Origin
Little River-Academy, TX
Morning in Little River-Academy on Saturday
Local time
10:31 AM
CDT
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Little River-Academy, TX to Dallas, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 27m
Distance
138.2 mi
222 km
Drive Score
10/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$21
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
2h 18m
★
6 AM
2h 28m
8 AM
2h 48m
10 AM
2h 35m
12 PM
2h 33m
3 PM
2h 36m
5 PM
2h 47m
8 PM
2h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Little River-Academy, TX
Eddie O.
Dallas, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Little River-Academy, TX to Dallas, TX covers 138.2 miles and takes about 2h 27m 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, I 35E, South Jack Kultgen Expressway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 59.2 miles on Purple Heart Trail. At current regular gas prices, budget about $20.88 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
69.1 miles from Little River-Academy, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 14m into the drive .
About the Cities
Arriving in Dallas, TX
Full guide →“Big D” · Founded 1841
Dallas, with a population of more than 1.3 million residents, is the ninth largest city in the United States and the third largest in the state of Texas. It is an impressive melting pot of culture and character. Boasting high-end luxury hotels, innumerable fine dining spots, and one of the busiest airports in the world, Dallas maintains an upscale ethos reflected by an affluent population, world-class museums, and a shimmering modern skyline. Its history was marred by the infamous assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, but there is more historic and contemporary heritage to be discovered in the city. As a center of the oil and cotton industries in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Dallas was a classic American boom town and remains one of the fastest growing cities in the nation.
Top landmarks
- • Dallas Museum of Art — art museum in Dallas, Texas
- • Texas School Book Depository — building in Dallas, Texas, United States
- • George W. Bush Presidential Center — Presidential library and museum for U.S. President George W. Bush, located in Da...
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 2h 27m. Total distance: 138.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (51%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
The drive from Little River-Academy, TX to Dallas, TX covers 138.2 miles and takes about 2h 27m, 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 13 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 59.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.1 miles in near TX 95.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 27m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles (TX 95): Navigation decision point; at 13.8 miles (I 35 / Purple Heart Trail): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 79.6 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
1.1 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
TX 95
Turn left onto TX 95
Navigation decision point
5
13.8 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
I 35 / Purple Heart Trail
Merge onto I 35 / Purple Heart Trail
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
79.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 25m in
|
I 35E
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E toward I 35E: Dallas
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 35E: Dallas
7
137.7 mi into trip
|
~2h 26m in
Take the exit toward Continental Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 429A
Toward Continental Avenue
6
137.9 mi into trip
|
~2h 26m in
|
Continental Avenue
Turn right onto Continental Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Purple Heart Trail | 59.2 mi | 59m |
| I 35E | 58.1 mi | 1h |
| South Jack Kultgen Expressway | 6.6 mi | 7m |
| Southeast H K Dodgen Loop | 6.5 mi | 8m |
| TX 95 | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| West Main Street | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| North General Bruce Drive | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Continental Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Purple Heart Trail
— 59.2 mi, about 59m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Little River-Academy, TX and Dallas, TX.
1
Start on FM 436
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
West Main Street
2
Turn left onto TX 95
5.2 mi
·
6 min
·
TX 95
3
Continue on Loop 363
6.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Southeast H K Dodgen Loop
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto North General Bruce Drive
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
North General Bruce Drive
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward I 35 North
6
Merge onto I 35
26 mi
·
26 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on I 35
6.6 mi
·
7 min
·
South Jack Kultgen Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 35; US 77
33 mi
·
33 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E
58 mi
·
1 hr
·
I 35E
Toward I 35E: Dallas
Use the slight right lane.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 429A
Toward Continental Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn right onto Continental Avenue
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Continental Avenue
Use the right lane.
12
Turn slight right onto North Lamar Street
433 ft
·
10 sec
·
North Lamar Street
13
Arrive at destination
North Lamar Street
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 69.1 miles from Little River-Academy, TX, or about 1h 14m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 59.2 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 30 miles or 34m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 69.1 miles or 1h 14m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Dallas, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Little River-Academy, 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 Little River-Academy, TX
This is one driving day of about 138.2 miles and 2h 27m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 30 miles from Little River-Academy, TX.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Purple Heart Trail for about 59.2 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 69.1 mi from Little River-Academy, TX · 1h 14m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
69 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 30 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 69.1 miles from Little River-Academy, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Dallas, TX
The final approach into Dallas, 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 Dallas, 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
$20.88 one way
$41.76 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
48 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $22.86 | $45.71 |
| premium | $4.54 | $24.67 | $49.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $30.51 | $61.03 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$21
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$46–$71
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 48.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $15 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 41.5 | 0 | $14.51 | $6.63 |
| Efficient EV | 34.6 | 0 | $12.09 | $5.53 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 55.3 | 0 | $19.35 | $8.84 |
Gas CO2
48 kg
EV CO2
16 kg (67% 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
Dallas, TX
Morning in Dallas on Saturday
Local time
10:31 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°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
5 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
2h 27m 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 Little River-Academy, TX to Dallas, TX covers 138.2 miles and takes about 2h 27m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Purple Heart Trail, I 35E, South Jack Kultgen Expressway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 69.1 miles from Little River-Academy, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $20.88 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 straightforward 2h 27m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles (TX 95): Navigation decision point; at 13.8 miles (I 35 / Purple Heart Trail): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 79.6 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Little River-Academy, TX to Dallas, 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.
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