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

The best road trip stops on the Dallas to Austin drive are the Waco Mammoth National Monument, Brazos River and Kissing Tree Vineyards. By car, the distance from Dallas to Austin is 195 miles, with a 2h54m driving time.

Planning a Dallas to Austin road trip

The Dallas to Austin drive takes you between two of the biggest cities in Texas. Dallas comes with the history, while Austin has the cool factor.

Top Dallas experiences include a JFK Assassination and Museum tour, the GeO-Deck at Reunion Tower and a self-guided scavenger hunt.

Top Dallas accommodation choices include the plush Hyatt Regency downtown and the charismatically luxurious Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek.

The best way to combine the JFK sites in Dallas is a special themed tour. This takes in the JFK Memorial, Dealey Plaza and the Grassy Knoll before heading to Lee Harvey Oswald’s rooming house. It finishes in the Sixth Floor Museum of the Texas Book Depository. On the way, expert guides take you through the assassination facts and theories. Find out more here.

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

Dallas to Austin distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Dallas to Austin is 195 miles. As long as the traffic is kind, that makes for a driving time of around two hours and 54 minutes.

The Dallas to Austin drive is almost entirely along the I-35, and passes Hillsboro, Temple and Waco.

The best three stops to add to a Dallas to Austin road trip itinerary are the Waco Mammoth National Monument, Brazos River boat tours in Waco and the Kissing Tree Vineyards in Eddy.

Dallas to Austin drive: Waco Mammoth National Monument

To the west of the I-35, the Waco Mammoth National Monument is home to the biggest ice age Columbian mammoth fossil find anywhere in the world. The skeletons of 16 mammoths – a nursery herd – were found her in an archaeological dig that started in 1978.

Guided tours of the site take place every 30 minutes – just rock up and join the next departure.

Dallas to Austin road trip stops: Brazos River in Waco

The Brazos River runs through Waco, and the best way to see the city is on a morning or sunset boat tour. The cruises depart from next to McLane Stadium, and take in several city attractions, including Baylor University, the enormous Waco Suspension Bridge and Cameron Park. The latter is the best place in Waco for spotting the local wildlife.

Book your Waco boat tour, or search for other Waco experiences.

Best stops on a Dallas to Austin drive: Kissing Tree Vineyards

A short detour off the I-35 between Waco and Temple, Kissing Tree Vineyards in Eddy is a boutique winery with an emphasis on hand-crafting its wines. The tasting room is open every day except Sundays.

Austin, Texas.
Austin, Texas. Photo by David Whitley/ Best3Stops.

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