Dallas to El Paso road trip: Drive time, distance and best stops

Planning a Dallas to El Paso road trip itinerary

The Dallas to El Paso drive takes you from the biggest city in north Texas to the Mexican border in the far west of the state.

El Paso has plenty of stories behind it, some of which are covered on the Ghosts, Haunted Cowboys and Outlaws tour. You can also explore the surrounding landscape on a UTV adventure tour, or going biking, hiking and rock-climbing in Franklin Mountains State Park.

As for other El Paso attractions, the National Border Patrol Museum looks at the work of those who monitor the US’ borders, with a little bit too much emphasis on weaponry. The El Paso Museum of Archaeology, meanwhile, looks at the prehistory of the South West.

Dallas has plenty of high quality cultural attractions. These include the Nasher Scupture Center, Pioneer Square and the Perot Museum of Science and Nature.

But for many visitors, the main reason to visit Dallas is the JFK assassination. Yes, you can go up to the Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald supposedly took his shot from.

Top Dallas experiences include a JFK Assassination and Museum tour, the GeO-Deck at Reunion Tower and a self-guided scavenger hunt.

Top Dallas accommodation choices include the plush Hyatt Regency downtown and the charismatically luxurious Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek.

The best way to combine the JFK sites in Dallas is a special themed tour. This takes in the JFK Memorial, Dealey Plaza and the Grassy Knoll before heading to Lee Harvey Oswald’s rooming house. It finishes in the Sixth Floor Museum of the Texas Book Depository. On the way, expert guides take you through the assassination facts and theories. Find out more here.

Dallas to El Paso distance and driving time

But how far is El Paso from Dallas?

By car, the distance from Dallas to El Paso is 635 miles. That makes for a driving time of around nine hours and 24 minutes. The quickest route goes along the I-30, I-20 and I-10.

The best stops to add to your Dallas to El Paso road trip itinerary are Abilene TX, Midland TX and Balmorhea State Park.

Best stops between Dallas and El Paso: Abilene TX

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.

Best stops between Dallas and El Paso: 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. 

Dallas to El Paso drive: Balmorhea State Park

Balmorhea State Park in Toyahvale TX is home to the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool. More than 15 million gallons of water flow through this 1.3 million acre pool on a daily basis, fed by the San Solomon Springs. It’s naturally heated, too, with the water temperature at a steady 72 to 76 degrees all year. It’s also possible to go Scuba diving here.

El Paso, Texas.
El Paso, Texas. Photo by 02019/ Pixabay.

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