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Trip from Tenaha, TX to Shelbyville, TX

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

26m

Distance

18.3 mi

29 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 24m ★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m

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

Downtown Tenaha, TX, TX

Tenaha, TX

Thomas balabaud

Downtown Shelbyville, TX, TX

Shelbyville, TX

Jeff Stapleton

Trip Overview

Tenaha, TX to Shelbyville, TX is 18.3 miles and takes about 26 minutes via TX 87, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Great Plains region, offering a straightforward local experience. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a quick trip where you want to maximize your time at your destination. You won't encounter major highway stretches, making it a relaxed, easy-going journey from start to finish.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 26m. Total distance: 18.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

26m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (7%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

This route is best described as a turn-heavy local drive, with only 7% of the journey on highways. You'll spend most of your time navigating local roads, including M L Anderson Drive and Shelbyville Street. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 9.1 miles on M L Anderson Drive. Expect a dynamic driving experience with frequent turns rather than long, straightaways, keeping you engaged behind the wheel as you transition through the local landscape.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
M L Anderson Drive is the longest continuous segment at about 9.1 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in near US 96 / M L Anderson Drive.

Driving Effort 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 18.3 miles you will encounter 8 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 0.7 miles (US 96 / M L Anderson Drive): Navigation decision point; at 11.2 miles (TX 7; TX 87 / Austin Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.3 miles (TX 7; TX 87 / San Augustine Street): Navigation decision point.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 8 key points

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

4
0.7 mi into trip | ~1m in | US 96 / M L Anderson Drive

At end of road, turn right onto US 96 / M L Anderson Drive

Navigation decision point

5
11.2 mi into trip | ~13m in | TX 7; TX 87 / Austin Street

Turn left onto TX 7; TX 87 / Austin Street

Navigation decision point

5
11.3 mi into trip | ~14m in | TX 7; TX 87 / San Augustine Street

Turn left onto TX 7; TX 87 / San Augustine Street

Navigation decision point

4
18.2 mi into trip | ~26m in | FM 417 / Farm-to-Market Road 417

Keep slight left at fork onto FM 417 / Farm-to-Market Road 417

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

5
18.3 mi into trip | ~26m in

Turn right

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
M L Anderson Drive 9.1 mi 10m
Shelbyville Street 6.8 mi 12m
TX 87 1.3 mi 1m
South Center Street 0.7 mi 1m
Austin Street <0.1 mi <1m
San Augustine Street <0.1 mi <1m
Nacogdoches Street <0.1 mi <1m
Farm-to-Market Road 417 <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: M L Anderson Drive — 9.1 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Tenaha, TX and Shelbyville, TX.

1

Start on Loop 157

0.7 mi · 1 min · South Center Street
2

At end of road, turn right onto US 96

9.1 mi · 10 min · M L Anderson Drive
3

Turn slight left onto TX 87

1.3 mi · 1 min · TX 87
4

Turn right onto TX 7; TX 87

459 ft · 13 sec · Nacogdoches Street
5

Turn left onto TX 7; TX 87

464 ft · 14 sec · Austin Street
6

Turn left onto TX 7; TX 87

463 ft · 8 sec · San Augustine Street
7

Turn right onto TX 87

6.8 mi · 12 min · Shelbyville Street
8

Keep slight left at fork onto FM 417

252 ft · 7 sec · Farm-to-Market Road 417
9

Turn right

98 ft · 7 sec
10

Turn right

80 ft · 5 sec
11

Arrive at destination

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.77 one way

$5.53 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.20 $3.03 $6.05
premium $4.54 $3.27 $6.53
diesel $5.61 $4.04 $8.08

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.5 0 $1.92 $0.88
Efficient EV 4.6 0 $1.60 $0.73
EV Truck/SUV 7.3 0 $2.56 $1.17

Gas CO2

6 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (67% 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 15, 2026

Origin

Tenaha, TX

Evening in Tenaha on Friday

Local time

6:03 PM

CDT

Current temp

56°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Shelbyville, TX

Evening in Shelbyville on Friday

Local time

6:03 PM

CDT

Current temp

72°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

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

26m 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 Tenaha, TX to Shelbyville, TX covers 18.3 miles and takes about 26m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are M L Anderson Drive, Shelbyville Street, TX 87. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 9.2 miles from Tenaha, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.77 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 18.3 miles you will encounter 8 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 0.7 miles (US 96 / M L Anderson Drive): Navigation decision point; at 11.2 miles (TX 7; TX 87 / Austin Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.3 miles (TX 7; TX 87 / San Augustine Street): Navigation decision point.

The route from Tenaha, TX to Shelbyville, 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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