New estimates based on AAA Texas fuel data show just how much a round-trip drive from Houston could cost, depending on your destination—and more importantly, your vehicle’s gas mileage.
For drivers with fuel-efficient vehicles averaging around 30 miles per gallon, a quick trip to Galveston may only cost about $14 in gas. But for larger vehicles averaging around 15 mpg, the same round-trip could approach $28.
The costs climb quickly for longer holiday getaways.
A round-trip drive from Houston to Austin is estimated to cost between roughly $45 and $90, depending on fuel efficiency, while a trip to San Antonio could range from about $54 to more than $107.
Meanwhile, travelers heading even farther for the holiday weekend could see significantly steeper fuel costs.
The calculations below are based on current AAA Texas fuel price averages and estimated round-trip mileage from Houston to popular regional destinations. As of Thursday, the national average for gas prices are while $4.56, while Texas’ average is $4.09.
According to estimates, a round-trip drive from Houston to South Padre Island could cost as little as $102 for vehicles averaging 30 mpg to as much as $204 for drivers averaging 15 mpg. A trip to New Orleans could range between roughly $95 and $189.
The estimates also highlight how dramatically fuel efficiency can impact travel costs even when gas prices fluctuate only slightly. For example, a round-trip drive to Dallas in a vehicle averaging 30 mpg is estimated to cost about $65 in gas, while the same drive in a 15 mpg vehicle could cost more than $130.
No matter where Texans decide to spend their first major travel weekend of the summer, the numbers may help answer a simple question: How far is the road trip really worth it?