Dallas to San Antonio Road Trip With Kids
Two short breaks usually feel better than one long push, so plan both before you leave.
The drive
- Distance
- 271 miles
- Typical drive time
- About 4 to 5 hours
Measured from Dallas, as stated by the official source listed at the bottom of this page. Traffic, weather and stops with kids add time, so plan for a longer day than the map shows.
1 city near the direct line
Dallas to San Antonio · ~252 miles straight-line. These are nearby city ideas, not driving directions or measured detours. Check your road route before choosing a stop.
Your route is ready. Want the stop checklist to take with you?
One page on when to stop, how to pick an indoor backup for rain and how to add up the family cost of each stop. We email it now, then The Weekend Scout once a week with one weekend outing idea. Optional, and free.
Build the actual day
Free road-trip stop checklist
Stop before everyone runs out of patience: how to plan a real break to burn energy, pick an indoor backup in case it rains, and add up the family total before you pay. One page, emailed now. Then The Weekend Scout once a week: one family outing idea for the weekend. Free. Unsubscribe from any email.
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Kid-friendly stops on the way
Each stop was checked on its own official site. Open it before you go for current hours, prices and any closures.
Waco Mammoth National Monument
Waco, TX
A National Park Service fossil site with the nation's only recorded nursery herd of Columbian mammoths.
Official siteMcKinney Falls State Park
Austin, TX
A Texas state park inside Austin's city limits, 13 miles from the state capitol.
Official siteThe DoSeum
San Antonio, TX
San Antonio's children's museum.
Official site
Three things to plan before you leave
- Leave room for I-35 slowdowns around Waco and Austin.
- Carry water and plan shaded or indoor breaks in hot weather.
- Use Waco as the first break and Austin as the second.
Checked against: TxDOT: Texas mileage grid, Visit San Antonio: drive times (checked )
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Plan the Dallas to San Antonio family drive with a Waco mammoth fossil stop, an Austin state park and a children's museum.
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