Origin
Lake Dallas, TX
Night in Lake Dallas on Friday
Local time
10:47 PM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lake Dallas, TX to Plano, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
33m
Distance
27.9 mi
45 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lake Dallas, TX
Thilina Alagiyawanna
Plano, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Lake Dallas, TX to Plano, TX is 27.9 miles and takes about 33m via President George Bush Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip is a short hop within the Great Plains region, staying entirely within Texas. It's a straightforward drive, mostly on major highways, making it ideal for a quick commute or an easy addition to a longer journey. You'll find this route to be very practical, with minimal fuss and a clear path from your starting point to your destination.
About the Cities
Arriving in Plano, TX
Full guide →Plano is a city of 285,000 people (2020) in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex region of Texas and is north of Dallas. It is home to the headquarters of several large corporations.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 33m. Total distance: 27.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is largely a highway-focused drive, with 82% of the journey taking place on high-speed roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 13.3 miles along the President George Bush Turnpike. Expect a consistent driving experience, primarily utilizing major freeways like South Stemmons Freeway before transitioning onto East 15th Street. The character of the drive is consistent, offering efficient travel without significant changes in road type or speed.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
President George Bush Turnpike is the longest continuous segment at about 13.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on President George Bush Turnpike and South Stemmons Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near South Lake Dallas Drive.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 27.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (South Lake Dallas Drive): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Lake Dallas Drive
Turn sharp left onto South Lake Dallas Drive
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 35E South, US 77 South
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I 35E South, US 77 South
7
10.1 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward PGBT Toll: President George Bush Turnpike
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 445
Toward PGBT Toll: President George Bush Turnpik...
7
11.3 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Keep slight right at fork toward PGBT Toll East: President George Bush Turnpike
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward PGBT Toll East: President George Bush Tu...
7
26 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 75 North: McKinney
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward US 75 North: McKinney
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Lake Dallas, TX and Plano, TX, road signs point toward Pgbt Toll: President George Bush Turnpike and Pgbt Toll East: President George Bush Turnpike.
Pgbt Toll: President George Bush Turnpike
10.1 mi in
|
~12m
Pgbt Toll East: President George Bush Turnpike
11.3 mi in
|
~13m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| President George Bush Turnpike | 13.3 mi | 14m |
| South Stemmons Freeway | 9.2 mi | 10m |
| East 15th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| South Lake Dallas Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Central Expressway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
President George Bush Turnpike
— 13.3 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lake Dallas, TX and Plano, TX.
1
Start on Main Street
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
·
Main Street
2
Turn sharp left onto South Lake Dallas Drive
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Lake Dallas Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
3
Turn left onto South Stemmons Freeway
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
South Stemmons Freeway
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Toward I 35E South, US 77 South
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
5
Merge onto I 35E
9.0 mi
·
9 min
·
South Stemmons Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
1.2 mi
·
1 min
Exit 445
Toward PGBT Toll: President George Bush Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork
1.2 mi
·
1 min
Toward PGBT Toll East: President George Bush Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto PGBT
13 mi
·
14 min
·
President George Bush Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward US 75 North: McKinney
Use the slight left lane.
11
Turn slight right
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 29
Toward 15th Street
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn straight onto Central Expressway
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Central Expressway
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Turn right onto East 15th Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East 15th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Arrive at destination
East 15th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.22 one way
$8.43 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $4.61 | $9.23 |
| premium | $4.54 | $4.98 | $9.96 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.16 | $12.32 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.09
President George Bush Turnpike
(13.3 mi)
$1.06
Central Expressway
(0.4 mi)
$0.03
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$1
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.93 | $1.34 |
| Efficient EV | 7 | 0 | $2.44 | $1.12 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.91 | $1.79 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Plano, TX
Night in Plano on Friday
Local time
10:47 PM
CDT
Current temp
61°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
33m 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 Lake Dallas, TX to Plano, TX covers 27.9 miles and takes about 33m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are President George Bush Turnpike, South Stemmons Freeway, East 15th Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.9 miles from Lake Dallas, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.22 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 is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 27.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (South Lake Dallas Drive): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Lake Dallas, TX and Plano, TX, road signs point toward Pgbt Toll: President George Bush Turnpike and Pgbt Toll East: President George Bush Turnpike.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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