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Trip from Pelican Bay, TX to Plano, TX

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 22m

Distance

65.9 mi

106 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$10

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 19 min
4 AM
1h 16m ★
6 AM
1h 22m
8 AM
1h 35m
10 AM
1h 27m
12 PM
1h 25m
3 PM
1h 27m
5 PM
1h 34m
8 PM
1h 18m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Pelican Bay, TX, TX

Pelican Bay, TX

Tori Pezzulla❤️

city in Collin and Denton counties in Texas, United States

Plano, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Pelican Bay, TX to Plano, TX covers 65.9 miles and takes about 1h 22m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on SH 183 TEXpress, Jacksboro Highway, I 820 TEXpress for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 11.7 miles on SH 183 TEXpress. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.96 one way before food or hotel costs.

About the Cities

Arriving in Plano, TX

Full guide →

Plano is a city of 285,000 people (2020) in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex region of Texas and is north of Dallas. It is home to the headquarters of several large corporations.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 22m. Total distance: 65.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 22m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (70%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 1h 22m highway drive covering 65.9 miles, with most of the trip on SH 183 TEXpress and Jacksboro Highway. The longest continuous stretch is about 11.7 miles on SH 183 TEXpress.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 31 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
SH 183 TEXpress is the longest continuous segment at about 11.7 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on SH 183 TEXpress and Jacksboro Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 13.3 miles in near Merrett Drive.

Driving Effort 10/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 65.9 miles you will encounter 25 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 13.3 miles (Merrett Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 21 miles (I 820 TEXpress): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 44 miles (Loop 12 TEXpress): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 25 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

7
13.3 mi into trip | ~22m in | Merrett Drive

Turn left onto Merrett Drive

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes.
7
21 mi into trip | ~33m in | I 820 TEXpress

Keep slight left at fork onto I 820 TEXpress toward I 820 Express East: DFW Airport Dallas Entrance

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight left lanes. Toward I 820 Express East: DFW Airport Dallas E...
7
44 mi into trip | ~56m in | Loop 12 TEXpress

Keep slight left at fork onto Loop 12 TEXpress toward I 35E Toll North

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward I 35E Toll North
8
57 mi into trip | ~1h 10m in

Take the exit toward US 75 North, US 75 South: McKinney, Dallas

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 19A Toward US 75 North, US 75 South: McKinney, Dall...
8
63.5 mi into trip | ~1h 17m in

Take the exit toward Plano Parkway, 15th Street

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 28A Toward Plano Parkway, 15th Street

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Pelican Bay, TX to Plano, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Dallas along the way.

Dallas

57 mi in | ~1h 10m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
SH 183 TEXpress 11.7 mi 11m
Jacksboro Highway 8.7 mi 9m
I 820 TEXpress 6.9 mi 6m
North Central Expressway 6.7 mi 8m
Jim Wright Freeway 5.3 mi 6m
SH 121/183 TEXpress 4.4 mi 4m
Lyndon B Johnson Freeway 4.4 mi 4m
Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway 2.6 mi 2m
Longest stretch: SH 183 TEXpress — 11.7 mi, about 11m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Pelican Bay, TX and Plano, TX.

1

Start on Sheila Drive

0.3 mi · 1 min · Sheila Drive
2

At end of road, turn right onto Long Circle

0.1 mi · 31 sec · Long Circle
3

Turn right onto Long Boulevard

384 ft · 22 sec · Long Boulevard
4

Turn left onto Sandy Beach Road

1.4 mi · 5 min · Sandy Beach Road
5

Turn left onto FM 730

2.1 mi · 4 min · FM 730
6

Turn left onto Northwest Parkway

442 ft · 8 sec · Northwest Parkway
7

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 24 sec
Toward TX 199 East
8

Merge onto TX 199

8.7 mi · 9 min · Jacksboro Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Continue on TX 199

0.3 mi · 31 sec · Lake Worth Boulevard
Use the straight / left lanes.
10

Turn left onto Merrett Drive

305 ft · 8 sec · Merrett Drive
Use the left / straight lanes.
11

Turn slight right onto Azle Avenue

1.5 mi · 3 min · Azle Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
12

Turn left onto Northwest Loop 820

0.2 mi · 27 sec · Northwest Loop 820
Use the left lane.
13

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 32 sec
Toward I 820 East
14

Merge onto I 820

5.3 mi · 6 min · Jim Wright Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Continue on I 820

0.3 mi · 18 sec · Northeast Loop
16

Keep slight left at fork onto I 820 TEXpress

6.9 mi · 6 min · I 820 TEXpress
Toward I 820 Express East: DFW Airport Dallas Entrance Use the straight / slight left lanes.
17

Continue on TX 121 TEXpress; TX 183 TEXpress

4.4 mi · 4 min · SH 121/183 TEXpress
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18

Continue on TX 183 TEXpress

12 mi · 11 min · SH 183 TEXpress
Toward TX 183 Express East Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19

Keep slight left at fork onto Loop 12 TEXpress

2.6 mi · 2 min · Loop 12 TEXpress
Toward I 35E Toll North Use the slight left lane.
20

Merge onto Loop 12

0.8 mi · 53 sec · North Walton Walker Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21

Merge onto I 35E

2.1 mi · 2 min · North Stemmons Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 50 sec
Exit 440B Toward I 635 East Use the right lane.
23

Merge onto I 635

4.4 mi · 4 min · Lyndon B Johnson Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24

Continue on I 635

2.6 mi · 2 min · Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway
Use the right lane.
25

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 22 sec
Exit 19A Toward US 75 North, US 75 South: McKinney, Dallas Use the straight / slight right lanes.
26

Keep slight left at fork

0.9 mi · 1 min
Toward US 75 North: McKinney Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
27

Merge onto US 75

5.3 mi · 5 min · North Central Expressway
28

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 52 sec
Exit 28A Toward Plano Parkway, 15th Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.
29

Turn straight onto North Central Expressway

1.4 mi · 2 min · North Central Expressway
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
30

Turn right onto East 15th Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · East 15th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
31

Arrive at destination

East 15th Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 33 mi from Pelican Bay, TX · 45m into the drive

city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Euless, TX

33 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Popular next leg

Euless, TX to Plano, TX

31 mi · 35m

Pacing Suggestions

Eagle Mountain, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Bedford, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 33 miles from Pelican Bay, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Plano, TX

The final approach into Plano, TX usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.96 one way

$19.92 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 23 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.20 $10.90 $21.80
premium $4.54 $11.77 $23.53
diesel $5.61 $14.55 $29.10

Estimated Tolls: $0.55

Central Expressway (6.7 mi) $0.54
Northwest Parkway (0.1 mi) $0.01

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$10

Tolls

$1

Total

$11

Estimated CO2 emission: 23.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 19.8 0 $6.92 $3.16
Efficient EV 16.5 0 $5.77 $2.64
EV Truck/SUV 26.4 0 $9.23 $4.22

Gas CO2

23 kg

EV CO2

8 kg (65% 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 16, 2026

Origin

Pelican Bay, TX

Late night in Pelican Bay on Saturday

Local time

5:32 AM

CDT

Current temp

81°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Plano, TX

Late night in Plano on Saturday

Local time

5:32 AM

CDT

Current temp

61°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

20 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 22m on the road

Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Pelican Bay, TX to Plano, TX covers 65.9 miles and takes about 1h 22m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are SH 183 TEXpress, Jacksboro Highway, I 820 TEXpress. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 33 miles from Pelican Bay, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $9.96 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 65.9 miles you will encounter 25 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

The main spots that need attention: at 13.3 miles (Merrett Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 21 miles (I 820 TEXpress): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 44 miles (Loop 12 TEXpress): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

On the drive from Pelican Bay, TX to Plano, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Dallas along the way.

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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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