Gunter TX Commute to Dallas: Routes, Drive Times and Road Projects
Most Gunter commuters reach Dallas the same way: south on SH 289 (Preston Road) to Prosper, then onto the Dallas North Tollway. With no traffic, that’s about 51 miles and a little over an hour to downtown Dallas, and closer to 40 minutes to Legacy West in Plano or The Star in Frisco. Rush hour adds to all of that. The U.S. 75 route through Van Alstyne is toll-free but longer. Census figures put the average Gunter worker’s one-way trip at about 30 minutes, because plenty of people here work in Sherman, Celina or McKinney rather than Dallas.
The bigger story is what’s being built. The tollway is pushing north toward the Grayson County line, and TxDOT has plans to widen SH 289 and route traffic around downtown Gunter. Here is what each road looks like today and what the official project pages say is coming. For everything else about settling in, start with our complete guide to moving to Gunter, Texas.
Gunter TX commute to Dallas: the two main routes
SH 289 to the Dallas North Tollway. From central Gunter, the fastest no-traffic route on OpenStreetMap’s router runs about 13 miles south on SH 289 through Celina to Prosper, then about 28 miles on the tollway into Dallas. The North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) says the tollway runs 33 miles from downtown Dallas to W. First Street in Prosper, through Addison, Plano and Frisco. In 2023, the bridges carrying it over U.S. 380 into Prosper opened. NTTA also finished adding a fourth lane in each direction between the Sam Rayburn Tollway and U.S. 380 in August 2025.
U.S. 75 through Van Alstyne. Heading east to U.S. 75 and south through McKinney, Allen and Plano skips the tolls, and on the router’s numbers it’s about 60 miles and 74 minutes to downtown Dallas. It makes more sense if you work along the U.S. 75 corridor in McKinney, Allen or Richardson. For a side-by-side look at the two towns on this road, see Gunter vs. Van Alstyne.
Inside Gunter, FM 121, Main Street and SH 289 are state highways. The City of Gunter’s FAQ says those roads are controlled by TxDOT, while the city handles law enforcement and traffic control.
How far is Gunter from Dallas, Plano and Frisco?
We ran these from central Gunter through the public OpenStreetMap routing service on October 30, 2026. The times assume no traffic, so treat them as a floor, not a promise.
| Destination | Distance | No-traffic drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Celina town square | 9.6 miles | 13 minutes |
| Downtown Sherman | 18.2 miles | 23 minutes |
| Downtown McKinney | 26.9 miles | 37 minutes |
| The Star in Frisco | 27.6 miles | 37 minutes |
| Legacy West in Plano | 29.1 miles | 38 minutes |
| DFW Airport | 49.7 miles | 66 minutes |
| Downtown Dallas (SH 289 and the tollway) | 50.7 miles | 65 minutes |
| Downtown Dallas (U.S. 75) | 59.8 miles | 74 minutes |
Before you sign a lease or a contract, put your real work address into a map app with a departure time of 7 a.m. on a weekday, then drive it once yourself. School zones in Celina and Prosper and construction on SH 289 can change the picture quickly.
What the Census numbers say about Gunter commutes
The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024, five-year estimates, via Census Reporter) puts the mean travel time to work for the city of Gunter at 29.7 minutes. That’s a little above the Sherman-Denison metro (25.8 minutes) and Texas (26.7 minutes). Gunter is a small place, so the margin of error is wide, about plus or minus 14 minutes. The Gunter ISD school-district area, which covers more ground than the city, runs a bit higher.
The same survey shows how people get there. About 65% of Gunter workers drive alone, 20% carpool and about 14% work from home. The estimate for public transit is zero. There is no DART rail or commuter bus in Gunter, so plan on a car.
The Dallas North Tollway is coming closer
NTTA’s Phase 4 project extends the tollway 13.7 miles north of U.S. 380. According to NTTA:
- Phase 4A runs from U.S. 380 to FM 428 in Celina and is under construction, with opening expected in late 2027.
- Phase 4B runs from FM 428 to the Grayson County line. It starts with a two-lane frontage road, with main lanes to follow. NTTA lists its opening date as to be determined.
- A Grayson County Tollway that could carry the toll road into Grayson County is a Grayson County Regional Mobility Authority project, not an NTTA project.
In August 2025, NTTA’s board approved a term sheet with the Grayson County Regional Mobility Authority for a project called the Dallas North Tollway Extension 5A, according to the board meeting minutes. TxDOT’s Grayson County Tollway study looks at extending the tollway 37 miles from CR 60, near the county line south of Gunter, to U.S. 75 near Denison. That’s still a study, so there’s no construction date or toll rate to plan around yet.
For Gunter drivers, the near-term change is Phase 4A. Once it opens, the tollway will reach FM 428 in Celina, a few miles closer than today. If you’re weighing the new neighborhoods near the county line, our guide to Gunter’s new home communities shows where they sit in relation to these roads.
SH 289 and FM 121: what TxDOT plans
SH 289 south of the county line. TxDOT’s Dallas District Collin County design-project list includes rebuilding SH 289 from north of Celina to the Grayson County line as a four-lane divided road, designed so it can grow to six lanes later. The list shows an estimated letting date of December 2028 and an estimated cost of $37 million. A letting date is when the work goes out for bids, not when it’s finished.
Gunter Relief Route. Today, FM 121 turns into Main Street, and drivers coming from the west have to go through town to reach SH 289. TxDOT’s Paris District is studying a new road about 3.6 miles long from Scharff Road, about four miles west of Gunter, to SH 289 south of town. It’s in the schematic and environmental phase, and public meetings were held in October 2020 and June 2022.
FM 121 west. A separate TxDOT study covers widening FM 121 from SH 289 to FM 3356, about 7.2 miles, into a four-lane divided road with a center turn lane.
Grayson Parkway. FM Spur 121, also called Grayson Parkway, is already open. TxDOT’s Paris District project list says the new road from CR 60 to FM 121 was completed in August 2023. It gives drivers west of Gunter a north-south link toward the Collin County line.
We track these and other local projects in what’s coming to Gunter, Texas.
Tips for a smoother commute from Gunter
- Get a TollTag if you’ll use the tollway often. Without one, NTTA bills you by mail through ZipCash at a higher rate. You can sign up on the NTTA website.
- Check road conditions before you leave. TxDOT’s DriveTexas.org shows closures and construction on state highways, including SH 289 and FM 121.
- Watch for tollway work at the south end. NTTA says it is repairing and resurfacing tollway bridges over Harry Hines Boulevard, Forest Lane and Lovers Lane from October to December 2026, with two lanes closed in each direction.
- Test the drive at rush hour. A Sunday drive to Plano tells you very little about a Tuesday at 7:15 a.m.
- Consider where you’ll work, not just where Dallas is. Sherman, Celina and McKinney are all within about 40 minutes without traffic, and many Gunter households commute there instead.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Gunter to Dallas? About 51 miles and 65 minutes to downtown Dallas with no traffic, using SH 289 and the Dallas North Tollway. Expect longer at rush hour.
Can I get to Dallas from Gunter without paying tolls? Yes. Taking U.S. 75 through Van Alstyne, McKinney and Plano avoids the tollway. It’s about 60 miles and roughly 74 minutes without traffic.
When will the Dallas North Tollway reach Gunter? No date has been set. NTTA expects Phase 4A to reach FM 428 in Celina in late 2027. The stretch from FM 428 to the Grayson County line has no opening date, and the extension into Grayson County is still being studied.
Is there public transit from Gunter to Dallas? No. Census estimates show essentially no Gunter workers using public transit, and there is no DART rail or bus service in Gunter.
Have a question about a road project near you? TxDOT’s Paris District, which covers Grayson County, can be reached at 903-737-9282. For the rest of what to know before you move, see our Gunter moving guide.
