Day Trippin' › Texas › From Austin › Space Center Houston
The drive from Austin to Space Center Houston takes about 2 hr 54 min (east of Austin), by real roads from ZIP 78701. Along the way we found 73 stops within a short detour: 10 coffee shops, 5 bakeries, 13 ice cream and treats and 27 places to eat.
The list below is the best few of each kind, in driving order, with how far into the drive you reach each one (counted from Austin) and the detour it adds. Stops marked Our pick are chosen by us; the rest come from OpenStreetMap listings, so confirm hours before you count on them.
Photo: Shujianyang, CC BY 4.0
Museum
Space museum and visitor center by NASA's Johnson Space Center with exhibits, The Moonwalkers show and NASA tram tours.
Heads-up: Hours vary by day (often 10 to 5). Parking costs a fee per vehicle, paid by phone or at Guest Services. Service dogs only, not on motion simulators. Wheelchair rental.
First third Middle third Last third Space Center Houston
About 2 hr 54 min by road, heading east from the middle of ZIP 78701. Traffic and weather change that.
Good ones to start with: McDonald's (Cedar Creek), Sonic (Wyldwood), Jack in the Box (Cedar Creek), The Coffee Dog Roastery & Coffeehouse (Bastrop) and Sugar Shack (Bastrop). The page lists 29 in all, in driving order.
The Coffee Dog Roastery & Coffeehouse in Bastrop, Johnson's Bakery & Coffee Shop in Bastrop, Weikel's Bakery in La Grange and Hruška's Bakery in Ellinger. Check hours first; they come from OpenStreetMap listings.
McDonald's in Cedar Creek, Sonic in Wyldwood, Jack in the Box in Cedar Creek and Texas Grill Restaurant in Bastrop.
Bastrop County Courthouse in Bastrop, Museum of the Bastrop County Historical Society in Bastrop, The Duelin' Daltons in Katy and Pillot House in Houston.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Stops come from our own picks and OpenStreetMap listings; hours and detours change, so check before you go. We do not store anyone's location.