Distances in Texas are substantial even between Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin. I-10 crosses the southern part of the state, I-35 runs north from San Antonio through Austin toward the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and I-20 carries a major east-west corridor. Large metropolitan footprints, long rural stretches, heat, and shifting regional geography make precise endpoints essential to a workable plan.
A Texas request is evaluated from its exact pickup and destination addresses; naming only the nearest large city leaves the real mileage unknown. Houston-area travel differs from a Dallas, Austin, or San Antonio itinerary. The proposed date, corridor, traffic, weather, pickup access, arrival target, and mobility needs are weighed together before the trip can be confirmed.
This service is for scheduled, non-emergency ground transportation. It is not an ambulance or emergency-response service; call 911 when immediate medical help is needed.
Start a quote online or call 800-696-1495 to ask Eastern Royal Medical Transport about a Texas long-distance medical transport.
Trip-by-trip availability review for Texas pickups and destinations
Texas is large enough that the distance between its own cities makes a long-distance trip. Houston to Dallas is about 240 road miles, San Antonio to Dallas about 270, and Houston to El Paso about 750. Care centers on the big metro areas: Houston Methodist Hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, University Hospital in San Antonio, St. David's Medical Center in Austin, and University Medical Center of El Paso. Common trips bring a family member home after treatment in Houston, move a parent from a small town or the Rio Grande Valley to adult children in Dallas or Austin, or carry someone to relatives in Louisiana, Oklahoma, or Arkansas.
Major medical centers in Texas
Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston
MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas
University Hospital, San Antonio
St. David's Medical Center, Austin
University Medical Center of El Paso, El Paso
Hospitals are named as geographic references for trip planning. Naming one does not imply an affiliation or a prearranged transport relationship with Eastern Royal Medical Transport.
Main travel corridors
I-10
I-35
I-45
I-20
I-40
Seasonal travel considerations
Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30 and peaks in September, and Gulf Coast counties issue evacuation orders by zone. In Dallas-Fort Worth, 100-degree days typically fall between about July 1 and late August. Spring storms bring hail and tornadoes to North and Central Texas, and winter storms can close I-40 in the Panhandle. Ask for a backup date in any of these seasons.
Planning tips for Texas trips
The Texas Medical Center in Houston holds Houston Methodist Hospital, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, among others, in one district. Each has many buildings, so ask the discharge team which building and entrance to use.
El Paso and Hudspeth County keep Mountain Time, an hour behind Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio. When an El Paso facility gives an arrival window, confirm which clock it means.
On I-10, Junction to Fort Stockton is about 200 road miles, and Fort Stockton to El Paso is about 240 more, with only small towns between. Tell your coordinator how often your loved one needs a break.
Texas trip questions
My mother finished treatment at a Houston hospital. Can she travel lying down to another state?
Yes. Riders who need to stay lying down can travel by stretcher on a long trip like this one. From Houston, New Orleans is about 350 road miles east on I-10, Little Rock is about 440, and Oklahoma City is about 440. Send the hospital, the unit, the expected discharge day, and where she is going, and your coordinator will map the day around her comfort.
Can a trip start in the Rio Grande Valley?
Yes. McAllen to San Antonio is about 240 road miles and McAllen to Houston is about 350, so both fit. Describe how your loved one enters and leaves the home, whether by steps, a ramp, or a long gravel drive, and give the arrival time the destination expects. Summer heat is strong and Gulf hurricane season runs through November, so plan a morning departure and keep a backup date.
Can you take my father from El Paso to Houston?
Yes. El Paso to Houston is about 750 road miles, nearly all on I-10, and roughly 12 hours of driving before breaks and stops. Because that is a long day for anyone, tell your coordinator how long your father can go between breaks and whether he rides seated, in a wheelchair, or lying down. Also share when the Houston home or hospital can receive him.
