Origin
Austin, TX
Late night in Austin on Sunday
Local time
2:33 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Austin, TX to Bartlett, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
59m
Distance
50.7 mi
82 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 55m
★
6 AM
0h 59m
8 AM
1h 9m
10 AM
1h 3m
12 PM
1h 2m
3 PM
1h 3m
5 PM
1h 9m
8 PM
0h 57m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Austin, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Bartlett, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick getaway from Austin, Texas, the 50.7-mile trek to Bartlett is an ideal day trip. Spanning just under an hour of driving time, this route keeps you within the Great Plains region for the entire journey. You can expect to spend about $8 on fuel, making it a budget-friendly excursion. Because the trip is short and straightforward, you won't need to worry about booking an overnight stay unless you have specific plans in Bartlett. It is a practical, no-fuss drive that serves as a perfect escape from the city without requiring extensive travel time.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Purple Heart Trail | 31.9 mi | 35m |
| FM 972 | 13.6 mi | 16m |
| TX 95 | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| North Interstate 35 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| East 5th Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East 7th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Red River Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Clark Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Purple Heart Trail
— 31.9 mi, about 35m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Austin, TX and Bartlett, 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
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
East 7th Street
Use the right lane.
4
Turn left onto North Interstate 35
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
North Interstate 35
Use the left lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 35 North, US 290 East
6
Merge onto I 35; US 290
0.6 mi
·
42 sec
·
Purple Heart Trail
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35; US 290
31 mi
·
34 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 268
Toward FM 972: Walburg
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn straight onto North Interstate 35
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
North Interstate 35
10
Turn right onto FM 972
14 mi
·
16 min
·
FM 972
11
At end of road, turn left onto TX 95
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
TX 95
12
Turn right onto FM 487
85 ft
·
2 sec
·
East Clark Street
13
Arrive at destination
FM 487
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.3 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.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 32.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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.
7
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
East 7th Street
Turn right onto East 7th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
North Interstate 35
Turn left onto North Interstate 35
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
32.9 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward FM 972: Walburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 268
Toward FM 972: Walburg
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.66 one way
$15.32 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $8.39 | $16.77 |
| premium | $4.54 | $9.05 | $18.10 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.19 | $22.39 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.2 | 0 | $5.32 | $2.43 |
| Efficient EV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.44 | $2.03 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.3 | 0 | $7.10 | $3.24 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (67% 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.
Destination
Bartlett, TX
Late night in Bartlett on Sunday
Local time
2:33 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°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
2 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
59m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a mixed driving experience as you transition from the city outskirts to your destination. You will spend roughly 35% of your time on highways, with the longest uninterrupted segment being a 31.9-mile stretch along the Purple Heart Trail. The route relies on a combination of the Purple Heart Trail, FM 972, and TX 95 to navigate the terrain. This blend of road types means you will encounter both higher-speed highway sections and slower, more localized road conditions. You will find that the character of the drive shifts as you move away from Austin’s infrastructure and onto the regional roads leading toward Bartlett.
35% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 31.9 mi on Purple Heart Trail.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 11 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 50.7 miles you will encounter 11 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 0.6 miles (North Interstate 35): Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Austin, TX to Bartlett, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Fm 972: Walburg along the way.
Fm 972: Walburg
32.9 mi in
|
~37m
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
Arriving in Bartlett, TX
Full guide →Top landmarks
- • Bartlett Commercial Historic District — historic district in Bartlett, Bell County, Texas
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 59m. Total distance: 50.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
59m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (35%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 31.9 miles on Purple Heart Trail. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Bartlett, TX before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
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 0.6 miles (North Interstate 35): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bartlett, TX before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner 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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