Itinerary · United States

Fort Worth Stockyards Day Trip from Dallas

Longhorn steers with long curved horns returning to their wooden pens at the Fort Worth Stockyards. — Fort Worth Stockyards · Photo: Carol M. Highsmith / Public domain

Dallas to the Fort Worth Stockyards by TRE and circulator bus for the longhorn cattle drive: morning and afternoon plans, tickets and which days work.

Published Oct 14, 2026

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A Stockyards day: pick the weekday first

The Fort Worth Stockyards is the livestock market district where more than four million head of cattle passed through between 1866 and 1890, earning Fort Worth the name "Cowtown". You get there by taking the TRE commuter train from EBJ Union Station in downtown Dallas to Fort Worth and changing to a circulator bus, so it is easy to set aside one day for it while staying in Dallas.

This post covers just that day: a morning plan built around the late-morning drive and an afternoon plan built around the 4 p.m. drive, tickets, what to see at the Stockyards, and how to spend the evening back in Dallas. For the full 2-night, 3-day Dallas route, see the post linked below.

Choose a date that fits two schedules. The TRE runs Monday to Saturday, with no scheduled Sunday service (except during the State Fair of Texas). Longhorns parade daily at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., but there are no drives on Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving or Christmas Day. So pick a Monday to Saturday that is not Thanksgiving or Christmas Day.

Getting there: EBJ Union Station → TRE → Fort Worth T&P Station

The TRE is a commuter train between EBJ Union Station in Dallas and Fort Worth T&P Station, run jointly by DART and Trinity Metro. Check the official information before you go for journey times and timetables. Take the same TRE back to EBJ Union Station at the end of the day.

The trip crosses the Dallas County and Tarrant County zones, so you need a Regional ticket. On a day you combine the TRE and Trinity Metro, the Regional Day Pass is USD 9. The DART Local Pass (USD 3 for 3 hours, USD 6 for a day) is for riding DART only.

Station machines take cash and cards
With a contactless card or phone, tap at the platform or bus reader before boarding
Each rider needs their own payment method, and that card or device is your ticket and proof of payment
Fare inspectors may check your ticket

Downtown Fort Worth → Stockyards: the Orange Line circulator

From downtown Fort Worth, take the Trinity Metro Orange Line circulator to the Stockyards. The circulator all-day pass is USD 4. Check the official information before you go for where to board it in Fort Worth and how often it runs.

Plan backwards from the drive. Decide on the 11:30 a.m. or the 4 p.m. drive, check the TRE and circulator timetables in the official information, and set off with time to spare.

At the Stockyards: the longhorn drive, the pens and the Cowtown Coliseum

Watch the longhorn cattle drive from the Observation Deck on East Exchange Avenue. Outside drive times, you can still see the cattle up close at their pens behind the Livestock Exchange Building.

The Cowtown Coliseum, built in 1907, hosted the first indoor rodeo. Look around before or after the drive and picture the cattle that passed through this livestock market district between 1866 and 1890.

Longhorn cattle drive: daily at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.
No drives: Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day
Where to watch: the Observation Deck on East Exchange Avenue
Cattle up close: the pens behind the Livestock Exchange Building

Morning or afternoon plan, and an evening in Dallas

The morning plan takes the TRE to Fort Worth in the morning for the 11:30 a.m. drive, then the pens and the Cowtown Coliseum, and returns to Dallas in the afternoon. The afternoon plan spends the morning on one Dallas sight and heads out for the 4 p.m. drive. For that morning, The Sixth Floor Museum and Dealey Plaza, five blocks north of EBJ Union Station, fit well. The museum opens Wed-Sun 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and closes on Mondays and Tuesdays, so do the afternoon plan on a Wednesday to Saturday.

Back at EBJ Union Station, the Dallas Streetcar runs to the Bishop Arts District. It runs daily 5:30 a.m.-midnight, every 20 minutes; a ride costs USD 1, and DART 3-Hour and Day Passes are also valid. The Bishop Arts District has boutiques, galleries, cafes and restaurants. For live music, Deep Ellum, which has its own DART station, is another option.

For dinner, the signature Dallas food includes Texas-style barbecue with brisket and ribs slow-smoked at low heat, burgers with thick patties blending chuck and brisket and steaks, and Tex-Mex with a frozen margarita.

Morning plan: TRE in the morning → Orange Line circulator → 11:30 a.m. drive → pens and Cowtown Coliseum → TRE to EBJ Union Station → streetcar to the Bishop Arts District
Afternoon plan (Wed-Sat): The Sixth Floor Museum and Dealey Plaza → TRE from EBJ Union Station → Orange Line circulator → 4 p.m. drive → TRE back to Dallas

Budget, weather and final checks

The basic transport cost is the USD 9 Regional Day Pass covering the TRE and Trinity Metro. A separate evening streetcar ride is USD 1, and adding The Sixth Floor Museum to the afternoon plan costs USD 27 for adults.

According to WMO World Weather Information Service — National Weather Service (USA) normals for Dallas Ft Worth (WMO city data), 1981–2010, March-April, a good time for walking, has average highs of 20-25°C and lows of 8-13°C, and October-November highs of 19-26°C and lows of 8-14°C. June to August is very hot, with average highs of 33-36°C and lows of 22-24°C, so carry water and a hat. December to February is cool, with average highs of 14-16°C and lows of 2-4°C.

If you are heading to the airport at the end of the day, TEXRail runs from Fort Worth Central Station to DFW Airport Terminal B Station (USD 2 for a Local single ride, USD 4 for a Local 1-Day ticket). The airport post below has the details.

Date: Monday to Saturday, avoiding Thanksgiving and Christmas Day
Payment: one payment method per rider
TRE and circulator timetables and boarding points: check the official information before you go
U.S. entry requirements (visa, travel authorization, etc.): check the U.S. government's official information before you travel
Check the official forecast before you go

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FAQ

Can I do a Fort Worth Stockyards day trip on a Sunday?

The TRE has no scheduled Sunday service (except during the State Fair of Texas), so plan a Fort Worth day trip for Monday to Saturday.

What time is the longhorn cattle drive?

Daily at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. There are no drives on Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving or Christmas Day.

Which ticket should I buy?

On a day you combine the TRE and Trinity Metro, the Regional Day Pass is USD 9. The Orange Line circulator all-day pass is USD 4.

How long does it take from Dallas to Fort Worth?

The TRE runs Monday to Saturday between EBJ Union Station in Dallas and Fort Worth T&P Station. Check the official information before you go for journey times and timetables.