Austin to Odessa TX road trip: Drive time, distance & best stops

Planning an Austin to Odessa TX road trip itinerary

The Austin to Odessa drive takes you from the capital of Texas to the Permian Basin.

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 or the unashamed rock star swagger of the W.

Odessa TX plays host to an ancient meteor crater, which has shifted in shape and size over the centuries. It’s currently about 15ft deep and 550ft wide, with a museum about the history of the crater next to it.

Otherwise, the top attraction is on the University of Texas of the Permian Basin campus, where there is a replica of Stonehenge.

Most Odessa hotels are unexciting, but good value. Find the best deals here.

Austin to Odessa TX distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Austin to Odessa TX is 338 miles. That makes for a driving time of around five hours and 19 minutes. The quickest route is along State Route 71, the US-87 and the I-20.

The best stops to add to an Austin to Odessa road trip itinerary are Marble Falls TX, Brady TX and San Angelo TX.

Austin to Odessa TX road trip attractions: Marble Falls TX

Marble Falls TX is one of the most appealing hotspots in the Hill Country. Lake Marble Falls is the obvious highlight, with fishing, boating and kayak hire all on the menu.

The Falls on the Colorado Museum covers local history and the natural environment and Dead Man’s Hole is a quirky if somewhat gruesome cave. The bodies of Union sympathisers were dumped here during the Civil War.

Marble Falls also offers several craft breweries. Accommodation deals can be tracked down here.

Austin to Odessa TX drive: Brady TX

Brady likes to style itself as the Heart of Texas, largely because it’s the closest city to the state’s geographical centre. The Heart of Texas Historical Museum covers local history, while the Heart of Texas Country Music Museum looks at a fairly niche brand of hillbilly musical artists. If you’re just after a picnic spot, the Brady Creek Reservoir should do the trick.

Best stops between Austin and Odessa TX: San Angelo TX

The most famous attraction in San Angelo TX is the Fort Concho National Historic Landmark. This old frontier fort has 24 original and restored buildings, featuring exhibits about American military life between the Civil War and the turn of the 20th century.

Also worth a look are the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts and the International Waterlily Collection. The latter is a park hosting as many different species of waterlily as they can possibly fit in.

Well-reviewed San Angelo accommodation options with a pool include the Best Western North Bryant Inn and the AmericInn.

The replica Stonehenge in Odessa,
The replica Stonehenge in Odessa, Texas. Photo by Kevin Dunlap/ Unsplash.

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