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Places within 2 hours of Fort Worth

26 places are worth the drive within 2 hours of Fort Worth, counted by road time from ZIP 76102: 13 under 1 hour and 13 1 to 2 hours.

The mix leans toward hikes, history and wildlife, mostly to the east 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 Dinosaur Valley State Park and Magnolia Market at the Silos, and the closest real day trip is The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza (33 min).

Map: places within 2 hours of Fort Worth

Under 1 hour 1 to 2 hours

Under 1 hour from Fort Worth 13 places

Perot Museum of Nature and Science

Photo: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0

Museum · 34 min east

Perot Museum of Nature and Science

Downtown Dallas science museum with 11 exhibit halls, including the Moody Family Children's Museum for young kids.

  • 2-3 hrs
  • Year-round
  • Admission
Cedar Hill State Park

Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0

State park · 38 min southeast

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)
Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden

Photo: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0

Family fun · 43 min east

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden

Large botanical garden in East Dallas with seasonal festivals, concerts and holiday displays.

  • 2-4 hrs
  • Year-round
  • Admission (parking extra)
Granbury

Photo: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0

Town · 43 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
Dallas Zoo

Photo: Kevin1086, CC BY-SA 3.0

Zoo · 36 min east

Dallas Zoo

Big city zoo in Dallas with its own DART Red Line station across from the front gate.

  • Half day
  • Year-round
  • Admission (parking extra)
  • Confirm fees and hours before you go
Lake Mineral Wells State Trailway

Photo: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0

Bike trail · 39 min west

Lake Mineral Wells State Trailway

A 20-mile rail-trail with flat grades and gentle curves running between two towns, shared by bikers, hikers and horseback riders.

  • 2-4 hrs
  • Year-round
  • Texas State Parks day-use fee (per person; kids 12 and under free)
  • Confirm fees and hours before you go

More under 1 hour from Fort Worth, by type

Hikes
Cleburne State Park (52 min), Ray Roberts Lake State Park (54 min), Lake Mineral Wells State Park (57 min)
Biking
Katy Trail (35 min), Ray Roberts Greenbelt (49 min)
History
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza (33 min)
Small towns
Mineral Wells (53 min)

1 to 2 hours from Fort Worth 13 places

Magnolia Market at the Silos

Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0

Family fun · 1 hr 18 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 7 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)
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center

Photo: Res2216firestar, CC BY-SA 3.0

Zoo · 1 hr 3 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)
Fort Richardson State Park

Photo: NetherlandishYankee (talk), Public domain

Historic site · 1 hr 8 min northwest

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)
Waco Mammoth National Monument

Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0

National park · 1 hr 20 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)
Eisenhower State Park

Photo: GrapevineTxOnline.com, CC BY 2.0

State park · 1 hr 37 min northeast

Eisenhower State Park

Bluff-top park on Lake Texoma with a sandy swimming cove, two fishing piers, more than four miles of walking and biking trails and fossils from an ancient ocean.

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

More 1 to 2 hours from Fort Worth, by type

History
Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum (1 hr 17 min), Dr Pepper Museum (1 hr 18 min)
Wildlife
Cameron Park Zoo (1 hr 20 min), Caldwell Zoo (1 hr 56 min)
Hikes
Purtis Creek State Park (1 hr 36 min), Tyler State Park (1 hr 57 min)
Family fun
Tyler Municipal Rose Garden (1 hr 58 min)

Questions about places within 2 hours of Fort Worth

What are the best places within 2 hours of Fort Worth?

Our picks, by drive time, include Perot Museum of Nature and Science (34 min), Cedar Hill State Park (38 min), Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden (43 min), Granbury (43 min) and Dallas Zoo (36 min). The full list on this page has 26 places, each with its drive time and direction from Fort Worth.

How many places are within 2 hours of Fort Worth?

26 places within 2 hours, 50 within 3 hours and 100 within 4 hours of Fort Worth, by road from ZIP 76102.

Are there free places within 2 hours of Fort Worth?

5 of the 26 places need no pass or fee, such as Granbury, Katy Trail 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 Fort Worth?

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 76102 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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