Commuting to Downtown Austin From the Suburbs
Many people live in the outlying areas of downtown Austin, and commute into the city for work or personal activities. Moving to the Austin area soon, and wondering how long it might take to drive to Downtown? Check out this guide for the average commuting times from some of Austin's most popular areas of town and the suburbs.
Recreational Cedar Park
The always popular community of Cedar Park is between Austin and Leander, sitting less than 20 miles from the downtown area. When residents want to travel to the city, they just have to get on Toll 183A and follow it all the way down.
Drivers can expect this trip to take about 26 minutes if they elect to pay the tolls for the 3 miles north of Hwy 45 to Whitestone Blvd. Otherwise, the drive time can increase considerably by using other routes like Old 183 (Bell Blvd), Parmer Lane, or Lakeline Blvd. If they take the bus, they will need to allow for 50 minutes of travel time each way.
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Thriving Round Rock
Round Rock is located about 18 miles from downtown Austin, giving drivers quick access to the city. They can usually get the best drive times by taking Interstate 35 straight to the city center. However, I-35 is notoriously congested during peak commute times. So, if that roadway is congested, then they also have the choice of taking the North MoPac Expressway, though it does have tolls.
Either way, drivers will likely be on the road between 24 and 27 minutes while traveling into the city.
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Fast-Growing Pflugerville
As it is only 17 miles to the north of Austin, Pflugerville allows for quick trips into the downtown area and back again. Residents can take Interstate 35 straight there without having to pay any tolls. Alternatively, they have the option to take Texas State Highway 130, though it is more of a roundabout route into the city.
Residents on the east side of Pflugerville also have the wide lanes of Hwy 45 to use going east-west, which is rarely congested. With either travel option, commuters will likely spend about 26 to 30 minutes in their car each way. There are no direct bus connections to this neighborhood.
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Waterfront Lakeway
Lakeway is located about 22 miles to the west of downtown Austin. This upper-end resort-style community has several roadways heading to the city, though the Southwest Parkway to Hwy 71 is the most direct. Bee Caves Road offers a relatively direct connection, too, but it usually has heavy traffic. For another scenic route, drivers can take Ranch Road 620, which loops up near the southern edge of Lake Travis.
Southwest Parkway offers travel times of about 38 minutes each way, while the scenic route takes 43 minutes to complete. There are no bus lines running between the cities, so drivers must take their own vehicles or carpool with friends, family, or colleagues.
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Scenic Bee Cave
The beautiful neighborhood of Bee Cave is located along Ranch Road 620 and Hwy 71 adjacent to Lakeway, just three miles closer to the downtown Austin area. When coming from this city, commuters can take Southwest Parkway or navigate the scenic twists and turns of the four-lane Bee Caves Road. If that route does not work for them, they also have the option of taking US 290, though they would end up in the decades-long traffic bottleneck of Oak Hill.
All the different routes to downtown Austin take between 27 and 35 minutes. Like the many others across this region, this area does not have public transit connecting the cities.
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Buda - The Outdoor Capital
About 15 miles south of Austin, Texas, is the peaceful town of Buda. Commuters in this region can quickly make it into the downtown area by hopping on Interstate 35. If they do not mind tolls, they can take Texas State Highway Loop 1 all the way there.
On either route, drivers will spend about 28 minutes on the road to make it to their destination. Bus lines do not directly travel between these cities, leaving commuters with relatively few alternative transportation options.
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