Origin
Dallas, TX
Late night in Dallas on Wednesday
Local time
12:37 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
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Drive Time
9h 18m
Distance
529.3 mi
852 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$80
one way
EV Charging
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station data
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Dallas, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Indian Hills, TX
Jeff Stapleton
The drive from Dallas, TX to Indian Hills, TX covers 529.3 miles and takes about 9h 18m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on South R L Thornton Freeway, TX 130 Toll, South Nueces Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 89.9 miles on South R L Thornton Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $79.98 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
264.7 miles from Dallas, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 25m into the drive .
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At 529.3 miles and 9h 18m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are South R L Thornton Freeway and TX 130 Toll.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on South R L Thornton Freeway and TX 130 Toll. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
This is a demanding drive. With 28 significant decision points across 529.3 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 0.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 162.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Keep slight left at fork toward I 30 West, I 35E South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward I 35E South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward TX 130 Toll South: San Antonio
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 37, US 281 North: San Antonio, Corpus Christi
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward FM 2128: Chapin Road, Schunior Road, Richardson Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Dallas, TX to Indian Hills, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Corpus Christi along the way.
Corpus Christi
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South R L Thornton Freeway | 89.9 mi | 1h 32m |
| TX 130 Toll | 86.1 mi | 1h 19m |
| South Nueces Street | 66.2 mi | 1h 10m |
| I 37 | 60.5 mi | 1h 1m |
| Falfurrias Expressway | 55.8 mi | 58m |
| Purple Heart Trail | 37.9 mi | 39m |
| I 10 | 32.5 mi | 33m |
| I 35 | 26.5 mi | 26m |
Step-by-step road directions between Dallas, TX and Indian Hills, TX.
Start on North Lamar Street
Turn right onto Elm Street
Continue on Elm Street
Take the ramp
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 35E
Continue on I 35E
Continue on I 35E
Continue on I 35; US 77
Continue on I 35
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35
Take the exit
Continue on TX 130 Toll
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 10; TX 130
Continue on I 10; US 90; TX 130
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10; US 90; TX 130
Keep slight right at fork onto I 410
Merge onto I 410; TX 130
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 37
Take the exit onto US 281 South
Keep slight left at fork onto US 281
Keep slight left at fork onto I 69C; US 281
Keep slight left at fork onto I 69C; US 281
Keep slight left at fork onto I 69C; US 281
Take the exit
Turn straight onto North Expressway 281
Turn left onto FM 2128
Continue on FM 2128
Continue on FM 2128
Continue on FM 2128
Continue on FM 2128
At end of road, turn left onto TX 107
Turn right onto FM 491
Keep slight left at fork onto FM 491
Keep slight right at fork onto FM 491
Turn right onto 11N
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 116 miles or 2h 1m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 264.7 miles or 4h 25m 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 264.7 miles or 4h 25m
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 3m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Indian Hills, TX than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Dallas, 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 Dallas, TX
Aim for roughly 265 miles and 4.7 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Indian Hills, TX
Aim for roughly 265 miles and 4.7 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 264.7 mi from Dallas, TX · 4h 25m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
175 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
349 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 San Antonio, TXNight 1
265 mi · about 4.7h in
A practical overnight split lands near Austin, TX after about 265 miles or 4.7 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 116 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 264.7 miles from Dallas, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before South R L Thornton Freeway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 89.9 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 265 miles or 4.7 hours on the road.
The final approach into Indian Hills, 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 Indian Hills, TX.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Indian Hills, TX with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$79.98 one way
$159.96 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $87.54 | $175.09 |
| premium | $4.54 | $94.50 | $189.01 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $116.86 | $233.73 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$80
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$210–$320
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 185.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $56 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 158.8 | 1 | $55.58 | $25.41 |
| Efficient EV | 132.3 | 1 | $46.31 | $21.17 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 211.7 | 2 | $74.10 | $33.88 |
Gas CO2
185 kg
EV CO2
62 kg (66% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Dallas on Wednesday
Local time
12:37 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Destination
Late night in Indian Hills on Wednesday
Local time
12:37 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
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.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
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