Origin
Richland Hills, TX
Night in Richland Hills on Friday
Local time
11:13 PM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Richland Hills, TX to San Antonio, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 31m
Distance
294.5 mi
474 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$45
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
4h 18m
★
6 AM
4h 31m
8 AM
4h 58m
10 AM
4h 41m
12 PM
4h 38m
3 PM
4h 42m
5 PM
4h 57m
8 PM
4h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Antonio, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Richland Hills, TX to San Antonio, TX covers 294.5 miles and takes about 4h 31m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Vance Road, Ash Park Drive, Airport Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $44.50 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
147.2 miles from Richland Hills, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 15m into the drive .
About the Cities
Arriving in San Antonio, TX
Full guide →San Antonio is the second largest city in the state of Texas and the 7th largest in the United States. It's the 24th largest metropolitan area in the country. Visited by more than 31 million annual visitors, San Antonio is a beautiful city at the axis of three different geological terrains: Hill Country, South Texas Plains and Prairie and Lakes. There's a lot to do in this city: fine art museums, historical missions and plenty of amusement parks in addition to great dining and lots of drinking. The culture and people are vibrant and interesting. San Antonio's downtown is one of the most lively in the nation.
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 4h 31m. Total distance: 294.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 4h 31m drive with frequent turns across 294.5 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 28 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Vance Road is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 31m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Richland Hills, TX to San Antonio, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Vance Road | — | — |
| Ash Park Drive | — | — |
| Airport Freeway | — | — |
| TX 121 South | — | — |
| I 35W South | — | — |
| North South Freeway | — | — |
| North Jack Kultgen Expressway | — | — |
| Purple Heart Trail | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Vance Road
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Richland Hills, TX and San Antonio, TX.
1
Start on Dover Lane
118 ft
·
11 sec
·
Dover Lane
2
Turn left onto Vance Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Vance Road
3
Continue on Ash Park Drive
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Ash Park Drive
4
At the end of the road, turn right onto Airport Freeway
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Airport Freeway
5
Take the ramp straight toward TX 121 South
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
TX 121 South
6
Merge slight left onto Airport Freeway
5.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Airport Freeway
7
Keep slight left to continue on I 35W South, US 287 South, US 377 South: Waco
0.5 mi
·
41 sec
·
I 35W South, US 287 South, US 377 South: Waco
8
Merge slight right onto North South Freeway
85 mi
·
1 hr 28 min
·
North South Freeway
9
Continue on North Jack Kultgen Expressway
6.6 mi
·
7 min
·
North Jack Kultgen Expressway
10
Continue on Purple Heart Trail
38 mi
·
39 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
11
Keep slight left
56 mi
·
58 min
12
Keep slight left to continue on Purple Heart Trail
50 mi
·
54 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
13
Continue on Interstate Highway 35
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Interstate Highway 35
14
Continue on Purple Heart Trail
12 mi
·
12 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
15
Continue on North Pan Am Expressway
10.0 mi
·
11 min
·
North Pan Am Expressway
16
Keep slight left to continue on North Pan Am Expressway
6.4 mi
·
8 min
·
North Pan Am Expressway
17
Keep slight left to continue on North Pan Am Expressway
0.6 mi
·
41 sec
·
North Pan Am Expressway
18
Take the exit slight right toward Lexington Avenue, Main Avenue, San Pedro Avenue
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Lexington Avenue, Main Avenue, San Pedro Avenue
19
Turn straight onto East Elmira Street
525 ft
·
17 sec
·
East Elmira Street
20
Turn left onto North Main Avenue
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
North Main Avenue
21
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Navarro Street
161 ft
·
3 sec
·
Navarro Street
22
Exit the roundabout onto Navarro Street
112 ft
·
2 sec
·
Navarro Street
23
Keep slight right to continue on North Main Avenue
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
·
North Main Avenue
24
Turn right onto West Travis Street
223 ft
·
11 sec
·
West Travis Street
25
Turn left onto North Flores Street
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
North Flores Street
26
Continue on Military Plaza
390 ft
·
16 sec
·
Military Plaza
27
Turn left onto Dolorosa Street
328 ft
·
8 sec
·
Dolorosa Street
28
Arrive at your destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 147.2 miles from Richland Hills, TX, or about 2h 15m into the drive.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 65 miles or 59m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 147.2 miles or 2h 15m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 42m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near San Antonio, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Richland Hills, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Richland Hills, TX
This is one driving day of about 294.5 miles and 4h 31m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 65 miles from Richland Hills, TX.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 147.2 mi from Richland Hills, TX · 2h 15m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
147 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 65 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 147.2 miles from Richland Hills, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
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.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$44.50 one way
$89.00 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
103 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $48.71 | $97.42 |
| premium | $4.54 | $52.58 | $105.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $65.02 | $130.04 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$45
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$70–$95
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 103 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $31 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 88.4 | 1 | $30.92 | $14.14 |
| Efficient EV | 73.6 | 0 | $25.77 | $11.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 117.8 | 1 | $41.23 | $18.85 |
Gas CO2
103 kg
EV CO2
34 kg (67% 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.
Destination
San Antonio, TX
Night in San Antonio on Friday
Local time
11:13 PM
CDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
60°F
Belton, TX
147 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.
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
16 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
4h 31m 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 Richland Hills, TX to San Antonio, TX covers 294.5 miles and takes about 4h 31m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Vance Road, Ash Park Drive, Airport Freeway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 147.2 miles from Richland Hills, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $44.50 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 straightforward 4h 31m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Richland Hills, TX to San Antonio, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Richland Hills, TX to San Antonio, TX does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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