Lady Bird Lake
Lady Bird Lake (formerly, and still colloquially referred to as, Town Lake) is a river-like reservoir on the Colorado River in Austin, Texas, United States.
A lake inside Austin
Summers are hot
July and August highs run 96–97°, and about 123 days a year reach 90°. When to go ↓
You can stay in Austin
Lady Bird Lake is inside Austin, which has 384 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from San Antonio
San Antonio is about 73 miles southwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct and Nov
February, March, April, October and November are the mild months, with highs of 66–82°. When to go ↓
An airport 5 miles away
Austin Bergstrom (AUS) has airline service, about 5 miles from Lady Bird Lake.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Typical highs and lows in Austin. Green months are the mild ones.
Lady Bird Lake
Lady Bird Lake (formerly, and still colloquially referred to as, Town Lake) is a river-like reservoir on the Colorado River in Austin, Texas, United States. The City of Austin created the reservoir in 1960 as a cooling pond for a new city power plant. The lake, which has a surface area of 416 acres (168 ha), is now used primarily for recreation and flood control. The reservoir is named in honor of former First Lady of the United States Lady Bird Johnson.
Lady Bird Lake is the easternmost lake of a chain of reservoirs on the river, which is completely located in Texas, and should not be confused with the larger Colorado River located in the Southwestern United States. This chain, known locally as the Texas Highland Lakes, also includes Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake, Lake LBJ, Lake Marble Falls, Lake Travis, and Lake Austin.
- Type
- Lake
- Elevation
- 427 ft
- Wikipedia readers
- 29K a year
Where to stay near Lady Bird Lake
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Austin (384) and Round Rock (43).
- 1Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium
- 2Moody Center
- 3Texas State Cemetery
- 4Jacob's Well (Texas)
- 5Harry Ransom Center
- 6Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
- 7Lake Austin
- 8COTALAND
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Lady Bird Lake | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | in town | — | 384 306 hotels · 26 motels · 16 inns & B&Bs · 12 lodges & cabins · 9 hostels · 10 campgrounds · 5 RV parks | 1,002,632 | $555K | D |
| Round Rock | 19 mi north | 30 min | 43 36 hotels · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 141,282 | $419K | C+ |
| Hudson Bend | 17 mi northwest | 25 min | 16 4 hotels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 3 campgrounds · 6 RV parks | 4,127 | $678K | — |
| Garfield | 10 mi east | 15 min | 6 1 campground · 5 RV parks | 1,926 | $112K | — |
| Cedar Park | 19 mi north | 30 min | 18 16 hotels · 1 motel · 1 campground | 79,032 | $514K | B− |
| Buda | 15 mi southwest | 20 min | 10 5 hotels · 2 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 16,166 | $447K | C+ |
| Hornsby Bend | 7 mi east | 10 min | 4 1 inn or B&B · 3 campgrounds | 12,367 | $315K | — |
| San Marcos | 29 mi southwest | 45 min | 53 45 hotels · 4 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 77,830 | $310K | C− |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Lady Bird Lake
Other well-known places within 29 miles. Numbered ones are on the map above.
Big draw13 mi Stadium & arenaDarrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium
22 mi Stadium & arenaMoody Center
3in town LandmarkTexas State Cemetery
429 mi CaveJacob's Well (Texas)
53 mi MuseumHarry Ransom Center
63 mi MuseumLyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum125K visitors a year
75 mi LakeLake Austin
89 mi Park & preserveCOTALANDPhoto credits
Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium: Brint03, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Moody Center: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · Texas State Cemetery: WhisperToMe, Public domain · Jacob's Well (Texas): Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · Harry Ransom Center: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum: Enmanuel, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Austin: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · COTALAND: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
Visiting Lady Bird Lake
Is Lady Bird Lake in Austin?
Yes. It’s inside Austin, TX.
When is the best time to visit Lady Bird Lake?
February, March, April, October and November, with highs of 66–82°.
How far is Lady Bird Lake from San Antonio?
About 73 miles southwest of San Antonio, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Lady Bird Lake?
Austin Bergstrom (AUS), about 5 miles away.
Where should I stay near Lady Bird Lake?
Austin (in town, 384 places to stay), Round Rock (19 mi, 43 places to stay) and Hudson Bend (17 mi, 16 places to stay).
Tips from people in Austin
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in Austin’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.