Abilene to Austin road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops

Planning an Abilene to Austin road trip itinerary

The first port of call for many visitors in Abilene TX is Frontier Texas, a museum about life in the Old West. Unlike many dreary local history museums, Frontier Texas uses state of the art technology to be as interactive as possible, and the scope is much grander than the immediate local region.

The other really interesting attraction in Abilene TX is the National Center For Children’s Illustrated Literature, which collects the original artwork from beloved children’s books.

For Abilene accommodation deals, compare prices here.

Austin is renowned for its live music scene, although it has plenty of more conventional attractions too. These include Austin Zoo, the Museum of Ice Cream and the Bullock Texas State History Museum.

Top Austin experiences include ebike tours taking in the city highlights, haunted pub crawl walks and segway tours.

You can also try highly-rated downtown food tours, half day wine shuttles in the Hill Country, brewery-hopping beer tours and sightseeing on a boat cruise.

For Austin hotel recommendations, try band crashpad chic meets rainbow bathrobes at the Hotel San Jose and the unashamed rock star swagger of the W.

Abilene to Austin distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Abilene to Austin is 216 miles. You can expect a driving time of around three hours and 46 minutes. The best stops to add to an Abilene to Austin road trip itinerary are Brownwood TX, the Hanna Springs Sculpture Garden and Lake Travis Zipline Adventures.

Best stops between Abilene and Austin: Brownwood TX

Brownwood TX is primarily known as the home of Howard Payne University, although the Brown County Museum will tell you more about the city’s frontier past.

Lake Brownwood State Park to the north-west is a good spot for fishing, boating and swimming. Kids, meanwhile, tend to enjoy the water slides of the Camp Bowie Aquatic Center.

Abilene to Austin drive: Hanna Springs Sculpture Garden

The Hanna Springs Sculpture Garden in Lampasas TX started with three artists carving one work each for the new project. It has since expanded massively, and there are now 24 pieces in the collection with more added every year.

The sculptures brighten up what would otherwise be a fairly non-descript park.

Abilene to Austin road trip attractions: Lake Travis Zipline Adventures

In Volente TX, Lake Travis Zipline Adventures boasts the longest and fastest ziplines in Texas. There are five ziplines in the course, but part of the appeal is that the company is based in a private lakefront property. After the tour you can hang out in the hammocks, or go for a swim in Lake Travis. There’s also a boat ride to ‘Zip Island’ included.

Austin, Texas.
Austin, Texas. Photo by KBaucherel/ Pixabay.

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