The drive from Fort Worth, TX to La Coste, TX covers 288.3 miles and takes about 5h 12m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Purple Heart Trail, South Freeway, I 35 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mixed drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 99.6 miles on Purple Heart Trail.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $43.56 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
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
144.2 miles from Fort Worth, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 30m into the drive
.
Fort Worth is a city in the Prairies and Lakes region of Texas. With a population of approximately 1,020,000, it is Texas' 5th largest city. It is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, which has a population exceeding 6 million. Sometimes referred to as Cowtown, it is by far closer to its cowboy roots than neighboring Dallas. This article also covers North Richland Hills, a neighboring community.
Top landmarks
•Amon Carter Museum of American Art — art museum in Fort Worth, Texas
•Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth — art museum
•St. Patrick Cathedral in Fort Worth — church located in Fort Worth, Texas
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 12m. Total distance: 288.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Fort Worth, TX to La Coste, TX covers 288.3 miles and takes about 5h 12m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Purple Heart Trail is the longest continuous segment at about 99.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 13 significant decision points across 288.3 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: near the start: Lane positioning matters here; at 182.9 miles (I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 253.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0 mi into trip|~0m in
Take the ramp toward I 35W South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I 35W South
8
182.9 mi into trip|~3h 11m in|I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail toward 32nd Street, Dean Keeton Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward 32nd Street, Dean Keeton Street
8
253.2 mi into trip|~4h 28m in
Take the exit toward I 410 West, Loop 368 South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 166
Toward I 410 West, Loop 368 South
7
253.7 mi into trip|~4h 29m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 410 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 410 West
7
273.3 mi into trip|~4h 52m in
Take the exit toward US 90 West: Del Rio
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 6A
Toward US 90 West: Del Rio
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Fort Worth, TX to La Coste, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Loop 368 South along the way.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Waco Mammoth National Monument
National Monument
Standing as tall as 14 feet and weighing 20,000 pounds, Columbian mammoths roamed across what is present-day Texas thousands of years ago. Today, the fossil specimens represent the nation's first and...
5 mi from route
~13 min detour
Free
near mile 79.5
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...
15 mi from route
~36 min detour
Free
near mile 258.5
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$43.56 one way
$87.13 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg101 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.20
$47.68
$95.37
premium
$4.54
$51.47
$102.95
diesel
$5.61
$63.65
$127.31
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$44
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$69–$94
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 100.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $30 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
86.5
1
$30.27
$13.84
Efficient EV
72.1
0
$25.23
$11.53
EV Truck/SUV
115.3
1
$40.36
$18.45
Gas CO2
101 kg
EV CO2
34 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 as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Fort Worth, TX
Morning
in Fort Worth on Saturday
Local time
9:31 AM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
La Coste, TX
Morning
in La Coste on Saturday
Local time
9:31 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°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
12 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
5h 12m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Fort Worth, TX to La Coste, TX covers 288.3 miles and takes about 5h 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Purple Heart Trail, South Freeway, I 35. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 144.2 miles from Fort Worth, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $43.56 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. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a demanding drive. With 13 significant decision points across 288.3 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.
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Lane positioning matters here; at 182.9 miles (I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 253.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Fort Worth, TX to La Coste, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Loop 368 South along the way.
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.
