How far is Houston, TX from Los Angeles, CA?
The driving distance from Houston, TX to Los Angeles, CA is about 1546.1 miles (2488.2 km), with a travel time of about 26h 23m by car.
- The straight-line flight distance is about 1371.2 miles (2206.8 km).
- For a round trip, plan for roughly 52h 47m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
- A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM CDT.
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.
This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.
Flight Distance
Driving Distance
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 26h 23m.
Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.
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.
City in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States of America
Route Weather Snapshot
Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.
Mostly Cloudy then Chance Rain Showers
Mostly Sunny
Driving Route Map
The map below follows the saved road route between Houston and Los Angeles.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Houston and Los Angeles.
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1
Start on Louisiana Street
761 ft · 25 sec · Louisiana Street
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2
Take the ramp straight toward I 10 West: San Antonio
2149 ft · 52 sec
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3
Merge slight right onto Katy Freeway
174.9 mi · 3 hr 2 min · Katy Freeway
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4
Keep slight left
1.9 mi · 2 min
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5
Take the exit slight right toward TX 1518: Schertz
599 ft · 15 sec
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6
Turn straight onto Interstate 10 East
629 ft · 19 sec · Interstate 10 East
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7
Turn right onto Farm-to-Market Road 1518
5.4 mi · 10 min · Farm-to-Market Road 1518
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8
At the end of the road, turn left onto Gordon A Blake Highway
2 mi · 3 min · Gordon A Blake Highway
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9
Turn left
1087 ft · 22 sec
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10
Take the ramp slight right toward Loop 1604 North
81 m · 7 sec
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11
Merge slight left onto Anderson Loop
20.4 mi · 22 min · Anderson Loop
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12
Take the exit slight right toward Frontage Road
841 ft · 21 sec
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13
Turn straight onto North Loop 1604 West
1183 ft · 26 sec · North Loop 1604 West
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14
Turn right onto Interstate 10 West
1450 ft · 25 sec · Interstate 10 West
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15
Take the ramp slight left toward I 10 West, US 87 North
811 ft · 20 sec
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16
Merge slight left
1.1 mi · 1 min
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17
Keep slight right
543.1 mi · 8 hr 43 min
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18
Continue on Camino Real de Tierra Adentro
1.1 mi · 1 min · Camino Real de Tierra Adentro
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19
Keep slight left to continue on Camino Real de Tierra Adentro
11 mi · 13 min · Camino Real de Tierra Adentro
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20
Continue on Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
164.4 mi · 2 hr 48 min · Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
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21
Continue on Benson-Steins Pass Highway
88.4 mi · 1 hr 29 min · Benson-Steins Pass Highway
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22
Continue on Tucson-Benson Highway
42.9 mi · 45 min · Tucson-Benson Highway
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23
Continue on South Freeway
6 mi · 7 min · South Freeway
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24
Continue on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
3.7 mi · 4 min · Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
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25
Keep slight left to continue on Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
50.7 mi · 51 min · Casa Grande-Tucson Highway
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26
Continue on Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
38.1 mi · 39 min · Phoenix-Casa Grande Highway
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27
Continue on Maricopa Freeway
12 mi · 14 min · Maricopa Freeway
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28
Keep slight left to continue on Papago Freeway
2 mi · 2 min · Papago Freeway
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29
Keep slight left to continue on Papago Freeway
2.7 mi · 3 min · Papago Freeway
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30
Continue on Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel
2756 ft · 36 sec · Dean Lindsey Memorial Tunnel
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31
Continue on Papago Freeway
19.6 mi · 23 min · Papago Freeway
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32
Continue on Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
125.4 mi · 2 hr 7 min · Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
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33
Keep slight right
1312 ft · 16 sec
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34
Merge slight left onto Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
96.8 mi · 1 hr 44 min · Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
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35
Continue on Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway
33.7 mi · 36 min · Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway
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36
Continue on Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
39.9 mi · 44 min · Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
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37
Continue on San Bernardino Freeway
13.9 mi · 16 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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38
Keep slight left to continue on I-10 Metro ExpressLanes
9.3 mi · 10 min · I-10 Metro ExpressLanes
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39
Merge slight right onto San Bernardino Freeway
1.2 mi · 1 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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40
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.4 km · 1 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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41
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.3 mi · 2 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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42
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.9 mi · 2 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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43
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.9 mi · 2 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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44
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.6 mi · 2 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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45
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.4 mi · 2 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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46
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.5 mi · 2 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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47
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.1 mi · 1 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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48
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
2 mi · 2 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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49
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
1.6 mi · 2 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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50
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
2.6 mi · 3 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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51
Keep slight right to continue on San Bernardino Freeway
12.4 mi · 14 min · San Bernardino Freeway
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52
Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway
1.5 km · 1 min · Santa Ana Freeway
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53
Take the exit slight right toward Spring Street
549 ft · 14 sec
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54
Turn right onto North Spring Street
1889 ft · 47 sec · North Spring Street
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55
Turn left onto West 1st Street
108 m · 14 sec · West 1st Street
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56
Arrive at your destination
0 m · 1 sec · West 1st Street
Car Route Details
A richer read on the saved driving route between Houston and Los Angeles.
Long-distance drive
This route is long enough that fuel, rest stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single maneuver.
I 10 West
Keep slight right
543 mi · 08h 43m
Route Summary
A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.
Better with a longer stop
This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.
Mostly Cloudy then Chance Rain Showers leaving Houston and Mostly Sunny near Los Angeles.
Trip Questions
Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.
How long does it take to drive from Houston to Los Angeles?
The road trip is about 1546.1 miles (2488.2 km) and usually takes 26h 23m in normal driving conditions.
Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?
This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.
What is the halfway point on this route?
Vado is a useful midpoint, sitting about 772.2 miles from Houston and 773.9 miles from Los Angeles.
How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?
The direct path is about 1371.2 miles (2206.8 km), while the road route adds roughly 174.9 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 7:30 AM CDT. Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.
How much will gas cost for this route?
Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $206.18 one way or $412.36 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 484.9 kg one way.
Do you cross a time zone on this route?
Yes. There is about a 2 hour time difference between Houston and Los Angeles, so arrival and return times should be read in local time.
What should you check before leaving?
Before you leave, expect Mostly Cloudy then Chance Rain Showers around Houston and Mostly Sunny near Los Angeles.
Stop Ideas Near Vado
Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.
Transit and Meeting Points
Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Vado.
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Union Depot
El Paso (Bus Station), Texas
Deming station
Flight Path Map
This map shows the direct air route between Houston and Los Angeles. Straight-line distance: 1371.22 mi (2206.76 km).
#1 Houston
The fourth most populous city in the United States and the center of the Houston metropolitan area.
| Population | 2,316,120 |
| Coordinates | 29.7632800, -95.3632700 |
| Altitude | 12 |
| Country | United States |
#2 Los Angeles
The second most populous city in the United States and the center of the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
| Population | 3,970,219 |
| Coordinates | 34.0522300, -118.2436800 |
| Altitude | 89 |
| Country | United States |
End: Los Angeles (-118.24368, 34.05223)
Estimated Travel Time
Distance: 2488 km by road
| Speed | Time |
|---|---|
| 30 mph (48.3 km/h) | 51h 30m |
| 40 mph (64.37 km/h) | 38h 39m |
| 50 mph (80.47 km/h) | 30h 55m |
| 60 mph (96.56 km/h) | 25h 46m |
| 70 mph (112.65 km/h) | 22h 05m |
| 80 mph (129 km/h) | 19h 17m |
Fuel, Round Trip and CO2
Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.
| Fuel | $/gal | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular gas | $3.78 | $206.18 | $412.36 |
| Mid-grade | $4.25 | $231.99 | $463.98 |
| Premium | $4.59 | $250.48 | $500.97 |
| Diesel | $3.99 | $217.86 | $435.72 |
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
Distance to Other Cities
Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.