Abilene TX to Odessa TX drive: Time, distance & best stops
The distance from Abilene TX to Odessa TX by car is 170 miles, with a 2h28m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Abilene to Odessa drive are the National WASP WWII Museum, Big Spring State Park and Midland TX.
Finding the best things to do between Abilene TX and Odessa TX
The Abilene to Odessa drive connects two of the bigger, but lesser-visited, cities in Texas.
The first port of call for many visitors in Abilene TX is Frontier Texas, a museum about life in the Old West. Unlike many dreary local history museums, Frontier Texas uses state of the art technology to be as interactive as possible, and the scope is much grander than the immediate local region.
The other really interesting attraction in Abilene TX is the National Center For Children’s Illustrated Literature, which collects the original artwork from beloved children’s books.
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Odessa TX plays host to an ancient meteor crater, which has shifted in shape and size over the centuries. It’s currently about 15ft deep and 550ft wide, with a museum about the history of the crater next to it.
Otherwise, the top attraction is on the University of Texas of the Permian Basin campus, where there is a replica of Stonehenge.
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Abilene to Odessa distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Abilene TX to Odessa TX is 170 miles. You can expect a driving time of around two hours and 28 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-20.
The best stops to add to an Abilene to Odessa road trip itinerary are the National WASP WWII Museum, Big Spring State Park and Midland TX.
Abilene TX to Odessa TX road trip attractions: National WASP WWII Museum
The National WASP WWII Museum in Sweetwater TX takes a look at World War II from an unusual angle. This aviation museum celebrates the efforts and achievements of the Women Airforce Service Pilots. When qualifies pilots were in short supply after Pearl Harbor, these women took on the task of delivering planes to the training bases in the South. They also flight-tested repaired planes before they were returned to active service.
The museum tells their story amid the planes on display.
Abilene TX to Odessa TX drive: Big Spring State Park
Big Spring State Park was created and shaped by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. In the town of Big Spring, TX, this state park is largely centred around Scenic Mountain. It’s not really a mountain, but a 200ft bluff offering sensational views of the surrounding plains. There’s a three mile loop road for hiking and biking, but the best plan is taking a picnic to the top and getting a sense of just how big Texas is.
Best stops between Abilene TX and Odessa TX: Midland TX
Midland TX is very much an oil town, and life revolves around the oil industry. The Permian Basin Petroleum Museum looks at why the oil is there in the first place, and how the region has developed. The city also plays host to the Museum of the Southwest, which covers art, science and regional history. The museum also has a planetarium.
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More Abilene TX road trips
Abilene to Amarillo | Abilene to Austin | Abilene TX to Dallas | Abilene to El Paso | Abilene to Fort Worth | Abilene to Houston | Abilene to Lubbock | Abilene TX to Midland TX | Abilene to San Angelo | Abilene to San Antonio.