The drive from Lyford, TX to Arlington, TX covers 489.5 miles and takes about 9h 15m behind the wheel.
It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Purple Heart Trail, U.S. Highway 77, Pickle Parkway for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 97.7 miles on Purple Heart Trail.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $73.96 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
244.8 miles from Lyford, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 4h 55m into the drive
.
Drive Character
This is a 9h 15m highway drive covering 489.5 miles, with most of the trip on Purple Heart Trail and U.S. Highway 77. The longest continuous stretch is about 97.7 miles on Purple Heart Trail.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 55 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 97.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Purple Heart Trail and U.S. Highway 77. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 322.9 miles in.
Driving Effort10/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 33 significant decision points across 489.5 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 322.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 427.6 miles (I 35W): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 472.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 33 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
322.9 mi into trip|~6h 16m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 35 North: Waco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 35 North: Waco
7
427.6 mi into trip|~8h 4m in|I 35W
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35W toward I 35W: Fort Worth
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 35W: Fort Worth
7
472.7 mi into trip|~8h 51m in
Take the exit toward I 20 East: Dallas
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 45B
Toward I 20 East: Dallas
7
473.1 mi into trip|~8h 52m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 20 East: Dallas
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 20 East: Dallas
8
483.8 mi into trip|~9h 4m in
Take the exit toward FM 157 South: UT Arlington, Mansfield
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 449A
Toward FM 157 South: UT Arlington, Mansfield
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Lyford, TX and Arlington, TX, road signs point toward Skidmore and Waco.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Waco Mammoth National Monument
National Monument
Standing as tall as 14 feet and weighing 20,000 pounds, Columbian mammoths roamed across what is present-day Texas thousands of years ago. Today, the fossil specimens represent the nation's first and...
7 mi from route
~18 min detour
Free
near mile 388.3
Protecting sixty-six miles of wild coastline along the Gulf of America, the narrow barrier island is home to one of the last intact coastal prairie habitats in the United States. Along the hypersaline...
27 mi from route
~68 min detour
$25
near mile 50.6
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$73.96 one way
$147.93 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg171 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.20
$80.96
$161.92
premium
$4.54
$87.40
$174.79
diesel
$5.61
$108.08
$216.15
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$74
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$204–$314
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 171.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $51 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
146.9
1
$51.40
$23.50
Efficient EV
122.4
1
$42.83
$19.58
EV Truck/SUV
195.8
2
$68.53
$31.33
Gas CO2
171 kg
EV CO2
57 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 16, 2026
Origin
Lyford, TX
Morning
in Lyford on Friday
Local time
8:21 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Arlington, TX
Morning
in Arlington on Friday
Local time
8:21 AM
CDT
Current temp
88°F
Mostly Sunny
S 10 to 15 mph4% chanceLive 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
21 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
9h 15m 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 Lyford, TX to Arlington, TX covers 489.5 miles and takes about 9h 15m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Purple Heart Trail, U.S. Highway 77, Pickle Parkway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
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 245 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 244.8 miles from Lyford, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $73.96 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.
This is a demanding drive. With 33 significant decision points across 489.5 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 322.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 427.6 miles (I 35W): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 472.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Lyford, TX and Arlington, TX, road signs point toward Skidmore and Waco.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Waco Mammoth National Monument and Padre Island National Seashore.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from
OSRM
over
OpenStreetMap.
Fuel cost uses
EIA
weekly regional averages.
National park proximity is from the
NPS API.
Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our
methodology page
documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
