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Trip from Austin, TX to Kingsville, TX

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

4h 5m

Distance

231.3 mi

372 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$35

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 40 min
4 AM
3h 52m ★
6 AM
4h 5m
8 AM
4h 32m
10 AM
4h 15m
12 PM
4h 12m
3 PM
4h 16m
5 PM
4h 30m
8 PM
3h 58m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Austin, TX, TX

Austin, TX

Wikimedia Commons

seat of Kleberg County, Texas, United States

Kingsville, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Austin, TX to Kingsville, TX covers 231.3 miles and takes about 4h 5m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Interstate 35, I 35 South, Purple Heart Trail for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $34.95 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

115.6 miles from Austin, TX

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 2m into the drive .

About the Cities

Starting in Austin, TX

Full guide →

“City of the Violet Crown” · Founded 1835

Austin is a city of about 1,054,000 (2026) surpassing Fort Worth to become the 4th most populous city in Texas. It is on the southeast edge of the Hill Country region of Texas, making it the fourth-largest city in the state and the 11th-largest in the country. It is the capital of Texas and a college town, and also a center of an alternative culture away from the major cities on the US coasts, though the city is rapidly gentrifying with its rising popularity. Austin's attitude is commonly emblazoned about town on T-shirts and bumper stickers that read: "Keep Austin Weird." Austin is also marketed as the Live Music Capital of the World due to the large number of venues.

Top landmarks

  • Texas State Capitol — capitol and seat of government of the U.S. state of Texas
  • Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum — presidential library and museum for U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson in Austin,...
  • Texas State Cemetery — historic cemetery in Austin, Texas, USA

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 5m. Total distance: 231.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

4h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 4h 5m drive with frequent turns across 231.3 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Interstate 35 is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 4h 5m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Austin, TX to Kingsville, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Interstate 35
I 35 South
Purple Heart Trail
Highway 35
North Pan Am Expressway
Connally Loop
I 37
I 37 South

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: Interstate 35 — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Austin, TX and Kingsville, TX.

1

Start on East 5th Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · East 5th Street
2

At the end of the road, turn right onto North Interstate 35

0.4 mi · 40 sec · North Interstate 35
3

Take the ramp slight left toward I 35 South

0.2 mi · 22 sec · I 35 South
4

Merge slight left onto Purple Heart Trail

46 mi · 50 min · Purple Heart Trail
5

Continue on Interstate Highway 35

1.7 mi · 1 min · Interstate Highway 35
6

Continue on Purple Heart Trail

12 mi · 12 min · Purple Heart Trail
7

Continue on North Pan Am Expressway

10.0 mi · 11 min · North Pan Am Expressway
8

Keep slight right to continue on Connally Loop

11 mi · 12 min · Connally Loop
9

Take the exit slight right toward I 37, US 281 North: San Antonio, Corpus Christi

0.2 mi · 29 sec · I 37, US 281 North: San Antonio, Corpus Christi
10

Keep slight left to continue on I 37 South: Corpus Christi

0.5 mi · 1 min · I 37 South: Corpus Christi
11

Merge slight left

119 mi · 1 hr 59 min
12

Take the exit slight right toward I 69E, US 77: Kingsville, Brownsville

29 mi · 31 min · I 69E, US 77: Kingsville, Brownsville
13

Take the exit slight right toward TX 141

0.1 mi · 18 sec · TX 141
14

Turn straight onto South US Highway 77 Bypass

0.1 mi · 25 sec · South US Highway 77 Bypass
15

Turn right onto East King Avenue

0.9 mi · 1 min · East King Avenue
16

Turn right onto South 14th Street

56 ft · 1 sec · South 14th Street
17

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 115.6 miles from Austin, TX, or about 2h 2m into the drive.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 51 miles or 54m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 115.6 miles or 2h 2m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 21m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Kingsville, TX than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Austin, TX so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Austin, TX

This is one driving day of about 231.3 miles and 4h 5m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 51 miles from Austin, TX.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 115.6 mi from Austin, TX · 2h 2m into the drive

Downtown San Antonio, TX, TX

Mid-route town

Meal stop

San Antonio, TX

116 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

New Braunfels, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 51 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

San Antonio, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 115.6 miles from Austin, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Kingsville, TX

The final approach into Kingsville, TX usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Kingsville, TX.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$34.95 one way

$69.90 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 81 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.20 $38.26 $76.51
premium $4.54 $41.30 $82.59
diesel $5.61 $51.07 $102.14

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$35

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$60–$85

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 80.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $24 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 69.4 0 $24.29 $11.10
Efficient EV 57.8 0 $20.24 $9.25
EV Truck/SUV 92.5 1 $32.38 $14.80

Gas CO2

81 kg

EV CO2

27 kg (67% less)

Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.

DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Austin, TX

Evening in Austin on Friday

Local time

6:57 PM

CDT

Current temp

63°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Kingsville, TX

Evening in Kingsville on Friday

Local time

6:57 PM

CDT

Current temp

66°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

3 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

4h 5m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Austin, TX to Kingsville, TX covers 231.3 miles and takes about 4h 5m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Interstate 35, I 35 South, Purple Heart Trail. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 115.6 miles from Austin, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $34.95 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

This is a straightforward 4h 5m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Austin, TX to Kingsville, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Austin, TX to Kingsville, TX does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

How this page is built

Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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