KidPaths

Dallas to Austin Drive With Kids

Waco gives kids a choice of mammoth fossils or the zoo, so it makes a good stop. Plan your breaks before you leave.

The drive

Distance
195 miles
Typical drive time
3 hours

Measured from Dallas, as stated by the official source listed at the bottom of this page. Traffic, weather and stops with kids add time, so plan for a longer day than the map shows.

Kid-friendly stops on the way

Each stop was checked on its own official site. Open it before you go for current hours, prices and any closures.

  1. Waco Mammoth National Monument

    Waco, TX

    A National Park Service fossil site with the nation's only recorded nursery herd of Columbian mammoths.

    Official site

  2. Cameron Park Zoo

    Waco, TX

    A zoo in Waco for families and friends.

    Official site

  3. McKinney Falls State Park

    Austin, TX

    A Texas state park inside Austin's city limits, 13 miles from the state capitol.

    Official site

Need more ideas before you leave? Browse things to do with kids in Dallas or plan a different route.

Free road-trip stop checklist

Stop before everyone runs out of patience: how to plan a real break to burn energy, pick an indoor backup in case it rains, and add up the family total before you pay. One page, emailed now. Then The Weekend Scout once a week: one family outing idea for the weekend. Free. Unsubscribe from any email.

Three things to plan before you leave

  • Leave room for I-35 slowdowns, especially near Waco and Austin.
  • Make Waco the food, fuel and restroom stop.
  • Holiday weekends bring heavier traffic, so leave earlier than usual.

Checked against: Visit Dallas: driving distances (checked )

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Plan the Dallas to Austin family drive with a Waco mammoth fossil stop, Cameron Park Zoo and McKinney Falls State Park.

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