Skip to main content

Trip from Austin, TX to Garfield, TX

Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026

Drive Time

18m

Distance

13.7 mi

22 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 17m ★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 22m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 22m
8 PM
0h 18m

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

Downtown Garfield, TX, TX

Garfield, TX

Jeff Stapleton

Trip Overview

The drive from Austin, TX to Garfield, TX covers 13.7 miles and takes about 18m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Texas State Highway 71, East 7th Street, East State Highway 71 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 3.4 miles on Texas State Highway 71. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.07 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 18m. Total distance: 13.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

18m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (64%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 18m highway drive covering 13.7 miles, with most of the trip on Texas State Highway 71 and East 7th Street. The longest continuous stretch is about 3.4 miles on Texas State Highway 71.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Texas State Highway 71 is the longest continuous segment at about 3.4 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Texas State Highway 71 and East 7th Street. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near Red River Street.

Driving Effort 6/10

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 13.7 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: at 0.3 miles (Red River Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (East 7th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.

6
0.3 mi into trip | ~0m in | Red River Street

Turn left onto Red River Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
0.5 mi into trip | ~1m in | East 7th Street

Turn right onto East 7th Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
5.2 mi into trip | ~8m in

Take the exit toward TX 71 East: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

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

Use the slight left / straight lanes. Toward TX 71 East: Austin-Bergstrom Internation...
5
7.9 mi into trip | ~11m in | 71 Toll / Bastrop Freeway

Turn straight onto 71 Toll / Bastrop Freeway toward 71 Toll East, TX 45 Toll North, TX 130 Toll North

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward 71 Toll East, TX 45 Toll North, TX 130 T...
5
13.6 mi into trip | ~18m in

Turn left

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Austin, TX and Garfield, TX, road signs point toward 183 Toll South: Lockhart and 71 Toll East.

183 Toll South: Lockhart

3.9 mi in | ~6m

71 Toll East

7.9 mi in | ~11m | via 71 Toll

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Texas State Highway 71 3.4 mi 3m
East 7th Street 3 mi 4m
East State Highway 71 2.7 mi 3m
Bastrop Freeway 1.9 mi 2m
Bergstrom Expressway 0.8 mi <1m
Bastrop Highway 0.4 mi <1m
East 5th Street 0.3 mi <1m
Airport Boulevard 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Texas State Highway 71 — 3.4 mi, about 3m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on East 5th Street

0.3 mi · 52 sec · East 5th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
2

Turn left onto Red River Street

0.1 mi · 20 sec · Red River Street
Use the left lane.
3

Turn right onto East 7th Street

3.0 mi · 4 min · East 7th Street
Use the right lane.
4

Turn straight onto Loop 111

0.2 mi · 19 sec · Airport Boulevard
5

Continue on US 183

0.1 mi · 8 sec · Ed Bluestein Boulevard
6

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 17 sec
Toward 183 Toll South: Lockhart
7

Merge onto 183 Toll

0.8 mi · 47 sec · Bergstrom Expressway
8

Continue on US 183

0.4 mi · 26 sec · Bastrop Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward TX 71 East: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Use the slight left / straight lanes.
10

Continue on TX 71

2.2 mi · 2 min · East State Highway 71
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Turn straight onto 71 Toll

1.9 mi · 2 min · Bastrop Freeway
Toward 71 Toll East, TX 45 Toll North, TX 130 Toll North Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Continue on TX 71

0.5 mi · 29 sec · East State Highway 71
13

Continue on TX 71

3.4 mi · 3 min · Texas State Highway 71
14

Turn left

166 ft · 8 sec
Use the left lane.
15

At end of road, turn right onto Albert Brown Drive

217 ft · 9 sec · Albert Brown Drive
16

Arrive at destination

Albert Brown Drive

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.07 one way

$4.14 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.20 $2.27 $4.53
premium $4.54 $2.45 $4.89
diesel $5.61 $3.02 $6.05

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.1 0 $1.44 $0.66
Efficient EV 3.4 0 $1.20 $0.55
EV Truck/SUV 5.5 0 $1.92 $0.88

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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 16, 2026

Origin

Austin, TX

Night in Austin on Thursday

Local time

9:11 PM

CDT

Current temp

89°F

Partly Sunny

S 5 to 10 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Freeze Watch

Freeze Watch issued April 16 at 4:14AM CDT until April 18 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Amarillo TX

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 16 at 4:13AM CDT until April 16 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Amarillo TX

Destination

Garfield, TX

Night in Garfield on Thursday

Local time

9:11 PM

CDT

Current temp

66°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

23 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

18m 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 Garfield, TX covers 13.7 miles and takes about 18m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Texas State Highway 71, East 7th Street, East State Highway 71. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.8 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 $2.07 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 13.7 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: at 0.3 miles (Red River Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (East 7th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Austin, TX and Garfield, TX, road signs point toward 183 Toll South: Lockhart and 71 Toll East.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Austin, TX or browse trips ending in Garfield, TX.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse TX road trips.

Explore maps for Austin, TX or Garfield, TX on MapSof.net.