Moving from Houston to Austin
It is about 165 miles up US-290 from Houston to Austin, and it might be the most-traveled in-state move we run. Folks head west every year for a tech job, for school, or just to trade the Gulf humidity for the Hill Country, and our own crew drives the whole stretch.
Route Overview
There are really two ways to make the drive:
| Route | Distance | Drive Time (loaded truck) | Tolls | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US-290 West | 165 miles | 2.5 – 3 hours | None | Shortest line; watch the construction near Hempstead |
| I-10 W to TX-71 | 185 miles | 3 – 3.5 hours | SH 130 optional | Skips the 290 work, costs you about 20 extra miles |
Heads up: US-290 between Waller and Hempstead has been a widening project since 2020. Count on lane shifts, slow zones, and a 15 to 30 minute hit on weekday work hours, which we plan the departure time around.
Austin Destination Specifics
Austin’s growth has made it one of the tightest housing markets in the state, and the delivery end looks nothing like Houston:
- Central Austin / UT area: tight streets, almost no parking, and the city wants permits for trucks in the residential blocks near campus. Guadalupe, Lamar, and South Congress all cap when a truck can be there.
- Domain / North Austin: newer apartment and condo stock. Docks are hit or miss, some have real freight access, others mean staging from the street.
- Round Rock / Cedar Park / Leander: suburban, a lot like Katy. Wide streets, HOA neighborhoods, easy room for the truck.
- South Austin / Buda / Kyle: fast-growing strips down I-35 South. New builds make the driveway easy; I-35 at rush hour is the catch.
Timing and Cost Factors
Demand on this corridor spikes three times a year:
- May-August — the usual summer peak, cranked up by UT move-in in late August
- January — spring semester kicks off at UT and Texas State down in San Marcos on the same road
- Corporate Q1 — tech relocations from Houston into the Austin scene’s tech sector (Dell, Apple, Tesla, Oracle)
What This Move Typically Costs
| Home Size | Est. Weight | Price Range | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio / 1-BR | 2,000 – 3,000 lbs | $950 – $1,650 | Same day |
| 2-BR | 4,000 – 6,000 lbs | $1,650 – $2,950 | Same day |
| 3-BR House | 7,000 – 10,000 lbs | $2,750 – $4,300 | 1-2 days |
| 4+ BR House | 12,000+ lbs | $4,200 – $6,400+ | 1-2 days |
Because this move never leaves Texas, it falls under state rules rather than federal ones. We carry active Texas registration for every intrastate run.
