Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
12.4 mi
20 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Austin, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Manchaca, TX
Vika Glitter
The drive from Austin, TX to Manchaca, TX covers 12.4 miles and takes about 17m 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, East FM 1626, East 5th Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8.4 miles on Purple Heart Trail. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.87 one way before food or hotel costs.
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 17m. Total distance: 12.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (26%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Expect a 17m drive with frequent turns across 12.4 miles of local and secondary roads.
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. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East 5th Street.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 17m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
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.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Depart onto East 5th Street
Lane positioning matters here
At end of road, turn right onto North Interstate 35
Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward FM 1626: Onion Creek Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto FM 1626 / East FM 1626
Navigation decision point
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Purple Heart Trail | 8.4 mi | 9m |
| East FM 1626 | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| East 5th Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Interstate 35 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| North Interstate 35 | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Menchaca Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Austin, TX and Manchaca, TX.
Start on East 5th Street
At end of road, turn right onto North Interstate 35
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 35; US 290
Take the exit
Turn straight onto South Interstate 35
Turn right onto FM 1626
Turn right onto FM 2304
Arrive at destination
Regular Gas
$1.87 one way
$3.75 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $2.05 | $4.10 |
| premium | $4.54 | $2.21 | $4.43 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.74 | $5.48 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.30 | $0.60 |
| Efficient EV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.09 | $0.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5 | 0 | $1.74 | $0.79 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Austin on Friday
Local time
2:59 AM
CDT
Current temp
89°F
Partly Sunny
Destination
Late night in Manchaca on Friday
Local time
2:59 AM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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