Origin
Austin, TX
Late night in Austin on Saturday
Local time
1:57 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Austin, TX to New Braunfels, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
55m
Distance
48.4 mi
78 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 51m
★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 5m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 4m
8 PM
0h 53m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Austin, TX
Wikimedia Commons
New Braunfels, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 48.4-mile drive from Austin to New Braunfels, Texas, is designed for a single day, taking approximately 55 minutes to complete. You'll primarily navigate via the Purple Heart Trail, South Seguin Avenue, and East 5th Street, with a significant portion, 45.7 miles, on the Purple Heart Trail. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $7. Given its short duration and local road focus, this trip is ideal for a quick excursion rather than an overnight stay. The route stays within the Great Plains region, offering a straightforward travel experience.
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
Arriving in New Braunfels, TX
Full guide →New Braunfels is a resort town in the Texas Hill Country. As the name implies, it has a German heritage, and many of the local attractions capitalize on this.
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 55m. Total distance: 48.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (1%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 'turn-heavy local drive' on this route, meaning you'll be navigating numerous intersections and local roadways rather than a continuous highway cruise. While 100% of this journey is on roads that aren't interstates, the longest continuous stretch you'll experience is 45.7 miles on the Purple Heart Trail. This road character suggests a need for attentiveness as you make your way through towns and local thoroughfares, keeping you engaged behind the wheel.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 9 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Purple Heart Trail is the longest continuous segment at about 45.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East 5th Street.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Austin, TX to New Braunfels, TX is easy. At 55m with 1% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (East 5th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (North Interstate 35): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East 5th Street
Depart onto East 5th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
North Interstate 35
At end of road, turn right onto North Interstate 35
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
5
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail
Merge onto I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
46.7 mi into trip
|
~51m in
Take the exit toward FM 725: Seguin Avenue, Lake McQueeney
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 187
Toward FM 725: Seguin Avenue, Lake McQueeney
4
48.2 mi into trip
|
~55m in
|
TX 46 Bus / Main Plaza
Enter roundabout onto TX 46 Bus / Main Plaza
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Purple Heart Trail | 45.7 mi | 49m |
| South Seguin Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| East 5th Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Interstate 35 | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Main Plaza | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Interstate 35 North | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Purple Heart Trail
— 45.7 mi, about 49m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Austin, TX and New Braunfels, TX.
1
Start on East 5th Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East 5th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
2
At end of road, turn right onto North Interstate 35
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
North Interstate 35
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward I 35 South
4
Merge onto I 35; US 290
46 mi
·
49 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 187
Toward FM 725: Seguin Avenue, Lake McQueeney
Use the slight right lane.
6
Continue on Interstate 35 North
361 ft
·
7 sec
·
Interstate 35 North
Use the straight / left lanes.
7
Turn right onto FM 725
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
South Seguin Avenue
8
Enter roundabout onto TX 46 Bus
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Main Plaza
9
Arrive at destination
Main Plaza
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 24.2 mi from Austin, TX · 27m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.2 miles from Austin, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in New Braunfels, TX
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into New Braunfels, TX if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.31 one way
$14.63 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $8.01 | $16.01 |
| premium | $4.54 | $8.64 | $17.28 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.69 | $21.37 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.5 | 0 | $5.08 | $2.32 |
| Efficient EV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.23 | $1.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.4 | 0 | $6.78 | $3.10 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
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
New Braunfels, TX
Late night in New Braunfels on Saturday
Local time
1:57 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
62°F
San Marcos, TX
24 mi in
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
1 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
55m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
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 New Braunfels, TX covers 48.4 miles and takes about 55m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Purple Heart Trail, South Seguin Avenue, East 5th Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 24.2 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 $7.31 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
The drive from Austin, TX to New Braunfels, TX is easy. At 55m with 1% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (East 5th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (North Interstate 35): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Austin, TX to New Braunfels, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From New Braunfels, TX
More trips to New Braunfels, TX
Explore more options from Austin, TX or browse trips ending in New Braunfels, TX.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse TX road trips.