Dallas to Houston drive: Distance, time & best road trip stops

Planning a Dallas to Houston road trip itinerary

The Dallas to Houston drive connects the two biggest cities in Texas.

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.

The top Houston attraction is unquestionably the NASA Space Center, which takes you behind the scenes of the Johnson Space Center. This includes the Mission Briefing Center, and a vast array of high tech exhibitions.

Other attractions include the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Children’s Museum

For more Houston experiences, try hip hop party bike tours, foodie walks in the Montrose neighbourhood and quirky tours of Houston’s tunnel system.

Top Houston accommodation options include the superb value Club Quarters Houston Downtown and the upscale but boutique Magnolia.

Dallas to Houston distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Dallas to Houston is 239 miles. You can expect a driving time of around three hours and 36 minutes. The quickest route is almost entirely down the I-45.

The best stops to add to a Dallas to Houston road trip itinerary are Corsicana TX, Fort Boggy State Park and Huntsville TX.

Dallas to Houston road trip attractions: Corsicana TX

The derrick in Petroleum Park, Corsicana, marks the birthplace of the oil industry in Texas. That’s largely just a photo stop, but visitors to Corsicana can also admire the heritage buildings at Pioneer Village or taste wines at the Angelita Vineyard..

Other options while in town include learning about the Civil War in the Pearce Museum and swimming in Lake Halbert.

Dallas to Houston drive: Fort Boggy State Park

Roughly halfway between Dallas and Houston, Fort Boggy State Park is a good spot for stretching the legs. It is based around Sullivan Lake, which is a popular spot for catching rainbow trout, sunfish and largemouth bass.

Kayak rentals are also available by the lake, while swimming is permitted.

For walkers, the 1.5 mile Lake Trail and two mile woodland Nature Trail bring wildflowers and birds.

Best stops between Dallas and Houston: Huntsville TX

On the edge of both the Sam Houston National Forest and Huntsville State Park, Huntsville also has a couple of cultural attractions worth considering.

This is where Sam Houston, first president of the Republic of Texas, died. The Sam Houston Memorial Museum on the family homestead tells his story and, with it, that of Texas.

The other key attraction in Huntsville is the Texas Prison Museum, which looks at prison life and the criminal justice system.

The skyline of Downtown Houston, Texas.
The skyline of Downtown Houston, Texas. Photo by Alex/ Pixabay.

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