Origin
Taylor, TX
Late night in Taylor on Sunday
Local time
2:43 AM
CDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Taylor, 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
45m
Distance
35.9 mi
58 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Taylor, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Austin, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Taylor to Austin, you are in for a quick, 35.9-mile journey that typically takes about 45 minutes. This trip is perfect for a one-day outing, as the proximity of these Great Plains locations makes an overnight stay unnecessary. With a fuel budget of just $5, it is an incredibly affordable route to navigate. You will primarily utilize Pickle Parkway, Manor Expressway, and West 2nd Street to reach your destination. Because the transit time is under an hour, you have maximum flexibility to plan your arrival and departure times without worrying about long-haul fatigue.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Pickle Parkway | 10 mi | 9m |
| West 2nd Street | 6.8 mi | 8m |
| Manor Expressway | 4.1 mi | 4m |
| Purple Heart Trail | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| US 290 | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| US 79 | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| Chris Kelley Boulevard | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| TX 130 Frontage Road | 1.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Pickle Parkway
— 10 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Taylor, TX and Austin, TX.
1
Start on East 4th Street
448 ft
·
19 sec
·
East 4th Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
2
Turn left onto Talbot Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Talbot Street
3
Turn right onto West 2nd Street
6.8 mi
·
8 min
·
West 2nd Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Continue on US 79
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
US 79
5
Turn left onto FM 685
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Chris Kelley Boulevard
Use the left lane.
6
Turn left onto FM 685
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
TX 130 Frontage Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
10 sec
Exit 426
Toward TX 130 Toll South: Austin, Pflugerville
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
14 sec
·
this road
Exit 426
Toward Toll 130 South: Austin, Pflugerville
9
Merge onto TX 130 Toll
10 mi
·
9 min
·
Pickle Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
1.4 mi
·
2 min
Exit 437B
Toward 290 Toll West: Austin
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto 290 Toll
4.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Manor Expressway
12
Continue on US 290
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
US 290
13
Take the exit onto US 290
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
US 290
Toward I 35 South, US 290 West
Use the slight right lane.
14
Merge onto I 35; US 290
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
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
18 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 35.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18 miles from Taylor, 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 185 decision points cluster between mile 12.9 and 35 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
12.9 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the ramp toward TX 130 Toll South: Austin, Pflugerville
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 426
Toward TX 130 Toll South: Austin, Pflugerville
7
23.4 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward 290 Toll West: Austin
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 437B
Toward 290 Toll West: Austin
7
30.5 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
US 290
Take the exit onto US 290 toward I 35 South, US 290 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 35 South, US 290 West
8
32.6 mi into trip
|
~39m 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
35 mi into trip
|
~42m 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...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.42 one way
$10.85 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $5.94 | $11.88 |
| premium | $4.54 | $6.41 | $12.82 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.93 | $15.85 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.77 | $1.72 |
| Efficient EV | 9 | 0 | $3.14 | $1.44 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.4 | 0 | $5.03 | $2.30 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Late night in Austin on Sunday
Local time
2:43 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
10 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
45m 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 mixed-drive route offers a blend of high-speed transit and local navigation, with highways accounting for 58% of your total mileage. You will spend the bulk of your time on major arterials, including a 10-mile stretch on Pickle Parkway, which serves as the longest uninterrupted portion of the trip. The transition from the more open surroundings of Taylor into the urban environment of Austin happens relatively quickly. Expect a straightforward experience behind the wheel, as the road conditions shift from highway-focused speeds to the local traffic patterns required to navigate into the heart of Austin.
58% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10 mi on Pickle Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 12.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 18 decision points packed into just 35.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 12.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.5 miles (US 290): 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.
Between Taylor, TX and Austin, TX, road signs point toward Pflugerville, Toll 130 South: Austin and 290 Toll West: Austin.
Pflugerville
12.9 mi in
|
~17m
Toll 130 South: Austin
13.1 mi in
|
~17m
290 Toll West: Austin
23.4 mi in
|
~27m
About the Cities
Starting in Taylor, 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 45m. Total distance: 35.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (58%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10 miles on Pickle Parkway. 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 12.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.5 miles (US 290): 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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