Skip to main content

Trip from Laredo, TX to Sulphur Springs, TX

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

8h 58m

Distance

508.4 mi

818 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

2-day trip

Fuel Cost

$77

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 24 min
4 AM
8h 50m ★
6 AM
8h 58m
8 AM
9h 14m
10 AM
9h 4m
12 PM
9h 2m
3 PM
9h 5m
5 PM
9h 13m
8 PM
8h 53m

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

city in and county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States

Laredo, TX

Wikimedia Commons

city in Hopkins County, Texas, USA

Sulphur Springs, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Laredo, TX to Sulphur Springs, TX covers 508.4 miles and takes about 8h 58m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.

The route leans on San Dario Avenue, Purple Heart Trail, South Pan Am Expressway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $76.82 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

254.2 miles from Laredo, TX

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 29m into the drive .

About the Cities

Starting in Laredo, TX

Full guide →

Laredo is a city with 262,000 (2019) inhabitants on the South Texas Plains. Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, is just across the Rio Grande.

Arriving in Sulphur Springs, TX

Full guide →

Sulphur Springs was founded in 1854, though it was then known as "Bright Star", and is in the Blackland Prairie region of Texas. Though the springs that brought about the name have more or less vanished, it is now known as "The Dairy Capital of Texas", with a museum cultured to that very point, even if the dairy industry has waned a bit around here in the early 21st century.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

8h 58m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.

Scenic Drive

Long-distance drive route profile.

Drive Character

At 508.4 miles and 8h 58m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are San Dario Avenue and Purple Heart Trail.

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.
San Dario Avenue is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

At 8h 58m, 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.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The route itself is not hard, but at 8h 58m, 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 Laredo, TX to Sulphur Springs, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
San Dario Avenue
Purple Heart Trail
South Pan Am Expressway
North Pan Am Expressway
Highway 35
South Jack Kultgen Expressway
I 35E
I 30 East

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: San Dario Avenue — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Laredo, TX and Sulphur Springs, TX.

1

Start on Matamoros Street

0.3 mi · 46 sec · Matamoros Street
2

Turn left onto San Dario Avenue

0.1 mi · 11 sec · San Dario Avenue
3

Continue on Purple Heart Trail

144 mi · 2 hr 27 min · Purple Heart Trail
4

Continue on South Pan Am Expressway

9.3 mi · 11 min · South Pan Am Expressway
5

Keep slight left to continue on South Pan Am Expressway

1.7 mi · 2 min · South Pan Am Expressway
6

Keep slight right to continue on South Pan Am Expressway

10 mi · 13 min · South Pan Am Expressway
7

Keep slight left to continue on North Pan Am Expressway

7.4 mi · 8 min · North Pan Am Expressway
8

Continue on Purple Heart Trail

12 mi · 12 min · Purple Heart Trail
9

Continue on Interstate Highway 35

1.9 mi · 2 min · Interstate Highway 35
10

Continue on Purple Heart Trail

48 mi · 52 min · Purple Heart Trail
11

Keep slight right to continue on Purple Heart Trail

96 mi · 1 hr 40 min · Purple Heart Trail
12

Continue on South Jack Kultgen Expressway

6.6 mi · 7 min · South Jack Kultgen Expressway
13

Continue on Purple Heart Trail

33 mi · 33 min · Purple Heart Trail
14

Keep slight right to continue on I 35E: Dallas

56 mi · 58 min · I 35E: Dallas
15

Take the exit slight right toward I 30 East: Texarkana, Riverfront Boulevard, Griffin Street

0.4 mi · 42 sec · I 30 East: Texarkana, Riverfront Boulevard, Griffin Street
16

Keep slight left to continue on I 35E North, I 30 West: Denton, Fort Worth, Texarkana

423 ft · 6 sec · I 35E North, I 30 West: Denton, Fort Worth, Texarkana
17

Keep slight right to continue on I 30 East: Texarkana, Convention Center

0.4 mi · 33 sec · I 30 East: Texarkana, Convention Center
18

Keep slight left to continue on I 30 East: Texarkana

384 ft · 6 sec · I 30 East: Texarkana
19

Continue on East R L Thornton Freeway

7.5 mi · 9 min · East R L Thornton Freeway
20

Keep slight left to continue on East R L Thornton Freeway

71 mi · 1 hr 14 min · East R L Thornton Freeway
21

Take the exit slight right toward SH 154 , SH 11

0.2 mi · 21 sec · SH 154 , SH 11
22

Turn straight onto Shannon Road West

0.4 mi · 48 sec · Shannon Road West
23

Turn left onto South Broadway Street

0.4 mi · 35 sec · South Broadway Street
24

Continue on Gilmer Street

1.3 mi · 1 min · Gilmer Street
25

Turn right onto Jefferson Street West

115 ft · 2 sec · Jefferson Street West
26

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

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.

This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 254.2 miles from Laredo, TX, or about 4h 29m into the drive.

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 112 miles or 1h 58m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 254.2 miles or 4h 29m 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 254.2 miles or 4h 29m

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 7h 54m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Laredo, 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 Laredo, TX

Aim for roughly 254 miles and 4.5 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 2

Finish the approach into Sulphur Springs, TX

Aim for roughly 254 miles and 4.5 hours of wheel time on this day.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 112 miles from Laredo, TX.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 254.2 mi from Laredo, TX · 4h 29m into the drive

city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in Texas, United States, that is the seat of Comal County

First major stop

Coffee and fuel

New Braunfels, TX

168 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.

Popular next leg

New Braunfels, TX to Arlington, TX

246.2 mi · 4h 27m

suburban city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States

Second major stop

Overnight candidate

Arlington, TX

336 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 Arlington, TX

Overnight Options

Night 1

Killeen, TX

254 mi · about 4.5h in

A practical overnight split lands near Killeen, TX after about 254 miles or 4.5 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Pacing Suggestions

San Antonio, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 112 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Killeen, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 254.2 miles from Laredo, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Overnight split

Hotel stop

For a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 254 miles or 4.5 hours on the road.

Arriving in Sulphur Springs, TX

The final approach into Sulphur Springs, 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 Sulphur Springs, TX.

On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Sulphur Springs, 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.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$76.82 one way

$153.64 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 178 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.20 $84.09 $168.17
premium $4.54 $90.77 $181.54
diesel $5.61 $112.25 $224.50

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$77

Hotel (1n)

$80–$140

Meals

$50–$100

Total

$207–$317

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 177.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $53 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 152.5 1 $53.38 $24.40
Efficient EV 127.1 1 $44.48 $20.34
EV Truck/SUV 203.4 2 $71.18 $32.54

Gas CO2

178 kg

EV CO2

59 kg (67% 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 as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Laredo, TX

Late night in Laredo on Saturday

Local time

5:38 AM

CDT

Current temp

84°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Sulphur Springs, TX

Late night in Sulphur Springs on Saturday

Local time

5:38 AM

CDT

Current temp

75°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.

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

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

9 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

8h 58m on the road

This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Laredo, TX to Sulphur Springs, TX covers 508.4 miles and takes about 8h 58m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are San Dario Avenue, Purple Heart Trail, South Pan Am Expressway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.

Yes. This route is usually more comfortable as a 2-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 254 miles on day one.

The midpoint is about 254.2 miles from Laredo, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $76.82 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.

Plan about 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

The route itself is not hard, but at 8h 58m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Laredo, TX to Sulphur Springs, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Laredo, TX to Sulphur Springs, TX does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Laredo, TX or browse trips ending in Sulphur Springs, TX.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse TX road trips.