Drive time

Can you drive from Los Angeles to Dallas in one day?

Not comfortably. It is about 21 hours of pure driving on I-10 and I-20, which turns into 27 h 15 min with breaks and meals. That is too long for one safe day, so plan on 3 days and sleep in Tucson, AZ and El Paso, TX.

Distance

1,435 miles

Driving only

21 h

Breaks and meals

6 h 15 min

Door to door

27 h 15 min

How we count the time

A 15-minute stop every two hours for fuel, restrooms and a stretch, plus a 45-minute sit-down meal every four hours. Traffic, weather and construction come on top, so check the live route before you leave.

Where to split the drive

Over 3 days, most drivers stop for the night in Tucson, AZ and El Paso, TX, keeping each day near nine hours at the wheel. For a hard two-day push, the halfway town is below.

El Paso sits 793 miles in, about 11 h 36 min from Los Angeles, leaving 642 miles for the next morning. It is the most even split on the route and has plenty of hotels near the highway.

More on this drive

• Full drive guide
• Best places to stop
• Gas cost
• Driving it in an EV