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Trip from Austin, TX to Alamo Heights, TX

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 25m

Distance

73.8 mi

119 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$11

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min
4 AM
1h 19m ★
6 AM
1h 25m
8 AM
1h 39m
10 AM
1h 30m
12 PM
1h 29m
3 PM
1h 31m
5 PM
1h 38m
8 PM
1h 21m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Austin, TX, TX

Austin, TX

Wikimedia Commons

city in Bexar County, Texas, United States

Alamo Heights, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Austin, TX to Alamo Heights, TX covers 73.8 miles and takes about 1h 25m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Purple Heart Trail, North Pan Am Expressway, Austin Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 58.3 miles on Purple Heart Trail. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.15 one way before food or hotel costs.

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 1h 25m. Total distance: 73.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 25m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (13%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 25m drive with frequent turns across 73.8 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 15 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 58.3 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East 5th Street.

Driving Effort 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 73.8 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

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 9 key points

These 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.
7
68.8 mi into trip | ~1h 16m in

Take the exit toward FM 1976: Walzem Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 165 Toward FM 1976: Walzem Road
5
73.4 mi into trip | ~1h 23m in | Kokomo Street

Turn right onto Kokomo Street

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Purple Heart Trail 58.3 mi 1h 3m
North Pan Am Expressway 7.7 mi 8m
Austin Highway 3.7 mi 5m
Interstate Highway 35 1.7 mi 1m
Walzem Road 0.6 mi 1m
East 5th Street 0.5 mi 1m
North Interstate 35 0.4 mi <1m
Kokomo Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Purple Heart Trail — 58.3 mi, about 1h 3m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Austin, TX and Alamo Heights, 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 · 50 min · Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Continue on I 35

1.7 mi · 1 min · Interstate Highway 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Continue on I 35

12 mi · 12 min · Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Continue on I 35

7.7 mi · 8 min · North Pan Am Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 23 sec
Exit 165 Toward FM 1976: Walzem Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Turn straight onto Interstate 35 North

431 ft · 8 sec · Interstate 35 North
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
10

Turn right onto Walzem Road

0.6 mi · 1 min · Walzem Road
11

Turn left onto Loop 368

3.7 mi · 5 min · Austin Highway
12

Turn right onto Albany Street

363 ft · 17 sec · Albany Street
13

Turn right onto Kokomo Street

0.2 mi · 41 sec · Kokomo Street
14

Turn left onto Blue Bonnet Boulevard

0.2 mi · 40 sec · Blue Bonnet Boulevard
15

Arrive at destination

Blue Bonnet Boulevard

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 36.9 mi from Austin, TX · 41m into the drive

city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in Texas, United States, that is the seat of Comal County

Mid-route town

Meal stop

New Braunfels, TX

37 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

Buda, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

New Braunfels, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 36.9 miles from Austin, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Alamo Heights, TX

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

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$11.15 one way

$22.30 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 26 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.20 $12.21 $24.41
premium $4.54 $13.18 $26.35
diesel $5.61 $16.29 $32.59

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$11

Estimated CO2 emission: 25.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 22.1 0 $7.75 $3.54
Efficient EV 18.5 0 $6.46 $2.95
EV Truck/SUV 29.5 0 $10.33 $4.72

Gas CO2

26 kg

EV CO2

9 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.

Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026

Origin

Austin, TX

Late night in Austin on Saturday

Local time

2:56 AM

CDT

Current temp

66°F

Mostly Cloudy

S 5 to 10 mph 5% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 18 at 12:44AM CDT by NWS Norman OK

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 18 at 12:34AM CDT until April 18 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Amarillo TX

Destination

Alamo Heights, TX

Late night in Alamo Heights on Saturday

Local time

2:56 AM

CDT

Current temp

85°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

19 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

1h 25m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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 Alamo Heights, TX covers 73.8 miles and takes about 1h 25m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Purple Heart Trail, North Pan Am Expressway, Austin Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 36.9 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 $11.15 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.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 73.8 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

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 Alamo Heights, TX does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Yes. Nearby national parks include San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.

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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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