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Places within 2 hours of Dallas

26 places are worth the drive within 2 hours of Dallas, counted by road time from ZIP 75201: 8 under 1 hour and 18 1 to 2 hours.

The mix leans toward hikes, wildlife and history, mostly to the west and south. Two hours each way is the sweet spot for a day trip: you can leave after breakfast and be home for dinner.

The headline places are Fort Worth Stockyards, Magnolia Market at the Silos and Dinosaur Valley State Park, and the closest real day trip is Cedar Hill State Park (29 min).

Map: places within 2 hours of Dallas

Under 1 hour 1 to 2 hours

Under 1 hour from Dallas 8 places

Fort Worth Stockyards

Photo: Renelibrary, CC BY-SA 4.0

Historic site · 36 min west

Fort Worth Stockyards

Fort Worth's Old West district, where the Fort Worth Herd runs the world's only daily cattle drive and rodeos fill the historic Cowtown Coliseum.

  • Half day
  • Year-round
  • Free (rodeo and events extra)
Cedar Hill State Park

Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0

State park · 29 min southwest

Cedar Hill State Park

Big park on Joe Pool Lake with a gravel swimming beach, the DORBA mountain bike trail and the historic Penn Farm.

  • Half day
  • Year-round
  • Texas State Parks day-use fee (per person; kids 12 and under free)
Fort Worth Botanic Garden

Photo: Renelibrary, CC BY-SA 4.0

Family fun · 36 min west

Fort Worth Botanic Garden

Large Fort Worth garden that includes a Japanese Garden.

  • 2-3 hrs
  • Year-round
  • Admission
  • Confirm fees and hours before you go
Fort Worth Zoo

Photo: Eric Kilby from USA, CC BY-SA 2.0

Zoo · 38 min west

Fort Worth Zoo

Large, popular zoo in Fort Worth with half-price admission every Wednesday.

  • Half day
  • Year-round
  • Admission (parking extra)
  • Confirm fees and hours before you go

Bike trail · 52 min north

Ray Roberts Greenbelt

A 20-mile trail corridor from Ray Roberts Dam to Lake Lewisville; 10 miles are for hiking and biking only and 12 miles are open to horses.

  • 2-4 hrs
  • Year-round
  • Texas State Parks day-use fee (per person; kids 12 and under free)
Ray Roberts Lake State Park

Photo: Morcup, CC BY-SA 4.0

State park · 58 min north

Ray Roberts Lake State Park

Lake park with two units, Isle du Bois and Johnson Branch, offering swimming beaches, fishing, camping and paved and dirt multiuse trails.

  • Half day
  • Year-round
  • Texas State Parks day-use fee (per person; kids 12 and under free)

More under 1 hour from Dallas, by type

History
Kimbell Art Museum (36 min)
Wildlife
Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge (40 min)

1 to 2 hours from Dallas 18 places

Magnolia Market at the Silos

Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0

Family fun · 1 hr 24 min south

Magnolia Market at the Silos

Busy shopping and food complex in Waco with shops, places to eat and a big turf lawn.

  • 2-3 hrs
  • Year-round
  • Free

State park · 1 hr 27 min southwest

Dinosaur Valley State Park

Walk in real dinosaur tracks in the Paluxy River bed near Glen Rose, with about 20 miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking.

  • Half day
  • Year-round
  • Texas State Parks day-use fee (per person; kids 12 and under free)
Granbury

Photo: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0

Town · 1 hr 11 min southwest

Granbury

Lake town with a historic square and Lake Granbury, voted USA Today's Best Historic Small Town several times, with festivals all year.

  • Half day
  • Year-round
  • Free
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center

Photo: Res2216firestar, CC BY-SA 3.0

Zoo · 1 hr 23 min southwest

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center

Conservation center near Glen Rose where you drive a scenic route among roaming endangered and exotic animals and can feed them from your car.

  • Half day
  • Year-round
  • Admission (per person; kids 2 and under free)
Waco Mammoth National Monument

Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0

National park · 1 hr 26 min south

Waco Mammoth National Monument

See mammoth fossils left where they were found, on a guided tour of the dig shelter in Waco.

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Year-round
  • Tour fee (per person; national park passes not accepted)
Fort Richardson State Park

Photo: NetherlandishYankee (talk), Public domain

Historic site · 1 hr 31 min west

Fort Richardson State Park

Original 1860s buildings of a big frontier Army post at Jacksboro, plus the 9-mile (one way) Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway for hiking, biking and riding and a sand beach on Lake Jacksboro.

  • Half day
  • Year-round
  • Texas State Parks day-use fee (per person; kids 12 and under free)

More 1 to 2 hours from Dallas, by type

Hikes
Purtis Creek State Park (1 hr 6 min), Cleburne State Park (1 hr 11 min), Eisenhower State Park (1 hr 12 min), Lake Mineral Wells State Park (1 hr 25 min), Tyler State Park (1 hr 27 min)
History
Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum (1 hr 23 min), Dr Pepper Museum (1 hr 24 min)
Wildlife
Cameron Park Zoo (1 hr 25 min), Caldwell Zoo (1 hr 26 min)
Biking
Lake Mineral Wells State Trailway (1 hr 7 min)
Small towns
Mineral Wells (1 hr 20 min)
Family fun
Tyler Municipal Rose Garden (1 hr 28 min)

Questions about places within 2 hours of Dallas

What are the best places within 2 hours of Dallas?

Our picks, by drive time, include Fort Worth Stockyards (36 min), Cedar Hill State Park (29 min), Fort Worth Botanic Garden (36 min), Fort Worth Zoo (38 min) and Ray Roberts Greenbelt (52 min). The full list on this page has 26 places, each with its drive time and direction from Dallas.

How many places are within 2 hours of Dallas?

26 places within 2 hours, 50 within 3 hours and 99 within 4 hours of Dallas, by road from ZIP 75201.

Are there free places within 2 hours of Dallas?

5 of the 26 places need no pass or fee, such as Fort Worth Stockyards, Granbury and Magnolia Market at the Silos. Fees and passes change, so check each place before you go.

What can I do with kids within 2 hours of Dallas?

25 places are marked good for kids, including Cameron Park Zoo, Cedar Hill State Park and Cleburne State Park.

How are the drive times worked out?

They are by real roads on a typical day, from the middle of ZIP 75201 to each place (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Traffic, weather and closures can change them. Places under 25 minutes from the city center count as in town, not a day trip, so they are left out.

Can I see places within 2 hours of my own home?

Yes. Type your ZIP code into Day Trippin' and it shows everything by drive time. Your ZIP is used for that one search and is not saved.

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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.

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