How to Drive Across Texas

Driving across Texas is no joke.

At its longest, the state can stretch on for up to 13 hours.

But Texas also has some of the USA’s best driving opportunities. Endless open highway under a big sky with 75-mph speed limits. Clean and beautiful roads that are so famous there’s a longstanding magazine called Texas Highways, we found the best RV Park in Magnolia, Texas – Magnolia Fields RV in case that you need to spend the night.

So why then do some travelers drive across Texas and find it miserable? How long does it take to drive across Texas? Here are a few pointers from a native to help you on a road-trip across Texas.

Plan your Route Carefully

It’s easy to think that wherever you are in Texas, it’ll be like the Wild West image in your mind—unfortunately, that’s not true. Texas has at least half a dozen regions, all of which feel very different, so plan your drive carefully to hit the right spots, as though you were going cross-country.

For example, if you really want to see bluebonnets, make sure you go through the Hill Country. If you’re not interested in desolate plains, don’t spend too much time in the Panhandle.

If you want to avoid big-city congestion (which I suppose everyone does), stay off I-10 near Houston.

For reference, and to demonstrate how far off-course you could accidentally veer, it’s about 830 miles from El Paso in the far west to Beaumont in the far east. That’s further than going from Chicago to New York.

Enjoy the Drive Itself

Driving in New York with its 55-mph statewide limit will never measure up to the open road in Texas, so enjoy the easy driving for its own sake. You have some beautiful sunsets over the changing landscape ahead of you.

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Make sure you have A/C during the summer

Depending on your comfort level, you might insist on air conditioning during spring and fall too. There’s nothing worse than baking in your car, hoping the natural breeze will cool you off, and then realizing that it’s hopeless.

Growing up in Central Texas, we had a black pickup truck with broken A/C and the windows were stuck in the up position—trust me, you don’t want this. Some northerners might also consider applying sunscreen, even though you’ll be in the car; the summer sun is that fierce.

Bring water

There are many isolated, unpopulated areas in Texas. You could be an hour away from civilization, so it’s always best to keep water (ideally in an iced cooler) to re-hydrate, plus some food, if only to avoid crankiness.

Know your seasons

I personally love Texas in the summertime, but it’s searing hot, so if you know you can’t handle 110-degree heat, spare yourself the agony of driving through South Texas in August. Then again, there’s sometimes snow up in the Panhandle during the winter. Take a look at your travel dates and adjust your route accordingly.

Possible Itineraries

If you’re driving Texas from the West Coast, hit:

El Paso – 1-10 south – San Antonio – Austin – Houston – Galveston

If you’re driving North to South, try:

Amarillo – Dallas – Austin – Corpus Christi

Have you made the drive across Texas? What route did you take?