Houston · the midpoint
Houston is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States. It is the fourth-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.3 million at the 2020 census. Read more →
Meet halfway between Dallas and New Orleans
The fair place to meet is Houston, TX — the city closest to the midpoint of Dallas and New Orleans. From the farther side that’s about 6 hr 40 min of driving.
Recommended midpoint
Houston, TX
From Dallas
4 hr 43 min
225 mi to Houston
From New Orleans
6 hr 40 min
318 mi to Houston
Dallas has the shorter trip; the split is off by about 1 hr 57 min. The alternatives below can even it out. Dallas and New Orleans are about 442 miles apart.
More meetups from Dallas
Meeting in Houston
Dallas and New Orleans are about 442 miles apart by road. Split the difference and you arrive near Houston, the city closest to the halfway point between them. That puts roughly 4 hr 43 min of driving on the Dallas side and 6 hr 40 min on the New Orleans side — the fairest single meeting point among the cities near the middle.
That's a half-day drive from each side, so Houston suits an overnight or a weekend rather than a quick coffee — long enough to want a reason to stay, short enough to drive.
If Houston doesn't have what you're after, Austin and Memphis are also close to the midpoint and worth a look — each keeps the drive reasonably balanced between Dallas and New Orleans.
About the cities
Dallas
Dallas is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. Located in the state's northern region, it is the ninth-most populous city in the United States and third-most populous city in Texas, with a population of 1.3 million at the 2020 census. Read more →
New Orleans
New Orleans is a consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Read more →
City descriptions adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); photos via Wikimedia Commons, credited above.
Questions
- Where is the halfway point between Dallas and New Orleans?
- Houston, TX is closest to the geographic midpoint, which makes it the fairest place to meet.
- How far apart are they?
- About 442 miles by road.
- How long is the drive to meet in the middle?
- Roughly 6 hr 40 min from the farther city to Houston.
Estimates use straight-line distance and typical road speeds; real drive times vary with route and traffic.