Interstate 30: Garland to Texarkana – Texas

Take a drive across Northeast Texas as we follow Interstate 30 from Garland to Texarkana, a 168-mile stretch that links the Dallas metroplex to the state line. This route carries us from the bustle of suburban freeways through open farmland, piney woods, and military landscapes before arriving in a city shared by two states.

Our journey begins in Garland, where the interstate immediately makes an impression by climbing the long entrance ramp over Lake Ray Hubbard. The broad sweep of water below sets the tone for the trip, a reminder that this corridor blends natural views with heavy traffic. Once across, we enter Rockwall, a city that has grown rapidly as a suburban hub east of Dallas. Here, I-30 tangles with local highways, frontage roads, and interchanges that funnel traffic in and out of the booming area. Beyond Rockwall, the towns of Fate and Royse City follow in quick succession. At Royse City, many travelers make the now-ritual stop at Buc-ee’s, the colossal Texas travel center known for its endless gas pumps, oversized snacks, and quirky souvenirs — a landmark as recognizable as any small town along the route.

Leaving the metro’s edge, the highway takes on a more relaxed character as we head northeast toward Greenville. This city, once a cotton boomtown, now serves as a regional hub. The junction with US-69 and US-380 brings us back into a denser web of commerce and traffic, yet Greenville still maintains its small-town Texas feel around the courthouse square. East of the city, the road begins to stretch out, carrying us into more open spaces. By the time we reach Sulphur Springs, with its unique glass-walled public restrooms on the town square, we’ve entered the heart of the Texas Blackland Prairies, where wide fields meet clusters of hardwood trees.

Further east, the interstate narrows its rhythm as we pass Mount Vernon and Mount Pleasant. Here the land begins to transition — prairies give way to thicker groves of pine and oak. Mount Pleasant, with its industries and lakes nearby, marks one of the last larger cities before Texarkana. Between Mount Pleasant and the state line, the highway feels quieter and more isolated. Long stretches of roadway pass with only the occasional exit. Along this segment, the presence of the Red River Army Depot looms large; though not visible in detail from the interstate, it stands as one of the region’s major employers and reminders of the military’s imprint on the landscape.

The final approach to Texarkana begins as we enter New Boston and Hooks, smaller communities that signal the interstate is once again threading through populated corridors. Traffic increases, and billboards start to hint at the dual-state city ahead. Soon the lanes widen, the skyline grows, and we arrive in Texarkana, a community famously split down the middle by the Texas–Arkansas line. I-30 carries us past the junction with Interstate 49 before slipping by the Arkansas Welcome Center, where travelers are greeted by the Natural State’s pine forests. It’s here that our journey ends, at the seam between two states, after a long cross-section of Texas landscapes.

Interstate 30’s Texas stretch from Garland to Texarkana captures the diversity of the region — from sprawling suburbs and bustling commerce to small-town charm and pine-lined quiet. It is a reminder of how a single highway can carry us through many faces of a state, each mile a different note in the larger Texas symphony.

3:30 – Rockwall
5:10 – SH-205 Interchange (Exit 68)
5:40 – John King Blvd (Exit 69)
6:40 – FM-3549 (Exit 70)

7:16 – Fate
8:24 – FM-551 (Exit 73)

10:20 – Royce City
14:41 – FM-2642/FM-1565 – Buc-ee’s (Exit 79)

23:10 – Greenville
24:35 – SH-35 – Wesley St (Exit 93)
26:05 – US-69/US-380/Bus-69 – Joe Ramsey Blvd/Moulton St (Exit 94)
27:20 – Division St. (Exit 95)
28:10 – Spur-302 (Exit 96)

47:10 – Sulphur Springs
47:45 – SH-11/SH-19 (Exit 122)
48:37 – FM-2297 – League St (Exit 123)
49:16 – SH-154 – Broadway St (Exit 124)
50:05 – Bill Bradford Dr (Exit 125)
51:07 – FM-1870 – College St (Exit 126)
51:37 – Loop-301 (Exit 127)

1:06:00 – Mt. Vernon
1:06:11 – SH-37 (Exit 146)
1:07:00 – Spur 423 (Exit 147)

1:16:30 – Mt. Pleasant
1:16:39 – US-271 (Exit 160)
1:17:57 – Business 271/FM-1402 (Exit 162)

1:53:15 – Hooks
1:53:46 – Spur 594 – Red River Army Depot (Exit 207 (Closed))
1:54:45 – FM-560 (Exit 208)

2:00:53 – Texarkana
2:02:26 – FM-989 – Kings Hwy (Exit 218)
2:02:48 – Pecan St/University Ave (Exit 219)
2:03:55 – IH-369/US-59 (Exit 220A)
2:04:25 – FM-559 – Richmond Rd (Exit 220B)
2:05:40 – SH-93/FM-1937 – Summerhill Rd (Exit 222)
2:07:15 – US-71/US-59 – State Line Ave/Ashdown (Exit 223)
2:07:35 – Arkansas State Line
2:07:36 – Jefferson St (Exit 1)
2:09:05 – Four States Fair Pkwy (Exit 2)
2:09:45 – I-49 (Exit 3)
2:12:28 – AR-108 – Mandeville (Exit 7)

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