One-tank trips from Waco
40 destinations you can reach and return on one 400-mile tank — closest is Corsicana at 133.8 mi round trip
40 destinations sit inside one 400-mile tank of Waco, from Corsicana at 133.8 mi round trip to Ardmore at 399.0 mi. Every figure below is a v1 seed estimate.
The list below mixes day trips you can run on a whim with overnights that still spend less than $55.86 of fuel. Sort it however you like — the table shows every round-trip mileage, gallon count and dollar figure so you can rebuild the ranking for your own tank.
All 40 one-tank destinations
Round-trip miles are twice the estimated one-way road distance. A destination makes the list between 60 and 200 one-way miles — inside a 400-mile tank with reserve to spare.
| Town | State | Round trip | One-way time | Gallons | Est. fuel | Trip type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | Texas | 357.7 mi | 3 h 26 | 14.3 gal | $50.08 | Day trip |
| San Antonio | Texas | 368.1 mi | 3 h 32 | 14.7 gal | $51.53 | Day trip |
| Dallas | Texas | 191.9 mi | 1 h 51 | 7.7 gal | $26.87 | Day trip |
| Austin | Texas | 209.8 mi | 2 h 01 | 8.4 gal | $29.37 | Day trip |
| Fort Worth | Texas | 184.9 mi | 1 h 47 | 7.4 gal | $25.89 | Day trip |
| Arlington | Texas | 180.4 mi | 1 h 44 | 7.2 gal | $25.26 | Day trip |
| Plano | Texas | 230.8 mi | 2 h 13 | 9.2 gal | $32.31 | Day trip |
| Garland | Texas | 217.3 mi | 2 h 05 | 8.7 gal | $30.42 | Day trip |
| Mesquite | Texas | 198.0 mi | 1 h 54 | 7.9 gal | $27.72 | Day trip |
| Round Rock | Texas | 191.6 mi | 1 h 51 | 7.7 gal | $26.82 | Day trip |
| Abilene | Texas | 360.3 mi | 3 h 28 | 14.4 gal | $50.44 | Day trip |
| Tyler | Texas | 267.4 mi | 2 h 34 | 10.7 gal | $37.44 | Day trip |
| Wichita Falls | Texas | 398.5 mi | 3 h 50 | 15.9 gal | $55.79 | Day trip |
| New Braunfels | Texas | 308.4 mi | 2 h 58 | 12.3 gal | $43.18 | Day trip |
| Longview | Texas | 341.9 mi | 3 h 17 | 13.7 gal | $47.87 | Day trip |
| Georgetown | Texas | 172.4 mi | 1 h 39 | 6.9 gal | $24.14 | Day trip |
| Burleson | Texas | 169.2 mi | 1 h 38 | 6.8 gal | $23.69 | Day trip |
| Huntsville | Texas | 242.6 mi | 2 h 20 | 9.7 gal | $33.96 | Day trip |
| San Marcos | Texas | 273.7 mi | 2 h 38 | 10.9 gal | $38.32 | Day trip |
| Sherman | Texas | 324.5 mi | 3 h 07 | 13.0 gal | $45.43 | Day trip |
| Waxahachie | Texas | 147.5 mi | 1 h 51 | 5.9 gal | $20.65 | Day trip |
| Midlothian | Texas | 158.8 mi | 1 h 59 | 6.4 gal | $22.23 | Day trip |
| Cleburne | Texas | 138.9 mi | 1 h 44 | 5.6 gal | $19.45 | Day trip |
| Weatherford | Texas | 202.1 mi | 1 h 57 | 8.1 gal | $28.29 | Day trip |
| Seguin | Texas | 319.5 mi | 3 h 04 | 12.8 gal | $44.73 | Day trip |
| Greenville | Texas | 275.8 mi | 2 h 39 | 11.0 gal | $38.61 | Day trip |
| Corsicana | Texas | 133.8 mi | 1 h 40 | 5.4 gal | $18.73 | Day trip |
| Ardmore | Oklahoma | 399.0 mi | 3 h 50 | 16.0 gal | $55.86 | Day trip |
| Kerrville | Texas | 346.2 mi | 3 h 20 | 13.8 gal | $48.47 | Day trip |
| Denison | Texas | 343.4 mi | 3 h 18 | 13.7 gal | $48.08 | Day trip |
| Stephenville | Texas | 188.8 mi | 1 h 49 | 7.6 gal | $26.43 | Day trip |
| Durant | Oklahoma | 384.6 mi | 3 h 42 | 15.4 gal | $53.84 | Day trip |
| Brownwood | Texas | 238.8 mi | 2 h 18 | 9.6 gal | $33.43 | Day trip |
| Terrell | Texas | 199.7 mi | 1 h 55 | 8.0 gal | $27.96 | Day trip |
| Brenham | Texas | 231.7 mi | 2 h 14 | 9.3 gal | $32.44 | Day trip |
| Gainesville | Texas | 315.7 mi | 3 h 02 | 12.6 gal | $44.20 | Day trip |
| Sulphur Springs | Texas | 312.6 mi | 3 h | 12.5 gal | $43.76 | Day trip |
| Fredericksburg | Texas | 296.9 mi | 2 h 51 | 11.9 gal | $41.57 | Day trip |
| Decatur | Texas | 260.9 mi | 2 h 31 | 10.4 gal | $36.53 | Day trip |
| Junction | Texas | 377.9 mi | 3 h 38 | 15.1 gal | $52.91 | Day trip |
The spread runs from Corsicana at 133.8 mi round trip to Ardmore at 399.0 mi — about 5.4 to 16.0 gallons of fuel. "Day trip" marks anything inside 4 hours one way; the rest still fit the tank, they just deserve the night.
The picks
How these were ranked: the day list weighs town size, county-seat walkability and drive time; the overnight list weighs estimated hotel depth. Every number repeats the table above, so nothing new to trust — just a shorter list to read.
Five day trips (leave by 9, home for dinner)
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the big-city anchor of this ring — about 1,304,000 people, 1 h 51 from Waco, with a full metro of food and museums. Leave by 9:00 am, spend about 2½ hours, and you are back in Waco around 3:12 pm — the fuel column says 7.7 gallons of the tank each way you turn it.
Fort Worth, Texas
A 1 h 47 estimated drive puts you in Fort Worth (919,000 people) with evening to spare — the ring's largest destination. Leave by 9:00 am, spend about 2½ hours, and you are back in Waco around 3:04 pm — the fuel column says 7.4 gallons of the tank each way you turn it.
Austin, Texas
Austin is the big-city anchor of this ring — about 962,000 people, 2 h 01 from Waco, with a full metro of food and museums. Leave by 9:00 am, spend about 2½ hours, and you are back in Waco around 3:32 pm — the fuel column says 8.4 gallons of the tank each way you turn it.
Houston, Texas
A 3 h 26 estimated drive puts you in Houston (2,304,000 people) with evening to spare — the ring's largest destination. Leave by 9:00 am, spend about 2½ hours, and you are back in Waco around 6:22 pm — the fuel column says 14.3 gallons of the tank each way you turn it.
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the big-city anchor of this ring — about 1,435,000 people, 3 h 32 from Waco, with a full metro of food and museums. Leave by 9:00 am, spend about 2½ hours, and you are back in Waco around 6:34 pm — the fuel column says 14.7 gallons of the tank each way you turn it.
Three that earn an overnight
Dallas, Texas
An estimated 28 hotels and 1,304,000 neighbors make Dallas a low-stress overnight. Drive out Saturday morning, sleep, come back slow — the round trip still spends only 7.7 gallons.
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Rates →Fort Worth, Texas
An estimated 28 hotels and 919,000 neighbors make Fort Worth a low-stress overnight. Drive out Saturday morning, sleep, come back slow — the round trip still spends only 7.4 gallons.
Austin, Texas
An estimated 28 hotels and 962,000 neighbors make Austin a low-stress overnight. Drive out Saturday morning, sleep, come back slow — the round trip still spends only 8.4 gallons.
The fuel math, in five sentences
Assume a 400-mile tank, reserve about 15 percent of it, and the usable round trip is roughly 340 miles — our 200-mile one-way cap stays inside that. At 25 mpg, the longest trip in this table (399.0 mi round trip) uses 16.0 gallons, or $55.86 at $3.50 per gallon. Distances are straight-line times a road factor, so your odometer will read a little different. Tank sizes vary from roughly 300 to 500 miles across the fleet. Check current pump prices when you plan — $3.50 is a national-average assumption, not a quote.
Common questions
How far can you get from Waco on one tank?
Is Houston a day trip from Waco?
What if your tank is smaller than 400 miles?
Where should you stay overnight on these trips?
Keep planning
Data & method
Method: v1 seed model. Round-trip miles are twice the estimated road distance (straight-line times a road factor). Fuel figures assume a 400-mile tank, a 25 mpg car, and $3.50 per gallon. Lodging counts are population-derived estimates. We earn a commission from Kayak links.