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Anyone driven to Texas

FarminCy

FarminCy

Well-Known Member
Nov 14, 2009
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Nowhere and Everywhere
Forgot I had to be in Texas and didn't book a flight early enough. All that is left now is 900-1400 round trip that has 2 stops heading down with overnight layovers. I can get a car rented for about 150 (plus gas) to drive down and catch a one way flight back for about 280 bucks.

I know it will be a haul and the distance doesn't bother me but is getting through DFW and Austin going to be a pain. I'm assuming just avoid the prime drive times and should be OK.

Anyone else done this and is it doable to hit San Antonio in under 14 hours.
 
Done it several times (to Iowa from College Station) by myself. 14 hours to San Antonio is tight but do able if you don't mind the chance of a ticket. Go to the Ft. Worth side of DFW.
 
We drive to San Antonio every year. Starting about a half hour outside of Dallas all the way to San Antonio is pure hell.

Are you leaving from Ames/DSM? 14 hours is possible if you hit Dallas and Austin at the right times.
 
Great places to speed: On the Kansas Turnpike. Bad Places to speed: In Kansas not on the turnpike.

Speeding Oklahoma is ok as well. I've been pulled over twice in OK, but got off with a warning both times.

I normally go about 15 over on that trip.
 
I went from near the DFW airport to Ames in just under 12 hours. Wife, 3 kids and my mother. Drove from 8 at night to 8 in the morning. The drive from KC to DSM was awful slow and boring!!
 
Leaving DSM. I travel to Oklahoma a couple times a year so I've got that part figured out. Just have never gone past OKC driving so that is my big question mark.

I have heard that Dallas and south is horrible and that's why I was wondering if it's even doable. I should be hitting DFW about 8-10 PM so I'm hoping things should be cleared up by then.
 
The I35 stretch from IA to DFW wasn't bad at all.

I took I45 to Galveston, that was a quagmire. Clogged with traffic the entire length. That was also about 9 years ago though.
 
MNCYWX said:
The I35 stretch from IA to DFW wasn't bad at all.

I took I45 to Galveston, that was a quagmire. Clogged with traffic the entire length. That was also about 9 years ago though.
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I45 blows. Some places in the middle of nowhere that are 65mph where they should be 80mph. Dumb. Only drove that road once when I lived in TX.
 
Driven this trip numerous times. You hit Dallas and you feel like you should be almost there , nope only about halfway. I used to drive DM to SAN in 15.45 thats if you get really lucky in austin. Highly suggest paying the tole and bypass around austin. I think its like $12
 
There is major construction on I35W between Denton and Ft Worth. Lanes are being added. Right now, I think they are working at the US 287/81 split, but they might even be further north by now. I don't know what I35E is like because I don't drive that side, but I can almost guarantee you that I35W will be a nightmare unless you happen to hit a very non peak time.

As I recall, there is also widening going on on I35E, but maybe somebody from that side can update what is going on there and with US75. There may not really be a good route through DFW right now...
 
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FarminCy said:
Leaving DSM. I travel to Oklahoma a couple times a year so I've got that part figured out. Just have never gone past OKC driving so that is my big question mark.

I have heard that Dallas and south is horrible and that's why I was wondering if it's even doable. I should be hitting DFW about 8-10 PM so I'm hoping things should be cleared up by then.
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14 should be doable then as Austin won't suck as much, unless your doing it on a Friday night.
 
I did Ames to Houston last year. Made it in ~14 hours. Cut the corner a bit, heading down US 69 in Eastern OK. This way, we avoided Tulsa, OKC, etc.

Wasn't too bad, we left Ames around 6 AM, hit Dallas probably around rush hour and it wasn't so bad. Perhaps we got lucky.
 
Somebody already mentioned it...but the I35 split through DFW is a crapshoot most of the time. Whichever one has the least construction on it is the best option. :)
 
jbhtexas said:
There is major construction on I35W between Denton and Ft Worth. Lanes are being added. Right now, I think they are working at the US 287/81 split, but they might even be further north by now. I don't know what I35E is like because I don't drive that side, but I can almost guarantee you that I35W will be a nightmare unless you happen to hit a very non peak time.

As I recall, there is also widening going on on I35E, but maybe somebody from that side can update what is going on there and with US75. There may not really be a good route through DFW right now...
Click to expand...

Im on 75 daily and north of downtown, no construction, but I'd stay off 75 anytime between 7-9 and 4-7 or so.

DFW just sucks for traffic.
 
sunnysideup said:
I did Houston straight through to Ames back in 2002. Started out at 8:30am and got into Ames at midnight.
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You were flying! We drove to Houston one year for spring break (a long time ago), straight through. I think we had 9 hours drive outside of Texas and 9 hours in. Left at five and arrived about 11 pm.
 
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