Origin
Houston, TX
Night in Houston on Thursday
Local time
9:54 PM
CDT
Current temp
79°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Houston, TX to Richwood, TX
Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026
Drive Time
1h 9m
Distance
53.1 mi
85 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 4m
★
6 AM
1h 9m
8 AM
1h 20m
10 AM
1h 13m
12 PM
1h 12m
3 PM
1h 14m
5 PM
1h 20m
8 PM
1h 6m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Houston, TX
Trace Hudson
Richwood, TX
Jeff Stapleton
Trip Overview
The drive from Houston, TX to Richwood, TX covers 53.1 miles and takes about 1h 9m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Nolan Ryan Expressway, TX 288 Toll, Brazosport Boulevard North for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 24.6 miles on Nolan Ryan Expressway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.02 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 9m. Total distance: 53.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 9m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (80%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 1h 9m highway drive covering 53.1 miles, with most of the trip on Nolan Ryan Expressway and TX 288 Toll. The longest continuous stretch is about 24.6 miles on Nolan Ryan Expressway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 27 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Nolan Ryan Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 24.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Nolan Ryan Expressway and TX 288 Toll. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Congress Street.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 53.1 miles you will encounter 18 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?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Congress Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (Memorial Drive Frontage Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (Houston Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 18 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Congress Street
Turn left onto Congress Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
0.7 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Memorial Drive Frontage Road
Keep slight left at fork onto Memorial Drive Frontage Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Houston Avenue
Turn left onto Houston Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 45 South: Houston Municipal Court and Juror, Gulf Freeway
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / left lanes.
Toward I 45 South: Houston Municipal Court and...
8
2.3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the exit toward US 59 South, TX 288 South, I 69 South: Lake Jackson, Freeport, Victoria
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 46B
Toward US 59 South, TX 288 South, I 69 South: L...
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 Houston, TX to Richwood, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Freeport along the way.
Freeport
3.1 mi in
|
~6m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Nolan Ryan Expressway | 24.6 mi | 28m |
| TX 288 Toll | 14.4 mi | 16m |
| Brazosport Boulevard North | 3.7 mi | 5m |
| South Velasco Street | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| TX 35 | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Gulf Freeway | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| South Freeway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Front Street | 0.6 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Nolan Ryan Expressway
— 24.6 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Houston, TX and Richwood, TX.
1
Start on Louisiana Street
148 ft
·
11 sec
·
Louisiana Street
2
Turn left onto Congress Street
298 ft
·
14 sec
·
Congress Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
3
Turn left onto Smith Street
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Smith Street
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto Prairie Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Prairie Street
5
Turn slight left onto Bagby Street
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Bagby Street
6
Turn right onto Capitol Street
465 ft
·
12 sec
·
Capitol Street
7
Continue on Memorial Drive Frontage Road
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Memorial Drive Frontage Road
8
Keep slight left at fork onto Memorial Drive Frontage Road
516 ft
·
22 sec
·
Memorial Drive Frontage Road
Use the left lane.
9
Turn left onto Houston Avenue
154 ft
·
5 sec
·
Houston Avenue
Use the left lane.
10
Take the ramp
258 ft
·
6 sec
Toward I 45 South: Houston Municipal Court and Juror, Gulf Freeway
Use the straight / left lanes.
11
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
this road
Toward I 45 South: Galveston
12
Continue on Pierce Elevated
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Pierce Elevated
13
Turn straight
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
Toward I 45 South: Galveston
14
Merge onto I 45
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Gulf Freeway
15
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 46B
Toward US 59 South, TX 288 South, I 69 South: Lake Jackson, Freeport, Victoria
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward TX 288 South: Lake Jackson, Freeport
17
Continue on TX 288
0.6 mi
·
46 sec
·
South Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Keep slight left at fork onto TX 288 Toll
14 mi
·
16 min
·
TX 288 Toll
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
19
Merge onto TX 288
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
South Freeway
20
Continue on TX 288
25 mi
·
28 min
·
Nolan Ryan Expressway
21
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward TX 35
22
Turn left onto TX 35
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
TX 35
23
Turn right onto Loop 274
0.6 mi
·
59 sec
·
Front Street
24
Turn straight onto TX 288 Bus
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
South Velasco Street
25
Continue on TX 288 Bus
3.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Brazosport Boulevard North
26
Turn right onto Cedar Drive
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Cedar Drive
27
Arrive at destination
Cedar Drive
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 26.5 mi from Houston, TX · 33m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.5 miles from Houston, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Richwood, TX
The final approach into Richwood, TX usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.02 one way
$16.05 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $8.78 | $17.56 |
| premium | $4.54 | $9.48 | $18.96 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.72 | $23.45 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.9 | 0 | $5.58 | $2.55 |
| Efficient EV | 13.3 | 0 | $4.65 | $2.12 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.2 | 0 | $7.43 | $3.40 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
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
Richwood, TX
Night in Richwood on Thursday
Local time
9:54 PM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
13 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
1h 9m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Houston, TX to Richwood, TX covers 53.1 miles and takes about 1h 9m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Nolan Ryan Expressway, TX 288 Toll, Brazosport Boulevard North. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 26.5 miles from Houston, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.02 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 53.1 miles you will encounter 18 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Congress Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (Memorial Drive Frontage Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (Houston Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Houston, TX to Richwood, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Freeport along the way.
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