Trip from Fort Worth, TX to Laguna Heights, TX

Drive Time

9h 35m

Distance

523.4 mi

842 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

2-day trip

Fuel Cost

$80

one way

Downtown Laguna Heights, TX, TX

Photo: Action Construction Equipment Ltd. - ACE

Trip Overview

The drive from Fort Worth, TX to Laguna Heights, TX covers 523.4 miles and takes about 9h 35m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.

The route leans on I 35W South, South Freeway, North Jack Kultgen Expressway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $79.95 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

261.7 miles from Fort Worth, TX

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 47m into the drive .

Drive Character

At 523.4 miles and 9h 35m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are I 35W South and South Freeway.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 37 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 35W South is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

At 9h 35m, 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 9h 35m, 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 Fort Worth, TX to Laguna Heights, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 35W South Unavailable Refreshing
South Freeway Unavailable Refreshing
North Jack Kultgen Expressway Unavailable Refreshing
Purple Heart Trail Unavailable Refreshing
TX 130 Unavailable Refreshing
US 183 South Unavailable Refreshing
Highway 183 Unavailable Refreshing
North Colorado Street Unavailable Refreshing

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

Longest stretch: I 35W South — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on South Freeway

174 ft · 4 sec · South Freeway
2

Take the ramp slight left toward I 35W South

0.3 mi · 33 sec · I 35W South
3

Merge slight left onto South Freeway

82 mi · 1 hr 25 min · South Freeway
4

Continue on North Jack Kultgen Expressway

6.6 mi · 7 min · North Jack Kultgen Expressway
5

Continue on Purple Heart Trail

38 mi · 39 min · Purple Heart Trail
6

Keep slight left

26 mi · 26 min
7

Take the exit slight right toward TX 130 Toll South: San Antonio

0.7 mi · 56 sec · TX 130 Toll South: San Antonio
8

Continue straight

59 mi · 54 min
9

Take the exit slight right toward US 183 South: Lockhart

0.2 mi · 30 sec · US 183 South: Lockhart
10

Continue on United States Highway 183

0.5 mi · 35 sec · United States Highway 183
11

Continue on North Colorado Street

4.9 mi · 8 min · North Colorado Street
12

Continue on US 183

10 mi · 11 min · US 183
13

Continue on North Magnolia Avenue

4.2 mi · 6 min · North Magnolia Avenue
14

Continue straight

51 mi · 56 min
15

Turn slight left onto Farm-to-Market Road 792

8.4 mi · 10 min · Farm-to-Market Road 792
16

Continue on East Main Street

0.8 mi · 1 min · East Main Street
17

Turn left onto South Sunset Strip Drive

1.2 mi · 1 min · South Sunset Strip Drive
18

Continue on South US Highway 181

40 mi · 45 min · South US Highway 181
19

Continue on North 8th Street

0.8 mi · 56 sec · North 8th Street
20

Continue on US Highway 181 South

16 mi · 18 min · US Highway 181 South
21

Take the exit slight right

0.3 mi · 45 sec
22

Keep slight right to continue on US Route 181

213 ft · 6 sec · US Route 181
23

Turn straight onto US Highway 181

0.7 mi · 1 min · US Highway 181
24

Take the ramp right

0.4 mi · 47 sec
25

Merge slight left

12 mi · 13 min
26

Take the exit straight toward I 37, US 77, I 69E

0.1 mi · 13 sec · I 37, US 77, I 69E
27

Keep slight left

0.4 mi · 48 sec
28

Merge slight right

2.5 mi · 2 min
29

Take the exit slight right toward I 69E, US 77: Kingsville, Brownsville

31 mi · 33 min · I 69E, US 77: Kingsville, Brownsville
30

Keep slight left to continue on U.S. Highway 77

61 mi · 1 hr 9 min · U.S. Highway 77
31

Keep slight left to continue on U.S. Highway 77

41 mi · 44 min · U.S. Highway 77
32

Take the exit slight right toward TX 100, FM 1421: South Padre Island

0.3 mi · 39 sec · TX 100, FM 1421: South Padre Island
33

Turn left onto State Highway 100

1.3 mi · 1 min · State Highway 100
34

Continue on Texas State Highway 100

4.2 mi · 5 min · Texas State Highway 100
35

Continue on West Ocean Boulevard

16 mi · 22 min · West Ocean Boulevard
36

Turn right onto Washington Street

33 ft · 1 sec · Washington Street
37

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.

This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 261.7 miles from Fort Worth, TX, or about 4h 47m into the drive.

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 115 miles or 2h 6m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 261.7 miles or 4h 47m 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 261.7 miles or 4h 47m

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 29m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Fort Worth, 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 Fort Worth, TX

Aim for roughly 262 miles and 4.8 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 2

Finish the approach into Laguna Heights, TX

Aim for roughly 262 miles and 4.8 hours of wheel time on this day.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 115 miles from Fort Worth, TX.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
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 261.7 mi from Fort Worth, TX · 4h 47m into the drive

Downtown Austin, TX, TX

First major stop

Coffee and fuel

Austin, TX

173 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

Austin, TX to San Antonio, TX

79.2 mi · 1h 30m

Downtown San Antonio, TX, TX

Second major stop

Overnight candidate

San Antonio, TX

345 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, TX

Popular next leg

San Antonio, TX to Laguna Heights, TX

283.4 mi · 5h 8m

Overnight Options

Night 1

Austin, TX

262 mi · about 4.8h in

A practical overnight split lands near Austin, TX after about 262 miles or 4.8 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Pacing Suggestions

Killeen, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 115 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Austin, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 261.7 miles from Fort Worth, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Overnight split

Hotel stop

For a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 262 miles or 4.8 hours on the road.

Arriving in Laguna Heights, TX

The final approach into Laguna Heights, 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 Laguna Heights, TX.

On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Laguna Heights, 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.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$79.95 one way

$159.90 round trip

$3.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 183 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $87.62 $175.24
premium $4.59 $94.60 $189.21
diesel $5.64 $116.28 $232.56

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: 183.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $55 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 157 1 $54.96 $25.12
Efficient EV 130.9 1 $45.80 $20.94
EV Truck/SUV 209.4 2 $73.28 $33.50

Gas CO2

183 kg

EV CO2

61 kg (67% 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 3 days ago

Origin

Fort Worth, TX

Afternoon in Fort Worth on Sunday

Local time

1:38 PM

CDT

Current temp

81°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Laguna Heights, TX

Afternoon in Laguna Heights on Sunday

Local time

1:38 PM

CDT

Current temp

85°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.

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

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

4 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

9h 35m on the road

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Fort Worth, TX to Laguna Heights, TX covers 523.4 miles and takes about 9h 35m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 35W South, South Freeway, North Jack Kultgen Expressway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Yes. This route is usually more comfortable as a 2-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 262 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 261.7 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 $79.95 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 9h 35m, 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 Fort Worth, TX to Laguna Heights, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Fort Worth, TX to Laguna Heights, TX does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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Return Trip

Laguna Heights, TX to Fort Worth, TX

Plan the drive back the other way.

534.5 mi 8h 23m

Explore more options from Fort Worth, TX or browse trips ending in Laguna Heights, TX.

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