Trip from Donna, TX to Fort Worth, TX

Drive Time

7h 21m

Distance

517.9 mi

834 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$79

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 31 min
4 AM
7h 11m ★
6 AM
7h 21m
8 AM
7h 42m
10 AM
7h 29m
12 PM
7h 27m
3 PM
7h 30m
5 PM
7h 41m
8 PM
7h 15m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Donna, TX, TX

Donna, TX

Action Construction Equipment Ltd. - ACE

Downtown Fort Worth, TX, TX

Fort Worth, TX

Talena Reese

Trip Overview

The drive from Donna, TX to Fort Worth, TX covers 517.9 miles and takes about 7h 21m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Hooks Avenue, North Main Street, West Expressway 83 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $79.11 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

2 planned breaks

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

259 miles from Donna, TX

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 40m into the drive .

Drive Character

At 517.9 miles and 7h 21m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are Hooks Avenue and North Main Street.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 33 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Hooks Avenue is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

At 7h 21m, this is a long-haul route where pacing matters more than any single turn. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.

Route Complexity 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

The route itself is not hard, but at 7h 21m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Donna, TX to Fort Worth, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Hooks Avenue Unavailable Refreshing
North Main Street Unavailable Refreshing
West Expressway 83 Unavailable Refreshing
I 2 West Unavailable Refreshing
I 69C North Unavailable Refreshing
Nueces Street Unavailable Refreshing
King David Drive Unavailable Refreshing
West Main Street Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: Hooks Avenue — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Donna, TX and Fort Worth, TX.

1

Start on South 11th Street

23 ft · 8 sec · South 11th Street
2

Turn left onto Hooks Avenue

0.1 mi · 17 sec · Hooks Avenue
3

Turn right onto North Main Street

0.8 mi · 1 min · North Main Street
4

Turn left onto West Expressway 83

0.5 mi · 54 sec · West Expressway 83
5

Take the ramp slight left toward I 2 West, US 83 West

0.3 mi · 41 sec · I 2 West, US 83 West
6

Merge slight left

6.8 mi · 7 min
7

Take the exit slight right toward I 69C North, US 281: Edinburg

0.9 mi · 1 min · I 69C North, US 281: Edinburg
8

Continue straight

22 mi · 23 min
9

Continue straight

57 mi · 1 hr
10

Keep slight right

70 mi · 1 hr 19 min
11

Keep slight left to continue on Nueces Street

11 mi · 14 min · Nueces Street
12

Turn right onto King David Drive

32 mi · 39 min · King David Drive
13

Continue on West Main Street

0.8 mi · 1 min · West Main Street
14

Keep slight left to continue on East Main Street

233 ft · 4 sec · East Main Street
15

Continue on Helena Road

8.4 mi · 10 min · Helena Road
16

Turn straight onto State Highway 80

24 mi · 25 min · State Highway 80
17

Continue on South Nixon Avenue

1.0 mi · 2 min · South Nixon Avenue
18

Continue on State Highway 80 North

31 mi · 35 min · State Highway 80 North
19

Continue on US 183

10 mi · 11 min · US 183
20

Continue on South Colorado Street

4.9 mi · 8 min · South Colorado Street
21

Continue on United States Highway 183

0.2 mi · 17 sec · United States Highway 183
22

Keep slight left to continue on TX 130 Toll North: Austin, Waco

0.5 mi · 35 sec · TX 130 Toll North: Austin, Waco
23

Merge slight left onto Pickle Parkway

59 mi · 54 min · Pickle Parkway
24

Keep slight left to continue on I 35 North: Waco

0.4 mi · 50 sec · I 35 North: Waco
25

Merge slight left onto Purple Heart Trail

65 mi · 1 hr 6 min · Purple Heart Trail
26

Continue on South Jack Kultgen Expressway

6.6 mi · 7 min · South Jack Kultgen Expressway
27

Continue on Purple Heart Trail

33 mi · 33 min · Purple Heart Trail
28

Keep slight left to continue on I 35W: Fort Worth

49 mi · 51 min · I 35W: Fort Worth
29

Take the exit slight right toward Allen Avenue

0.3 mi · 35 sec · Allen Avenue
30

Turn straight onto South Freeway

0.1 mi · 18 sec · South Freeway
31

Turn left onto East Allen Avenue

210 ft · 13 sec · East Allen Avenue
32

Turn left onto South Freeway

259 ft · 5 sec · South Freeway
33

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

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.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 259 miles from Donna, TX, or about 3h 40m into the drive.

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 114 miles or 1h 37m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 259 miles or 3h 40m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 6h 30m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Donna, 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.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Donna, TX

This is one driving day of about 517.9 miles and 7h 21m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 114 miles from Donna, TX.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 259 mi from Donna, TX · 3h 40m into the drive

Downtown San Antonio, TX, TX

First major stop

Coffee and fuel

San Antonio, TX

171 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.

Popular next leg

San Antonio, TX to Austin, TX

79.3 mi · 1h 30m

Downtown Austin, TX, TX

Second major stop

Meal stop

Austin, TX

342 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

Austin, TX to Fort Worth, TX

186.4 mi · 3h 16m

Pacing Suggestions

Corpus Christi, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 114 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Austin, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 259 miles from Donna, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Fort Worth, TX

The final approach into Fort Worth, 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 Fort Worth, 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

$79.11 one way

$158.22 round trip

$3.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 181 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $86.70 $173.39
premium $4.59 $93.61 $187.22
diesel $5.64 $115.06 $230.12

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$79

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$104–$129

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 181.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $54 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 155.4 1 $54.38 $24.86
Efficient EV 129.5 1 $45.32 $20.72
EV Truck/SUV 207.2 2 $72.51 $33.15

Gas CO2

181 kg

EV CO2

61 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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast data refreshed 5 hours ago

Origin

Donna, TX

Morning in Donna on Monday

Local time

8:19 AM

CDT

Current temp

82°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Fort Worth, TX

Morning in Fort Worth on Monday

Local time

8:19 AM

CDT

Current temp

81°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

1 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

7h 21m on the road

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Donna, TX to Fort Worth, TX covers 517.9 miles and takes about 7h 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Hooks Avenue, North Main Street, West Expressway 83. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 259 miles from Donna, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $79.11 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
The route itself is not hard, but at 7h 21m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Donna, TX to Fort Worth, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Donna, TX to Fort Worth, TX does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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