How far is Melissa, TX from Brownsville, TX?

The driving distance from Melissa, TX to Brownsville, TX is about 564.1 miles (907.8 km), with a travel time of about 10h 17m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 513.2 miles (825.9 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 20h 34m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 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
564.07 mi
10h 17m
Flight
513.21 mi
825.93 km direct

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

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Melissa.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
513.21 mi
Kilometers
825.93 km
Flight Time
01h 01m

Driving Distance

Road route
564.07 mi
Kilometers
907.78 km
Drive Time
10h 17m

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 10h 17m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Brownsville
Thu, Apr 23, 10:01 AM CDT
Return by in Melissa
Thu, Apr 23, 8:19 PM CDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Melissa
2026-04-22T23:44
Arrive Brownsville
Thu, Apr 23, 10:01 AM CDT
Route Timing
10h 17m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
6:00 AM to 7:30 AM CDT
Treat this as a longer travel day
Arrive between
4:17 PM to 5:47 PM CDT

Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.

Leave by
3:26 PM CDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 08h 00m at the destination.
Back in Melissa
8:00 PM CDT
Overnight-style route

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
Luling
TX

City in Guadalupe County, Texas, USA

From Melissa
282.7 mi
05h 08m
To Brownsville
281.4 mi
05h 08m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
76°F
Wednesday

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

Starts
Wed, Apr 22 6:00 AM CDT
Wind
5 to 15 mph SSE
Destination
Brownsville Weather
TX
Live fallback forecast
86°F
Wednesday
Using Cameron Park as the closest live forecast in the Cameron County weather hub.

Mostly Sunny

Starts
Wed, Apr 22 6:00 AM CDT
Wind
6 to 12 mph SE

Driving Route Map

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

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

  1. 1

    Start on West Cooper Street

    114 m · 22 sec · West Cooper Street

  2. 2

    Turn left onto McKinney Street

    1 mi · 2 min · McKinney Street

  3. 3

    Turn right onto Sam Rayburn Highway

    1.6 km · 1 min · Sam Rayburn Highway

  4. 4

    Keep slight left to continue on US 75 South, TX 121 South

    1.3 km · 2 min

  5. 5

    Merge slight left onto Central Expressway

    35 mi · 38 min · Central Expressway

  6. 6

    Take the exit slight left toward Downtown, Good-Latimer Expressway

    153 m · 12 sec

  7. 7

    Continue on North Central Expressway

    1.2 km · 1 min · North Central Expressway

  8. 8

    Turn right onto Elm Street

    93 m · 11 sec · Elm Street

  9. 9

    Turn left onto North Pearl Expressway

    1086 ft · 29 sec · North Pearl Expressway

  10. 10

    Turn right onto Young Street

    572 ft · 20 sec · Young Street

  11. 11

    Turn left onto South Harwood Street

    96 m · 8 sec · South Harwood Street

  12. 12

    Turn right onto Canton Street

    2105 ft · 48 sec · Canton Street

  13. 13

    Take the ramp slight left toward I 30 West

    1773 ft · 38 sec

  14. 14

    Keep slight left to continue on I 35E South, I 35E North: Waco, Denton

    607 ft · 15 sec

  15. 15

    Keep slight left to continue on I 35E North, I 35E South: Denton, Waco

    67 m · 5 sec

  16. 16

    Keep slight left to continue on I 35E South: Waco

    1915 ft · 30 sec

  17. 17

    Continue on South R L Thornton Freeway

    2866 ft · 44 sec · South R L Thornton Freeway

  18. 18

    Continue on South R L Thornton Freeway

    89.3 mi · 1 hr 32 min · South R L Thornton Freeway

  19. 19

    Continue on North Jack Kultgen Expressway

    6.6 mi · 8 min · North Jack Kultgen Expressway

  20. 20

    Continue on Purple Heart Trail

    37.9 mi · 39 min · Purple Heart Trail

  21. 21

    Keep slight left

    26.5 mi · 27 min

  22. 22

    Take the exit slight right toward TX 130 Toll South: San Antonio

    1.1 km · 56 sec

  23. 23

    Continue straight

    58.5 mi · 55 min

  24. 24

    Take the exit slight right toward US 183 South: Lockhart

    1219 ft · 30 sec

  25. 25

    Continue on United States Highway 183

    2699 ft · 35 sec · United States Highway 183

  26. 26

    Continue on North Colorado Street

    4.9 mi · 9 min · North Colorado Street

  27. 27

    Continue on US 183

    10.1 mi · 12 min · US 183

  28. 28

    Continue on North Magnolia Avenue

    4.2 mi · 7 min · North Magnolia Avenue

  29. 29

    Continue straight

    51.2 mi · 57 min

  30. 30

    Turn slight left onto Farm-to-Market Road 792

    8.4 mi · 11 min · Farm-to-Market Road 792

  31. 31

    Continue on East Main Street

    1.3 km · 1 min · East Main Street

  32. 32

    Turn left onto South Sunset Strip Drive

    1.2 mi · 1 min · South Sunset Strip Drive

  33. 33

    Continue on South US Highway 181

    40.2 mi · 46 min · South US Highway 181

  34. 34

    Continue on North 8th Street

    1.3 km · 56 sec · North 8th Street

  35. 35

    Continue on US Highway 181 South

    16.1 mi · 18 min · US Highway 181 South

  36. 36

    Take the exit slight right

    1648 ft · 45 sec

  37. 37

    Keep slight right to continue on US Route 181

    65 m · 6 sec · US Route 181

  38. 38

    Turn straight onto US Highway 181

    1.1 km · 1 min · US Highway 181

  39. 39

    Take the ramp right

    1926 ft · 47 sec

  40. 40

    Merge slight left

    11.9 mi · 14 min

  41. 41

    Take the exit straight toward I 37, US 77, I 69E

    538 ft · 13 sec

  42. 42

    Keep slight left

    1965 ft · 48 sec

  43. 43

    Merge slight right

    2.5 mi · 2 min

  44. 44

    Take the exit slight right toward I 69E, US 77: Kingsville, Brownsville

    31.3 mi · 34 min

  45. 45

    Keep slight left to continue on U.S. Highway 77

    61.3 mi · 1 hr 9 min · U.S. Highway 77

  46. 46

    Keep slight left to continue on U.S. Highway 77

    43.7 mi · 47 min · U.S. Highway 77

  47. 47

    Continue on North Expressway

    2.1 mi · 2 min · North Expressway

  48. 48

    Keep slight left to continue on North Expressway

    9 mi · 10 min · North Expressway

  49. 49

    Take the exit slight right toward 12th-14th Street

    1730 ft · 42 sec

  50. 50

    Turn straight onto South Expressway

    101 m · 9 sec · South Expressway

  51. 51

    Turn right onto East 12th Street

    1.2 km · 2 min · East 12th Street

  52. 52

    Turn right onto East Washington Street

    9 m · 1 sec · East Washington Street

  53. 53

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · East Washington Street

Car Route Details

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

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Long-distance drive

This route is long enough that fuel, rest stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single maneuver.

Directions
53 steps
13 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
12
3 merges, 9 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
9.4 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
U.S. Highway 77
105 mi · 19%
South R L Thornton Freeway
89.9 mi · 16%
Purple Heart Trail
64.4 mi · 11%
TX 130 Toll South
59.2 mi · 10%
North Magnolia Avenue
55.4 mi · 10%
South US Highway 181
40.2 mi · 7%
Longest Stretch

South R L Thornton Freeway

Continue on South R L Thornton Freeway

89.3 mi · 01h 32m

Route Summary

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

Trip Read

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.

Drive Time
10h 17m
Overnight route
Same-Day Return
20h 34m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+50.9 mi
513.2 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Luling
05h 08m from Melissa
Leave By
3:26 PM CDT
Overnight-style route
Weather Watch

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms leaving Melissa and Mostly Sunny near Brownsville.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

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

The road trip is about 564.1 miles (907.8 km) and usually takes 10h 17m 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?

Luling is a useful midpoint, sitting about 282.7 miles from Melissa and 281.4 miles from Brownsville.

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

The direct path is about 513.2 miles (825.9 km), while the road route adds roughly 50.9 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 $75.24 one way or $150.48 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 176.9 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms around Melissa and Mostly Sunny near Brownsville.

Stop Ideas Near Luling

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

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Luling, 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 Luling.

RAIL

San Marcos Station

36 mi away
338 South Guadalupe St.
RAIL

Austin

66 mi away
250 North Lamar Blvd.
RAIL

San Antonio Station

85 mi away
350 Hoefgen Street
RAIL

Taylor

101 mi away
118 East First St.

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Melissa and Brownsville. Straight-line distance: 513.21 mi (825.93 km).

Melissa

#1 Melissa

City in Collin County, Texas, United States

Population13,793
Coordinates33.2859500, -96.5727700
Altitude207
CountryUnited States
Brownsville

#2 Brownsville

The southernmost city in Texas.

Population183,428
Coordinates25.9017500, -97.4974800
Altitude10
CountryUnited States
Start: Melissa (-96.57277, 33.28595)
End: Brownsville (-97.49748, 25.90175)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 908 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)18h 47m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)14h 06m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)11h 16m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)09h 24m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)08h 03m
80 mph (129 km/h)07h 02m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
19.91 gal
75.35 L · about $75.24
Round trip
$150.48
39.82 gal · 150.7 L
Estimated CO2
176.9 kg one way
Round trip: 353.9 kg / 780 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.78 $75.24 $150.48
Mid-grade $4.25 $84.66 $169.31
Premium $4.59 $91.41 $182.81
Diesel $3.99 $79.50 $159.00

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 23, 2026

There is no time difference between Melissa and Brownsville. The current time is 23:44:22.

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.