The distance from Houston to Austin by car is 165 miles, with a 2h42m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Houston to Austin drive are the Stephen F Austin State Park, the Santa Claus Museum and Barstrop State Park.
Planning a Houston to Austin road trip itinerary
The Houston to Austin drive connects two of the biggest cities in Texas.
The top Houston attraction is unquestionably the Space Center Houston, which takes you behind the scenes of the Johnson Space Center. This includes the Mission Briefing Center, and a vast array of high tech exhibitions.
Other attractions include the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Downtown Aquarium, Museum of Fine Arts Houston and Children’s Museum.
For more Houston experiences, try hip hop party bike tours, foodie walks in the Montrose neighbourhood and quirky tours of Houston’s tunnel system.
Top Houston accommodation options include the superb value Club Quarters Houston Downtown and the upscale but boutique Magnolia.
Five great things to do in Houston
- 🚀 Reserve your tickets – for Houston’s number one attraction, Space Center Houston.
- 🎵 Discover Houston’s hip-hop culture – on a motorised party bike.
- 🚇 Explore the largest downtown tunnel system in the US – on the Astroville Tunnel Tour.
- 🎨 On a downtown mural tour – learn about Houston’s street art scene.
- 🖼️ Immerse yourself in a spectacular interactive art installation – at Meow Wolf’s Radio Tave.
Austin is renowned for its live music scene, although it has plenty of more conventional attractions too. These include the LBJ Presidential Library, the Texas Science and Natural History Museum 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.
For Austin hotel recommendations, try band crashpad chic meets rainbow bathrobes at the Hotel San Jose and the unashamed rock star swagger of the W.
Houston to Austin distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Houston to Austin is 165 miles. That makes for a driving time of around two hours and 42 minutes. The quickest route is via the I-10 and TX-71.
The best stops to add to a Houston to Austin road trip itinerary are the Stephen F Austin State Park, the Santa Claus Museum and Barstrop State Park.
5 great Austin experiences to book
- 🛶 Join a sunset kayaking tour – and see 1.5 million bats.
- 🍖 Get ready to feast with the country BBQ and wine country shuttle.
- 🌮 Take a best-of-Austin food tour – tasting great BBQ brisket and tacos on the way.
- 🍸 Discover Austin’s secret bars on speakeasies tour.
- 🏙️ Learn Austin’s fascinating history on a downtown walking tour.
Houston to Austin drive: Stephen F Austin State Park
The Stephen F Austin State Park on the Brazos River is a popular hangout for campers, but it can also be enjoyed by travelers just passing through. There are five miles of hiking trails that veer from hardwood trees to swampland. The Nature Trail is the best bet if picking just one walk,
Nearby, you can visit the San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site, which tells the tale of early settlers in Texas.
Best stops between Houston and Austin: Santa Claus Museum
The Santa Claus Museum in Columbus TX is a wonderfully weird celebration of Father Christmas, hosting 5,000 different incarnations of Santa. There are dolls, figurines, music boxes, paintings, ornaments and needleworks, sourced from around the world.
The museum has been open since 1990, and it’s not just for Christmas – it’s open year-round.
Houston to Austin road trip attractions: Barstrop State Park
Barstrop State Park has long been a popular getaway from Austin, and neither fire nor flood have changed that. As state parks go, it’s a great all-rounder. There are seven miles of hiking trails, fishing opportunities in Lake Mina, and a swimming pool.
You can also stay overnight, either camping or booking a cabin.
More Texas road trips
- Getting to Austin: Best stops on the Amarillo to Austin drive, Dallas to Austin drive, Fort Worth to Austin drive, Lubbock to Austin drive, Memphis to Austin drive.
- Best stops on the Dallas to Amarillo drive and the Fort Worth to Amarillo drive.
- Getting to Houston: The best stops on the Abilene to Houston drive, Arlington to Houston drive, Dallas to Houston drive, Little Rock to Houston drive and Waco to Houston drive.
- Texas road trips from Houston: The best stops on the Houston to Amarillo drive, Houston to Fort Worth drive and Houston to Lubbock drive.
- Interstate road trips from Houston: Where to stop on the Houston to Hot Springs AR drive, Houston to Memphis drive, Houston to Oklahoma City drive and Houston to Wichita drive.
