Drive Time
9h 25m
Distance
540.4 mi
870 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$83
one way
Photo: Pixabay
The drive from Irving, TX to Mercedes, TX covers 540.4 miles and takes about 9h 25m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on West 2nd Street, East Irving Boulevard, South Loop 12 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $82.55 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
270.2 miles from Irving, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 42m into the drive .
At 540.4 miles and 9h 25m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are West 2nd Street and East Irving Boulevard.
At 9h 25m, 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.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
The route itself is not hard, but at 9h 25m, 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 Irving, TX to Mercedes, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West 2nd Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| East Irving Boulevard | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| South Loop 12 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Loop 12 South | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| South Walton Walker Boulevard | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Duncanville Road | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Interstate 20 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 20 East | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Step-by-step road directions between Irving, TX and Mercedes, TX.
Start on North Ohio Street
Turn left onto West 2nd Street
Turn straight onto East Irving Boulevard
Turn slight right
Turn slight right onto South Loop 12
Take the ramp slight left toward Loop 12 South
Merge slight left onto South Walton Walker Boulevard
Keep slight left to continue on South Walton Walker Boulevard
Turn slight right onto Duncanville Road
Turn left onto West Interstate 20
Take the ramp slight left toward I 20 East
Merge slight left onto Lyndon B Johnson Freeway
Take the exit slight right toward I 35E South: Waco
Merge slight left onto South R L Thornton Freeway
Continue on North Jack Kultgen Expressway
Continue on Purple Heart Trail
Keep slight left
Take the exit slight right toward TX 130 Toll South: San Antonio
Continue straight
Keep slight right to continue on I 10 West: San Antonio
Merge slight left
Continue straight
Keep slight left
Keep slight right to continue on Connally Loop
Merge slight left onto Connally Loop
Take the exit slight right toward I 37, US 281 North: San Antonio, Corpus Christi
Keep slight left to continue on I 37 South: Corpus Christi
Merge slight left
Take the exit slight right toward US 281 South
Keep slight left to continue on South Nueces Street
Keep slight left
Keep slight left to continue on Falfurrias Expressway
Keep slight left
Merge slight left
Continue straight
Take the exit slight right toward FM 491: Texas Avenue
Turn straight onto Expressway 83
Turn right onto North Texas Avenue
Arrive at your destination
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.
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 119 miles or 2h 4m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 270.2 miles or 4h 42m 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 270.2 miles or 4h 42m
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 22m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Mercedes, TX than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Irving, 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 Irving, TX
Aim for roughly 270 miles and 4.7 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Mercedes, TX
Aim for roughly 270 miles and 4.7 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 270.2 mi from Irving, TX · 4h 42m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
178 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
357 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, TXNight 1
270 mi · about 4.7h in
A practical overnight split lands near Austin, TX after about 270 miles or 4.7 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 119 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 270.2 miles from Irving, 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 270 miles or 4.7 hours on the road.
The final approach into Mercedes, 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 Mercedes, TX.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Mercedes, 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.
Regular Gas
$82.55 one way
$165.10 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $90.46 | $180.93 |
| premium | $4.59 | $97.68 | $195.35 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $120.06 | $240.12 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$83
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$213–$323
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 189.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $57 in charging · 2 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 162.1 | 2 | $56.74 | $25.94 |
| Efficient EV | 135.1 | 1 | $47.29 | $21.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 216.2 | 2 | $75.66 | $34.59 |
Gas CO2
189 kg
EV CO2
63 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. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.
Origin
Evening in Irving on Saturday
Local time
5:06 PM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Evening in Mercedes on Saturday
Local time
5:06 PM
CDT
Current temp
72°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
60°F
Killeen, TX
178 mi in
81°F
San Antonio, TX
357 mi in
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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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