Transportation
Austin's land and air transportation are favorable for materials distribution and business travel. Distribution takes advantage of the region's location in Central Texas at the intersection of I-35 (the NAFTA corridor) and a network of U.S. and state highways. Three of the nation's 10 largest cities – Houston, San Antonio and Dallas – are no more than three hours away. Laredo, the major port of entry between the U.S. and Mexico, is four hours from Austin via I-35. State highway 130, which is one of several roadway improvement projects expected to speed goods and traffic flow through Austin, will connect to I-35 north of Georgetown and to I-10 east of San Antonio upon completion.
Opened in 1999, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is a valuable asset for business travelers and shippers. Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Branson AirExpress, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and US Airways served 8.7 million passengers in 2010. These airlines offer nonstop service to 37 destinations and connections to numerous other destinations. Air cargo shipments pass through a $20 million state-of-the-art cargo facility opened in 1997. Cargo shipped from ABIA in 2010 totaled over 153.0 million pounds (and in past years the facility has handled as much as 357.3 million pounds).
Non-Stop Jet Destinations
Major Carriers Serving Austin
| Alaska Airlines | Delta Air Lines | Southwest Airlines |
| American Airlines | Frontier Airlines | United Airlines |
| Continental Airlines | JetBlue Airways | US Airways |
Selected General Aviation Airports
General aviation services are available at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport from two fixed base operators. Municipal airports in Georgetown and San Marcos offer corporate jet access with runways of 5,000 feet and over. There are eight general utility airports in the metro area handling smaller planes (Kittie Hill in Leander holds the distinction of being the longest grass airstrip in the country).
| Airport | Location | Distance from downtown | Length of longest runway |
| Austin-Bergstrom International Airport | Austin | 9.2 mi. / 14.8 km | 12,248 ft. / 3,733 m |
| Austin Executive Airport | Austin | 17.6 mi. / 28.3 km | 6,025 ft. / 1,836 m |
| Carter Memorial Airport | Luling | 41.4 mi. / 66.6 km | 2,790 ft. / 850 m |
| Central Texas Airport (construction will begin 2012) | Bastrop | 22.8 mi. /36.7 km | 7,200 ft. /2,195 m |
| Georgetown Municipal Airport | Georgetown | 31.6 mi. / 50.9 km | 5,000 ft. / 1524 m |
| Kittie Hill Airport | Leander | 30.8 mi. / 49.6 km | 3,450 ft. / 1,052 m |
| Lakeway Airpark | Austin | 22.4 mi. / 36.1 km | 3,930 ft. / 1,198 m |
| Lockhart Municipal Airport | Lockhart | 32.5 mi. / 52.3 km | 4,001 ft. / 1,220 m |
| Rusty Allen Airport | Lago Vista | 35.4 mi. / 57.0 km | 3,808 ft. / 1,161 m |
| San Marcos Municipal Airport | San Marcos | 34.6 mi. / 55.7 km | 6,330 ft. / 1,929 m |
| Smithville Crawford Municipal Airport | Smithville | 41.3 mi. / 66.5 km | 4,000 ft. / 1,219 m |
| Taylor Municipal Airport | Taylor | 35.4 mi. / 57.0 km | 4,000 ft. / 1,219 m |
Distances from Austin
| Highway distance | Flight time | ||
| Miles | Km | ||
| Atlanta | 966 | 1,554 | 2:10 |
| Chicago | 1,178 | 1,895 | 2:31 |
| Cincinnati | 1,127 | 1,813 | 2:30 |
| Dallas | 195 | 314 | 1:00 |
| Denver | 1,063 | 1,710 | 2:07 |
| Detroit | 1,410 | 2,269 | 2:50 |
| Houston | 162 | 261 | 0:53 |
| Los Angeles | 1,377 | 2,216 | 3:06 |
| Nashville | 858 | 1,381 | 1:55 |
| New York | 1,769 | 2,846 | 3:40 |
| Orlando | 1,123 | 1,807 | 2:20 |
| Phoenix | 1,005 | 1,617 | 2:25 |
| San Antonio | 79 | 127 | – |
| Washington | 1,530 | 2,462 | 3:20 |
Interstate System Near Austin
In addition to I-35, running north-south through the center of the metro, and I-10, running east-west on the southern edge, Austin is served by four federal highways: U.S.-79, U.S.-90, U.S.-183, and U.S.-290.
Public Transit
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority provides bus service on flexible, convenient schedules at more than 3,000 bus stops throughout Central Texas, providing riders with an average of 140,000 one-way trips each day. Capital Metro's fixed route bus service includes 66 metro and flyer routes, seven free downtown circulator 'Dillo routes, seven express routes and 22 UT shuttle routes. It also offers 30 AISD school routes, van and carpooling coordination, shuttles to special events and special transit services for the disabled. Capital Metro maintains the highest per capita ridership in Texas.
Capital Metro is responsible for the region's long-range transit plan. The purpose of the plan, All Systems Go, is to provide citizens transportation options and to help address regional population growth, estimated to double in the next 25 years. The plan includes expanded local and express bus service, new Rapid Bus Service, and a commuter rail starter line along Capital Metro's existing freight tracks, as well as hike and bike trails along portions of rights-of-way adjacent to those tracks. Urban commuter rail service, Capital MetroRail, began in 2010 and runs 32 miles between Leander and Downtown Austin with 9 stations along the way. Llocal and special shuttle buses connect riders from rail stations to key destinations. Manor, Elgin, Round Rock and Georgetown are anticipated to be served by Capital MetroRail in the future.
Railroads Serving Austin
The Austin MSA is connected nationally by Union Pacific-owned and operated rail lines with Burlington Northern Sante Fe trackage rights. Rail-serviced real estate is currently available in Taylor and Bastrop on the UP/BNSF lines.
Class 1 Railroads
Burlington Northern Santa Fe RailwayUnion Pacific Railroad
Regional Railroads
Georgetown RailroadAustin Area Terminal Railroad
Passenger Rail Service
Amtrak's Texas Eagle (Chicago-San Antonio) serves Austin daily and travelers can connect in San Antonio with the Sunset Limited (Orlando-Los Angeles).Port Access
Austin is within 250 miles of 4 of the top 10* U.S. ports:
2. Houston (175 miles via I-10, BNSF, UP)
6. Beaumont (250 miles via I-10, BNSF, UP)
7. Corpus Christi (219 miles via I-35, UP)
10. Texas City (207 miles via I-10, BNSF, UP)
*Ranked by 2005 total tons of foreign and domestic commerce (U.S. Corps of Engineers).
The Austin Profile
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Austin is the headquarters for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas which operates state’s independent electric grid and manages the deregulated market for 75% of Texas.
