Drive Time
10h 11m
Distance
717 mi
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$107
one way
The drive from Katy, TX to El Paso, TX covers 717 miles and takes about 10h 11m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Cane Island Parkway, I 10 West, Katy Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $106.67 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
358.5 miles from Katy, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 5h 5m into the drive .
At 717 miles and 10h 11m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are Cane Island Parkway and I 10 West.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Cane Island Parkway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 10 West | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Katy Freeway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| TX 1518 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Interstate 10 East | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Farm-to-Market Road 1518 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Gordon A Blake Highway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Loop 1604 North | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Step-by-step road directions between Katy, TX and El Paso, TX.
Start on Highway Boulevard
Turn left onto Cane Island Parkway
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Cane Island Parkway
Exit the roundabout onto Cane Island Parkway
Take the ramp slight right toward I 10 West
Merge slight left onto Katy Freeway
Keep slight left
Take the exit slight right toward TX 1518: Schertz
Turn straight onto Interstate 10 East
Turn right onto Farm-to-Market Road 1518
At the end of the road, turn left onto Gordon A Blake Highway
Turn left
Take the ramp slight right toward Loop 1604 North
Merge slight left onto Anderson Loop
Take the exit slight right toward Frontage Road
Turn straight onto North Loop 1604 West
Turn right onto Interstate 10 West
Take the ramp slight left toward I 10 West, US 87 North
Merge slight left
Keep slight right
Take the exit slight right toward Missouri Avenue, Downtown
Turn straight onto East Missouri Avenue
Turn left onto North Mesa Street
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 158 miles or 2h 14m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 358.5 miles or 5h 5m 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 358.5 miles or 5h 5m
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 9h 20m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near El Paso, TX than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Katy, 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 Katy, TX
Aim for roughly 359 miles and 5.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into El Paso, TX
Aim for roughly 359 miles and 5.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 358.5 mi from Katy, TX · 5h 5m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
237 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
473 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 McCamey, TXNight 1
359 mi · about 5.1h in
A practical overnight split lands near Live Oak, TX after about 359 miles or 5.1 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 158 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 358.5 miles from Katy, 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 359 miles or 5.1 hours on the road.
The final approach into El Paso, 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 El Paso, TX.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach El Paso, 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
$106.67 one way
$213.35 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $120.03 | $240.05 |
| premium | $4.59 | $129.60 | $259.19 |
| diesel | $3.99 | $112.72 | $225.43 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$107
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$237–$347
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 250.9 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $75 in charging · 2 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 215.1 | 2 | $75.29 | $34.42 |
| Efficient EV | 179.3 | 2 | $62.74 | $28.68 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 286.8 | 3 | $100.38 | $45.89 |
Gas CO2
251 kg
EV CO2
84 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
Late night in Katy on Saturday
Local time
5:25 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Late night in El Paso on Saturday
Local time
4:25 AM
MDT
Current temp
55°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
81°F
San Antonio, TX
237 mi in
56°F
McCamey, TX
473 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
The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.
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.
Explore more options from Katy, TX or browse trips ending in El Paso, TX.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse TX road trips.
Explore maps for Katy, TX or El Paso, TX on MapSof.net.