Origin
Austin, TX
Afternoon in Austin on Saturday
Local time
1:13 PM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Austin, TX to Saint Jo, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 50m
Distance
274.4 mi
442 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$41
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
4h 37m
★
6 AM
4h 50m
8 AM
5h 17m
10 AM
5h 0m
12 PM
4h 57m
3 PM
5h 1m
5 PM
5h 16m
8 PM
4h 42m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Austin, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Saint Jo, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Austin, TX to Saint Jo, TX covers 274.4 miles and takes about 4h 50m 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 mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $41.46 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
137.2 miles from Austin, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 25m into the drive .
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 Saint Jo, 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
29 mi
·
29 min
15
Take the exit slight right toward US 82: Wichita Falls, Sherman
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
US 82: Wichita Falls, Sherman
16
Turn straight onto North Interstate 35
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
North Interstate 35
17
Turn left onto Summitt Avenue
174 ft
·
8 sec
·
Summitt Avenue
18
Continue on J M Lindsay Boulevard
12 mi
·
13 min
·
J M Lindsay Boulevard
19
Continue on Division Street
9.8 mi
·
11 min
·
Division Street
20
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 137.2 miles from Austin, TX, or about 2h 25m 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 60 miles or 1h 3m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 137.2 miles or 2h 25m 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 57m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Saint Jo, 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 274.4 miles and 4h 50m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 60 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.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
137 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 60 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 137.2 miles from Austin, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$41.46 one way
$82.92 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
96 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $45.38 | $90.77 |
| premium | $4.54 | $48.99 | $97.98 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $60.58 | $121.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$41
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$66–$91
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 96 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $29 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 82.3 | 1 | $28.81 | $13.17 |
| Efficient EV | 68.6 | 0 | $24.01 | $10.98 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 109.8 | 1 | $38.42 | $17.56 |
Gas CO2
96 kg
EV CO2
32 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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
Saint Jo, TX
Afternoon in Saint Jo on Saturday
Local time
1:13 PM
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 50m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
274.4 mi in 4h 50m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: Red River Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 50m 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 Saint Jo, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
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 50m. Total distance: 274.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 50m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Austin, TX to Saint Jo, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Possible but tiring. At 4.8 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 9.7 hours — manageable with a long break at Saint Jo, TX, but most travelers stay overnight.
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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