Origin
San Marcos, TX
Night in San Marcos on Friday
Local time
9:33 PM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Marcos, TX to Irving, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
3h 36m
Distance
247 mi
397 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$37
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
3h 24m
★
6 AM
3h 37m
8 AM
4h 2m
10 AM
3h 45m
12 PM
3h 43m
3 PM
3h 47m
5 PM
4h 0m
8 PM
3h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Marcos, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from San Marcos, TX to Irving, TX covers 247 miles and takes about 3h 36m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on East Hopkins Street, Interstate 35, I 35 North for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $37.32 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
123.5 miles from San Marcos, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 48m into the drive .
About the Cities
Starting in San Marcos, TX
Full guide →San Marcos is a college town in the Central Hill Country region of Texas in the United States of America, about half an hour's drive south of the state's capital, Austin. The site of human habitation for over 10,000 years, it was settled in 1808 by Mexican families, and is now the home to Texas State University-San Marcos. In 2020, it had a population of 58,000 people.
Arriving in Irving, TX
Full guide →Irving is a city in the Prairies and Lakes region of Texas. Part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Irving has experienced exponential growth over the past fifty years, and is home to a multitude of attractions of all types, from modern art to major sporting events. Founded in 1902 out of the remnants of the small community of Kit, Irving is now a bustling city of approximately 197,000 residents. Rather like Dallas, it is divided into a highly affluent northern half and less affluent but highly diverse southern half. It is bounded to the east by the northern fork (Elm Fork) of the Trinity River and to the northwest by the sprawling D/FW International Airport.
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 3h 36m. Total distance: 247 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 36m 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 3h 36m drive with frequent turns across 247 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 22 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
East Hopkins Street 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 3h 36m 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 San Marcos, TX to Irving, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Hopkins Street | — | — |
| Interstate 35 | — | — |
| I 35 North | — | — |
| Purple Heart Trail | — | — |
| South Jack Kultgen Expressway | — | — |
| I 35E | — | — |
| I 20 West | — | — |
| Lyndon B Johnson Freeway | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
East Hopkins Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Marcos, TX and Irving, TX.
1
Start on North Guadalupe Street
75 ft
·
9 sec
·
North Guadalupe Street
2
Turn left onto East Hopkins Street
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
East Hopkins Street
3
Turn slight left
0.2 mi
·
49 sec
4
Turn straight onto North Interstate 35
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North Interstate 35
5
Take the ramp slight left toward I 35 North
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
I 35 North
6
Merge slight left onto Purple Heart Trail
29 mi
·
32 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
7
Keep slight right to continue on Purple Heart Trail
96 mi
·
1 hr 40 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
8
Continue on South Jack Kultgen Expressway
6.6 mi
·
7 min
·
South Jack Kultgen Expressway
9
Continue on Purple Heart Trail
33 mi
·
33 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
10
Keep slight right to continue on I 35E: Dallas
47 mi
·
48 min
·
I 35E: Dallas
11
Take the exit slight right toward I 20 West: Fort Worth
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
I 20 West: Fort Worth
12
Merge slight left onto Lyndon B Johnson Freeway
6.6 mi
·
7 min
·
Lyndon B Johnson Freeway
13
Take the exit slight right toward Spur 408
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Spur 408
14
Merge slight left onto Patriot Parkway
3.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Patriot Parkway
15
Merge slight right onto South Walton Walker Boulevard
5.4 mi
·
5 min
·
South Walton Walker Boulevard
16
Take the exit slight right toward TX 356: Irving Boulevard
492 ft
·
12 sec
·
TX 356: Irving Boulevard
17
Turn straight onto South Loop 12
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
South Loop 12
18
Turn left onto East State Highway 356
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
East State Highway 356
19
Continue on East Irving Boulevard
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
East Irving Boulevard
20
Continue on West Irving Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
·
West Irving Boulevard
21
Turn right onto North Ohio Street
59 ft
·
3 sec
·
North Ohio Street
22
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 123.5 miles from San Marcos, TX, or about 1h 48m 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 54 miles or 47m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 123.5 miles or 1h 48m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 57m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Irving, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving San Marcos, 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 San Marcos, TX
This is one driving day of about 247 miles and 3h 36m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 54 miles from San Marcos, 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 123.5 mi from San Marcos, TX · 1h 48m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
124 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 54 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 123.5 miles from San Marcos, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Irving, TX
The final approach into Irving, 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 Irving, 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
$37.32 one way
$74.64 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
86 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $40.85 | $81.70 |
| premium | $4.54 | $44.10 | $88.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $54.53 | $109.07 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$37
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$62–$87
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 86.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $26 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 74.1 | 0 | $25.93 | $11.86 |
| Efficient EV | 61.8 | 0 | $21.61 | $9.88 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 98.8 | 1 | $34.58 | $15.81 |
Gas CO2
86 kg
EV CO2
29 kg (66% less)
Plan for 0 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
Irving, TX
Night in Irving on Friday
Local time
9:33 PM
CDT
Current temp
61°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
1 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
3h 36m 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 San Marcos, TX to Irving, TX covers 247 miles and takes about 3h 36m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are East Hopkins Street, Interstate 35, I 35 North. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 123.5 miles from San Marcos, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $37.32 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. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a straightforward 3h 36m 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 San Marcos, TX to Irving, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from San Marcos, TX to Irving, 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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