Trip from Irving, TX to Bulverde, TX

Drive Time

5h 4m

Distance

271.1 mi

436 km

Drive Score

10/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$41

one way

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 41 min
4 AM
4h 51m ★
6 AM
5h 5m
8 AM
5h 32m
10 AM
5h 14m
12 PM
5h 11m
3 PM
5h 15m
5 PM
5h 30m
8 PM
4h 57m

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

Downtown Bulverde, TX, TX

Bulverde, TX

Action Construction Equipment Ltd. - ACE

Trip Overview

The drive from Irving, TX to Bulverde, TX covers 271.1 miles and takes about 5h 4m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Purple Heart Trail, South R L Thornton Freeway, I 35 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 87.7 miles on Purple Heart Trail. At current regular gas prices, budget about $41.41 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

135.5 miles from Irving, TX

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 26m into the drive .

Drive Character

The drive from Irving, TX to Bulverde, TX covers 271.1 miles and takes about 5h 4m, using a mix of highways and local roads.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 26 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Purple Heart Trail is the longest continuous segment at about 87.7 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near West 2nd Street.

Route Complexity 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This is a demanding drive. With 16 significant decision points across 271.1 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (West 2nd Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.2 miles (Loop 12 / South Walton Walker Boulevard): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 16 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

6
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | West 2nd Street

Turn left onto West 2nd Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the none lane.
7
7.2 mi into trip | ~9m in | Loop 12 / South Walton Walker Boulevard

Keep slight left at fork onto Loop 12 / South Walton Walker Boulevard toward Loop 12 South

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward Loop 12 South
7
16.8 mi into trip | ~23m in

Take the exit toward I 35E South: Waco

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 467B Toward I 35E South: Waco
8
198.1 mi into trip | ~3h 31m in | I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail

Keep slight left at fork onto I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail toward 32nd Street, Dean Keeton Street

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left lane. Toward 32nd Street, Dean Keeton Street
8
248.2 mi into trip | ~4h 26m in

Take the exit toward Walnut Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 186 Toward Walnut Avenue

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Purple Heart Trail 87.7 mi 1h 33m
South R L Thornton Freeway 80.5 mi 1h 22m
I 35 55.8 mi 58m
Farm-to-Market Road 1863 17.1 mi 25m
South Walton Walker Boulevard 6.7 mi 7m
North Jack Kultgen Expressway 6.6 mi 7m
Lyndon B Johnson Freeway 4.6 mi 4m
Duncanville Road 3.2 mi 6m
Longest stretch: Purple Heart Trail — 87.7 mi, about 1h 33m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Irving, TX and Bulverde, TX.

1

Start on North Ohio Street

436 ft · 24 sec · North Ohio Street
2

Turn left onto West 2nd Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · West 2nd Street
Use the none lane.
3

Turn straight onto TX 356

0.9 mi · 1 min · East Irving Boulevard
Use the none lane.
4

Turn slight right

393 ft · 17 sec
5

Turn slight right onto South Loop 12

187 ft · 3 sec · South Loop 12
6

Take the ramp

410 ft · 10 sec
Toward Loop 12 South
7

Merge onto Loop 12

5.3 mi · 5 min · South Walton Walker Boulevard
Use the none / straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork onto Loop 12

1.4 mi · 1 min · South Walton Walker Boulevard
Toward Loop 12 South Use the slight left lane.
9

Turn slight right onto Duncanville Road

3.2 mi · 6 min · Duncanville Road
Use the left / none lanes.
10

Turn left onto West Interstate 20

0.2 mi · 21 sec · West Interstate 20
Use the left lane.
11

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 35 sec
Toward I 20 East
12

Merge onto I 20

4.6 mi · 4 min · Lyndon B Johnson Freeway
Use the none / straight / slight right lanes.
13

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 44 sec
Exit 467B Toward I 35E South: Waco Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Merge onto I 35E

81 mi · 1 hr 22 min · South R L Thornton Freeway
Use the none lane.
15

Continue on I 35; US 77

6.6 mi · 7 min · North Jack Kultgen Expressway
Use the none / straight / slight right lanes.
16

Continue on I 35

38 mi · 39 min · Purple Heart Trail
Use the none lane.
17

Keep slight left at fork onto I 35

56 mi · 58 min · I 35
Use the none / straight / slight right lanes.
18

Keep slight left at fork onto I 35; US 290

50 mi · 54 min · Purple Heart Trail
Toward 32nd Street, Dean Keeton Street Use the slight left lane.
19

Continue on I 35

0.3 mi · 19 sec · Interstate Highway 35
20

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 21 sec
Exit 186 Toward Walnut Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21

Turn straight onto Interstate 35 South

0.2 mi · 30 sec · Interstate 35 South
22

Turn right onto South Walnut Avenue

2.8 mi · 5 min · South Walnut Avenue
23

Continue on TX 46

1.5 mi · 2 min · State Highway 46 West
Use the none lane.
24

Turn left onto FM 1863

17 mi · 25 min · Farm-to-Market Road 1863
25

Continue on FM 1863

1.2 mi · 2 min · Bulverde Road
Use the straight lane.
26

Arrive at destination

Bulverde Road

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 135.5 miles from Irving, TX, or about 2h 26m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 87.7 miles.

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 80 miles or 1h 28m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 135.5 miles or 2h 26m 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 58m

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

Before You Leave

+

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.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Irving, TX

This is one driving day of about 271.1 miles and 5h 4m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Irving, 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.
The longest stretch is on Purple Heart Trail for about 87.7 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 135.5 mi from Irving, TX · 2h 26m into the drive

Downtown Killeen, TX, TX

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Killeen, TX

136 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

Arlington, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Killeen, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 135.5 miles from Irving, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before Purple Heart Trail if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 87.7 miles.

Arriving in Bulverde, TX

The final approach into Bulverde, 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 Bulverde, TX.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$41.41 one way

$82.82 round trip

$3.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 95 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $45.38 $90.77
premium $4.59 $49.00 $98.00
diesel $5.64 $60.23 $120.46

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$41

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$66–$91

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 94.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $28 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 81.3 1 $28.47 $13.01
Efficient EV 67.8 0 $23.72 $10.84
EV Truck/SUV 108.4 1 $37.95 $17.35

Gas CO2

95 kg

EV CO2

32 kg (66% 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

Irving, TX

Afternoon in Irving on Sunday

Local time

2:53 PM

CDT

Current temp

61°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Bulverde, TX

Afternoon in Bulverde on Sunday

Local time

2:53 PM

CDT

Current temp

62°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

1 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

5h 4m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Irving, TX to Bulverde, TX covers 271.1 miles and takes about 5h 4m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Purple Heart Trail, South R L Thornton Freeway, I 35. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 135.5 miles from Irving, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $41.41 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a demanding drive. With 16 significant decision points across 271.1 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (West 2nd Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.2 miles (Loop 12 / South Walton Walker Boulevard): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Irving, TX to Bulverde, TX does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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