Origin
Wylie, TX
Night in Wylie on Tuesday
Local time
11:23 PM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wylie, TX to Brownsville, TX
Data updated 3 hours ago
Drive Time
10h 10m
Distance
552.6 mi
889 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$84
one way
EV Charging
Loading...
station data
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
10h 1m
★
6 AM
10h 10m
8 AM
10h 29m
10 AM
10h 17m
12 PM
10h 15m
3 PM
10h 18m
5 PM
10h 28m
8 PM
10h 5m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wylie, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Brownsville, TX
Eddie O.
Trip Overview
This 552.6-mile journey from Wylie, Texas, to Brownsville, Texas, is a significant undertaking, estimated to take around 10 hours and 10 minutes of pure driving time. Given the duration, it's best suited for a two-day trip, allowing for a more relaxed pace and time to rest. The route primarily utilizes U.S. Highway 77, South R L Thornton Freeway, and TX 130 Toll, with 88% of the drive on highways. Budget approximately $84 for fuel. Traveling across the vast Great Plains region of Texas, this long-distance drive offers a straightforward path through the state.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
276.3 miles from Wylie, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 58m into the drive .
Loading map...
Drive Character
Expect an 88% highway experience on this 552.6-mile route. The majority of your time will be spent on high-speed roads, with the longest uninterrupted stretch covering 105 miles on U.S. Highway 77. While much of the drive involves efficient travel, the transition onto and off of major highways like the South R L Thornton Freeway and TX 130 Toll will shape the driving experience. It's largely a long-distance, highway-focused trip designed for covering ground efficiently.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 49 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
U.S. Highway 77 is the longest continuous segment at about 105 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on U.S. Highway 77 and South R L Thornton Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 12 miles in.
Route Complexity
10/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
This is a demanding drive. With 29 significant decision points across 552.6 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 12 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 27.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 29 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
12 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 30: Texarkana, Dallas
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 30: Texarkana, Dallas
7
12.2 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 30 West: Dallas
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 30 West: Dallas
8
27.9 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward I 35E: Denton, Waco
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 46A
Toward I 35E: Denton, Waco
9
28.6 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 35E North, I 35E South: Denton, Waco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 35E North, I 35E South: Denton, Waco
7
28.6 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 35E South: Waco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
Toward I 35E South: Waco
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Wylie, TX and Brownsville, TX, road signs point toward Waco, Denton and Dallas Zoo.
Waco
27.9 mi in
|
~38m
Denton
28.4 mi in
|
~39m
Dallas Zoo
29.5 mi in
|
~40m
|
via I 35E
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Highway 77 | 105 mi | 1h 56m |
| South R L Thornton Freeway | 89.9 mi | 1h 32m |
| TX 130 Toll | 58.5 mi | 54m |
| TX 80 | 51.2 mi | 56m |
| South US Highway 181 | 40.2 mi | 45m |
| Purple Heart Trail | 37.9 mi | 39m |
| I 69E | 31.3 mi | 33m |
| I 35 | 26.5 mi | 26m |
Longest stretch:
U.S. Highway 77
— 105 mi, about 1h 56m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wylie, TX and Brownsville, TX.
1
Start on North Ballard Avenue
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
North Ballard Avenue
2
Continue on Sachse Road
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Sachse Road
3
Turn left onto Merritt Road
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Merritt Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward PGBT Toll East
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
5
Merge onto PGBT
6.2 mi
·
6 min
·
President George Bush Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 30: Texarkana, Dallas
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 30 West: Dallas
Use the slight right lane.
8
Merge onto I 30; US 67
15 mi
·
17 min
·
I 30; US 67
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 46A
Toward I 35E: Denton, Waco
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
Toward I 35E South, I 35E North: Waco, Denton
11
Keep slight left at fork
221 ft
·
5 sec
Toward I 35E North, I 35E South: Denton, Waco
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
30 sec
Toward I 35E South: Waco
Use the left / right lanes.
13
Continue on I 35E
0.5 mi
·
44 sec
·
South R L Thornton Freeway
14
Continue on I 35E
89 mi
·
1 hr 31 min
·
South R L Thornton Freeway
Exit 426
Toward Dallas Zoo
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on I 35; US 77
6.6 mi
·
7 min
·
North Jack Kultgen Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Continue on I 35
38 mi
·
39 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35
26 mi
·
26 min
·
I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
55 sec
Exit 265
Toward TX 130 Toll South: San Antonio
Use the slight right lane.
19
Continue on TX 130 Toll
59 mi
·
54 min
·
TX 130 Toll
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 470
Toward US 183 South: Lockhart
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Continue on US 183
0.5 mi
·
35 sec
·
United States Highway 183
22
Continue on US 183
4.9 mi
·
8 min
·
North Colorado Street
23
Continue on US 183
10 mi
·
11 min
·
US 183
24
Continue on US 183
4.2 mi
·
6 min
·
North Magnolia Avenue
25
Continue on TX 80
51 mi
·
56 min
·
TX 80
26
Turn slight left onto FM 792
8.4 mi
·
10 min
·
Farm-to-Market Road 792
27
Continue on TX 72; TX 239
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East Main Street
28
Turn left onto US 181
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
South Sunset Strip Drive
29
Continue on US 181
40 mi
·
45 min
·
South US Highway 181
30
Continue on US 181
0.8 mi
·
55 sec
·
North 8th Street
31
Continue on US 181
16 mi
·
18 min
·
US Highway 181 South
32
Take the exit onto US 181
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
US 181
33
Keep slight right at fork onto US 181
213 ft
·
5 sec
·
US Route 181
34
Turn straight onto US 181
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
US Highway 181
35
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
36
Merge onto US 77
12 mi
·
13 min
·
US 77
37
Take the exit onto US 77
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
US 77
Toward I 37, US 77, I 69E
38
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
39
Merge onto I 37; US 77; I 69E
2.5 mi
·
2 min
·
I 37; US 77; I 69E
Use the straight lane.
40
Take the exit onto I 69E; US 77
31 mi
·
33 min
·
I 69E; US 77
Toward I 69E, US 77: Kingsville, Brownsville
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
41
Keep slight left at fork onto US 77
61 mi
·
1 hr 9 min
·
U.S. Highway 77
42
Keep slight left at fork onto I 69E; US 77
44 mi
·
46 min
·
U.S. Highway 77
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
43
Continue on I 69E; US 77; US 83
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North Expressway
44
Keep slight left at fork onto I 69E; US 77; US 83
9.0 mi
·
10 min
·
North Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
45
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 1B
Toward 12th-14th Street
Use the slight right lane.
46
Turn straight onto South Expressway
331 ft
·
8 sec
·
South Expressway
47
Turn right onto East 12th Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
East 12th Street
Use the right lane.
48
Turn right onto US 77 Business
29 ft
·
0 sec
·
East Washington Street
49
Arrive at destination
US 77 Business
Trip Plan
To make the most of this 10-hour, 10-minute drive, breaking it into two days is highly recommended. Aim to depart early in the morning to maximize daylight driving. With two planned stops along the way, you can ensure you're taking breaks every few hours. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the longest stretch of 105 miles on U.S. Highway 77, as services might be less frequent. Planning your overnight stop roughly halfway, around the 5-hour mark, will provide a good balance for each day's travel.
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 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 276.3 miles from Wylie, TX, or about 4h 58m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 105 miles.
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 122 miles or 2h 16m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 276.3 miles or 4h 58m 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 276.3 miles or 4h 58m
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 9h 4m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Brownsville, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Wylie, 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 Wylie, TX
Aim for roughly 276 miles and 5.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Brownsville, TX
Aim for roughly 276 miles and 5.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 122 miles from Wylie, TX.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on U.S. Highway 77 for about 105 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 276.3 mi from Wylie, TX · 4h 58m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
182 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
365 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 San Antonio, TXOvernight Options
Night 1
276 mi · about 5.1h in
A practical overnight split lands near Austin, TX after about 276 miles or 5.1 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 122 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 276.3 miles from Wylie, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before U.S. Highway 77 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 105 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 276 miles or 5.1 hours on the road.
Arriving in Brownsville, TX
The final approach into Brownsville, 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 Brownsville, TX.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Brownsville, TX with some flexibility left in the schedule.
After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$83.50 one way
$167.00 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
193 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $91.40 | $182.79 |
| premium | $4.54 | $98.66 | $197.33 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $122.01 | $244.01 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.49
President George Bush Turnpike
(6.2 mi)
$0.49
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$84
Tolls
$0
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$214–$324
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 193.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $58 in charging · 2 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 165.8 | 2 | $58.02 | $26.52 |
| Efficient EV | 138.2 | 1 | $48.35 | $22.10 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 221 | 2 | $77.36 | $35.37 |
Gas CO2
193 kg
EV CO2
65 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
Brownsville, TX
Night in Brownsville on Tuesday
Local time
11:23 PM
CDT
Current temp
79°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.
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
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
20 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
10h 10m 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 Wylie, TX to Brownsville, TX covers 552.6 miles and takes about 10h 10m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are U.S. Highway 77, South R L Thornton Freeway, TX 130 Toll. 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 276 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 276.3 miles from Wylie, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $83.50 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 2 meaningful breaks 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 29 significant decision points across 552.6 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 12 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 27.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Wylie, TX and Brownsville, TX, road signs point toward Waco, Denton and Dallas Zoo.
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