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Trip from Friendswood, TX to Killeen, TX

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

4h 24m

Distance

221.9 mi

357 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$34

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 40 min
4 AM
4h 11m ★
6 AM
4h 25m
8 AM
4h 51m
10 AM
4h 34m
12 PM
4h 31m
3 PM
4h 35m
5 PM
4h 50m
8 PM
4h 17m

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

Downtown Friendswood, TX, TX

Friendswood, TX

Action Construction Equipment Ltd. - ACE

city in Bell County, Texas, United States

Killeen, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Friendswood, TX to Killeen, TX covers 221.9 miles and takes about 4h 24m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on South Friendswood Drive, East Edgewood Avenue, Friendswood Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $33.53 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

110.9 miles from Friendswood, TX

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 12m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
South Friendswood Drive
East Edgewood Avenue
Friendswood Road
Clear Lake City Boulevard
Gulf Freeway Frontage Road
I 45 North
Gulf Freeway
North Freeway

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: South Friendswood Drive — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Friendswood, TX and Killeen, TX.

1

Start on South Friendswood Drive

33 ft · 6 sec · South Friendswood Drive
2

Continue on South Friendswood Drive

0.4 mi · 51 sec · South Friendswood Drive
3

Turn right onto East Edgewood Avenue

1.4 mi · 2 min · East Edgewood Avenue
4

Continue on Friendswood Road

1.9 mi · 3 min · Friendswood Road
5

Continue on Clear Lake City Boulevard

312 ft · 12 sec · Clear Lake City Boulevard
6

Turn left onto Gulf Freeway Frontage Road

0.9 mi · 1 min · Gulf Freeway Frontage Road
7

Take the ramp straight toward I 45 North

0.3 mi · 37 sec · I 45 North
8

Merge slight left onto Gulf Freeway

18 mi · 21 min · Gulf Freeway
9

Continue on North Freeway

8.6 mi · 10 min · North Freeway
10

Take the exit slight right toward TX 249

0.2 mi · 20 sec · TX 249
11

Turn straight onto North Freeway Frontage Road

0.4 mi · 39 sec · North Freeway Frontage Road
12

Turn left onto West Mount Houston Road

2.9 mi · 4 min · West Mount Houston Road
13

Continue on Tomball Parkway

3.8 mi · 6 min · Tomball Parkway
14

Continue on Tomball Parkway

8.4 mi · 9 min · Tomball Parkway
15

Continue on Tomball Tollway

7.3 mi · 8 min · Tomball Tollway
16

Continue on MCTRA 249 Tollway

3.6 mi · 4 min · MCTRA 249 Tollway
17

Continue on Aggie Expressway

25 mi · 27 min · Aggie Expressway
18

Continue on State Highway 105

5.8 mi · 6 min · State Highway 105
19

Turn right onto State Highway 6

0.2 mi · 16 sec · State Highway 6
20

Take the ramp slight left

0.1 mi · 18 sec
21

Merge slight left

50 mi · 53 min
22

Keep slight right to continue on North State Highway 6

5.8 mi · 5 min · North State Highway 6
23

Continue on South Main Street

1.3 mi · 2 min · South Main Street
24

Turn left onto Browning Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · Browning Street
25

Continue on Farm-to-Market Road 979

15 mi · 19 min · Farm-to-Market Road 979
26

At the end of the road, turn right onto Farm-to-Market Road 485

20 mi · 25 min · Farm-to-Market Road 485
27

At the end of the road, turn left

13 mi · 16 min
28

Turn left onto North General Bruce Drive

0.2 mi · 21 sec · North General Bruce Drive
29

Take the ramp straight toward I 35 South

0.2 mi · 26 sec · I 35 South
30

Merge slight left onto Purple Heart Trail

7.1 mi · 7 min · Purple Heart Trail
31

Keep slight right to continue on Central Texas Expressway

13 mi · 13 min · Central Texas Expressway
32

Take the exit slight right toward FM 3470: Rosewood Drive, Stan Schlueter Loop

0.3 mi · 33 sec · FM 3470: Rosewood Drive, Stan Schlueter Loop
33

Turn straight onto West Central Texas Expressway

2.9 mi · 3 min · West Central Texas Expressway
34

Turn right onto South W.S. Young Drive

1.3 mi · 2 min · South W.S. Young Drive
35

Turn left onto East Veterans Memorial Boulevard

1.0 mi · 1 min · East Veterans Memorial Boulevard
36

Turn right

82 ft · 8 sec
37

Turn right

75 ft · 5 sec
38

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 110.9 miles from Friendswood, TX, or about 2h 12m 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 49 miles or 58m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 110.9 miles or 2h 12m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 36m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Friendswood, 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 Friendswood, TX

This is one driving day of about 221.9 miles and 4h 24m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 49 miles from Friendswood, TX.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

city in Brazos County, Texas, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

College Station, TX

111 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.

Pacing Suggestions

Houston, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 49 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

College Station, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 110.9 miles from Friendswood, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$33.53 one way

$67.06 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 78 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.20 $36.70 $73.40
premium $4.54 $39.62 $79.24
diesel $5.61 $48.99 $97.99

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$34

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$59–$84

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 77.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $23 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 66.6 0 $23.30 $10.65
Efficient EV 55.5 0 $19.42 $8.88
EV Truck/SUV 88.8 1 $31.07 $14.20

Gas CO2

78 kg

EV CO2

26 kg (67% less)

Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.

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

Friendswood, TX

Afternoon in Friendswood on Saturday

Local time

12:42 PM

CDT

Current temp

79°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Killeen, TX

Afternoon in Killeen on Saturday

Local time

12:42 PM

CDT

Current temp

60°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

19 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

4h 24m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

221.9 mi in 4h 24m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
38 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: South Friendswood Drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 4h 24m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

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

About the Cities

Arriving in Killeen, TX

Full guide →

Killeen is a city in the Central Hill Country of Texas. It is home to U.S. Army installation Fort Cavasos, one of the largest military bases in the world.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 24m. Total distance: 221.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

4h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.

Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.

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

Possible but tiring. At 4.4 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.8 hours — manageable with a long break at Killeen, TX, but most travelers stay overnight.

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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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