Origin
Harker Heights, TX
Morning in Harker Heights on Sunday
Local time
9:19 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Harker Heights, TX to Austin, TX
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 21m
Distance
70 mi
113 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 16m
★
6 AM
1h 22m
8 AM
1h 35m
10 AM
1h 26m
12 PM
1h 25m
3 PM
1h 27m
5 PM
1h 34m
8 PM
1h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Harker Heights, TX
Fady Matta
Austin, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Harker Heights to Austin is 70 miles and takes about 1 hour 21 minutes via I 35 and Central Texas Expressway, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Texas, starting in the Great Plains region and ending in the same area. Expect a straightforward, highway-focused journey that's ideal for a single-day trip. It's a relatively short distance, making it easy to fit into a busy schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35 | 47.6 mi | 50m |
| Central Texas Expressway | 7.7 mi | 7m |
| Stillhouse Hollow Dam Road | 6.8 mi | 8m |
| Purple Heart Trail | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| US 190 Frontage Road | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Farm-to-Market Road 2484 | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| North Robertson Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East 6th Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35
— 47.6 mi, about 50m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Harker Heights, TX and Austin, TX.
1
Start on Jorgette Drive
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Jorgette Drive
2
Continue on Jorgette Drive
390 ft
·
22 sec
·
Jorgette Drive
3
Turn left onto Clore Road
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Clore Road
4
Turn right onto FM 3423
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
·
Indian Trail
5
Turn left onto East Central Texas Expressway
333 ft
·
6 sec
·
East Central Texas Expressway
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 14 East, US 190 East
7
Merge onto I 14; US 190
7.7 mi
·
7 min
·
Central Texas Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward FM 1670
9
Turn straight onto US 190 Frontage Road
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
US 190 Frontage Road
10
Turn right onto FM 1670
6.8 mi
·
8 min
·
Stillhouse Hollow Dam Road
11
Turn left onto FM 2484
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Farm-to-Market Road 2484
12
Turn right onto North Robertson Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North Robertson Road
13
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Toward I 35 South
14
Merge onto I 35
48 mi
·
50 min
·
I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35; US 290
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
Toward 32nd Street, Dean Keeton Street
Use the slight left lane.
16
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 234B
Toward 8th–3rd Streets, Huston-Tillotson University
Use the slight right lane.
17
Turn straight onto North Interstate 35
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
North Interstate 35
Use the straight / right lanes.
18
Turn right onto East 6th Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East 6th Street
Use the right lane.
19
Turn left onto Congress Avenue
357 ft
·
17 sec
·
Congress Avenue
20
Turn left onto East 5th Street
28 ft
·
0 sec
·
East 5th Street
Use the left lane.
21
Arrive at destination
East 5th Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
35 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 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 35 miles from Harker Heights, 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 165 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 70 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Clore Road
Turn left onto Clore Road
Navigation decision point
8
66.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 16m in
|
I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail toward 32nd Street, Dean Keeton Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward 32nd Street, Dean Keeton Street
8
69 mi into trip
|
~1h 19m in
Take the exit toward 8th–3rd Streets, Huston-Tillotson University
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 234B
Toward 8th–3rd Streets, Huston-Tillotson Univer...
6
69.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 20m in
|
East 6th Street
Turn right onto East 6th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
70 mi into trip
|
~1h 21m in
|
East 5th Street
Turn left onto East 5th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.58 one way
$21.15 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
25 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $11.58 | $23.16 |
| premium | $4.54 | $12.50 | $25.00 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $15.46 | $30.91 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 21 | 0 | $7.35 | $3.36 |
| Efficient EV | 17.5 | 0 | $6.13 | $2.80 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 28 | 0 | $9.80 | $4.48 |
Gas CO2
24 kg
EV CO2
8 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
Austin, TX
Morning in Austin on Sunday
Local time
9:19 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°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
3 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 21m 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?
This route is heavily focused on highway driving, with 81% of the journey on major roads like I 35 and Central Texas Expressway. You'll encounter one continuous stretch of about 47.6 miles on I 35, so be prepared for sustained highway speeds. The primary roads provide a direct connection, minimizing time spent on slower, local roads. The character is consistently highway-centric, offering an efficient way to get from point A to point B.
81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 47.6 mi on I 35.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35 and Central Texas Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Clore Road.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 70 miles you will encounter 16 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 0.2 miles (Clore Road): Navigation decision point; at 66.6 miles (I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 69 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Harker Heights, TX to Austin, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Fm 1670 along the way.
Fm 1670
8.7 mi in
|
~11m
About the Cities
Arriving 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
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 21m. Total distance: 70 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 47.6 miles on I 35. 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 Austin, 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 0.2 miles (Clore Road): Navigation decision point; at 66.6 miles (I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 69 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Austin, 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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