This straightforward 46.1-mile drive from Mesquite, TX to Fort Worth, TX is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking about 58 minutes to complete. Primarily utilizing the Tom Landry Freeway and East R L Thornton Freeway, with a portion on US 80, this route is heavily focused on highway travel. With an estimated fuel cost of $7, it's an economical option for connecting these two cities within the Great Plains region. You'll find this drive to be a practical and efficient way to get from point A to point B, with no overnight stops needed.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 58m. Total distance: 46.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
58m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a highway-focused experience for 92% of this 46.1-mile journey. You'll be spending most of your time on major freeways, including a significant 29.9-mile stretch on the Tom Landry Freeway. This means relatively fast speeds and consistent pavement, typical of connecting urban centers within the Great Plains. While there are no significant changes in road type, the focus remains on efficient transit rather than scenic exploration.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Tom Landry Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 29.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Tom Landry Freeway and East R L Thornton Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.6 miles in near I 635 / Lyndon B Johnson Freeway.
Driving Effort8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 46.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 58m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.6 miles (I 635 / Lyndon B Johnson Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles (US 80): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
1.6 mi into trip|~3m in|I 635 / Lyndon B Johnson Freeway
Merge onto I 635 / Lyndon B Johnson Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
2.6 mi into trip|~4m in
Take the exit toward US 80 West: Dallas
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 6A
Toward US 80 West: Dallas
5
3.4 mi into trip|~6m in|US 80
Merge onto US 80
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
44 mi into trip|~54m in
Take the exit toward I 35W South: Waco
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 15B
Toward I 35W South: Waco
8
45.2 mi into trip|~56m in|US 287 Bus
Take the exit onto US 287 Bus toward US 287 Business: Rosedale Street, Allen Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 49B
Toward US 287 Business: Rosedale Street, Allen...
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Tom Landry Freeway
29.9 mi
35m
East R L Thornton Freeway
7.6 mi
9m
US 80
3 mi
3m
Lyndon B Johnson Freeway
1 mi
1m
Scyene Road
0.9 mi
1m
US 287 Bus
0.5 mi
1m
South Freeway
0.5 mi
<1m
West Main Street
0.4 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Tom Landry Freeway
— 29.9 mi, about 35m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Mesquite, TX and Fort Worth, TX.
1
Start on South Galloway Avenue
4 ft·7 sec·South Galloway Avenue
2
Turn left onto TX 352
0.4 mi·57 sec·West Main Street
3
Continue on TX 352
0.9 mi·1 min·Scyene Road
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·44 sec
Toward I 635 North
5
Merge onto I 635
1.0 mi·1 min·Lyndon B Johnson Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.8 mi·1 min
Exit 6AToward US 80 West: DallasUse the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto US 80
3.0 mi·3 min·US 80
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 30; US 67
7.6 mi·9 min·East R L Thornton Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 30
30 mi·35 min·Tom Landry Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
1.1 mi·2 min
Exit 15BToward I 35W South: WacoUse the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 35W; US 287 Bus
0.1 mi·6 sec·South Freeway
12
Take the exit onto US 287 Bus
0.5 mi·1 min·US 287 Bus
Exit 49BToward US 287 Business: Rosedale Street, Allen AvenueUse the slight right lane.
13
Continue on South Freeway
0.4 mi·46 sec·South Freeway
Use the left / straight lanes.
14
Arrive at destination
South Freeway
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 23 mi from Mesquite, TX
· 29m into the drive
The midpoint is around 23 miles from Mesquite, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Fort Worth, TX
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Fort Worth, TX if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.97 one way
$13.93 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg16 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.20
$7.62
$15.25
premium
$4.54
$8.23
$16.46
diesel
$5.61
$10.18
$20.36
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging
· 0 stops
· 69% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
13.8
0
$4.84
$2.21
Efficient EV
11.5
0
$4.03
$1.84
EV Truck/SUV
18.4
0
$6.45
$2.95
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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.
Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026
Origin
Mesquite, TX
Late night
in Mesquite on Friday
Local time
5:35 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Partly Cloudy
S 5 to 10 mph4% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 10:11PM CDT by NWS Amarillo TX
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued April 16 at 8:59PM CDT until April 17 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Amarillo TX
Destination
Fort Worth, TX
Late night
in Fort Worth on Friday
Local time
5:35 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Mostly Clear
S 10 mph6% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 10:11PM CDT by NWS Amarillo TX
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued April 16 at 8:59PM CDT until April 17 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Amarillo TX
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
2 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
58m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Mesquite, TX to Fort Worth, TX covers 46.1 miles and takes about 58m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Tom Landry Freeway, East R L Thornton Freeway, US 80. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 23 miles from Mesquite, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.97 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 short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 46.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 58m.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.6 miles (I 635 / Lyndon B Johnson Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles (US 80): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Mesquite, TX to Fort Worth, TX does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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.
Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our
methodology page
documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
