I remember going West on I-10 through Houston a few years back but don't remember any big problems. We plan on going through during the week around 10:30 or 2:30 but not going north around the city.I've heard about the toll roads and don't really want to pay for the 36'MH and toad. Someone said with two in the vehicle we can use the HOV but I never think we are going quick enough to use that and will only tick off those in a hurry.Are there any other recommendations or comments on what to avoid. We usually travel a lane from the right and am not in a hurry but don't want to take the north bypass on I-610 as I don't see the extra distance avoiding much of the traffic or saving any time at all.

Great question, we will be on the same route in September. Good to know the traffic is not awful. We're concerned about traffic. As long as none of the routes are as bad as Atlanta at any time of the day or night.

I-10 straight through Houston is generally the best option, for those that want to avoid the city take TX105 from Beaumont to Brenham, then back down to I-10. It adds about 50 miles to the trip though. TX105 is a good highway overall, some 2 lane, some 4, though there is about 15 miles with heavy traffic around Conroe where it is 4-6 lanes wide. Like much of the Houston area Conroe is growing, and even TX105 is getting much busier than it was 10-15 years ago. As to the best time to take I-10 through Houston, that would be on a weekend, on Sunday mornings downtown Houston is a ghost town.Make no mistake I-10 in Houston can be awful, see photo of the Katy Freeway section of I-10 on the west side of Houston below.

Been thru Houston may times on I-10. No problems I just avoided the rush hour traffic

Your vehicle size is too large for the HOV. You will definitely get a very expensive ticket. Both for having an oversized vehicle and for towing a trailer (the toad or anything towed counts as a trailer) in the HOV. I-10 is the least distance. Traffic delays can happen anywhere. I listen to a Houston traffic channel when I’m going thru the city and will only choose to go north or south loops if the reports indicate a significant time advantage. But at least half the time that I choose an alternate, that develops a delay. I also have two advantages you do not. I have a tag and a discount for the Houston toll roads which makes it much cheaper than it would cost you. And I am familiar with Houston freeways that I recognize the locations of traffic delays, and know where most of the ‘normal ‘ backups occur. Highly recommend just straight through on I-10.

dennis1949 wrote:Been thru Houston may times on I-10. No problems I just avoided the rush hour trafficsame here. rush hour is a bear in any major citybumpy

I-10 through Houston | Good Sam Community

14 Replies

PawPaw_n_Gram
Explorer
Feb 08, 2018
Please, if you want to quote a previous post, don’t include the whole post, especially pictures. Really makes the loading slow and the bandwidth usage high for those camping at locations without good cell reception/ without dedicated land line internet.

Unfortunately (or possibly fortunately depending upon how I look at it) my brother still lives in Pasadena, nephews and grand nephews south of Beltway 8, some cousins in the area, a membership campground in Willis and our residence at a campground in Livingston, so avoiding Houston and I-10 really isn’t an option for us.

US 84, US 67 is a good option to cross Texas. I’ve driven all of it more than once.
scrubjaysnest
Explorer
Feb 08, 2018
Isaac-1 wrote:
I-10 straight through Houston is generally the best option, for those that want to avoid the city take TX105 from Beaumont to Brenham, then back down to I-10. It adds about 50 miles to the trip though. TX105 is a good highway overall, some 2 lane, some 4, though there is about 15 miles with heavy traffic around Conroe where it is 4-6 lanes wide. Like much of the Houston area Conroe is growing, and even TX105 is getting much busier than it was 10-15 years ago. As to the best time to take I-10 through Houston, that would be on a weekend, on Sunday mornings downtown Houston is a ghost town.

Make no mistake I-10 in Houston can be awful, see photo of the Katy Freeway section of I-10 on the west side of Houston below.

We avoid I-10 as much as possible. Through Houston there is always construction. Normally we will use TX 105 if we have to go that far south; much prefer US 84.
fanrgs
Explorer
Feb 08, 2018
We just towed our 5th wheel around Houston today on TX 105, which I got on at Beaumont. Pouring rain, slick roads, and significant traffic delays long after rush hour prompted our changing the route to go far north of the city. We had light traffic and several stretches of 70 mph speed limits on TX 105, the rest was 55-65 mph. Even two-lane state highways in Texas often have 70-75 mph speed limits, so you are not necessarily going any slower except in the towns that aren't on controlled access highways or don't have a by-pass.
dalenoel
Explorer II
Feb 06, 2018
I did notice the Houston HOV eliminated three axle vehicles and trailers. Did not like HOV anyway since I agree the NASCAR drivers all like it.

Thank you everyone for the information and help
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Feb 05, 2018
Veebyes wrote:
Regarding RVs & HOV I questioned a Trooper on that issue. The response I got was that it is a HOV lane, not a car lane with 2 or more people. Use it.
.

was that a Texas trooper?
bumpy
Veebyes
Explorer II
Feb 05, 2018
Regarding RVs & HOV I questioned a Trooper on that issue. The response I got was that it is a HOV lane, not a car lane with 2 or more people. Use it.

Getting through large cities, as soon as the highway goes from 2 lanes to 3 or more & there are lots of exits with local traffic dashing on & off, I get out a lane, maybe 2 leaving the lefthand lanes to the NASCAR drivers.
b17drvr
Explorer
Feb 05, 2018
For the Houston traffic, click HERE
The_Owl
Explorer
Feb 04, 2018
Been through there a few times but always in a car and avoided rush hour. No worse than any other big city.
Don’t do the HOV unless you’re only in the toad.
tinstartrvlr
Explorer
Feb 04, 2018
I can say that surprisingly I actually went through Houston about 6pm (thanks to a delay from a blowout) on I-10 and it wasnt bad, as I was sure it would be. Think everyone uses the bypasses and toll roads if they live there.
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Feb 04, 2018
dennis1949 wrote:
Been thru Houston may times on I-10. No problems I just avoided the rush hour traffic

same here. rush hour is a bear in any major city
bumpy