Drive Time
9h 38m
Distance
553.1 mi
890 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$82
one way
The drive from McKinney, TX to Alamo, TX covers 553.1 miles and takes about 9h 38m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on East Virginia Street, South Central Expressway, US 75 South for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $82.29 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
276.6 miles from McKinney, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 49m into the drive .
At 553.1 miles and 9h 38m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are East Virginia Street and South Central Expressway.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Virginia Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| South Central Expressway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| US 75 South | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Central Expressway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Downtown | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| North Central Expressway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Elm Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| North Pearl Expressway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Step-by-step road directions between McKinney, TX and Alamo, TX.
Start on North Tennessee Street
Turn left onto East Virginia Street
Turn left onto South Central Expressway
Take the ramp slight left toward US 75 South, TX 121 South
Merge slight left onto Central Expressway
Take the exit slight left toward Downtown, Good-Latimer Expressway
Continue on North Central Expressway
Turn right onto Elm Street
Turn left onto North Pearl Expressway
Turn right onto Young Street
Turn left onto South Harwood Street
Turn right onto Canton Street
Take the ramp slight left toward I 30 West
Keep slight left to continue on I 35E South, I 35E North: Waco, Denton
Keep slight left to continue on I 35E North, I 35E South: Denton, Waco
Keep slight left to continue on I 35E South: Waco
Continue on South R L Thornton Freeway
Continue on South R L Thornton Freeway
Continue on North Jack Kultgen Expressway
Continue on Purple Heart Trail
Keep slight left
Take the exit slight right toward TX 130 Toll South: San Antonio
Continue straight
Keep slight right to continue on I 10 West: San Antonio
Merge slight left
Continue straight
Keep slight left
Keep slight right to continue on Connally Loop
Merge slight left onto Connally Loop
Take the exit slight right toward I 37, US 281 North: San Antonio, Corpus Christi
Keep slight left to continue on I 37 South: Corpus Christi
Merge slight left
Take the exit slight right toward US 281 South
Keep slight left to continue on South Nueces Street
Keep slight left
Keep slight left to continue on Falfurrias Expressway
Keep slight left
Merge slight left
Continue straight
Take the exit slight right toward FM 907: Alamo Road
Turn straight onto East Expressway 83
Turn right onto North Alamo Road
Turn left
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 122 miles or 2h 7m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 276.6 miles or 4h 49m 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 276.6 miles or 4h 49m
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 8h 35m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Alamo, TX than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving McKinney, 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 McKinney, TX
Aim for roughly 277 miles and 4.8 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Alamo, TX
Aim for roughly 277 miles and 4.8 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 276.6 mi from McKinney, TX · 4h 49m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
183 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
365 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 San Antonio, TXNight 1
277 mi · about 4.8h in
A practical overnight split lands near Austin, TX after about 277 miles or 4.8 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 122 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 276.6 miles from McKinney, 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 277 miles or 4.8 hours on the road.
The final approach into Alamo, 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 Alamo, TX.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Alamo, 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
$82.29 one way
$164.58 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $92.59 | $185.18 |
| premium | $4.59 | $99.97 | $199.94 |
| diesel | $3.99 | $86.95 | $173.90 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$82
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$212–$322
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 193.5 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $58 in charging · 2 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 165.9 | 2 | $58.08 | $26.55 |
| Efficient EV | 138.3 | 1 | $48.40 | $22.12 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 221.2 | 2 | $77.43 | $35.40 |
Gas CO2
194 kg
EV CO2
65 kg (66% 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
Morning in McKinney on Saturday
Local time
9:45 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Morning in Alamo on Saturday
Local time
9:45 AM
CDT
Current temp
72°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
60°F
Killeen, TX
183 mi in
81°F
San Antonio, TX
365 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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