Nashville to Austin road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
The best road trips stops on the Nashville to Austin drive are Memphis, Hot Springs and Dallas. The distance from Nashville to Austin by car is 859 miles, with a 13h5m driving time.
Planning a Nashville to Austin road trip itinerary
A Nashville to Austin road trip connects the capital of Tennessee to the capital of Texas. But, more importantly, it links two of the most enjoyable, live music-focused cities in the US.
It’s a long journey, best broken down into smaller sections. Best3Stops has guides to the individual legs, each with suggestions of where to stop and what to do, below.
- Nashville to Memphis drive.
- Memphis to Little Rock drive.
- Little Rock to Texarkana drive.
- Texarkana to Dallas drive.
- Dallas to Austin drive.
Nashville to Austin distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Nashville to Austin is 859 miles. That makes for a driving time of around 13 hours and five minutes. The quickest route goes via the I-40, I-30 and I-35.
The best stops to add to a Nashville to Austin road trip itinerary are Memphis, Hot Springs and Dallas.
Things to do in Nashville and Austin
Nashville is renowned for its country music, but the National Museum of African American Music is also in the Tennessee capital.
The best Nashville experiences include backstage tours of the Grand Ole Opry House, helicopter flights over the city and tasting tours at the Big Machine Distillery. You can also try line dancing classes, the Country Music Hall of Fame and haunted pub crawls. Or, for lavish old homes, visit Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, the Travellers Rest Historic House Museum and Belmont Mansion.
Excellent Nashville accommodation choices include the gloriously evocative Belle Air Mansion and Inn, plus downtown’s grand dame, the Hermitage.
How to see Nashville the smart way
You can save money in Nashville by combining a tour ticket with admission to two top attractions. These combo tickets give you a half day tour of the main sights, plus entrance to the Ryman Auditorium and Country Music Hall of Fame. Find out more here.
Top Austin experiences include ebike tours taking in the city highlights, haunted pub crawl walks and segway tours.
Nashville to Austin road trip attractions: 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.
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.
Best stops between Nashville and Austin: Hot Springs, Arkansas
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.
Nashville to Austin drive: 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.
More Nashville road trips
Nashville to Atlanta | Birmingham AL to Nashville | Nashville to Boston | Nashville to Bowling Green | Bristol TN to Nashville | Nashville to Buffalo | Charlotte to Nashville | Nashville to Chattanooga | Chicago to Nashville | Nashville to Cincinnati | Cleveland to Nashville | Columbia SC to Nashville | Nashville to Columbus | Cookeville TN to Nashville | Crossville TN to Nashville | Dallas to Nashville | Nashville to Denver | Nashville to Destin FL | Detroit to Nashville.
Nashville to Fort Lauderdale | Nashville to Gatlinburg | Nashville to Graceland | Grand Rapids to Nashville | Greensboro NC to Nashville | Nashville to Greenville SC | Nashville to Gulf Shores | Nashville to Houston | Huntsville to Nashville | Indianapolis to Nashville | Jackson TN to Nashville | Johnson City TN to Nashville | Nashville to Kingsport TN | Nashville to Knoxville | Lexington to Nashville | Nashville to Little Rock | Louisville to Nashville | Lynchburg to Nashville.
Manchester TN to Nashville | Nashville to Memphis | Nashville to Milwaukee | Minneapolis to Nashville | Nashville to Mobile AL | Montgomery AL to Nashville | Nashville to Myrtle Beach | Nashville to New Orleans | New York City to Nashville | Omaha to Nashville | Nashville to Orlando | Nashville to Panama City | Nashville to Pensacola | Nashville to Pigeon Forge | Pittsburgh to Nashville | Raleigh to Nashville | Nashville to San Antonio | Nashville to Savannah | Sevierville to Nashville | Nashville to St Louis | Nashville to Tallahassee | Nashville to Tampa | Tulsa to Nashville | Nashville to Tuscaloosa | Nashville to Wilmington NC.
More Austin road trips
Abilene to Austin | Austin to Albuquerque | Amarillo to Austin | Arlington to Austin | Austin to Baton Rouge | Dallas to Austin | Denton TX to Austin | Austin to Destin FL | Austin to El Paso | Fort Worth to Austin | Austin to Fredericksburg | Frisco TX to Austin | Austin to Galveston | Houston to Austin | Indianapolis to Austin | Irving TX to Austin | Austin to Jacksonville | Katy to Austin | Little Rock to Austin | Lubbock to Austin | Memphis to Austin | Austin to Midland TX.
Austin to New Braunfels | Austin to Odessa TX | Oklahoma City to Austin | Austin to Orlando | Plano TX to Austin | San Angelo to Austin | Austin to San Antonio | Austin to San Marcos | Austin to Santa Fe | Austin to Tampa | Tyler TX to Austin | Wichita Falls to Austin.