YOUR TEXAS ROAD MAP
Route Highlights & Tips

Free downloadable map showing routes to Austin highlighted in yellow available HERE.

Use Your Texas Road Map for driving directions and points of interest when you travel to Austin. Every area of the state is covered here. If you're driving to Austin from out of state or any of Texas' major cities you're going to drive several hundred miles.

Get Your free Texas highway map and Texas State Travel Guide (272 pages, full color) at www.TravelTex.com, (opens in a new window). Just fill out the form and the package arrives in your mail box in a couple of days. I highly recommend the Texas State Travel Guide, its a valuable resource. And free!

Don't miss Texas Traffic Laws & Tips for driving laws and best gas prices.

Texas state map reveals seven regions. Each
with different topography, scenery, climate and
environment. Photo/Barbara Lynne

Texas Highway Map
TO AUSTIN FROM...

Big Bend Country
TEXAS ROAD MAP – El Paso to Del Rio east and west, Midland to the north and Big Bend National Park to the south. Big Bend is referred to as the Hard Country. Bordering Mexico and the Rio Grande River, Big Bend is a 1,170,000 acre wilderness. It's hot. Desert, tumbleweeds, cacti. This is the Texas portrayed in Hollywood films. The scorpions here have pet names like 'Cujo.'

Gulf Coast Region
TEXAS ROAD MAP – Texas has 624 miles of shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico. Houston and Beaumont to the far north and Brownsville at the southern tip of Texas. As east as you can go without swimming. Hurricane alley. Tourist beach areas like Padre Island, Galveston, Corpus Christi. Wildlife abounds. This is the bird watching capital of the US. Coastal breezes and warm summer nights. Some nasty oil and other anti-scenery but most is sultry and island like.

South Texas Plains
TEXAS ROAD MAP – Old San Antonio to the north to Hidalgo in the far south bordering Mexico. East to Fannin, west to Eagle Pass. Old world Texas. Still rough plains. Except to the far south Rio Grande Valley which is semi-tropical. Complete with palm trees. Laredo, McAllen and San Antonio are the population centers of this region. Flat unassuming plains to tropical grandeur.

Prairies and Lakes Region
TEXAS ROAD MAP – North central Texas, Dallas to the north. Victoria south, Comanche west, Houston east. Includes College Station, home of Texas A&M. Largest of any region in the state. Includes Ft. Hood, Waco, Ft. Worth and Houston. It's prairies, some flat, some rolling, can be pretty. Can be dull. Lake Texoma boarders Oklahoma. Lake Fork, Lake Dallas are a few of many lakes in the region.

Texas Hill Country
TEXAS ROAD MAP – Central Texas, Austin to the east, Goldthwaite to the north, Big Lake west and Devine to the South. My home. Emerald rolling hills, pristine lakes, friendly people, wide open roads with breathtaking scenery. The Hill Country is where the rest of Texas comes to play. Travel to Austin whenever you're in the Hill Country. Austin is the home of the University of Texas Longhorns and is the undisputed 'Live Music Capital of the World.' Other cities of interest in the Hill Country include Fredericksburg, Johnson City, Canyon Lake, Luckenbach, Blanco, Bandera and Boerne. Most scenic, interesting and culturally rich region in the state.

Panhandle Plains
TEXAS ROAD MAP – Borders Oklahoma to the north and New Mexico to the west and goes to San Angelo in the south. Another enormous region where topography and scenery vary. The Texas panhandle is so flat you can stand on a beer can and see Chicago. Big sky. Majestic big scenery. Cities include old Route 66 mainstay Amarillo, Wichita Falls, Lubbock, Abilene and San Angelo. This is the wide open little dogie part of the state.

Piney Woods Region
TEXAS ROAD MAP – Borders Arkansas and Oklahoma to the north, Louisiana to the east and Tyler to the west. Lush green and swampy. More like Louisiana than what you expect from Texas. Lakes and pine forests abound. It's everywhere. Great for camping, boating and most any outdoor activity. Home to Davey Crockett, Sabine, Angelina, Sam Houston National Forest and Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend reservoirs. No big cities. Country through and through.

Click HERE for a printable version of this Texas Highway Map. Routes to Austin are highlighted in yellow.

Texas Road Map – Law Info

• You must have vehicle insurance and be able to provide proof if requested by police.
• Wear seat belts front and back of vehicle. Car seats are required for kids under 36 inches in height. Under 17 must wear seat belts regardless if they sit in the front or back.
• Don't carry folks in the back of an open pickup or flatbed truck.
• Open containers of alcoholic beverages is not allowed in the vehicle passenger compartment.
• Protective head gear required when over 21 on motorbikes.
• Call 1-800-525-5555 for roadside assistance.
• For road conditions and trip planning assistance call 1-800-452-9292 or visit www.txdot.gov (opens in a new window).
• Speed limits are posted, no tolerance given.
• Send for your own Texas Travel Guide and official Texas travel map at 1-800-452-9292, or Texas State Travel Guide, PO Box 149249, Austin, Texas 78714-9249. You can also request it online at www.traveltex.com (opens in a new window).

Check www.texasgasprices.com for gas prices state wide. You can also find the best prices in the list of cities.

Any way you travel to Austin, you're assured of seeing majestic scenery and enjoying a new adventure.

Make your own Texas Road Map on the back ranch roads and you may not see another human for days. Happy driving my friend!

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