Maximizing potential savings when purchasing right-of-way within a limited budget is a challenge currently faced by state departments of transportation (DOTs) across the nation. Early right-ofway acquisitions promote smoother negotiations and are aimed to save money, time, and human resources. This paper describes an optimization approach based on dynamic programming developed for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to identify projects with candidate parcels for early right-of-way acquisition in order to achieve the highest potential savings. Each candidate parcel must be subjected to a preliminary environmental analysis to ensure that each comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) standards.