Origin
Wimberley, TX
Morning in Wimberley on Tuesday
Local time
10:51 AM
CDT
Current temp
88°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wimberley, TX to Austin, TX
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
53m
Distance
38.3 mi
62 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 49m
★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 2m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 57m
5 PM
1h 2m
8 PM
0h 51m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wimberley, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Austin, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transition from the quiet charm of Wimberley to the bustle of Austin, this 40-mile journey is an ideal day trip. You can expect to spend about 50 minutes on the road, making it an easy drive that does not require an overnight stay. Your path primarily follows Old Kyle Road and Ranch to Market Road 3237, keeping you entirely off the major interstates. With a fuel budget of just $6, this is a highly economical way to traverse the Great Plains region of Texas. Whether you are heading into the city for a specific event or simply changing your scenery, the brevity of this trip offers maximum flexibility for your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Purple Heart Trail | 15.9 mi | 17m |
| Ranch Road 150 West | 6.6 mi | 9m |
| Ranch Road 3237 | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| Ranch to Market Road 3237 | 3.8 mi | 6m |
| Kohlers Crossing | 2.1 mi | 4m |
| South Interstate 35 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Jack C Hays Trail | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Kyle Crossing | 0.9 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Purple Heart Trail
— 15.9 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wimberley, TX and Austin, TX.
1
Start on RM 12
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
Ranch Road 12
2
Continue on Old Kyle Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Kyle Road
3
Turn left onto RM 3237
3.8 mi
·
6 min
·
Ranch to Market Road 3237
4
Continue on RM 3237
5.2 mi
·
6 min
·
Ranch Road 3237
5
Enter roundabout onto RM 150
85 ft
·
1 sec
·
Ranch Road 150 West
6
Continue on RM 150
6.5 mi
·
9 min
·
Ranch Road 150 West
7
Turn left onto FM 2770
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Jack C Hays Trail
8
Turn right onto CR 171
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Kohlers Crossing
9
Turn left onto CR 210
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Kyle Crossing
10
Continue on Windy Hill Road
355 ft
·
12 sec
·
Windy Hill Road
11
Turn left onto South Interstate 35
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
South Interstate 35
Use the left lane.
12
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward I 35 North
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
13
Merge onto I 35
16 mi
·
17 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 234C
Toward 6th - 12th Streets
Use the slight right lane.
15
Turn left onto East 6th Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East 6th Street
16
Turn left onto Congress Avenue
357 ft
·
17 sec
·
Congress Avenue
17
Turn left onto East 5th Street
28 ft
·
0 sec
·
East 5th Street
Use the left lane.
18
Arrive at destination
East 5th Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 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 38 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 19.1 miles from Wimberley, 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 125 decision points cluster between mile 20.3 and 38.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
20.3 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
South Interstate 35
Turn left onto South Interstate 35
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
21.4 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the ramp toward I 35 North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I 35 North
5
21.6 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
I 35 / Purple Heart Trail
Merge onto I 35 / Purple Heart Trail
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
37.5 mi into trip
|
~51m in
Take the exit toward 6th - 12th Streets
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 234C
Toward 6th - 12th Streets
7
38.3 mi into trip
|
~53m in
|
East 5th Street
Turn left onto East 5th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.79 one way
$11.57 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $6.33 | $12.67 |
| premium | $4.54 | $6.84 | $13.68 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.46 | $16.91 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.4 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 | 11.5 | 0 | $4.02 | $1.84 |
| Efficient EV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.35 | $1.53 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.3 | 0 | $5.36 | $2.45 |
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
Morning in Austin on Tuesday
Local time
10:51 AM
CDT
Current temp
89°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
1 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
53m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local driving experience that keeps you engaged from start to finish. Because this route maintains a 0% highway share, you will be navigating local roads rather than high-speed interstates. The journey feels intimate and grounded, trading the monotony of long highway stretches for the constant shifts of Ranch Road 3237. Since there are no designated stops along the way, you should prepare for a continuous 50-minute session behind the wheel. It is a practical, direct transition that prioritizes local navigation over the typical fast-paced transit found on major Texas corridors.
Only 3% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.9 mi on Purple Heart Trail.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 20.3 miles in near South Interstate 35.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 38.3 miles you will encounter 12 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 20.3 miles (South Interstate 35): Lane positioning matters here; at 21.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 21.6 miles (I 35 / Purple Heart Trail): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Wimberley, TX
Full guide →San Marcos is a college town in the Central Hill Country region of Texas in the United States of America, about half an hour's drive south of the state's capital, Austin. The site of human habitation for over 10,000 years, it was settled in 1808 by Mexican families, and is now the home to Texas State University-San Marcos. In 2020, it had a population of 58,000 people.
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 53m. Total distance: 38.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (3%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.9 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: at 20.3 miles (South Interstate 35): Lane positioning matters here; at 21.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 21.6 miles (I 35 / Purple Heart Trail): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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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