Origin
Rio Hondo, TX
Afternoon in Rio Hondo on Sunday
Local time
2:18 PM
CDT
Current temp
90°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rio Hondo, TX to El Paso, TX
Drive Time
11h 59m
Distance
810 mi
1,304 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$124
one way
Rio Hondo, TX
Nacho Monge
El Paso, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Rio Hondo, TX to El Paso, TX covers 810 miles and takes about 11h 59m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on West Colorado Avenue, Combes Rio Hondo Road, Templeton Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $123.73 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
3 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
405 miles from Rio Hondo, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 5h 59m into the drive .
Drive Character
At 810 miles and 11h 59m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are West Colorado Avenue and Combes Rio Hondo Road.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 28 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
West Colorado Avenue is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
At 11h 59m, this is a long-haul route where pacing matters more than any single turn. A moderate number of decision points keep you engaged without being stressful.
Route Complexity
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 810 miles you will encounter 0 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?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Rio Hondo, TX to El Paso, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Colorado Avenue | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Combes Rio Hondo Road | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Templeton Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Interstate 69E | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Highway 77 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| FM 772 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| South 6th Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| West King Avenue | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Longest stretch:
West Colorado Avenue
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rio Hondo, TX and El Paso, TX.
1
Start on Colorado Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Colorado Avenue
2
Keep slight right to continue on West Colorado Avenue
0.3 mi
·
22 sec
·
West Colorado Avenue
3
Turn straight onto Combes Rio Hondo Road
8.5 mi
·
11 min
·
Combes Rio Hondo Road
4
Continue on Templeton Street
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Templeton Street
5
Turn right onto Interstate 69E Frontage Road
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Interstate 69E Frontage Road
6
Take the ramp slight left
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
7
Merge slight left onto U.S. Highway 77
84 mi
·
1 hr 33 min
·
U.S. Highway 77
8
Keep slight right
0.1 mi
·
8 sec
9
Keep slight right
0.7 mi
·
1 min
10
Turn left onto FM 772
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
FM 772
11
Turn straight onto South 6th Street
4.4 mi
·
7 min
·
South 6th Street
12
Turn left onto West King Avenue
14 mi
·
17 min
·
West King Avenue
13
Take the ramp right
0.6 mi
·
1 min
14
Merge slight left
54 mi
·
1 hr 1 min
15
Keep slight left to continue on Nueces Street
15 mi
·
18 min
·
Nueces Street
16
Continue straight
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
17
Take the exit straight
68 mi
·
1 hr 10 min
18
Take the exit slight right toward Cesar Estrada Chavez Boulevard, Alamodome
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Cesar Estrada Chavez Boulevard, Alamodome
19
Turn left onto East César E. Chávez Boulevard
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
East César E. Chávez Boulevard
20
Take the ramp straight toward I 10 West, I 35 North
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
I 10 West, I 35 North
21
Merge slight left onto South Pan Am Expressway
92 ft
·
1 sec
·
South Pan Am Expressway
22
Take the exit slight right toward I 10 West, US 87 North: El Paso
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
I 10 West, US 87 North: El Paso
23
Keep slight left to continue on McDermott Freeway
15 mi
·
17 min
·
McDermott Freeway
24
Keep slight right
535 mi
·
8 hr 33 min
25
Take the exit slight right toward Missouri Avenue, Downtown
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Missouri Avenue, Downtown
26
Turn straight onto East Missouri Avenue
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
East Missouri Avenue
27
Turn left onto North Mesa Street
0.3 mi
·
27 sec
·
North Mesa Street
28
Arrive at your destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 405 miles from Rio Hondo, TX, or about 5h 59m into the drive.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 178 miles or 2h 38m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 405 miles or 5h 59m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 405 miles or 5h 59m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 11h 6m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near El Paso, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Rio Hondo, 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.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
+
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Rio Hondo, TX
Aim for roughly 405 miles and 6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into El Paso, TX
Aim for roughly 405 miles and 6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 178 miles from Rio Hondo, TX.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 3 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 405 mi from Rio Hondo, TX · 5h 59m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
267 mi into the route
Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch
This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.
Second major stop
Overnight candidate
535 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Big Lake, TXOvernight Options
Night 1
405 mi · about 6h in
A practical overnight split lands near San Antonio, TX after about 405 miles or 6 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 178 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 405 miles from Rio Hondo, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 405 miles or 6 hours on the road.
Final-third reset
Rest stopPlan one more short stretch-and-water break in the final third of the drive so the last arrival window feels easier.
Arriving in El Paso, TX
The final approach into El Paso, 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 El Paso, TX.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach El Paso, TX with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$123.73 one way
$247.46 round trip
$3.88/gal
25.4 MPG avg
283 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $135.60 | $271.19 |
| premium | $4.59 | $146.41 | $292.81 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $179.95 | $359.91 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$124
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$254–$364
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 283.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $85 in charging · 2 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 243 | 2 | $85.05 | $38.88 |
| Efficient EV | 202.5 | 2 | $70.88 | $32.40 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 324 | 4 | $113.40 | $51.84 |
Gas CO2
283 kg
EV CO2
95 kg (66% less)
Plan for 2 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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
El Paso, TX
Afternoon in El Paso on Sunday
Local time
1:18 PM
MDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Along the Route
78°F
Big Lake, TX
535 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.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
Time zone
1 hour earlier
The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.
Temperature spread
35 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
11h 59m on the road
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Rio Hondo, TX to El Paso, TX covers 810 miles and takes about 11h 59m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are West Colorado Avenue, Combes Rio Hondo Road, Templeton Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Yes. This route is usually more comfortable as a 2-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 405 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 405 miles from Rio Hondo, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $123.73 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 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 810 miles you will encounter 0 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Rio Hondo, TX to El Paso, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Rio Hondo, TX to El Paso, TX does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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