Drive Time
10h 20m
Distance
557.5 mi
897 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$85
one way
Photo: Jeff Stapleton
The drive from Lubbock, TX to Brownwood, TX covers 557.5 miles and takes about 10h 20m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Avenue Q, Slaton Road, Highway 84 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $85.16 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
278.7 miles from Lubbock, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 5h 10m into the drive .
At 557.5 miles and 10h 20m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are Avenue Q and Slaton Road.
At 10h 20m, 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.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
The route itself is not hard, but at 10h 20m, 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 Lubbock, TX to Brownwood, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Avenue Q | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Slaton Road | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Highway 84 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Trooper Jerry Don Davis Memorial Highway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| East 15th Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Ralls Road | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| North Avenue F | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 20 East | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Step-by-step road directions between Lubbock, TX and Brownwood, TX.
Start on 19th Street
Turn left onto Avenue Q
Continue on Slaton Road
Continue on East Highway 84
Continue on Trooper Jerry Don Davis Memorial Highway
Continue on East Highway 84
Continue on North US Highway 84
Turn left onto East 15th Street
Turn right onto Ralls Road
Turn straight onto North Avenue F
At the end of the road, turn left onto US Highway 84
Keep slight left to continue on I 20 East, US 84 East: Abilene
Take the exit slight right toward SH 70 South, SH 70 Business: Sweetwater, San Angelo
Turn slight left onto Southwest Georgia Avenue
Turn right onto Lamar Street
Continue on State Highway 70
Turn left onto State Highway 153
Continue on West Walnut Street
Continue on East Walnut Street
At the end of the road, turn left
Continue straight
Turn right onto Garmon Drive
Continue on US Highway 84 East
Turn right
Continue straight
Merge slight left onto North US Highway 281
Continue on North Key Avenue
Continue on South US Highway 183
Continue straight
Keep slight left to continue on 183A Toll Road
Continue straight
Continue on Bergstrom Expressway
Continue on Bastrop Highway
Take the exit slight left toward TX 71 East: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Continue on East State Highway 71
Turn straight onto Bastrop Freeway
Continue on East State Highway 71
Continue on Texas State Highway 71
Take the exit slight left toward I 10 Toll: Katy Tollway
Merge slight left onto Katy Tollway
Take the exit slight right
Merge slight right onto Katy Freeway
Continue on East Freeway
Keep slight left to continue on East Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Decker Drive
Take the exit slight right toward Bayway Drive
Turn straight onto Decker Drive
Turn right onto Bayway Drive
Turn right onto West Schreck Street
Continue on West Schreck Street
Turn right onto Bayshore Drive
Continue on Bayshore Drive
At the end of the road, turn left onto Mapleton Avenue
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 123 miles or 2h 16m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 278.7 miles or 5h 10m 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 278.7 miles or 5h 10m
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 13m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Brownwood, TX than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Lubbock, 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 Lubbock, TX
Aim for roughly 279 miles and 5.2 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Brownwood, TX
Aim for roughly 279 miles and 5.2 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 278.7 mi from Lubbock, TX · 5h 10m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
184 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
368 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 Austin, TXNight 1
279 mi · about 5.2h in
A practical overnight split lands near Killeen, TX after about 279 miles or 5.2 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 123 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 278.7 miles from Lubbock, 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 279 miles or 5.2 hours on the road.
The final approach into Brownwood, 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 Brownwood, TX.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Brownwood, 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
$85.16 one way
$170.32 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $93.33 | $186.65 |
| premium | $4.59 | $100.77 | $201.53 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $123.86 | $247.71 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$85
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$215–$325
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 195.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $59 in charging · 2 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 167.3 | 2 | $58.54 | $26.76 |
| Efficient EV | 139.4 | 1 | $48.78 | $22.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 223 | 2 | $78.05 | $35.68 |
Gas CO2
195 kg
EV CO2
65 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
Evening in Lubbock on Saturday
Local time
6:27 PM
CDT
Current temp
54°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Evening in Brownwood on Saturday
Local time
6:27 PM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
60°F
Killeen, TX
184 mi in
65°F
Austin, TX
368 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
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
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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