Amarillo to Lubbock Car Service
South across the plains to Lubbock, at a fixed price for the whole vehicle.
- Distance
- 121.5 miles
- Drive time
- About 2 hr
- Highway
- US-87
- From, one way
- $565
The drive
Amarillo to Lubbock on I-27
It is 121.5 miles from downtown Amarillo to downtown Lubbock, about 2 hr without traffic. The route leaves the city on US-87 and joins Interstate 27, which runs south the whole way.
The first town on it is Canyon, 17.9 miles out, home to West Texas A&M. After that it is the South Plains: flat, open and straight, through a string of small towns — Happy, Tulia, Plainview, Hale Center, Abernathy — with little between them.
This trip at a glance
- Distance
- 121.5 miles on US-87 and I-27
- Drive time
- about 2 hr without traffic
- Fixed price
- Quoted per vehicle. The road does not change it.
- Flights
- Tracked at the far end, so a delay moves the pickup.
Prices
What an Amarillo to Lubbock car costs
One price for the whole vehicle. At two hours, this is the shortest of the long runs out of Amarillo, and the one most often booked for a day there and back.
| Vehicle | Seats | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Sedan | Up to 2 | $565 | $1,130 |
| Premium SUV | Up to 5 | $615 | $1,230 |
| Executive SUV | Up to 5 | $700 | $1,400 |
| Sprinter Executive | Up to 12 | $970 | $1,940 |
| Sprinter Coach | Up to 14 | $970 | $1,940 |
| Executive Coach Bus | Up to 40 | $1,580 | $3,160 |
| Motor Coach | Up to 55 | $1,740 | $3,480 |
Texas Tech
Lubbock is a university city first. Texas Tech sits west of downtown and its calendar shapes the traffic: a home football weekend fills the hotels, the roads around the stadium and the restaurants, and a trip timed without it in mind can run into all three.
That makes this route a common one for families visiting students and for teams and fans traveling between the Panhandle schools. For a game day, book early and give the exact address — a campus drop-off near the stadium on a Saturday is a different trip from one on a Tuesday.
On a game weekend
- Hotels and roads around campus fill early.
- Book as far ahead as you can.
- Give the exact campus address, not just "Texas Tech".
LBB
Lubbock Preston Smith International (LBB) is 117.0 miles from downtown Amarillo, on the north side of Lubbock, so it is slightly closer than the city center. Some travelers in the Panhandle use it when its schedule suits a trip better than AMA's does.
It is not a large airport either, so the case for it is specific to the itinerary rather than general. If the flight that works leaves from LBB, this is the run; if it leaves from DFW, the Dallas run is the one to price.
Airports from Amarillo
- AMA
- In town, limited schedule.
- LBB
- 117.0 miles, north side of Lubbock.
- DFW
- 344.1 miles, far more flights.
Pickup
In Amarillo the car collects you at your address at the agreed time. At LBB, for the trip back north, the driver waits outside the arrivals exit with a sign showing your name, the flight is tracked, and the first hour after landing is free.
There and back
Two hours each way is short enough to do Lubbock in a day and long enough that it makes sense to hold the vehicle rather than book two transfers. For a meeting, a campus visit or a game, hourly booking keeps the car with you and the driver waiting, with a four-hour minimum.
Past about eight hours in total, a return transfer with a gap in the middle is usually better value than holding the vehicle all day. Tell us the plan and we will quote whichever works out cheaper.
On the way
I-27 is a straight line across the South Plains, and the towns along it are evenly spaced enough to mark the drive's progress.
| Town | Where it is | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Canyon | Just south of Amarillo | West Texas A&M, and the turn for Palo Duro Canyon. |
| Tulia | About a third of the way | A small county seat on the interstate. |
| Plainview | Past the midpoint | The largest town between the two cities; fuel and food. |
| Abernathy | The approach to Lubbock | The last town before the city. |
The plains
The road itself is easy. The weather is what makes it hard, and on the South Plains that means wind — strong enough in spring to raise dust across the highway — and winter ice, which is the one thing that turns this two-hour drive into a slow one.
Neither is a reason not to travel. Both are reasons to look at the forecast for a winter trip and leave margin before a flight, because I-27 has little shelter and few alternatives when it slows.
Traveling in winter
- Ice on I-27 is what slows this route most.
- Check the forecast before a winter trip.
- Leave extra margin before an LBB flight.
Nearby
The other long routes out of the Panhandle.
Booking
The pickup address in Amarillo, the destination in Lubbock, the date and the number of passengers and bags. For LBB, the flight number too.
The Lubbock fare has tolls included. Tipping is optional, child seats are free on request, and canceling more than 24 hours before the Amarillo pickup costs nothing.
The Amarillo hub covers the city, and the long run east is Amarillo to Oklahoma City.
Frequently Asked Questions
121.5 miles, downtown to downtown, on US-87 and I-27.
about 2 hr without traffic. Game weekends at Texas Tech slow the Lubbock end.
From $615 one way in a Premium SUV for up to five, or from $565 in a Business Sedan for two. Round trip is twice the one-way price.
Yes. LBB is 117.0 miles from downtown Amarillo, on the north side of Lubbock.
Yes. Give the exact campus address — on a home game weekend, the roads and drop-offs around the stadium are a different trip from a weekday.
Yes. Hourly booking holds the vehicle with a four-hour minimum; past about eight hours, a return transfer with a gap is usually cheaper. We will quote whichever works out better.
Yes — Canyon, where WTAMU is, is 17.9 miles out on the same road.
It is what slows this route most. Ice on I-27 turns a two-hour drive into a slower one, and the road has little shelter and few alternatives, so check the forecast and leave margin before a flight.
Yes. A Sprinter or a coach keeps a team in one vehicle with its equipment, which is how most school and athletics groups make this trip.
Plainview is the largest town between the two cities and the natural stop. Ask when you book so it is in the quote.