Stapleton
The drive from Brownsville, TX to Burleson, TX covers 506.9 miles and takes about 9h 31m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on U.S. Highway 77, Purple Heart Trail, Pickle Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 126.7 miles on U.S. Highway 77. At current regular gas prices, budget about $77.43 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
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
253.4 miles from Brownsville, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 5h 3m into the drive .
At 506.9 miles and 9h 31m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are U.S. Highway 77 and Purple Heart Trail.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on U.S. Highway 77 and Purple Heart Trail. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
This is a demanding drive. With 27 significant decision points across 506.9 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 305.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 364.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Take the ramp toward I 69E North, US 77 North, US 83 North
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward TX 130 Toll North: Austin, Waco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 35 North: Waco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35W toward I 35W: Fort Worth
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Texas 174 South, FM 3391: Hidden Creek Parkway, Renfro Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Between Brownsville, TX and Burleson, TX, road signs point toward Skidmore and Waco.
Skidmore
Waco
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Highway 77 | 126.7 mi | 2h 20m |
| Purple Heart Trail | 97.7 mi | 1h 39m |
| Pickle Parkway | 58.5 mi | 54m |
| US Highway 181 South | 40.2 mi | 45m |
| I 35W | 34.7 mi | 36m |
| State Highway 80 North | 30.8 mi | 35m |
| State Highway 80 | 23.6 mi | 25m |
| I 37 | 19.7 mi | 19m |
Step-by-step road directions between Brownsville, TX and Burleson, TX.
Start on US 77 Business
Turn right onto East 7th Street
Turn left onto North Frontage Road
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 69E; US 77; US 83
Continue on I 69E; US 77; US 83
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 69E; US 77
Continue on U.S. Highway 77
Take the exit
Turn straight onto US Highway 77 Frontage Road
Turn right onto County Road 10
Turn left onto County Road 79
Turn left onto County Road 18
Turn sharp right
Take the ramp
Merge onto US 77
Continue on US 77
Merge onto I 37; US 77; I 69E
Keep slight left at fork
Continue on I 37
Take the exit
Turn right onto TX 359
At end of road, turn left onto US 181
Continue on US 181
Continue on US 181
Turn right onto TX 72; TX 239
Keep slight left at fork onto TX 72; TX 239
Continue on FM 792
Turn straight onto TX 80
Continue on TX 80
Continue on TX 80; TX 97
Continue on US 183
Continue on US 183
Continue on US 183
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto TX 130 Toll
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 35
Continue on I 35
Continue on I 35; US 77
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35W
Take the exit
Turn straight onto South Burleson Boulevard
Turn left onto Spur 50
Turn left onto South Main Street
Enter roundabout onto East Ellison Street
Arrive at 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 112 miles or 2h 6m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 253.4 miles or 5h 3m 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 253.4 miles or 5h 3m
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 27m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Burleson, TX than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Brownsville, 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 Brownsville, TX
Aim for roughly 253 miles and 4.8 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Burleson, TX
Aim for roughly 253 miles and 4.8 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 253.4 mi from Brownsville, TX · 5h 3m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
167 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
335 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 Austin, TXNight 1
253 mi · about 4.8h in
A practical overnight split lands near Austin, TX after about 253 miles or 4.8 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 112 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 253.4 miles from Brownsville, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before U.S. Highway 77 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 126.7 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 253 miles or 4.8 hours on the road.
The final approach into Burleson, 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 Burleson, TX.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Burleson, TX with some flexibility left in the schedule.
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.
Regular Gas
$77.43 one way
$154.86 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $84.86 | $169.71 |
| premium | $4.59 | $91.62 | $183.24 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $112.62 | $225.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$77
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$207–$317
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 177.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $53 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 152.1 | 1 | $53.22 | $24.33 |
| Efficient EV | 126.7 | 1 | $44.35 | $20.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 202.8 | 2 | $70.97 | $32.44 |
Gas CO2
177 kg
EV CO2
59 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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
Late night in Brownsville on Sunday
Local time
2:28 AM
CDT
Current temp
79°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Late night in Burleson on Sunday
Local time
2:28 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
81°F
San Antonio, TX
167 mi in
65°F
Austin, TX
335 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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