Austin · the midpoint
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. With a population of 961,855 at the 2020 census, it is the 12th-most populous city in the U.S., fifth-most populous city in Texas, and second-most populous U.S. Read more →
Meet halfway between Houston and New Orleans
The fair place to meet is Austin, TX — the city closest to the midpoint of Houston and New Orleans. From the farther side that’s about 9 hr 37 min of driving.
Recommended midpoint
Austin, TX
From Houston
3 hr 39 min
146 mi to Austin
From New Orleans
9 hr 37 min
459 mi to Austin
Houston has the shorter trip; the split is off by about 5 hr 58 min. The alternatives below can even it out. Houston and New Orleans are about 318 miles apart.
More meetups from Houston
Meeting in Austin
Houston and New Orleans are about 318 miles apart by road. Split the difference and you arrive near Austin, the city closest to the halfway point between them. That puts roughly 3 hr 39 min of driving on the Houston side and 9 hr 37 min on the New Orleans side — the fairest single meeting point among the cities near the middle.
That's a half-day drive from each side, so Austin suits an overnight or a weekend rather than a quick coffee — long enough to want a reason to stay, short enough to drive.
If Austin doesn't have what you're after, Dallas and San Antonio are also close to the midpoint and worth a look — each keeps the drive reasonably balanced between Houston and New Orleans.
About the cities
Houston
Houston is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States. It is the fourth-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.3 million at the 2020 census. Read more →
New Orleans
New Orleans is a consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Read more →
City descriptions adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); photos via Wikimedia Commons, credited above.
Questions
- Where is the halfway point between Houston and New Orleans?
- Austin, TX is closest to the geographic midpoint, which makes it the fairest place to meet.
- How far apart are they?
- About 318 miles by road.
- How long is the drive to meet in the middle?
- Roughly 9 hr 37 min from the farther city to Austin.
Estimates use straight-line distance and typical road speeds; real drive times vary with route and traffic.