The drive from Buffalo, TX to San Antonio, TX covers 195.6 miles and takes about 3h 59m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on South US Highway 87, 8th Street, US 87 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 59.9 miles on South US Highway 87.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $29.56 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
97.8 miles from Buffalo, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 6m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 59m. Total distance: 195.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 59m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Drive Character
This is a 3h 59m highway drive covering 195.6 miles, with most of the trip on South US Highway 87 and 8th Street. The longest continuous stretch is about 59.9 miles on South US Highway 87.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 31 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
South US Highway 87 is the longest continuous segment at about 59.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on South US Highway 87 and 8th Street. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 147.7 miles in near US 87.
Driving Effort7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 19 significant decision points across 195.6 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 147.7 miles (US 87): Lane positioning matters here; at 174.8 miles (I 10; US 87): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 193.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 19 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
147.7 mi into trip|~3h 6m in|US 87
Take the ramp onto US 87 toward I 10 East: San Antonio
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 10 East: San Antonio
6
174.8 mi into trip|~3h 33m in|I 10; US 87
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10; US 87
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
193.9 mi into trip|~3h 55m in
Take the exit toward Santa Rosa Street, Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 569C
Toward Santa Rosa Street, Downtown
6
194.6 mi into trip|~3h 56m in|North Pecos-La Trinidad
Keep slight right at fork onto North Pecos-La Trinidad
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
195.1 mi into trip|~3h 58m in|Dolorosa Street
Turn left onto Dolorosa Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
South US Highway 87
59.9 mi
1h 7m
8th Street
40.5 mi
46m
US 87
27.2 mi
27m
I 10
17.4 mi
19m
Bridge Street
14.6 mi
16m
North US Highway 87
13.2 mi
15m
US 67
5.5 mi
6m
United States Highway 87
3.4 mi
3m
Longest stretch:
South US Highway 87
— 59.9 mi, about 1h 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Buffalo, TX and San Antonio, TX.
1
Start on County Road 108
1.3 mi·4 min·County Road 108
2
Continue on County Road 108
368 ft·16 sec·County Road 108
3
Continue on County Road 108
1.0 mi·3 min·County Road 108
4
Turn left onto County Road 102
1.1 mi·4 min·County Road 102
5
Turn right
118 ft·6 sec
6
Turn left
0.8 mi·3 min
7
Turn left
0.1 mi·28 sec
8
Turn right
421 ft·18 sec
9
Turn slight left
287 ft·14 sec
10
Turn right onto County Road 102
1.1 mi·4 min·County Road 102
11
Turn right onto US 67; US 84
5.5 mi·6 min·US 67; US 84
12
Turn left onto US 283
41 mi·46 min·8th Street
13
Turn left onto US 87
3.4 mi·3 min·United States Highway 87
14
Continue on US 87
0.3 mi·23 sec·Commerce Street
15
Turn right onto US 87; US 190; US 377
15 mi·16 min·Bridge Street
16
Continue on US 87; US 377
13 mi·15 min·North US Highway 87
17
Continue on US 87; TX 29
0.8 mi·56 sec·Fort McKavitt Street
18
Take the exit onto US 87
166 ft·4 sec·US 87
19
Merge onto US 87
1.1 mi·1 min·San Antonio Street
20
Continue on US 87
40 mi·44 min·South US Highway 87
21
At end of road, turn left onto US 290; US 87
1.5 mi·4 min·West Main Street
22
Turn right onto US 87
1.1 mi·2 min·South Washington Street
23
Continue on US 87
20 mi·23 min·South US Highway 87
24
Take the ramp onto US 87
27 mi·27 min·US 87
Toward I 10 East: San AntonioUse the straight / slight right lanes.
25
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10; US 87
17 mi·19 min·I 10; US 87
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
26
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10; US 87
1.7 mi·2 min·McDermott Freeway
27
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
Exit 569CToward Santa Rosa Street, DowntownUse the slight right lane.
28
Turn straight onto North Pecos-La Trinidad
0.2 mi·16 sec·North Pecos-La Trinidad
29
Keep slight right at fork onto North Pecos-La Trinidad
0.6 mi·1 min·North Pecos-La Trinidad
Use the straight lane.
30
Turn left onto Dolorosa Street
0.5 mi·55 sec·Dolorosa Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
31
Arrive at destination
Dolorosa Street
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 97.8 miles from Buffalo, TX, or about 2h 6m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 59.9 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 43 miles or 1h 4m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 97.8 miles or 2h 6m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 19m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near San Antonio, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Buffalo, 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 Buffalo, TX
This is one driving day of about 195.6 miles and 3h 59m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 43 miles from Buffalo, 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 South US Highway 87 for about 59.9 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 97.8 mi from Buffalo, TX
· 2h 6m into the drive
The midpoint is around 97.8 miles from Buffalo, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in San Antonio, TX
The final approach into San Antonio, 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 San Antonio, TX.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Welcome to San Antonio Missions, a National Park Service site and the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas. Each mission in the park is a center of community and has been since the early 1700s. Th...
9 mi from route
~22 min detour
Free
near mile 195.6
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park tells the story of our 36th president beginning with his ancestors until his final resting place on his beloved LBJ Ranch. This entire "circle of life" gives...
16 mi from route
~39 min detour
Free
near mile 128.2
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$29.56 one way
$59.11 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg68 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.20
$32.35
$64.70
premium
$4.54
$34.92
$69.85
diesel
$5.61
$43.19
$86.37
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$30
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$55–$80
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 68.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $21 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
58.7
0
$20.54
$9.39
Efficient EV
48.9
0
$17.12
$7.82
EV Truck/SUV
78.2
0
$27.38
$12.52
Gas CO2
68 kg
EV CO2
23 kg (66% 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 as of Apr 16, 2026
Origin
Buffalo, TX
Morning
in Buffalo on Friday
Local time
9:58 AM
CDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
San Antonio, TX
Morning
in San Antonio on Friday
Local time
9:58 AM
CDT
Current temp
90°F
Partly Sunny
SSE 10 mph0% chanceLive forecast
59°F
Fredericksburg, TX
98 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
33 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
3h 59m 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 Buffalo, TX to San Antonio, TX covers 195.6 miles and takes about 3h 59m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are South US Highway 87, 8th Street, US 87. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 97.8 miles from Buffalo, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $29.56 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 is a demanding drive. With 19 significant decision points across 195.6 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.
The main spots that need attention: at 147.7 miles (US 87): Lane positioning matters here; at 174.8 miles (I 10; US 87): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 193.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Buffalo, TX to San Antonio, TX does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and Lyndon B Johnson National Historical Park.
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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
