Longest Stretch of TEXAS road without fuel services

[ZLoth]

Anyone know the longest stretch of Texas highway WITHOUT fuel services? In the United States, I know of the following:

• Longest Interstate without ervices - I-70 between Salina and Green River, Utah (106 miles)
• Longest US highway without services - US-6 between Tonopah and Ely, Nevada (167 miles)

Since Texas is a big state, what is the longest stretch between fuel services?

[Max Rockatansky]

Isn't it US 180/62 east of El Paso at about 100 miles?

[sprjus4]

Anyone know the longest stretch of Texas highway WITHOUT fuel services? In the United States, I know of the following:

• Longest Interstate without ervices - I-70 between Salina and Green River, Utah (106 miles)
• Longest US highway without services - US-6 between Tonopah and Ely, Nevada (167 miles)

Since Texas is a big state, what is the longest stretch between fuel services?

Depends on how you look at it. Looking closer at the I-70 in Utah example, while there's no services directly off the highway, you can drive 10-15 miles to a town for services. It's out of the way, but certainly much closer than getting fuel directly off the freeway.

[The Ghostbuster]

I have no idea, but I would guess the stretch of Interstate 10 between El Paso and San Antoino might qualify.

[sprjus4]

I have no idea, but I would guess the stretch of Interstate 10 between El Paso and San Antoino might qualify.

Not exactly. There are stretches that can reach 30-40 miles, but there's a number of towns along the path and when the interstate has an interchange at the town, there's usually a variety of services, gas stations, truck stops, restaurants, some even hotels, etc.

[sprjus4]

Likely not the longest, but US-281 has a stretch between Falfurrias and Edinburg about 60 miles with nothing but farms, forest, and homes.

Easily drivable in about 45 minutes at a constant 80 mph.

[usends]

At 64 miles, US 285 between Ft. Stockton and Sanderson is probably near the top of the list:
DSCN2786 by ooss, on Flickr

[Bobby5280]

US-277 between Sonora (I-10) and Del Rio is pretty long and desolate. No towns along the way between those two spots. Measuring in Google Earth it's about 85 miles between convenience stores in the two towns.

My first thought went to US-90 in West Texas. But there are towns along that route no more than about 30-40 miles apart.

[J N Winkler]

In south Texas there is a segment of US 77 (over King Ranch lands, I think) that is explicitly signed as a fuel desert, about 60 miles in length.  US 385 has no services between Marathon (US 90) and the Panther Junction gas station in Big Bend National Park, a distance of about 68 miles.  There is nothing on SH 118 between Alpine (US 90) and Terlingua, about 77 miles.  Neither of the latter two deserts is signed, as far as I can tell from StreetView.  (Fuel desert signing is arbitrary, in any case.)

[Max Rockatansky]

Granted this sign is over the New Mexico State Line but it is from US 62/180 near the Texas State Line just outside of White's City.  The sign states services are 130 miles away and gas is 145 miles away.  Apparently its 16 miles roughly to the State Line so that's a healthy 114 miles no services and 129 miles no gas on US 62/180.

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.17228,-104.3788533,3a,28.2y,228.68h,87.34t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1snVYw-hdwTPjhVqMiiaCxIA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

[roadman65]

I think Padre Island Seashore is 50 miles one way (  it may be 100 both ways as the road is the beach and has no southern outlet).  As you enter Padre Island Seashore there is a sign to tell you that there is no fuel for 50 miles.  Do not know if you drive the beach for that distance or half of it as I did not go inside the park the day I went.

[Bobby5280]

Granted this sign is over the New Mexico State Line but it is from US 62/180 near the Texas State Line just outside of White's City.  The sign states services are 130 miles away and gas is 145 miles away.  Apparently its 16 miles roughly to the State Line so that's a healthy 114 miles no services and 129 miles no gas on US 62/180.

That's actually surprising. I assumed there had to be at least one or more convenience stores in the vicinity of Guadalupe Mountain National Park. But there's nothing out there. The only other road out there of any significance is TX-54. If you turn off US-62/180 onto TX-54 you won't find any fuel stations til you hit Van Horn and I-10.

[Max Rockatansky]

Granted this sign is over the New Mexico State Line but it is from US 62/180 near the Texas State Line just outside of White's City.  The sign states services are 130 miles away and gas is 145 miles away.  Apparently its 16 miles roughly to the State Line so that's a healthy 114 miles no services and 129 miles no gas on US 62/180.

That's actually surprising. I assumed there had to be at least one or more convenience stores in the vicinity of Guadalupe Mountain National Park. But there's nothing out there. The only other road out there of any significance is TX-54. If you turn off US-62/180 onto TX-54 you won't find any fuel stations til you hit Van Horn and I-10.

Having driven that segment of US 62/180 I believe there probably once gas at Salt Flat.  There appears to ruins of a service station or motor lodge near the junction for TX 54.  Really the only community at all east of El Paso is Dell City which if I remember correctly doesn't have gas either. 

[wxfree]

As I recall, years ago going east on US 90 out of Sanderson there was a sign that said there were no services for 121 miles.  Looking on Google Maps, I found an Exxon just after the lake, before Del Rio, 108 miles away.  Along I-10, there's a stretch of 71 miles without fuel between Ozona and Bakersfield.  There's a gas station at River Road by the Pecos River that I've seen open, but not in a long time. 

I would submit the following, which isn't all one highway, but it is a stretch of road.  It's 125 miles from a gas station in Fort Stockton to the gas station in the Big Bend National Park, along US 385, the Persimmon Gap road, which US 385 becomes at the park entrance, and a short distance of Panther Junction Road.  Even if you eliminate the turn onto Panther Junction Road, it's still 125 miles to the end of the Persimmon Gap road, which is not a distance between gas stations, but is still a distance without fuel.  There is a gas station in Marathon, but I read years ago that it closed.  The latest Street View from 2013 shows it closed.  The last time I was there was 2014, and it was closed then.

Other substantial stretches include Alpine to Study Butte and Eldorado to Iraan, each about 78 miles.  Without the gas station in Marathon, it's 80 miles from Sanderson to Alpine.

[ZLoth]

Granted this sign is over the New Mexico State Line but it is from US 62/180 near the Texas State Line just outside of White's City.  The sign states services are 130 miles away and gas is 145 miles away.  Apparently its 16 miles roughly to the State Line so that's a healthy 114 miles no services and 129 miles no gas on US 62/180.

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.17228,-104.3788533,3a,28.2y,228.68h,87.34t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1snVYw-hdwTPjhVqMiiaCxIA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

Here is this route's twin. https://www.google.com/maps/@31.8266879,-105.9076813,3a,75y,96.62h,87.73t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQq3GQjXDa9cvzTU_2V-Skg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

[kphoger]

US-277 between Sonora (I-10) and Del Rio is pretty long and desolate. No towns along the way between those two spots. Measuring in Google Earth it's about 85 miles between convenience stores in the two towns.

Yep.  I've driven that stretch several times, and 85 miles sounds about right.  Theoretically, the store at Loma Alta is a gas station, but I wouldn't count on it.  The only time I've ever actually stopped there, it was closed.  The bathrooms are basically outhouses, and I was honestly surprised to even see the toilets hooked up to water–definitely the worst bathroom I've ever used in the USA.  The only Google review I see of the store states that they were out of gas when she stopped there.  So you be the judge:  does the Loma Alta store between Del Rio and Sonora count as "services"? ....

As I recall, years ago going east on US 90 out of Sanderson there was a sign that said there were no services for 121 miles.  Looking on Google Maps, I found an Exxon just after the lake, before Del Rio, 108 miles away.

Comstock has a gas station.  Just a single pump, but it's a gas station no less.  That shortens the gap to 88 miles.

There is a gas station in Marathon, but I read years ago that it closed.  The latest Street View from 2013 shows it closed.  The last time I was there was 2014, and it was closed then.

I last filled up in Marathon in the 1990s, back when the station was a Shell.  However, it is still shown on Google Maps (now branded as Fina), along with hours of operation.  There are reviews as recent as last week, including comments about the price of gas.  So yeah, it's still there.

Granted this sign is over the New Mexico State Line but it is from US 62/180 near the Texas State Line just outside of White's City.  The sign states services are 130 miles away and gas is 145 miles away.  Apparently its 16 miles roughly to the State Line so that's a healthy 114 miles no services and 129 miles no gas on US 62/180.

That's actually surprising. I assumed there had to be at least one or more convenience stores in the vicinity of Guadalupe Mountain National Park. But there's nothing out there. The only other road out there of any significance is TX-54. If you turn off US-62/180 onto TX-54 you won't find any fuel stations til you hit Van Horn and I-10.

Having driven that segment of US 62/180 I believe there probably once gas at Salt Flat.  There appears to ruins of a service station or motor lodge near the junction for TX 54.  Really the only community at all east of El Paso is Dell City which if I remember correctly doesn't have gas either. 

US-62 is the longest gas desert I'm aware of in Texas.  It is 109 miles from the Valero at Krag Street to the NM state line.

[Road Hog]

In East Texas, I-30 has no services at all between Mount Pleasant and New Boston – a distance of almost 40 miles. Lots of old shuttered filling stations, though. Not long ago I ended up running on fumes at the end of that stretch.