Houston to El Paso road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time
The distance from Houston to El Paso by car is 746 miles, with a 10h37m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Houston to El Paso drive are San Antonio, the Caverns of Sonora and Balmorhea State Park.
Planning a Houston to El Paso road trip itinerary
The Houston to El Paso drive takes you across Texas from east to west.
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.
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.
To track down the best El Paso hotel deals, head here.
Houston to El Paso distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Houston to El Paso is 746 miles. That makes for a driving time of around 10 hours and 37 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-10.
The best stops to add to a Houston to El Paso road trip itinerary are San Antonio, the Caverns of Sonora and Balmorhea State Park.
Best stops between Houston and El Paso: San Antonio
San Antonio’s most famous site is the Alamo, a fortified Spanish mission that played host to a critical battle in the Texas Revolution. It’s far from the only historic building in the city, though – the San Fernando Cathedral and San Antonio Missions National Historical Park are both visually impressive. It’s worth taking a guided tour of the missions for better understanding.
Further attractions include San Antonio Zoo, the Sea Life aquarium, the magic show at the Magicians Agency Theater and the Hopscotch Immersive Art Experience.
Other San Antonio experiences worth considering are the haunted ghost bus tour, downtown food tours, hop-on hop-off buses and Segway tours.
Book ahead for San Antonio accommodation deals. But try the Hotel Emma for five star opulence and the Canopy by Hilton for youthful energy on the Riverwalk.
Houston to El Paso road trip attractions: Caverns of Sonora
Sonora TX is where the Texas Hill Country rubs up against the Chihuahuan Desert. The unusual geography here throws up a few oddities, with the Caverns of Sonora being a case in point.
The Caverns of Sonora is essentially a corridor of crystal, 155ft below the earth’s surface. The guided tours last one hour and 45 minutes, showing off the extensive cave decorations. Expect to navigate 360 stairs on the way.
Houston 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.
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