Photo: Thomas balabaud
Drive Time
8h 25m
Distance
561.8 mi
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$84
one way
The drive from Horizon City, TX to Austin, TX covers 561.8 miles and takes about 8h 25m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Darrington Road, Alderwood Manor Drive, Ashford Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $83.58 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
280.9 miles from Horizon City, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 12m into the drive .
At 561.8 miles and 8h 25m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are Darrington Road and Alderwood Manor Drive.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Darrington Road | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Alderwood Manor Drive | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Ashford Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Horizon Boulevard | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Gateway Boulevard East | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 10 East | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| US 290 East | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Highway 290 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Step-by-step road directions between Horizon City, TX and Austin, TX.
Start on Jasper Drive
Turn left onto Darrington Road
Turn right onto Alderwood Manor Drive
At the end of the road, turn left onto Ashford Street
Turn right onto Horizon Boulevard
Turn left onto Gateway Boulevard East
Take the ramp straight toward I 10 East
Merge slight left
Keep slight right
Take the exit slight right toward US 290 East: Fredericksburg
Continue on US Highway 290
Continue on West Main Street
Continue on East US Highway 290
Continue on West Main Street
Take the exit slight right
Merge slight left onto South US Highway 281
Turn slight left onto East US Highway 290
Continue on West US Highway 290
Take the exit slight left
Continue on West US Highway 290
Continue straight
Take the exit slight right toward Loop 1 North
Merge slight left onto South Mopac Expressway
Take the exit slight right toward 5th Street, Lake Austin Boulevard, Cesar Chavez Street
Keep slight left to continue on West 5th Street, Lake Austin Boulevard
Keep slight right to continue on 5th Street
Turn straight onto West 5th Street
Arrive at your destination
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 124 miles or 1h 51m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 280.9 miles or 4h 12m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 280.9 miles or 4h 12m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 7h 31m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Austin, TX than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Horizon City, 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.
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Horizon City, TX
Aim for roughly 281 miles and 4.2 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Austin, TX
Aim for roughly 281 miles and 4.2 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 280.9 mi from Horizon City, TX · 4h 12m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
185 mi into the route
Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch
This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.
Second major stop
Overnight candidate
371 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in San Antonio, TXNight 1
281 mi · about 4.2h in
A practical overnight split lands near Junction, TX after about 281 miles or 4.2 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 124 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 280.9 miles from Horizon City, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 281 miles or 4.2 hours on the road.
The final approach into Austin, TX usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Austin, TX.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Austin, TX with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$83.58 one way
$167.17 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $94.05 | $188.09 |
| premium | $4.59 | $101.54 | $203.09 |
| diesel | $3.99 | $88.32 | $176.64 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$84
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$214–$324
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 196.6 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $59 in charging · 2 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 168.5 | 2 | $58.99 | $26.97 |
| Efficient EV | 140.5 | 1 | $49.16 | $22.47 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 224.7 | 2 | $78.65 | $35.96 |
Gas CO2
197 kg
EV CO2
66 kg (66% less)
Plan for 2 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.
Origin
Late night in Horizon City on Saturday
Local time
4:58 AM
MDT
Current temp
52°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Late night in Austin on Saturday
Local time
5:58 AM
CDT
Current temp
65°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
50°F
Pecos, TX
185 mi in
81°F
San Antonio, TX
371 mi in
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.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
Time zone
The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
Explore more options from Horizon City, TX or browse trips ending in Austin, TX.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse TX road trips.
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