How far is Austin, TX from Melissa, TX?

The driving distance from Austin, TX to Melissa, TX is about 234.6 miles (377.6 km), with a travel time of about 04h 10m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 219.6 miles (353.4 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 08h 20m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM CDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
234.6 mi
04h 10m
Flight
219.61 mi
353.43 km direct

This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Austin.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
219.61 mi
Kilometers
353.43 km
Flight Time
00h 26m

Driving Distance

Road route
234.6 mi
Kilometers
377.55 km
Drive Time
04h 10m

Gas Cost Calculator

Leave and Arrive Planner

Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.

Drive time stays fixed at 04h 10m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Melissa
Mon, Apr 20, 2:36 PM CDT
Return by in Austin
Mon, Apr 20, 6:46 PM CDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Austin
2026-04-20T10:25
Arrive Melissa
Mon, Apr 20, 2:36 PM CDT
Route Timing
04h 10m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
6:00 AM to 8:00 AM CDT
Leave early for more breathing room
Arrive between
10:10 AM to 12:10 PM CDT

An early departure helps you fit a real stop into the day without turning the return into a late-night drive.

Leave by
8:40 AM CDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 04h 00m at the destination.
Back in Austin
9:00 PM CDT
Early departure recommended

You are leaving earlier than the recommended window, which gives you extra margin for breaks and traffic.

Halfway Point

A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.

Mid-route stop
West
TX

City in McLennan County, Texas

From Austin
117.5 mi
02h 05m
To Melissa
117.1 mi
02h 05m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
57°F
Overnight

Showers And Thunderstorms Likely

Starts
Mon, Apr 20 3:00 AM CDT
Wind
0 mph
Destination
73°F
Monday

Partly Sunny

Starts
Mon, Apr 20 6:00 AM CDT
Wind
0 to 10 mph SE

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Austin and Melissa.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Austin and Melissa.

  1. 1

    Start on East 5th Street

    1836 ft · 52 sec · East 5th Street

  2. 2

    Turn left onto Red River Street

    711 ft · 20 sec · Red River Street

  3. 3

    Turn right onto East 7th Street

    757 ft · 17 sec · East 7th Street

  4. 4

    Turn left onto North Interstate 35

    928 ft · 27 sec · North Interstate 35

  5. 5

    Take the ramp slight left toward I 35 North, US 290 East

    906 ft · 22 sec

  6. 6

    Merge slight left onto Purple Heart Trail

    2985 ft · 42 sec · Purple Heart Trail

  7. 7

    Keep slight right to continue on Purple Heart Trail

    95.6 mi · 1 hr 40 min · Purple Heart Trail

  8. 8

    Continue on South Jack Kultgen Expressway

    6.6 mi · 8 min · South Jack Kultgen Expressway

  9. 9

    Continue on Purple Heart Trail

    33 mi · 33 min · Purple Heart Trail

  10. 10

    Keep slight right to continue on I 35E: Dallas

    56.2 mi · 58 min

  11. 11

    Take the exit slight right toward I 30 East: Texarkana, Riverfront Boulevard, Griffin Street

    2094 ft · 42 sec

  12. 12

    Keep slight left to continue on I 35E North, I 30 West: Denton, Fort Worth, Texarkana

    129 m · 6 sec

  13. 13

    Keep slight right to continue on I 30 East: Texarkana, Convention Center

    2206 ft · 33 sec

  14. 14

    Keep slight left to continue on I 30 East: Texarkana

    117 m · 6 sec

  15. 15

    Continue on East R L Thornton Freeway

    1.2 km · 1 min · East R L Thornton Freeway

  16. 16

    Take the exit slight right toward I 45, US 75: Houston, McKinney

    2421 ft · 46 sec

  17. 17

    Keep slight left to continue on US 75 North: McKinney

    2512 ft · 1 min

  18. 18

    Keep slight right to continue on US 75 North: McKinney, Bryan Street East

    1697 ft · 27 sec

  19. 19

    Merge slight left onto Julius Schepps Freeway

    1.2 km · 49 sec · Julius Schepps Freeway

  20. 20

    Continue on North Central Expressway

    35.1 mi · 38 min · North Central Expressway

  21. 21

    Take the exit slight right toward TX 121 North: Bonham

    1.1 km · 1 min

  22. 22

    Continue on Sam Rayburn Highway

    1 mi · 1 min · Sam Rayburn Highway

  23. 23

    Turn left onto McKinney Street

    1.1 mi · 2 min · McKinney Street

  24. 24

    Turn right onto West Cooper Street

    114 m · 17 sec · West Cooper Street

  25. 25

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · West Cooper Street

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Austin and Melissa.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Interchange-aware route

The drive includes several ramps, exits, or merges, so checking the next few maneuvers before busy interchanges is useful.

Directions
25 steps
5 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
6
2 merges, 4 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
10.7 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Purple Heart Trail
129 mi · 55%
I 35E
56.2 mi · 24%
North Central Expressway
35.1 mi · 15%
South Jack Kultgen Expressway
6.63 mi · 3%
McKinney Street
1.12 mi
Sam Rayburn Highway
1 mi
Longest Stretch

Purple Heart Trail

Keep slight right to continue on Purple Heart Trail

95.6 mi · 01h 40m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

A longer out-and-back drive

This is still possible in one day, but it becomes a long driving day. Leaving early and planning your stop window matters more here.

Drive Time
04h 10m
Long day trip
Same-Day Return
08h 20m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+15 mi
219.6 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
West
02h 05m from Austin
Leave By
8:40 AM CDT
Early departure recommended
Weather Watch

Showers And Thunderstorms Likely leaving Austin and Partly Sunny near Melissa.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Austin to Melissa?

The road trip is about 234.6 miles (377.6 km) and usually takes 04h 10m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This is still possible in one day, but it becomes a long driving day. Leaving early and planning your stop window matters more here.

What is the halfway point on this route?

West is a useful midpoint, sitting about 117.5 miles from Austin and 117.1 miles from Melissa.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 219.6 miles (353.4 km), while the road route adds roughly 15 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.

When is the best time to leave for this route?

A good departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM CDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 8:40 AM CDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $31.29 one way or $62.58 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 73.6 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Showers And Thunderstorms Likely around Austin and Partly Sunny near Melissa.

Stop Ideas Near West

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around West, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to West.

BUS

Waco, TX

28 mi away
301 South 8th Street
RAIL

McGregor

50 mi away
1 Amtrak Blvd.
RAIL

Cleburne

67 mi away
206 North Border St.
RAIL

Temple

82 mi away
315 West Ave B

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Austin and Melissa. Straight-line distance: 219.61 mi (353.43 km).

Austin

#1 Austin

The eleventh most populous city in the United States and the center of the Austin metropolitan area.

Population995,484
Coordinates30.2671500, -97.7430600
Altitude149
CountryUnited States
Melissa

#2 Melissa

City in Collin County, Texas, United States

Population13,793
Coordinates33.2859500, -96.5727700
Altitude207
CountryUnited States
Start: Austin (-97.74306, 30.26715)
End: Melissa (-96.57277, 33.28595)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 378 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)07h 49m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)05h 51m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)04h 41m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)03h 54m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)03h 21m
80 mph (129 km/h)02h 55m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
8.28 gal
31.34 L · about $31.29
Round trip
$62.58
16.56 gal · 62.68 L
Estimated CO2
73.6 kg one way
Round trip: 147.2 kg / 325 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.78 $31.29 $62.58
Mid-grade $4.25 $35.21 $70.41
Premium $4.59 $38.01 $76.03
Diesel $3.99 $33.06 $66.12

Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.

Prices in Texas · Apr 20, 2026

There is no time difference between Austin and Melissa. The current time is 10:25:42.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.