Day trips · Dallas · United States
6 best day trips from Dallas
Where to go when you want a day away from Dallas, and how long it really takes.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
The classic day trip from Dallas is Fort Worth (About 45 minutes by car or 1 hour by TRE train). The closest option is Arlington, about 30 km away.
Key facts
- Day trips in this guide
- 6
- Closest
- Arlington (30 km)
- Most popular
- Fort Worth
Day trips compared
| Destination | Distance | Travel time | How | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth | 55 km | About 45 minutes by car or 1 hour by TRE train | Car, or Trinity Railway Express plus bus | First-timers, Families, Culture |
| Arlington | 30 km | About 30 minutes by car | Car or ride-hail | Families, First-timers |
| Waco | 150 km | About 1 hour 30 minutes by car | Car via I-35 | Families, Shopping, Culture |
| Grapevine | 40 km | About 35 minutes by car | Car | Couples, Families, Shopping |
| Dinosaur Valley State Park | 140 km | About 1 hour 45 minutes by car | Car | Families, Quiet stays |
| McKinney | 55 km | About 45 minutes by car | Car | Couples, Shopping, Quiet stays |
The day trips
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55 km · About 45 minutes by car or 1 hour by TRE train
1.Fort Worth
Fort Worth's Stockyards keep cowboy traditions alive with a twice-daily longhorn cattle drive along Exchange Avenue, rodeos and honky-tonks such as Billy Bob's Texas. Its Cultural District has the Kimbell Art Museum in Louis Kahn's celebrated building and the Modern Art Museum.
- Getting there
- Car, or Trinity Railway Express plus bus
- Best for
- First-timers, Families, Culture
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30 km · About 30 minutes by car
2.Arlington
Arlington, between Dallas and Fort Worth, has AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, with tours of the field and locker rooms, the Texas Rangers' Globe Life Field and the Six Flags Over Texas theme park.
- Getting there
- Car or ride-hail
- Best for
- Families, First-timers
150 km · About 1 hour 30 minutes by car
3.Waco
Waco draws visitors to Magnolia Market at the Silos, the Dr Pepper Museum in the drink's original bottling plant and Waco Mammoth National Monument, where Columbian mammoth fossils lie where they were found.
- Getting there
- Car via I-35
- Best for
- Families, Shopping, Culture
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40 km · About 35 minutes by car
4.Grapevine
Next to DFW Airport, Grapevine has a historic Main Street of shops, wine tasting rooms and restaurants. The Grapevine Vintage Railroad runs heritage trains to the Fort Worth Stockyards on selected days.
- Getting there
- Car
- Best for
- Couples, Families, Shopping
140 km · About 1 hour 45 minutes by car
5.Dinosaur Valley State Park
Near Glen Rose, the Paluxy River bed preserves some of the best dinosaur trackways in the country, visible when water levels are low. The park has hiking trails and river swimming spots.
- Getting there
- Car
- Best for
- Families, Quiet stays
55 km · About 45 minutes by car
6.McKinney
A historic downtown square around the 1876 Collin County Courthouse, with antique shops, boutiques and restaurants in Victorian buildings. It makes a relaxed half-day outing north of the city.
- Getting there
- Car
- Best for
- Couples, Shopping, Quiet stays
Day-trip tips
- Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
- The Trinity Railway Express commuter train links Dallas Union Station with downtown Fort Worth in about an hour, with a stop near DFW Airport.
- For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best day trip from Dallas?
Fort Worth. Fort Worth's Stockyards keep cowboy traditions alive with a twice-daily longhorn cattle drive along Exchange Avenue, rodeos and honky-tonks such as Billy Bob's Texas.
+How long does it take to get from Dallas to Fort Worth?
About 45 minutes by car or 1 hour by TRE train — Car, or Trinity Railway Express plus bus, about 55 km.
+How long does it take to get from Dallas to Arlington?
About 30 minutes by car — Car or ride-hail, about 30 km.