Trip from Cedar Hill, TX to Dallas, TX

Drive Time

21m

Distance

17.6 mi

28 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 19m ★
6 AM
0h 21m
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.

Downtown Cedar Hill, TX, TX

Cedar Hill, TX

Jeff Stapleton

Downtown Dallas, TX, TX

Dallas, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are looking for a quick commute or a straightforward excursion, the 17.6-mile trip from Cedar Hill to Dallas is an ideal choice. Spanning just 21 minutes, this journey is perfectly suited for a single-day outing, requiring no overnight stays. You will navigate primarily through the Great Plains via Houston Street, West Belt Line Road, and Highway 67. With a fuel cost estimate of just $3, it is an incredibly budget-friendly drive. This route offers a practical connection between these two Texas locations, making it a simple, no-fuss transition for your schedule.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

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

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

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

Midpoint

8.8 miles from Cedar Hill, TX

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 10m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate cruise, as this route maintains a zero percent highway share. You will spend your time navigating local surface streets, which means there is no single long, uninterrupted stretch of road to zone out on. The personality of this drive is dictated by frequent turns and local traffic patterns rather than open-road motoring. Since you are not sticking to a major highway corridor, you should prepare for a more engaging, hands-on driving experience that requires your full attention from start to finish.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Marvin D Love Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 5.5 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Marvin D Love Freeway and South R L Thornton Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Houston Street.

Route Complexity 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This is a demanding drive. With 8 significant decision points across 17.6 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: near the start (Houston Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 11.6 miles (I 35E / South R L Thornton Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 8 key points

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

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Houston Street

Turn right onto Houston Street

Navigation decision point

5
1.1 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the ramp toward US 67 North

Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward US 67 North
5
11.6 mi into trip | ~13m in | I 35E / South R L Thornton Freeway

Merge onto I 35E / South R L Thornton Freeway

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

Use the straight lane.
7
17.1 mi into trip | ~20m in

Take the exit toward Continental Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 429A Toward Continental Avenue
6
17.3 mi into trip | ~20m in | Continental Avenue

Turn right onto Continental Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Marvin D Love Freeway 5.5 mi 5m
South R L Thornton Freeway 4.2 mi 4m
West S G Alexander Freeway 2.7 mi 2m
North J Elmer Weaver Freeway 2.2 mi 2m
South Stemmons Freeway 1.3 mi 1m
West Belt Line Road 0.6 mi 1m
North Highway 67 0.3 mi <1m
Continental Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Marvin D Love Freeway — 5.5 mi, about 5m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Cedar Hill, TX and Dallas, TX.

1

Start on Cedar Street

75 ft · 4 sec · Cedar Street
2

Turn right onto Houston Street

425 ft · 14 sec · Houston Street
3

Turn right onto West Belt Line Road

0.6 mi · 1 min · West Belt Line Road
4

Turn left onto North Highway 67

0.3 mi · 34 sec · North Highway 67
5

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 16 sec
Toward US 67 North Use the slight left lane.
6

Merge onto US 67

2.2 mi · 2 min · North J Elmer Weaver Freeway
7

Continue on US 67

2.7 mi · 2 min · West S G Alexander Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Continue on US 67

5.5 mi · 5 min · Marvin D Love Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Merge onto I 35E

4.2 mi · 4 min · South R L Thornton Freeway
Use the straight lane.
10

Continue on I 35E

1.3 mi · 1 min · South Stemmons Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 30 sec
Exit 429A Toward Continental Avenue Use the slight right lane.
12

Turn right onto Continental Avenue

0.2 mi · 31 sec · Continental Avenue
Use the right lane.
13

Turn slight right onto North Lamar Street

433 ft · 10 sec · North Lamar Street
14

Arrive at destination

North Lamar Street

Trip Plan

Because this is a short 21-minute trip, you have maximum flexibility regarding your departure time. You can easily plan around peak traffic hours to ensure the smoothest possible transition into Dallas. Since there are no designated stops required for a drive of this length, you can complete the entire 17.6-mile distance in one go without needing a break. Keep your $3 fuel budget in mind, but otherwise, enjoy the freedom of a quick trip that doesn't require extensive logistical planning. Focus your attention on the frequent turns along Houston Street and West Belt Line Road to keep your navigation on track.

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 8.8 miles from Cedar Hill, TX, or about 10m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 5.5 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 17.6 miles or 21m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 8.8 miles or 10m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 17m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Cedar Hill, 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 Cedar Hill, TX

This is one driving day of about 17.6 miles and 21m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Cedar Hill, TX.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on Marvin D Love Freeway for about 5.5 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 8.8 mi from Cedar Hill, TX · 10m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Irving, TX

9 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.

Popular next leg

Irving, TX to Dallas, TX

9.6 mi · 16m

Pacing Suggestions

Irving, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 17.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Irving, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 8.8 miles from Cedar Hill, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Dallas, TX

The final approach into Dallas, 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 Dallas, TX.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.69 one way

$5.38 round trip

$3.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $2.95 $5.89
premium $4.59 $3.18 $6.36
diesel $5.64 $3.91 $7.82

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$3

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$28–$53

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.3 0 $1.85 $0.84
Efficient EV 4.4 0 $1.54 $0.70
EV Truck/SUV 7 0 $2.46 $1.13

Gas CO2

6 kg

EV CO2

2 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 2 days ago

Origin

Cedar Hill, TX

Afternoon in Cedar Hill on Sunday

Local time

3:37 PM

CDT

Current temp

64°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Dallas, TX

Afternoon in Dallas on Sunday

Local time

3:37 PM

CDT

Current temp

61°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

3 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 Cedar Hill, TX to Dallas, TX covers 17.6 miles and takes about 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Marvin D Love Freeway, South R L Thornton Freeway, West S G Alexander 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 8.8 miles from Cedar Hill, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.69 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 demanding drive. With 8 significant decision points across 17.6 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: near the start (Houston Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 11.6 miles (I 35E / South R L Thornton Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Cedar Hill, TX to Dallas, TX does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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