Where to live if you work in downtown Dallas
Every DFW area we cover, sorted by drive time to downtown Dallas, with typical home values and school districts.
Published 2026-10-22 · 5 min read · Source: Drive times: OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM), off-peak, measured 2026-10-21. Home values: Zillow Home Value Index by ZIP, September 2026. School districts: Dallas Real Estate Internet area profiles.
Downtown Dallas, the Arts District, Uptown and Victory Park are a short hop apart, so most of these times also work for jobs in those neighborhoods. Below, every area we cover is sorted by its off-peak drive time to downtown Dallas, with typical home values and school districts so you can weigh the trade-offs at a glance.
Drive times are off-peak estimates from each area's center (OpenStreetMap routing, measured October 2026). Rush hour is often much longer, so test-drive your commute at the time you'd actually make it.
About 20 minutes or less
- Deep Ellum & Downtown Dallas: you're already there. Typical home values $262K to $972K (by ZIP). Schools: Dallas ISD.
- Uptown & Victory Park: about 5 min (2 mi). Typical home values $415K to $972K (by ZIP). Schools: Dallas ISD.
- Knox-Henderson & Oak Lawn: about 7 min (3 mi). Typical home values $415K to $2.13M (by ZIP). Schools: Dallas ISD.
- Oak Cliff & Bishop Arts: about 8 min (3 mi). Typical home values $199K to $411K (by ZIP). Schools: Dallas ISD.
- Lower Greenville & M Streets: about 9 min (3 mi). Typical home values $606K to $839K (by ZIP). Schools: Dallas ISD.
- Design District & Medical District / Love Field: about 9 min (4 mi). Typical home values $272K to $1.07M (by ZIP). Schools: Dallas ISD.
- Preston Hollow: about 11 min (7 mi). Typical home values $743K to $2.08M (by ZIP). Schools: Dallas ISD.
- East Dallas & Lakewood/White Rock: about 11 min (5 mi). Typical home values $372K to $839K (by ZIP). Schools: Dallas ISD.
- Highland Park & University Park: about 11 min (5 mi). Typical home values $2.08M to $2.13M (by ZIP). Schools: Highland Park ISD, Dallas ISD (small part of Highland Park).
- Lake Highlands: about 18 min (10 mi). Typical home values $293K to $631K (by ZIP). Schools: Richardson ISD, Dallas ISD (parts).
- Richardson: about 19 min (14 mi). Typical home values $384K to $547K (by ZIP). Schools: Richardson ISD, Plano ISD (north Richardson).
- Las Colinas: about 19 min (13 mi). Typical home values $455K to $632K (by ZIP). Schools: Irving ISD, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD (parts).
- Addison: about 20 min (14 mi). Typical home values $480K (by ZIP). Schools: Dallas ISD.
20 to 35 minutes
- Far North Dallas: about 21 min (15 mi). Typical home values $456K to $623K (by ZIP). Schools: Plano ISD (parts), Richardson ISD (parts).
- Downtown & East Plano: about 25 min (19 mi). Typical home values $362K to $456K (by ZIP). Schools: Plano ISD.
- Rowlett: about 27 min (20 mi). Typical home values $352K to $370K (by ZIP). Schools: Garland ISD, Rockwall ISD (parts).
- Garland: about 27 min (16 mi). Typical home values $240K to $335K (by ZIP). Schools: Garland ISD.
- Carrollton: about 28 min (19 mi). Typical home values $343K to $516K (by ZIP). Schools: Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, Lewisville ISD.
- Grapevine: about 29 min (23 mi). Typical home values $545K (by ZIP). Schools: Grapevine-Colleyville ISD.
- Arlington: about 29 min (20 mi). Typical home values $230K to $380K (by ZIP). Schools: Arlington ISD, Mansfield ISD (parts).
- Allen: about 30 min (25 mi). Typical home values $452K to $645K (by ZIP). Schools: Allen ISD, Lovejoy ISD (parts).
- West Plano: about 32 min (23 mi). Typical home values $546K to $738K (by ZIP). Schools: Plano ISD.
- Murphy: about 32 min (23 mi). Typical home values $579K (by ZIP). Schools: Plano ISD, Wylie ISD (parts).
- Rockwall: about 32 min (24 mi). Typical home values $444K to $524K (by ZIP). Schools: Rockwall ISD, Royse City ISD (parts).
- Frisco: about 35 min (27 mi). Typical home values $555K to $658K (by ZIP). Schools: Frisco ISD, Prosper ISD (parts).
35 to 45 minutes
- McKinney: about 37 min (31 mi). Typical home values $412K to $508K (by ZIP). Schools: McKinney ISD, Frisco ISD (parts).
- The Colony: about 37 min (25 mi). Typical home values $478K (by ZIP). Schools: Lewisville ISD.
- Wylie: about 40 min (28 mi). Typical home values $418K (by ZIP). Schools: Wylie ISD.
- Flower Mound: about 40 min (29 mi). Typical home values $525K to $761K (by ZIP). Schools: Lewisville ISD, Argyle ISD (parts).
- Downtown Fort Worth & Sundance Square: about 41 min (32 mi). Typical home values $267K (by ZIP). Schools: Fort Worth ISD.
- Lucas & Fairview: about 42 min (31 mi). Typical home values $1.05M (by ZIP). Schools: Lovejoy ISD, Allen ISD (parts).
- Fort Worth: about 42 min (33 mi). Typical home values $184K to $686K (by ZIP). Schools: Fort Worth ISD, Keller ISD (parts).
- Prosper: about 43 min (34 mi). Typical home values $735K (by ZIP). Schools: Prosper ISD, Denton ISD (parts).
- Near Southside & Magnolia: about 43 min (33 mi). Typical home values $184K to $209K (by ZIP). Schools: Fort Worth ISD.
- West 7th & Cultural District / Arlington Heights: about 45 min (35 mi). Typical home values $361K (by ZIP). Schools: Fort Worth ISD.
How to narrow it down
- Decide your real limit first. A 25-minute off-peak drive can be 40 minutes at 8 a.m.
- Check the toll roads on your route. The Dallas North Tollway, President George Bush Turnpike and SH 121 save time but add up over a year (see our Toll roads 101 guide).
- Price the whole payment, not just the house. Property tax rates differ by city and school district, and some newer neighborhoods add MUD or PID taxes.
- School districts follow addresses, not city lines. Verify the exact school zone for any home you like.
Want help matching a commute to a budget? Try the Where should I live? tool, ask the DFW AI, or book a free 30-minute call with Kohl.