The drive from Rhode Island, TX to La Coste, TX covers 281.1 miles and takes about 5h 11m 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, I 45 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mixed drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 99.6 miles on Purple Heart Trail.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $42.47 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
140.5 miles from Rhode Island, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 33m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 11m. Total distance: 281.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 11m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Rhode Island, TX to La Coste, TX covers 281.1 miles and takes about 5h 11m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 36 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?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 22.3 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 23 significant decision points across 281.1 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 22.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 175.7 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 246 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 23 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
22.3 mi into trip|~24m in
Take the exit toward TX 31: Athens, Waco
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 227
Toward TX 31: Athens, Waco
8
175.7 mi into trip|~3h 10m 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
8
246 mi into trip|~4h 27m in
Take the exit toward I 410 West, Loop 368 South
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 166
Toward I 410 West, Loop 368 South
7
246.4 mi into trip|~4h 28m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 410 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 410 West
7
266.1 mi into trip|~4h 51m in
Take the exit toward US 90 West: Del Rio
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 6A
Toward US 90 West: Del Rio
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Rhode Island, TX and La Coste, TX, road signs point toward Waco and Loop 368 South.
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...
5 mi from route
~12 min detour
Free
near mile 77.5
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...
15 mi from route
~37 min detour
Free
near mile 252
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$42.47 one way
$84.95 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg98 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.20
$46.49
$92.98
premium
$4.54
$50.19
$100.38
diesel
$5.61
$62.06
$124.13
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$42
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$67–$92
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 98.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $30 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
84.3
1
$29.52
$13.49
Efficient EV
70.3
0
$24.60
$11.24
EV Truck/SUV
112.4
1
$39.35
$17.99
Gas CO2
98 kg
EV CO2
33 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 15, 2026
Origin
Rhode Island, TX
Morning
in Rhode Island on Saturday
Local time
9:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
La Coste, TX
Morning
in La Coste on Saturday
Local time
9:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live 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
9 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
5h 11m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Rhode Island, TX to La Coste, TX covers 281.1 miles and takes about 5h 11m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Purple Heart Trail, I 35, I 45. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 140.5 miles from Rhode Island, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $42.47 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
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 23 significant decision points across 281.1 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 22.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 175.7 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 246 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Rhode Island, TX and La Coste, TX, road signs point toward Waco and Loop 368 South.
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.
