Indianapolis to Austin drive: Time, distance & best road trip stops
The best road trip stops on the Indianapolis to Austin drive are Memphis, Hot Springs AR and Dallas. The distance from Indianapolis to Austin is 1,094, with a 15h54m driving time.
Planning an Indianapolis to Austin road trip itinerary
The Indianapolis to Austin drive takes you from the biggest city in Indiana to the capital of Texas.
Worthwhile Indianapolis experiences include a Fountain Square food tour and a walking tour around the city’s highlights.
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.
Indianapolis to Austin distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Indianapolis to Austin is 1,094 miles. That makes for a driving time of around 15 hours and 54 minutes. The quickest route follows the I-70, I-57, I-55, I-40, I-30 and I-35.
The best stops to add to an Indianapolis to Austin road trip itinerary are Memphis, Hot Springs AR and Dallas.
For more things to do along the route, check out the guides to the individual segments of the Indianapolis to Austin road trip.
- Indianapolis to Memphis drive.
- Memphis to Hot Springs AR drive.
- Hot Springs AR to Dallas drive.
- Dallas to Austin drive.
Best stops between Indianapolis and Austin: Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee, is a pilgrimage site for Elvis fans. The King’s Graceland mansion is one of the top tourist sites in the US. But the cultural heritage extends beyond music, as you’ll discover on an African-American history tour.
Also try the Rock and Soul Museum, plus the Memphis Music Hall of Fame and the 19th century Woodruff-Fontaine House.
Ways of seeing the city include ghost walks, Downtown food tours and musical bus tours. There are also guided walks down music central, Beale Street, and city tours that take you inside the legendary Sun Studios.
Indianapolis to Austin road trip attractions: Hot Springs AR
Hot Springs in the Ouachita Mountains has loads to do. The natural highlight is Hot Springs National Park, which strings thermal springs together on a series of hiking trails. The historic bathhouses are also part of the national park.
There are also several amusement parks, of which Magic Springs is arguably the best as it has a water park.
Other Hot Springs experiences include zip line adventures and the Star Wars and superhero-obsessed Galaxy Connection.
For well-rated Hot Springs accommodation with charm, go for the Hilltop Manor B&B or the Gables Inn.
Indianapolis to Austin drive: Things to do in Dallas
Dallas has plenty of high quality cultural attractions. These include the Nasher Scupture Center, Pioneer Square and the Perot Museum of Science and Nature.
But for many visitors, the main reason to visit Dallas is the JFK assassination. Yes, you can go up to the Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald supposedly took his shot from.
Top Dallas experiences include a JFK Assassination and Museum tour, the GeO-Deck at Reunion Tower and a self-guided scavenger hunt.
How to do the JFK sites in Dallas
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.

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