Bell County Northbound Rest Area
0 mi from route
Trip from Sherwood Shores, TX to Austin, TX
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 20, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
5h
Distance
281.6 mi
453 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$39
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
4h 47m
★
6 AM
5h 0m
8 AM
5h 27m
10 AM
5h 10m
12 PM
5h 7m
3 PM
5h 11m
5 PM
5h 26m
8 PM
4h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sherwood Shores, TX
Action Construction Equipment Ltd. - ACE
Austin, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Sherwood Shores, TX to Austin, TX is 281.6 miles and takes about 5 hours via I 35, with a fuel budget near $41 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Great Plains region, primarily on Texas highways. You'll find it's a straightforward trip, ideal if you're looking for a direct route between these two Texas points without extensive detours. With a recommended one-day travel time, it's well-suited for a quick getaway or an efficient transit.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
140.8 miles from Sherwood Shores, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 31m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35 | 85 mi | 1h 28m |
| North South Freeway | 84.6 mi | 1h 27m |
| Purple Heart Trail | 40.3 mi | 42m |
| I 35W | 17.2 mi | 18m |
| I 35W TEXpress | 16.7 mi | 16m |
| US Highway 377 | 12.8 mi | 14m |
| East US Highway 82 | 12.3 mi | 14m |
| North Jack Kultgen Expressway | 6.6 mi | 7m |
Longest stretch:
I 35
— 85 mi, about 1h 28m
Traffic on I-35
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 100 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~3,420 veh/hr typical · worst 4,120
Quietest
2 AM
~567 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 52 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 Sherwood Shores, TX and Austin, TX.
1
Start on Hillcrest Circle
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Hillcrest Circle
2
At end of road, turn left onto US 377
13 mi
·
14 min
·
US Highway 377
3
Continue on US 377
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Highway 377 North
4
Turn slight right
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
5
Merge onto US 82
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Highway 82 West
6
Continue on US 82
12 mi
·
14 min
·
East US Highway 82
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Continue on US 82
377 ft
·
10 sec
·
J M Lindsay Boulevard
8
Turn left onto North Interstate 35
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North Interstate 35
9
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
10
Merge onto I 35
29 mi
·
29 min
·
I 35
Use the slight right lane.
11
Take the exit onto I 35W
17 mi
·
18 min
·
I 35W
Exit 467
Toward I 35W South, FM 1515: Fort Worth
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35W Express
17 mi
·
16 min
·
I 35W TEXpress
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
13
Merge onto I 35W
85 mi
·
1 hr 27 min
·
North South Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on I 35; US 77
6.6 mi
·
7 min
·
North Jack Kultgen Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on I 35
38 mi
·
39 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35
56 mi
·
58 min
·
I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
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.
18
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 234B
Toward 8th–3rd Streets, Huston-Tillotson University
Use the slight right lane.
19
Turn straight onto North Interstate 35
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
North Interstate 35
Use the straight / right lanes.
20
Turn right onto East 6th Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East 6th Street
Use the right lane.
21
Turn left onto Congress Avenue
357 ft
·
17 sec
·
Congress Avenue
22
Turn left onto East 5th Street
28 ft
·
0 sec
·
East 5th Street
Use the left lane.
23
Arrive at destination
East 5th Street
Trip Plan
Consider leaving Sherwood Shores early in the morning to make the most of your 5-hour drive and arrive in Austin with time to spare. With only one recommended stop and a total distance of 281.6 miles, you have flexibility in pacing your trip. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the 85-mile stretch on I 35 where services might be more spaced out than on local roads. The estimated fuel cost of $41 should help you budget accordingly for this Texas transit.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 140.8 miles from Sherwood Shores, TX, or about 2h 31m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 85 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 62 miles or 1h 9m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 140.8 miles or 2h 31m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 5m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Austin, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Sherwood Shores, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Sherwood Shores, TX
This is one driving day of about 281.6 miles and 5h.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 62 miles from Sherwood Shores, TX.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 35 for about 85 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
141 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 62 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 140.8 miles from Sherwood Shores, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 35 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 85 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Stops Along Your Drive
Picked by where they fit in your drive — first break, midpoint reset, final stretch.
TA
0.1 mi from route
Hill County Northbound Rest Area
0.1 mi from route
Love's Travel Stop
0.1 mi from route
Flying J Travel Center
0.1 mi from route
Walburg Travel Center & Food Court
0.1 mi from route
Buc-ee's
0.1 mi from route
Buc-ee's
0.1 mi from route
QuikTrip
0.1 mi from route
QuikTrip
0.1 mi from route
QuikTrip
0.1 mi from route
QuikTrip
0.1 mi from route
Love's Travel Stop
0.2 mi from route
Flying J Travel Plaza
0.2 mi from route
Pilot Travel Center
0.2 mi from route
Pilot Travel Center
0.2 mi from route
Hill County Southbound Rest Area
0.2 mi from route
QuikTrip
0.2 mi from route
Road Ranger
0.2 mi from route
Love's Travel Stop
0.2 mi from route
Love's Travel Stop
0.2 mi from route
Buc-ee's
0.2 mi from route
TA
0.3 mi from route
Service Plaza
0.3 mi from route
Bell County Southbound Rest Area
0.4 mi from route
Service Plaza
1 mi from route
Road Ranger
2 mi from route
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 59.4 and 281.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
59.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 6m in
|
I 35W
Take the exit onto I 35W toward I 35W South, FM 1515: Fort Worth
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 467
Toward I 35W South, FM 1515: Fort Worth
6
76.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 24m in
|
I 35W Express / I 35W TEXpress
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35W Express / I 35W TEXpress
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
278.3 mi into trip
|
~4h 55m 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
280.7 mi into trip
|
~4h 58m 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...
7
281.6 mi into trip
|
~5h in
|
East 5th Street
Turn left onto East 5th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$38.57 one way
$77.14 round trip
$3.48/gal
25.4 MPG avg
99 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $3.89 | $43.08 | $86.17 |
| premium | $4.23 | $46.84 | $93.68 |
| diesel | $4.80 | $53.17 | $106.34 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$39
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$64–$89
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 98.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $30 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 84.5 | 1 | $29.57 | $13.52 |
| Efficient EV | 70.4 | 0 | $24.64 | $11.26 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 112.6 | 1 | $39.42 | $18.02 |
Gas CO2
99 kg
EV CO2
33 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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.
Origin
Sherwood Shores, TX
Evening in Sherwood Shores on Monday
Local time
6:55 PM
CDT
Current temp
75°F
Mostly Cloudy
S 5 mph
6% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued July 17 at 9:07PM CDT until July 18 at 8:23AM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued July 17 at 9:07PM CDT until July 19 at 8:07AM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX
Destination
Austin, TX
Evening in Austin on Monday
Local time
6:55 PM
CDT
Current temp
77°F
Mostly Cloudy
SSE 5 to 10 mph
1% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued July 17 at 9:07PM CDT until July 18 at 8:23AM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued July 17 at 9:07PM CDT until July 19 at 8:07AM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX
100°F
Italy, TX
141 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.
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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
5h on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Waco Mammoth National Monument
National Monument
Standing as tall as 14 feet and weighing 20,000 pounds, Columbian mammoths roamed across what is present-day Texas thousands of years ago. Today, the fossil specimens represent the nation's first and...
5 mi from route
~13 min detour
Free
near mile 174.8
View on nps.gov
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is mostly highway, with 85% of the 281.6 miles on main roads like I 35. You'll experience an 85-mile stretch on I 35 as the longest continuous segment without exiting. Expect frequent exits and merging traffic on I 35, which is typical for a major interstate connecting urban centers. The remaining 15% will be on surface roads as you enter and exit your start and end points.
85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 85 mi on I 35.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35 and North South Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 59.4 miles in near I 35W.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 14 significant decision points across 281.6 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 59.4 miles (I 35W): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 76.6 miles (I 35W Express / I 35W TEXpress): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 278.3 miles (I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
899 ft
405 ft
Total Climb
895 ft
Total Descent
1,121 ft
Highest Point
899 ft
~241.4 mi in
Elevation Range
493 ft
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 Sherwood Shores, TX to Austin, TX, road signs begin pointing toward Fm 1515: Fort Worth along the way.
Fm 1515: Fort Worth
59.4 mi in
|
~1h 6m
|
via I 35W
About the Cities
Starting in Sherwood Shores, TX
Full guide →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 5h. Total distance: 281.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 85 miles on I 35. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 27 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 27 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 59.4 miles (I 35W): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 76.6 miles (I 35W Express / I 35W TEXpress): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 278.3 miles (I 35; US 290 / Purple Heart Trail): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Waco Mammoth National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.0 hours each way, a round trip means 10.0 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Austin, TX before the return drive.
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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