Headed to a shoot, question about DFW-area traffic

[benenglish]

I’m driving from Houston to Colorado to go to a pistol clinic next week.

My ex-brother-in-law used to make this trip regularly. Believe it or not, the route he used was Houston > El Paso > Denver, a route that’s about 300 miles longer than going through the DFW metroplex. He had tried the more direct route several times but gave up on it for two reasons. First, he said there was always enough traffic and construction between, say, Huntsville and Wichita Falls to waste several hours. Second, he pointed out that about half the trip across Texas to El Paso could be done at 85mph. Between those two factors, he felt it was faster and less nerve-wracking to stay on interstates for 100% of the trip instead of extensively using state highways, something that’s required if using a route through the DFW area.

I can’t imagine deliberately adding 300 miles to my trip unless there are darn good reasons. I suspect my ex-brother-in-law, who wasn’t terribly smart, probably just failed to plan properly and hit the metro area at rush hour a couple of times, giving him a wrong impression of the traffic. But I don’t know for sure.

Google suggests I go north out of Houston on I-45, exit just south of Ennis and go northwest on 287 straight through the middle of Ft. Worth and on to Amarillo.

I’d be getting on 287 near Ennis at about 9 to 10 AM next Tuesday with the intention of not stopping until Wichita Falls.

Here are my questions:

Is Ennis > Ft. Worth > Wichita Falls > Amarillo via 287 really so painful that it’s worth going the long way around?

In the DFW area, what’s the major AM news station with the best and most frequent traffic reports?

Any tips from folks who regularly drive on parts or all of this route?

Thanks in advance for any advice,

Ben

 

[itchin]

You could get off I10 in Ft Stockton and go up through Atresia Carslbads to I40 and skip over to i25 north from Albuquerque. that would even be faster than El Paso. you can go 75 from Fort Stockton to I 40.

 

[just jk]

when i worked in Fort Worth and had to travel to Houston for work - that 287 route thru Ennis is how I got to 45

it's not bad at all - the traffic and construction in Dallas isnt bad enough that I'd ever drive to El Paso to avoid it - thats retarded

the 287 route is 4 lane (6 in some) all the way - the speed limit drops a bit around Waxahachie but it wont slow you down that much

as for AM radio - 1080 does traffic and weather on the "8's"...6:08, 6:18, 6:28, etc

have a good trip

 

[Glockster69]

First, he said there was always enough traffic and construction between, say, Huntsville and Wichita Falls to waste several hours.

Google suggests I go north out of Houston on I-45, exit just south of Ennis and go northwest on 287 straight through the middle of Ft. Worth and on to Amarillo.

I’d be getting on 287 near Ennis at about 9 to 10 AM next Tuesday with the intention of not stopping until Wichita Falls.

Here are my questions:

Is Ennis > Ft. Worth > Wichita Falls > Amarillo via 287 really so painful that it’s worth going the long way around?

Your Ex-BIL is in fact loco IMO. Lol
I hit the panhandle a few times a year on that route and roughly at the time you mentioned. ABSOLUTELY NOT worth and additional 300mi especially since you are in Spring. Don't forget speed limits were recently bumped on many interstate highways plus, the years long construction on 287 between I-45 and somewhere well E. of Waxahacie appeared to be near completion a couple of months back. IIRC it was down to less than 5mi of barreled lanes. I'll put it this way, if I had to go tomorrow I would take the route you mentioned.

Hope the clinic can heal your disease.

 

[Dawico]

Mapquest says go to Dallas and cut through backroads into south Colorado. I don't really like backroads but usually I am pulling a trailer.

My vote is go to Dallas, get on I 35n to I 135n to Salina, Ks and get on 70 to Denver. It is a bit longer than backroads but technically faster. It is all interstate. The last time I went from Dallas to Denver my GPS told me to go this route.

As far as Dallas traffic, don't even worry about it. You can hit huge traffic jams anywhere.

 

[benenglish]

Hope the clinic can heal your disease.

It won't. You know that. :-)

 

[benenglish]

My vote is go to Dallas, get on I 35n to I 135n to Salina, Ks and get on 70 to Denver.

Sorry, but I screwed up my question. My ex-brother-in-law used to go to Denver all the time. I'm actually going to Gunnison, which makes routing through KS even more out of the way.

Good suggestion, though. I'll make the drive to Denver next year for a different event and I'll definitely give consideration to using your route. Thanks.

 

[benenglish]

... - thats retarded

So was my ex-brother-in-law. :-)

Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it.

 

[benenglish]

You could get off I10 in Ft Stockton and go up through Atresia Carslbads to I40 and skip over to i25 north from Albuquerque. that would even be faster than El Paso. you can go 75 from Fort Stockton to I 40.

I'm on a schedule to get to the clinic but I may come back via a route like this, Colorado south to Santa Fe, Roswell, Artesia, Carlsbad, Ft. Stockton, then home. I have as much time as I want to take on the return trip and I was thinking of turning it into a mini-vacation. I can overnight wherever, whenever and probably find a few things worth seeing and doing in Santa Fe, Roswell, and Carlsbad.

Thanks for the idea.

 

[outdare]

You can take hwy 6 up through Waco and hop on to 35w that would put you on the west side of DFW.

 

[mitchntx]

45 to Ennis and 287 to Ft. Worth is fine. No issues.

287 and 35W combine just south of downtown FW and just north of downtown is HEAVY construct almost all the way to the 35/287 split.
Expect delays.

287 from the split to Witchita Falls is decent, 4 lane, divided hiway with a reduced speeds through most every town you come to.

287 from Witchita fallas to Amarillo had slow-downs through towns with occasinal traffic lights last time I ran that route. Granted that was over 10 years ago.

Several good suggestions given. One you might map out and see is 45 to 287(Ennis) to I20 (Ft. Worth) to 84 (Sweetwater) to 27 (Lubbock).

I'm SW of Ft. Worth and visited my dad in the panhandle. Going 287 was a shorter distance, but we always made much better time going down 20 and up 84.

 

[benenglish]

I'm SW of Ft. Worth and visited my dad in the panhandle. Going 287 was a shorter distance, but we always made much better time going down 20 and up 84.

Interesting analysis. Since Google uses realtime traffic updates to calculate drive times, I waited until today to answer.

According to the midday numbers today, the route you suggest is about 90 miles longer and will take about 90 minutes longer to complete. IOW, Google is telling me that any SH287 slowdowns from the middle of Ft. Worth to Amarillo are too minor to worry about.

I'm going to take my chances with 287 from Ennis to Amarillo. If while I'm approaching Ft. Worth the radio tells me there's a giant cluster near or north of downtown, I'll divert and take the route you've suggested.

Thanks for clueing me in on the option. I appreciate it.

 

[deemus]

when i worked in Fort Worth and had to travel to Houston for work - that 287 route thru Ennis is how I got to 45

it's not bad at all - the traffic and construction in Dallas isnt bad enough that I'd ever drive to El Paso to avoid it - thats retarded

the 287 route is 4 lane (6 in some) all the way - the speed limit drops a bit around Waxahachie but it wont slow you down that much

as for AM radio - 1080 does traffic and weather on the "8's"...6:08, 6:18, 6:28, etc

have a good trip

All good advice.

I went to Raton, NM then spent the night in Trinidad, CO. I took I25, then West on Hwy 50.

Gunnison is nice.

 

[winchster]

Live and work in Ft Worth. I'm from Lubbock. Unless you just like the interstate it's faster to go Wichita Falls every time.
There will be two slowdown sections on your 287 trip from Mansfield through ft worth. It won't be bad though. Once you take 287 towards Decatur you can run 75 with no hiccups all the way to the falls.

 

[just jk]

where in CO?

 

[benenglish]

where in CO?

Gunnison

 

[just jk]

ahh - ok, well of the 3 choices google gives you - if you want scenery - take the TX 36N route thru Abilene. If you just want speed - 287 is your route imo. That 36 route will take you on some 2 lanes highways and a lot of speed traps entering the smaller towns.

i've made that houston to North Fort Worth trip numerous times - its a super easy drive - traffic will be thick in Fort Worth but if you're from Houston, it's nothing you arent already used too

 

[just jk]

avoid that route up thru Oklahoma - Hwy 75 is FULL of speed traps all the way into OK

 

[equin]

Just JK is right. I live south of Dallas and have driven to CO, Santa Fe and Amarillo several times. From I45, take 287 from Ennis and just keep on going til you hit I40 on the east side of Amarillo. There are a few slow downs and stops on some of the smaller towns along 287 between Wichita Falls and Amarillo, but it's still much faster than the other alternative routes. Like was mentioned before, 287 turns into I35W for a short bit in Ft. Worth, and then it splits off again north of Ft. Worth.

 

[Creatism]

The construction in down town fort worth isn't that bad if you make Ennis by 10 you should be through down town by 1130 at the latest. Well before lunch time traffic hits.