Denton TX to Austin drive: Best road trip stops, distance & time

Planning a Denton to Austin road trip itinerary

The drive from Denton to Austin takes you from one of Dallas’ satellite suburbs to the capital of Texas.

Top attractions in Denton TX include the Courthouse on the Square Museum inside the old courthouse, which dates back to 1896. It’s an impressive building made from several different-coloured stones, and it acts as a local history museum.

For outdoorsy types, the Ray Roberts Lake State Park is more likely to be of interest.

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.

Denton to Austin distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Denton to Austin is 226 miles. That makes for a driving time of around three hours and 27 minutes.

The quickest route is usually down the I-35. The best stops on a Denton TX to Austin road trip itinerary are Fort Worth, Waco TX and Kissing Tree Vineyards.

Denton TX to Austin drive: Fort Worth

Fort Worth fully embraces its status as a cow town, with the Stockyards district full of cowboy heritage. And cowgirl heritage, as the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame shows off.

It’s also a place that knows how to have a shamelessly good time, with Billy Bob’s Texas Honky Tonk famously big on the yee-has and line dancing.

Other good Fort Worth experiences include a Stockyards food tour, electric bike BBQ tours, historic pub crawls and ghost tours

Things to do on the Denton TX to Austin drive: Waco TX

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.

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 Denton TX to Austin road trip: 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.

The Texas State Capitol building in Austin.
The Texas State Capitol building in Austin. Photo by kbhall17/ Pixabay.

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