Origin
Lake Worth, TX
Late night in Lake Worth on Saturday
Local time
1:27 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 20m
Distance
278.9 mi
449 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$42
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lake Worth, TX
Thilina Alagiyawanna
Houston, TX
Trace Hudson
The drive from Lake Worth, TX to Houston, TX covers 278.9 miles and takes about 4h 20m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Shawnee Trail, Navajo Trail, Northwest Loop 820 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $42.14 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
139.5 miles from Lake Worth, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 10m into the drive .
Houston is a sprawling port city in Southeastern Texas. An oil boom and continuing international immigration has brought explosive growth to the city, and it is now the fifth largest metropolitan area in the United States and the most diverse large city since 2021. While at first glance, the city appears to be a 9-5 central business district surrounded by a sea of suburbs and strip malls, there are many hidden gems to be discovered.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 20m. Total distance: 278.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Expect a 4h 20m drive with frequent turns across 278.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 20m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Lake Worth, TX to Houston, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Shawnee Trail | — | — |
| Navajo Trail | — | — |
| Northwest Loop 820 | — | — |
| I 820 West | — | — |
| Jim Wright Freeway | — | — |
| Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway | — | — |
| US 287 South | — | — |
| I 45 South | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Step-by-step road directions between Lake Worth, TX and Houston, TX.
Start on Osage Trail
Turn right onto Shawnee Trail
Turn left onto Navajo Trail
Turn right
Turn slight right onto Northwest Loop 820
Take the ramp slight left toward I 820 West
Merge slight left onto Jim Wright Freeway
Merge slight left onto Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway
Keep slight right to continue on US 287 South: Little Road, Waxahachie
Keep slight right to continue on I 45 South: Corsicana
Merge slight left
Continue on Gulf Freeway
Take the exit slight left toward I 10 East: Beaumont
Keep slight left to continue on Milam Street
Continue on Milam Street
Turn right onto Prairie Street
Turn right onto Louisiana Street
Arrive at your destination
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.
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 61 miles or 56m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 139.5 miles or 2h 10m 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 33m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Houston, TX than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Lake Worth, 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 Lake Worth, TX
This is one driving day of about 278.9 miles and 4h 20m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 139.5 mi from Lake Worth, TX · 2h 10m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
139 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.
A short stop after about 61 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 139.5 miles from Lake Worth, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
The final approach into Houston, 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 Houston, TX.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$42.14 one way
$84.28 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $46.13 | $92.26 |
| premium | $4.54 | $49.80 | $99.59 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $61.58 | $123.16 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$42
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$67–$92
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 97.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $29 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 83.7 | 1 | $29.28 | $13.39 |
| Efficient EV | 69.7 | 0 | $24.40 | $11.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 111.6 | 1 | $39.05 | $17.85 |
Gas CO2
98 kg
EV CO2
33 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Lake Worth on Saturday
Local time
1:27 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Destination
Late night in Houston on Saturday
Local time
1:27 AM
CDT
Current temp
79°F
Unavailable
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
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
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.
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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