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Trip from Austin, TX to Schertz, TX

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 13m

Distance

63.4 mi

102 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 7m ★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 25m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 16m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 24m
8 PM
1h 10m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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Downtown Austin, TX, TX

Austin, TX

Wikimedia Commons

city in Guadalupe, Bexar, and Comal counties, Texas, United States

Schertz, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Austin, TX to Schertz, TX is 63.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 13 minutes via I-35, Purple Heart Trail, and Natural Bridge Caverns Road, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Great Plains region of Texas, offering a straightforward transit between two points. Given its relatively short distance and duration, this route is ideal for a same-day trip, allowing ample time for any detours or leisurely stops along the way. The majority of this drive is on surface roads, so expect typical suburban and rural driving conditions rather than high-speed interstate cruising for the entire stretch.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Purple Heart Trail 55.2 mi 59m
Natural Bridge Caverns Road 3.2 mi 5m
Interstate Highway 35 1.7 mi 1m
John E Peterson Boulevard 1.1 mi 2m
Interstate 35 North 0.9 mi 1m
East 5th Street 0.5 mi 1m
North Interstate 35 0.4 mi <1m
1st Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Purple Heart Trail — 55.2 mi, about 59m

Traffic on I-35

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 28 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

2 PM

~4,140 veh/hr typical

Quietest

3 AM

~767 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

5.4×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 101 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on East 5th Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · East 5th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
2

At end of road, turn right onto North Interstate 35

0.4 mi · 39 sec · North Interstate 35
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
3

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 21 sec
Toward I 35 South
4

Merge onto I 35; US 290

46 mi · 50 min · Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Continue on I 35

1.7 mi · 1 min · Interstate Highway 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Continue on I 35

8.8 mi · 9 min · Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 27 sec
Exit 176 Toward Cibolo Valley Drive Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Turn straight onto Interstate 35 North

0.9 mi · 1 min · Interstate 35 North
9

Turn left onto FM 3009

3.2 mi · 5 min · Natural Bridge Caverns Road
10

Turn right onto FM 78

1.1 mi · 2 min · John E Peterson Boulevard
11

Turn left onto 1st Street

57 ft · 2 sec · 1st Street
12

Arrive at destination

1st Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in Texas, United States, that is the seat of Comal County

Mid-route town

Meal stop

New Braunfels, TX

32 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

Buda, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Redwood, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 31.7 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 6

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 58 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | East 5th Street

Depart onto East 5th Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
7
0.5 mi into trip | ~1m in | North Interstate 35

At end of road, turn right onto North Interstate 35

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight left lanes.
3
0.8 mi into trip | ~1m in

Take the ramp toward I 35 South

Navigation decision point

Toward I 35 South
5
1 mi into trip | ~2m in | I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail

Merge onto I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
58 mi into trip | ~1h 3m in

Take the exit toward Cibolo Valley Drive

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 176 Toward Cibolo Valley Drive

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.20 one way

$18.40 round trip

$3.69/gal 25.4 MPG avg 22 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.08 $10.19 $20.38
premium $4.43 $11.06 $22.13
diesel $5.60 $13.98 $27.95

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 22.2 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 19 0 $6.66 $3.04
Efficient EV 15.9 0 $5.55 $2.54
EV Truck/SUV 25.4 0 $8.88 $4.06

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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Sep 1, 2026

Origin

Austin, TX

Afternoon in Austin on Friday

Local time

4:47 PM

CDT

Current temp

79°F

Mostly Clear

SSE 0 to 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued August 31 at 7:50PM CDT until August 31 at 10:45PM CDT by NWS Midland/Odessa TX

Dust Advisory

Dust Advisory issued August 31 at 6:41PM MDT until August 31 at 8:15PM MDT by NWS El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM

Destination

Schertz, TX

Afternoon in Schertz on Friday

Local time

4:47 PM

CDT

Current temp

77°F

Mostly Clear

SSE 0 to 10 mph 3% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued August 31 at 7:50PM CDT until August 31 at 10:45PM CDT by NWS Midland/Odessa TX

Dust Advisory

Dust Advisory issued August 31 at 6:41PM MDT until August 31 at 8:15PM MDT by NWS El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM

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

1h 13m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This route features a highway share of only 5%, meaning most of your travel will be on surface roads. The longest continuous stretch on a single road is 55.2 miles along Purple Heart Trail. You'll notice a shift from interstate to surface roads as you progress, which typically means more intersections and varied speed limits. Expect to navigate through areas with dense exits and local traffic patterns.

Only 5% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 55.2 mi on Purple Heart Trail.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

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.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 1h 13m drive. You will face about 6 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 0.8 miles: Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

817 ft 487 ft

Total Climb

515 ft

Total Descent

287 ft

Highest Point

817 ft

~58.9 mi in

Elevation Range

330 ft

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 Schertz, TX

Full guide →

Founded 1843

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 1h 13m. Total distance: 63.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (5%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 55.2 miles on Purple Heart Trail. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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: near the start (East 5th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (North Interstate 35): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles: Navigation decision point.

Yes — San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Schertz, 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, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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