The distance from Dallas to El Paso by car is 635 miles, with a 9h24m driving time. The best road trip stops between Dallas and El Paso are Abilene TX, Midland TX and Balmorhea State Park.
Planning a Dallas to El Paso road trip itinerary
The Dallas to El Paso drive takes you from the biggest city in north Texas to the Mexican border in the far west of the state.
5 great Dallas experiences worth booking
- 🤠 Combine the JFK sites and Southfork Ranch on a half day tour.
- 🏛️ Take comprehensive JFK assassination tour – including the Sixth Floor Museum and Lee Harvey Oswald Rooming House.
- 🚴 Cover Downtown Dallas’ attractions and history on an e-bike tour.
- 🌆 See Dallas from above at the Reunion Tower GeO Deck.
- 🌮 Take a food tour with five tastings in the Deep Ellum area.
Dallas has plenty of high quality cultural attractions. These include the Nasher Scupture Center, George W Bush Presidential Museum and Perot Museum of Science and Nature.
But for many visitors, the main reason to visit Dallas is the JFK assassination. Yes, you can go up to the Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald supposedly took his shot from. It’s now the Sixth Floor Museum.
Top Dallas experiences include a JFK Assassination and Museum tour, the GeO-Deck at Reunion Tower and a self-guided scavenger hunt.
Good places to stay in Dallas with a pool include the sassy Kimpton Pittman downtown and the historic Warwick Melrose near Turtle Creek.
El Paso has plenty of stories behind it, some of which are covered on the ghosts, cowboys and outlaws tour. You can also explore the surrounding landscape on a UTV adventure tour, or going biking, hiking and rock-climbing in Franklin Mountains State Park.
As for other El Paso attractions, the Border Patrol Museum looks at the work of those who monitor the US’ borders, with a little bit too much emphasis on weaponry. The El Paso Museum of Archaeology, meanwhile, looks at the prehistory of the South West.
For El Paso accommodation, try the style-drenched Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park for a special occasion and the Springhill Suites for good value with a pool.
Dallas to El Paso distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Dallas to El Paso is 635 miles. That makes for a driving time of around nine hours and 24 minutes. The quickest route goes along the I-30, I-20 and I-10.
The best stops to add to your Dallas to El Paso road trip itinerary are Abilene TX, Midland TX and Balmorhea State Park.
Best stops between Dallas and El Paso: Abilene TX
The first port of call for many visitors in Abilene TX is Frontier Texas, a museum about life in the Old West. Unlike many dreary local history museums, Frontier Texas uses state of the art technology to be as interactive as possible, and the scope is much grander than the immediate local region.
Elsewhere, the Grace Museum inside a grand former hotel covers art and local history.
The other really interesting attraction in Abilene TX is the National Center For Children’s Illustrated Literature, which collects the original artwork from beloved children’s books.
Best stops between Dallas and El Paso: Midland TX
Midland TX is very much an oil town, and life revolves around the oil industry. The Permian Basin Petroleum Museum looks at why the oil is there in the first place, and how the region has developed. The city also plays host to the Museum of the Southwest, which covers art, science and regional history. The museum also has a planetarium.
Dallas to El Paso drive: Balmorhea State Park
Balmorhea State Park in Toyahvale TX is home to the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool. More than 15 million gallons of water flow through this 1.3 million acre pool on a daily basis, fed by the San Solomon Springs. It’s naturally heated, too, with the water temperature at a steady 72 to 76 degrees all year. It’s also possible to go Scuba diving here.
More Texas road trips
Other Texas road trip guides on Planet Whitley include:
- Where to stop on the El Paso to Albuquerque drive, El Paso to Santa Fe drive, El Paso to Tucson drive and El Paso to Phoenix drive.
- Best stops on the Little Rock to Dallas drive.
- Best stops on the Wichita to Dallas drive.
- Best stops on the Dallas to Memphis drive.
- The best stops on the Dallas to Albuquerque drive, Dallas to Santa Fe drive and Dallas to Tucson drive.
