The drive from Morton, TX to San Antonio, TX covers 363.3 miles and takes about 6h 53m 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 35, State Highway 31 East for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 99.6 miles on Purple Heart Trail.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $54.90 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
181.6 miles from Morton, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 3h 35m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 6h 53m. Total distance: 363.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
6h 53m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 6h 53m drive with frequent turns across 363.3 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 53 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 99.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 122.9 miles in near TX 31 / Corsicana Bypass.
Driving Effort9/10
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 30 significant decision points across 363.3 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 122.9 miles (TX 31 / Corsicana Bypass): Lane positioning matters here; at 281.7 miles (I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 355.2 miles (I 35 / North Pan Am Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 30 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
122.9 mi into trip|~2h 28m in|TX 31 / Corsicana Bypass
Turn left onto TX 31 / Corsicana Bypass
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
8
281.7 mi into trip|~5h 20m in|I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail toward 32nd Street, Dean Keeton Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward 32nd Street, Dean Keeton Street
7
355.2 mi into trip|~6h 41m in|I 35 / North Pan Am Expressway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35 / North Pan Am Expressway toward I 35 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 35 South
8
361.6 mi into trip|~6h 49m in|I 35 / North Pan Am Expressway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35 / North Pan Am Expressway toward I 35 South: Lower Level, Laredo
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 35 South: Lower Level, Laredo
8
362.1 mi into trip|~6h 50m in
Take the exit toward Lexington Avenue, Main Avenue, San Pedro 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 157A
Toward Lexington Avenue, Main Avenue, San Pedro...
The midpoint is around 181.6 miles from Morton, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel check
Top up before Purple Heart Trail if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 99.6 miles.
Arriving in San Antonio, TX
The final approach into San Antonio, 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 San Antonio, TX.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
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...
8 mi from route
~19 min detour
Free
near mile 187.9
Welcome to San Antonio Missions, a National Park Service site and the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas. Each mission in the park is a center of community and has been since the early 1700s. Th...
9 mi from route
~22 min detour
Free
near mile 363.3
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$54.90 one way
$109.79 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg127 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.20
$60.09
$120.18
premium
$4.54
$64.86
$129.73
diesel
$5.61
$80.21
$160.42
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$55
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$80–$105
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 127.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $38 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
109
1
$38.15
$17.44
Efficient EV
90.8
1
$31.79
$14.53
EV Truck/SUV
145.3
1
$50.86
$23.25
Gas CO2
127 kg
EV CO2
43 kg (66% 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
Morton, TX
Morning
in Morton on Friday
Local time
9:24 AM
CDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
San Antonio, TX
Morning
in San Antonio on Friday
Local time
9:24 AM
CDT
Current temp
90°F
Partly Sunny
SSE 10 mph0% 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.
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
34 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
6h 53m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Morton, TX to San Antonio, TX covers 363.3 miles and takes about 6h 53m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Purple Heart Trail, I 35, State Highway 31 East. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 181.6 miles from Morton, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $54.90 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 1 meaningful break 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 30 significant decision points across 363.3 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 122.9 miles (TX 31 / Corsicana Bypass): Lane positioning matters here; at 281.7 miles (I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 355.2 miles (I 35 / North Pan Am Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Morton, TX to San Antonio, TX does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Waco Mammoth National Monument and San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.
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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
