Lubbock is the largest city for a long way in any direction — roughly 300 miles from Dallas, 120 from Amarillo, 320 from Albuquerque. It is easy to reach by air via the major Texas hubs, and it sits at the junction of I-27 and several long US highways. Once you are here, a rental car is close to essential: the sights are spread out and public transport outside the city is minimal.
The options, compared
| From | By air | By car | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas–Fort Worth | about 1 h 10 nonstop (DFW or Love Field) | about 5 h (≈320 mi / 515 km) | Main gateway for international flights |
| Houston | about 1.5 h nonstop (IAH or Hobby) | about 8 h | Fly unless you want a long road trip |
| Austin | usually via Dallas | about 6 h (≈370 mi) | Scenic drive via the Hill Country |
| Amarillo | no direct flights | about 2 h (≈120 mi) on I-27 | Combine with Palo Duro Canyon |
| Albuquerque / Santa Fe | via Dallas or Denver | about 5–5.5 h via US-84 | New Mexico is 1 h behind (Mountain Time) |
| Midland–Odessa | no direct flights | about 2 h (≈120 mi) | Alternative airport (MAF) |
By air: Lubbock Preston Smith International (LBB)
Lubbock’s airport lies about 7 miles (15 minutes) north of downtown, just off I-27. It is compact and easy to use. Nonstop flights mainly connect with the big Texas hubs — Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Dallas Love Field and Houston — plus a small number of other cities such as Denver and Las Vegas, depending on the season and the airline’s current schedule. International visitors almost always connect in Dallas or Houston.
- Car rental: the major rental companies have desks in the terminal. Book ahead for Texas Tech football and graduation weekends.
- Taxi and rideshare: Uber and Lyft operate in Lubbock; a ride downtown takes about 15 minutes.
- Hotel shuttles: some hotels offer free airport shuttles on request — ask when you book.
Alternative airports: Amarillo (AMA), two hours north, handy for Palo Duro Canyon; and Midland International (MAF), two hours south. Check flight options into all three.
By car
The roads to Lubbock are long, straight and mostly empty — part of the experience. Key routes:
- From Dallas–Fort Worth: west on I-20 to Abilene, then northwest on US-84 via Snyder and Post (or via US-380 through Jayton). Around 5 hours.
- From Amarillo: straight south on I-27, about 2 hours.
- From New Mexico: US-84 from Santa Fe via Fort Sumner and Clovis, or US-380 from Roswell via Brownfield. Remember the time change.
- From Austin and San Antonio: via the Hill Country (US-87 through San Angelo), roughly 6–7 hours.
By bus and train
There is no passenger rail service to Lubbock. Long-distance buses (for example Greyhound and partner lines) connect Lubbock with Dallas, Amarillo, El Paso and other cities; journeys are long and schedules limited, so check current timetables.
Getting around Lubbock
Lubbock is laid out on a grid with numbered streets running east–west and lettered or named avenues north–south, ringed by Loop 289 and the newer Marsha Sharp Freeway. Driving and parking are easy. Citibus runs city bus routes, mainly useful around Texas Tech and downtown; rideshare fills the gaps in the evening. For everything outside town — canyons, wineries, small towns — you need a car.
By tour
There are no GetYourGuide tours from Lubbock at present. If you are travelling through Dallas–Fort Worth, see our tour picks for the Stockyards and Dallas, and our ranked list for road-trip extensions.
