Best driving routes to Cotton Bowl for the game?

[Tailgate 3021]

Staying at the Melrose in Dallas. Don’t want to get stuck in a massive jam. Anyone have thoughts on a good route from here? A friend is dropping us off but doesn’t know the area well.

Leaving at 8:30am…too late?

Appreciate any thoughts.

[mdmost 43000]

Lemmon heading east which turns into Haskell after Cityplace. Take that all the way. When you get to around 30, it's probably going to slow down greatly. Have your friend drop you off around there and walk right into the Fair by the Women's Museum. 

[conVINCEd 21469]

Take DART and leave earlier.  If you insist on driving, taking Haskell straight into Fair Park waa my go to route for years, but I haven’t driven in a while.

[DalTxHornFan 3097]

4 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

Take DART and leave earlier.  If you insist on driving, taking Haskell straight into Fair Park waa my go to route for years, but I haven’t driven in a while.

Fitzhugh isn't a bad route, either.

[conVINCEd 21469]

1 minute ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Fitzhugh isn't a bad route, either.

I think the theme here is get east early if you’re coming from northern DFW.

[DalTxHornFan 3097]

3 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

I think the theme here is get east early if you’re coming from northern DFW.

Yep. And stay away from Stemmons/I-30 because all of the Okie meth heads that can't afford a Dallas hotel room on Friday night will be coming in that way. 

Edited October 5, 2022 by DalTxHornFan

[bluto 4913]

Shit gets real crowded after about 830-845

[Deej 76755]

I'd just private helicopter in, but that's just me. 

[Redneck Mutha 7954]

Fuck ou

[statsman 5453]

Take I-30 and exit for the State Fair. Try to park in one of the Fair lots. 

Edited October 6, 2022 by statsman

[tbone_ 14113]

8:30 is too late. Leave at 7.

[tx 3 putt 76874]

teleport

[dcbc 14465]

You see that sign down there that says, "Rib Tips?"  Nah, fuck that you don't wanna go that way.

 

 

Alternatively,

 

Edited October 6, 2022 by dcbc

[TwiceHorn 31440]

13 hours ago, mdmost said:

Lemmon heading east which turns into Haskell after Cityplace. Take that all the way. When you get to around 30, it's probably going to slow down greatly. Have your friend drop you off around there and walk right into the Fair by the Women's Museum. 

In the past, i have found heading east on Fitzhugh, or Lemmon, and approaching the Fairgrounds from the north on backstreets to be pretty effective.  We used to park at Fannie Harris Elementary on Grand, just north of the Fair and enter on that side.  It was a fundraiser for the school and an actual parking lot, so safe and not a total clusterflop.  But Harris Elementary is now basically a homeless student center and I'm not sure does the parking thing anymore.  I'm not sure about actual State Fair parking on the north side.

It is also generally easier to get out on sidestreets to the north.

[mdmost 43000]

We park off Military Pkwy/Haskell at the State Fair lot over by the RV parking and Oak Farms Dairy. We get in and out pretty quickly. It's a bit of a hike to the gates but there's a tram that picks you up and takes you most of the way. We enter over by the Livestock Center. 

https://goo.gl/maps/4vc5LtPcN5H2pRWN7

[Surly Bevo 24908]

As most have said, no route substitutes for time.  After 8:30-8:45 almost any arrival is going to suck.  

[danhorn111 55]

13 hours ago, mdmost said:

We park off Military Pkwy/Haskell at the State Fair lot over by the RV parking and Oak Farms Dairy. We get in and out pretty quickly. It's a bit of a hike to the gates but there's a tram that picks you up and takes you most of the way. We enter over by the Livestock Center. 

https://goo.gl/maps/4vc5LtPcN5H2pRWN7

This has been my go-to for years.  It is very easy in and out.  Used to have a friend that had a primo RV tailgate every year but unfortunately that ended last year.  

[HRSchenker 2268]

Drive on Haskell like @mdmost said or just take DART. My last RRS I took DART from Mockingbird station straight to fair park. Toughest part was getting on the train back to Mockingbird but at least I wasn't sweating about making it to the stadium on time.

[Borachio 416]

I always take the I-20/635 loop to Mesquite. Exit on Military parkway (turns into Haskell Ave.) and take that all the way into the fair lot. It's been working well for me. 

[Tailgate 3021]

On 10/5/2022 at 6:05 PM, mdmost said:

Lemmon heading east which turns into Haskell after Cityplace. Take that all the way. When you get to around 30, it's probably going to slow down greatly. Have your friend drop you off around there and walk right into the Fair by the Women's Museum. 

This worked very well. Thank you!

\m/