Dallas to Lake Charles drive: Distance, time and best stops
The best road trip stops on the Dallas to Lake Charles drive are Corsicana TX, Huntsville TX and Beaumont TX. The distance from Dallas to Lake Charles by car is 342 miles, with a 5h24m driving time.
Planning a Dallas to Lake Charles road trip itinerary
The Dallas to Lake Charles drive takes you from north Texas to western Louisiana.
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.
How to do the JFK sites in Dallas
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.
Most visitors to Lake Charles are there for the casino resorts – the Golden Nugget is the classic option. However, you can enjoy more wholesome activities, including picnicking and walking the trails around Prien Lake Park and driving the 26 mile Creole Nature Trail. This rural drive links lakes, marshes, Gulf beaches and plenty of wildlife.
Dallas to Beaumont TX distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Dallas to Lake Charles LA is 342 miles. That makes for a driving time of around five hours and 24 minutes.
The best stops to add to a Dallas to Lake Charles road trip are Corsicana TX, Huntsville TX and Beaumont TX.
Dallas to Lake Charles 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.
Best stops between Dallas and Lake Charles: 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.
Dallas to Lake Charles drive: Beaumont TX
Beaumont TX is just west of the Louisiana border. The top attraction is the Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum, located on the site of a 1901 oil strike that changed West Texas forever. It’s a recreated town, with rebuilt historic buildings, and plenty of Texas oil history.
Also worth looking at is the McFaddin-Ward House Museum, a heritage home with original art and furnishings. It gives a good idea of how much money was sloshing around in the early 20th century.
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