Lake Austin
Lake Austin, formerly Lake McDonald, is a water reservoir on the Colorado River in Austin, Texas. Close by, Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium is 3.3 mi away. Pleasant highs of 66–82°F mark the mildest months, February, March, April, October and November.
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
Lake Austin 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 10 miles away
Austin Bergstrom (AUS) has airline service, about 10 miles from Lake Austin.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Highs and lows by month
Use the months below to time a visit to Lake Austin.
Lake Austin
Lake Austin, formerly Lake McDonald, is a water reservoir on the Colorado River in Austin, Texas. The reservoir was formed in 1939 by the construction of Tom Miller Dam by the Lower Colorado River Authority. Lake Austin is one of the seven Highland Lakes created by the LCRA, and is used for flood control, electrical power generation, and recreation.
- Type
- Lake
- Area
- 1,606 acres
- Elevation
- 492 ft
- Wikipedia readers
- 25K a year
Where to base yourself for Lake Austin
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Austin (384) and Round Rock (43).
- 1Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium
- 2Moody Center
- 3Jacob's Well (Texas)
- 4Harry Ransom Center
- 5Lady Bird Lake
- 6Texas State Cemetery
- 7Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
- 8Q2 Stadium
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Lake Austin | 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 | 18 mi northeast | 25 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 | 12 mi northwest | 20 min | 16 4 hotels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 3 campgrounds · 6 RV parks | 4,127 | $678K | — |
| Cedar Park | 15 mi north | 25 min | 18 16 hotels · 1 motel · 1 campground | 79,032 | $514K | B− |
| West Lake Hills | 2 mi west | 5 min | 3 3 hotels | 3,229 | $1,665K | C− |
| Wells Branch | 12 mi northeast | 20 min | 7 5 hotels · 2 RV parks | 13,523 | $401K | — |
| Buda | 16 mi south | 25 min | 10 5 hotels · 2 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 16,166 | $447K | C+ |
| Bee Cave | 11 mi west | 15 min | 5 4 hotels · 1 lodge or cabins | 8,464 | $776K | C |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Lake Austin
Other well-known places within 28 miles.
Big draw13 mi Stadium & arenaDarrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium
23 mi Stadium & arenaMoody Center
327 mi CaveJacob's Well (Texas)
43 mi MuseumHarry Ransom Center
55 mi LakeLady Bird Lake
64 mi LandmarkTexas State Cemetery
73 mi MuseumLyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum125K visitors a year
88 mi Stadium & arenaQ2 StadiumPhoto credits
Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium: Brint03, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Moody Center: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · Jacob's Well (Texas): Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · Harry Ransom Center: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · Lady Bird Lake: Arvindn on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Texas State Cemetery: WhisperToMe, Public domain · Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum: Enmanuel, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Q2 Stadium: Daniel Ziegler, CC BY-SA 4.0
Questions before you go
Is Lake Austin in Austin?
Yes. It’s inside Austin, TX.
When is the best time to visit Lake Austin?
February, March, April, October and November, with highs of 66–82°.
How far is Lake Austin from San Antonio?
About 73 miles southwest of San Antonio, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Lake Austin?
Austin Bergstrom (AUS), about 10 miles away.
Where should I stay near Lake Austin?
Austin (in town, 384 places to stay), Round Rock (18 mi, 43 places to stay) and Hudson Bend (12 mi, 16 places to stay).
Inside knowledge from Austin
There are no tips yet, so start one in Austin’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.