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.
Dallas has plenty of high quality cultural attractions. These include the Nasher Scupture Center, George W Bush Presidential Museum and 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. It’s now the Sixth Floor Museum.
Top Dallas experiences include a JFK Assassination and Museum tour, the GeO-Deck at Reunion Tower and a self-guided scavenger hunt.
5 great Dallas experiences worth booking
- 🤠 Combine the JFK sites and Southfork Ranch on a half day tour.
- 🏛️ Take comprehensive JFK assassination tour – including the Sixth Floor Museum and Lee Harvey Oswald Rooming House.
- 🚴 Cover Downtown Dallas’ attractions and history on an e-bike tour.
- 🌆 See Dallas from above at the Reunion Tower GeO Deck.
- 🌮 Take a food tour with five tastings in the Deep Ellum area.
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 and haunted pub crawl walks.
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.
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.
More Texas travel
Other Texas travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- The best three stops on the Austin to Galveston drive and the Dallas to Galveston drive.
- How to combine a visit to Southfork Ranch with the JFK sites in Dallas.
- Tick off the stars of the Dallas Arts District, including the Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Crow Museum of Asian Art.
- Complete guide to visiting the Dallas Zoo.
- What to know before visiting the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin.
