Origin
Garland, TX
Morning in Garland on Monday
Local time
9:26 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Garland, TX to Alton, TX
Drive Time
11h 50m
Distance
670.8 mi
1,080 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$102
one way
EV Charging
Loading...
station data
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
11h 40m
★
6 AM
11h 50m
8 AM
12h 11m
10 AM
11h 58m
12 PM
11h 56m
3 PM
11h 59m
5 PM
12h 10m
8 PM
11h 44m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Alton, TX
Mark Direen
Trip Overview
The drive from Garland, TX to Alton, TX covers 670.8 miles and takes about 11h 50m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Highway 259 South, I 35E, I 35E South for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $102.47 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
3 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
335.4 miles from Garland, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 5h 55m into the drive .
Drive Character
At 670.8 miles and 11h 50m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are Highway 259 South and I 35E.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 38 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Highway 259 South is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
At 11h 50m, this is a long-haul route where pacing matters more than any single turn. A moderate number of decision points keep you engaged without being stressful.
Route Complexity
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 670.8 miles you will encounter 0 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Garland, TX to Alton, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Highway 259 South | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 35E | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 35E South | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 35E North | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| South R L Thornton Freeway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| North Jack Kultgen Expressway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Purple Heart Trail | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| TX 130 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Longest stretch:
Highway 259 South
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Garland, TX and Alton, TX.
1
Start on the route
2.1 mi
·
5 min
·
the route
2
At the end of the road, turn right onto US Highway 259 South
16 mi
·
24 min
·
US Highway 259 South
3
Take the ramp right
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
4
Merge slight left
132 mi
·
2 hr 16 min
5
Take the exit slight right toward I 35E: Denton, Waco
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
I 35E: Denton, Waco
6
Keep slight left to continue on I 35E South, I 35E North: Waco, Denton
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
I 35E South, I 35E North: Waco, Denton
7
Keep slight left to continue on I 35E North, I 35E South: Denton, Waco
220 ft
·
5 sec
·
I 35E North, I 35E South: Denton, Waco
8
Keep slight left to continue on I 35E South: Waco
0.4 mi
·
30 sec
·
I 35E South: Waco
9
Continue on South R L Thornton Freeway
0.5 mi
·
44 sec
·
South R L Thornton Freeway
10
Continue on South R L Thornton Freeway
89 mi
·
1 hr 31 min
·
South R L Thornton Freeway
11
Continue on North Jack Kultgen Expressway
6.6 mi
·
7 min
·
North Jack Kultgen Expressway
12
Continue on Purple Heart Trail
38 mi
·
39 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
13
Keep slight left
26 mi
·
26 min
14
Take the exit slight right toward TX 130 Toll South: San Antonio
0.7 mi
·
56 sec
·
TX 130 Toll South: San Antonio
15
Continue straight
86 mi
·
1 hr 19 min
16
Keep slight right to continue on I 10 West: San Antonio
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
I 10 West: San Antonio
17
Merge slight left
11 mi
·
11 min
18
Continue straight
9.4 mi
·
9 min
19
Keep slight left
12 mi
·
12 min
20
Keep slight right to continue on Connally Loop
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Connally Loop
21
Merge slight left onto Connally Loop
6.7 mi
·
7 min
·
Connally Loop
22
Take the exit slight right toward I 37, US 281 North: San Antonio, Corpus Christi
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
I 37, US 281 North: San Antonio, Corpus Christi
23
Keep slight left to continue on I 37 South: Corpus Christi
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
I 37 South: Corpus Christi
24
Merge slight left
60 mi
·
1 hr 1 min
25
Take the exit slight right toward US 281 South
15 mi
·
19 min
·
US 281 South
26
Keep slight left to continue on South Nueces Street
66 mi
·
1 hr 10 min
·
South Nueces Street
27
Keep slight left
9.5 mi
·
10 min
28
Keep slight left to continue on Falfurrias Expressway
56 mi
·
58 min
·
Falfurrias Expressway
29
Keep slight left
7.2 mi
·
7 min
30
Take the exit slight right toward US 281 Business South: Edinburg
0.3 mi
·
23 sec
·
US 281 Business South: Edinburg
31
Continue on North Expressway 281
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
North Expressway 281
32
Continue straight
3.0 mi
·
4 min
33
Turn right onto West McIntyre Street
377 ft
·
14 sec
·
West McIntyre Street
34
Turn left onto North 10th Avenue
361 ft
·
10 sec
·
North 10th Avenue
35
Turn right onto West University Drive
9.1 mi
·
13 min
·
West University Drive
36
Turn left onto Conway Street
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Conway Street
37
Turn left onto Main Avenue
102 ft
·
2 sec
·
Main Avenue
38
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 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 335.4 miles from Garland, TX, or about 5h 55m 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 148 miles or 2h 36m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 335.4 miles or 5h 55m 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 335.4 miles or 5h 55m
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 10h 46m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Alton, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Garland, 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 Garland, TX
Aim for roughly 335 miles and 5.9 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Alton, TX
Aim for roughly 335 miles and 5.9 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 148 miles from Garland, TX.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 3 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 335.4 mi from Garland, TX · 5h 55m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
221 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
443 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, TXOvernight Options
Night 1
335 mi · about 5.9h in
A practical overnight split lands near Killeen, TX after about 335 miles or 5.9 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 148 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 335.4 miles from Garland, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 335 miles or 5.9 hours on the road.
Final-third reset
Rest stopPlan one more short stretch-and-water break in the final third of the drive so the last arrival window feels easier.
Arriving in Alton, TX
The final approach into Alton, 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 Alton, TX.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Alton, 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
$102.47 one way
$204.94 round trip
$3.88/gal
25.4 MPG avg
235 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $112.29 | $224.59 |
| premium | $4.59 | $121.25 | $242.49 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $149.03 | $298.06 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$102
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$232–$342
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 234.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $70 in charging · 2 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 201.2 | 2 | $70.43 | $32.20 |
| Efficient EV | 167.7 | 1 | $58.69 | $26.83 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 268.3 | 3 | $93.91 | $42.93 |
Gas CO2
235 kg
EV CO2
78 kg (67% less)
Plan for 2 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.
Destination
Alton, TX
Morning in Alton on Monday
Local time
9:26 AM
CDT
Current temp
82°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
19 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
11h 50m 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 Garland, TX to Alton, TX covers 670.8 miles and takes about 11h 50m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Highway 259 South, I 35E, I 35E South. 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 335 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 335.4 miles from Garland, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $102.47 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 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 670.8 miles you will encounter 0 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Garland, TX to Alton, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Garland, TX to Alton, TX does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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