Austin, TX

united states

Austin sits where I-35 cuts through Central Texas hill country, connecting Dallas (195 miles north) and San Antonio (80 miles south). Highway 290 brings Houston traffic from the southeast, while MoPac and Highway 183 handle local flow around the metro. The Colorado River runs through limestone bluffs downtown, creating spring-fed swimming holes that stay refreshing even during brutal summer heat. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is 8 miles southeast via Highway 71. The Congress Avenue Bridge hosts over 1.5 million bats that emerge in a spectacular cloud each evening.