Origin
Austin, TX
Late night in Austin on Saturday
Local time
4:34 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Austin, TX to Lake Kiowa, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 55m
Distance
263.8 mi
424 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$40
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
4h 42m
★
6 AM
4h 56m
8 AM
5h 23m
10 AM
5h 5m
12 PM
5h 2m
3 PM
5h 7m
5 PM
5h 21m
8 PM
4h 48m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Austin, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Lake Kiowa, TX
M00photo &Video
Trip Overview
The drive from Austin, TX to Lake Kiowa, TX covers 263.8 miles and takes about 4h 55m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Red River Street, East 7th Street, Interstate 35 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $39.86 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
131.9 miles from Austin, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 27m 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 55m. Total distance: 263.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 55m 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 55m drive with frequent turns across 263.8 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 33 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Red River Street 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 55m 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 Lake Kiowa, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Red River Street | — | — |
| East 7th Street | — | — |
| Interstate 35 | — | — |
| I 35 North | — | — |
| Purple Heart Trail | — | — |
| South Jack Kultgen Expressway | — | — |
| I 35W | — | — |
| North Freeway | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Red River Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Austin, TX and Lake Kiowa, TX.
1
Start on East 5th Street
0.3 mi
·
52 sec
·
East 5th Street
2
Turn left onto Red River Street
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Red River Street
3
Turn right onto East 7th Street
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
East 7th Street
4
Turn left onto North Interstate 35
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
North Interstate 35
5
Take the ramp slight left toward I 35 North, US 290 East
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
I 35 North, US 290 East
6
Merge slight left onto Purple Heart Trail
0.6 mi
·
42 sec
·
Purple Heart Trail
7
Keep slight right to continue on Purple Heart Trail
96 mi
·
1 hr 40 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
8
Continue on South Jack Kultgen Expressway
6.6 mi
·
7 min
·
South Jack Kultgen Expressway
9
Continue on Purple Heart Trail
33 mi
·
33 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
10
Keep slight left to continue on I 35W: Fort Worth
52 mi
·
54 min
·
I 35W: Fort Worth
11
Take the exit slight left toward I 35W Express North: I 35W TEXpress North
16 mi
·
16 min
·
I 35W Express North: I 35W TEXpress North
12
Merge slight right onto North Freeway
18 mi
·
19 min
·
North Freeway
13
Merge slight left
0.4 mi
·
27 sec
14
Continue straight
25 mi
·
25 min
15
Take the exit slight right toward FM 1306
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
FM 1306
16
Turn slight left onto South Interstate 35
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
South Interstate 35
17
Continue straight
1.0 mi
·
1 min
18
Turn right onto West California Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
West California Street
19
Turn right onto South Grand Avenue
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
South Grand Avenue
20
Turn left onto Anthony Street
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
·
Anthony Street
21
At the end of the road, turn right onto Burns City Road
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
Burns City Road
22
Continue on Farm-to-Market Road 372
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Farm-to-Market Road 372
23
Turn left onto Farm-to-Market Road 902
5.4 mi
·
9 min
·
Farm-to-Market Road 902
24
Turn sharp left onto County Road 219
269 ft
·
14 sec
·
County Road 219
25
Turn right onto County Road 224
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
County Road 224
26
Turn slight right
0.1 mi
·
48 sec
27
Turn left onto Kiowa Drive West
0.1 mi
·
39 sec
·
Kiowa Drive West
28
Turn left onto San Chez Drive
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
San Chez Drive
29
Turn left onto Navajo Trail
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Navajo Trail
30
Turn left onto Kiowa Drive West
1.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Kiowa Drive West
31
At the end of the road, turn right onto Kiowa Drive North
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Kiowa Drive North
32
Turn right onto Blackfoot Trail
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Blackfoot Trail
33
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 131.9 miles from Austin, TX, or about 2h 27m 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 58 miles or 1h 5m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 131.9 miles or 2h 27m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 2m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Lake Kiowa, 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 263.8 miles and 4h 55m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 58 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 131.9 mi from Austin, TX · 2h 27m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
132 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 58 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 131.9 miles from Austin, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Lake Kiowa, TX
The final approach into Lake Kiowa, 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 Lake Kiowa, 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
$39.86 one way
$79.72 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
92 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $43.63 | $87.26 |
| premium | $4.54 | $47.10 | $94.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $58.24 | $116.49 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$40
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$65–$90
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 92.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $28 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 79.1 | 0 | $27.70 | $12.66 |
| Efficient EV | 66 | 0 | $23.08 | $10.55 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 105.5 | 1 | $36.93 | $16.88 |
Gas CO2
92 kg
EV CO2
31 kg (66% 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.
Destination
Lake Kiowa, TX
Late night in Lake Kiowa on Saturday
Local time
4:34 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°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
5 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
4h 55m 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 Lake Kiowa, TX covers 263.8 miles and takes about 4h 55m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Red River Street, East 7th Street, Interstate 35. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 131.9 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 $39.86 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 55m 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 Lake Kiowa, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Austin, TX to Lake Kiowa, 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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