Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 17m
Distance
62.8 mi
101 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
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
Rockdale, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Austin, TX to Rockdale, TX is 62.8 miles and takes about 1 hour 17 minutes via US 79 and Pickle Parkway, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Texas, beginning in the Great Plains region and ending in the same area. It's a relatively short trip that's mostly highway driving, making it a straightforward option for a quick getaway or an easy transition to your final destination. Consider this route if you're looking for a no-fuss drive with a minimal time commitment.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 79 | 23.8 mi | 29m |
| Pickle Parkway | 12.8 mi | 11m |
| Palm Valley Boulevard | 5 mi | 6m |
| Carlos G Parker Boulevard Southwest | 4.3 mi | 4m |
| Manor Expressway | 4.2 mi | 4m |
| Purple Heart Trail | 3.5 mi | 4m |
| West 2nd Street | 3.1 mi | 3m |
| US 290 | 2.5 mi | 3m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
7 AM
~5,271 veh/hr typical
Quietest
3 AM
~982 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
5.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 101 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Austin, TX and Rockdale, TX.
Start on East 5th Street
Turn left onto Red River Street
Turn right onto East 7th Street
Turn left onto North Interstate 35
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 35; US 290
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35; US 290
Take the exit onto US 290
Continue on 290 Toll
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto TX 45 Toll; TX 130 Toll
Take the exit
Continue on this road
Continue on TX 130 Frontage Road
Take the ramp
Merge onto US 79
Continue on US 79
Take the exit
Continue on US 79
Keep slight right at fork onto US 79
Turn right onto FM 908
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
31 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.
A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 31.4 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 25.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto East 7th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit onto US 290 toward US 290 East: Houston
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward TX 130 Toll North, TX 130 Toll South: Georgetown, San Antonio
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward TX 130 Toll North: Georgetown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward US 79: Taylor, Round Rock, Palm Valley Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$9.11 one way
$18.22 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.08 | $10.09 | $20.19 |
| premium | $4.43 | $10.96 | $21.92 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $13.84 | $27.69 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 22 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.8 | 0 | $6.59 | $3.01 |
| Efficient EV | 15.7 | 0 | $5.50 | $2.51 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.1 | 0 | $8.79 | $4.02 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% 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
Evening in Austin on Saturday
Local time
8:03 PM
CDT
Current temp
78°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Evening in Rockdale on Saturday
Local time
8:03 PM
CDT
Current temp
73°F
Mostly Clear
75°F
Taylor, TX
31 mi in
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.
You'll spend about 70% of this 62.8-mile drive on highways. The longest continuous stretch on a main road is 23.8 miles on US 79. After that, you'll transition to roads like Pickle Parkway and Palm Valley Boulevard, which will likely feel more like local cruising. Expect a mix of open highway and potentially more developed areas as you approach your destination.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 79 and Pickle Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near East 7th Street.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 62.8 miles you will encounter 18 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 0.5 miles (East 7th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles (US 290): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
385 ft
Total Descent
404 ft
Highest Point
723 ft
~22.4 mi in
Elevation Range
283 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Austin, TX and Rockdale, TX, road signs point toward San Antonio and Round Rock.
San Antonio
Round Rock
“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
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 17m. Total distance: 62.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (70%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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