Anyone ever driven from Los Angeles to Dallas? (cost, airlines, best) - airfare, hotels, car rental, backpacking, resorts, cruises, vacations, airplanes, international... - City-Data Forum

Sam McCord · 06-09-2012, 03:42 PM

If so, how far did you go before you had to stop for fuel, and how many times during the trip? How long did it take?

stillkit · 06-09-2012, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam McCord

If so, how far did you go before you had to stop for fuel, and how many times during the trip? How long did it take?

The best I ever did that trip, I only stopped to fuel once in Eloy, AZ and the trip took 22 hours.

Of course, I was driving an 18 wheeler which ran....uh....pretty fast.

Your questions can best be answered by you. YOU know what kind of mileage your car gets and YOU know how you drive and YOU know how long you can stay in the saddle.

MrRational · 06-09-2012, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam McCord

If so, how far did you go before you had to stop for fuel, and how many times during the trip? How long did it take?

If you're in a hurry flying is a LOT faster.

Roar miles is a bit over 1400.
@60mph net road speed that means over 23 hours rolling along
at perhaps 10 hours a day of this rolling along stuff...

stan4 · 06-09-2012, 05:16 PM

Careful. Coming from El Paso to Dallas stretch...there is a bit of highway with NO GAS available for a long ass time. Keep your tank full as possible while on the western edge of I20.

Sam McCord · 06-09-2012, 05:55 PM

MrRational, I'm in no hurry, which is why I'm going to be driving. That, plus the fact that not flying is my way of protesting the constant fees the airlines keep slapping on, and avoiding the TSA hassle. Plus, I get to spend a lot of time seeing the beauty of our great nation!

stan4, thanks... that's exactly the kind of stuff I want to know... where the long stretches are with no fuel or food, etc. Where and how far are we talking along I20... like from Midland to Abilene?

stan4 · 06-09-2012, 06:08 PM

I think it's around the time you split off of I10.

I'm sorry...it's been 7 years.

Sam McCord · 06-09-2012, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stillkit

The best I ever did that trip, I only stopped to fuel once in Eloy, AZ and the trip took 22 hours.

Of course, I was driving an 18 wheeler which ran....uh....pretty fast.

Your questions can best be answered by you. YOU know what kind of mileage your car gets and YOU know how you drive and YOU know how long you can stay in the saddle.

Yeah, that's true. I guess I'm just curious about the frequency of fuel stations on the route, and places to get food.

My car (currently) is a 2005 Ford Focus ZX3, and it gets roughly 30mpg highway. In my own actual experience, I have driven it from my current home in Torrance, California, all the way to the Las Vegas strip, on a single tank of gas. Granted, it was much newer when I did that, but it did it.

As for endurance... I love to drive. I can drive for a good part of the day, before I have to stop for a big meal and such.

Sam McCord · 06-09-2012, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stan4

I think it's around the time you split off of I10.

I'm sorry...it's been 7 years.

Wow, okay... damn... looking at Google Earth, the closest town I can see on the 10 side is Plateau, and the closest one on the 20 side is Toyah. Hmmm. Methinks I'll take the added measure of keeping a spare gas tank in my car, just in case.

TheOverdog · 06-09-2012, 07:53 PM

Take state highways from Dallas to Amarillo and there hit I40 instead of taking I10 is my advice. You pass through better cities until eastern CA, which sucks. Or you could go up I35 to Oklahoma City and hit I40 that way if you don't mind the distance. Plenty of gas stations and regular cities on that trip.

Oops sorry, you are starting in LA. Drive east through Riverside/San Bernadino whatever until you hit I40 coming from LA, or you can go to Las Vegas and then down past the Hoover Dam to I40. Don't take I10.

Flagstaff AZ, Albuquerque NM, Amarillo TX are all decent sized cities to end your driving day in.

Parts of I40 are historic Route 66.

stillkit · 06-09-2012, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam McCord

Wow, okay... damn... looking at Google Earth, the closest town I can see on the 10 side is Plateau, and the closest one on the 20 side is Toyah. Hmmm. Methinks I'll take the added measure of keeping a spare gas tank in my car, just in case.

You won't need to do that. Gas is available at just about every exit. The longest stretch without it probably isn't more than 50 miles. Yeah, it'll cost more in remote places, but you're not going to run out. And, you won't starve either. Restaurants and convenience stores are readily available.

I-10/20 is a heavily traveled road. It's not off the ends of the earth.