Beaches Near Austin, TX

Austin is landlocked; the closest Gulf coast is the Coastal Bend, around 200 miles southeast. Port Aransas and Mustang Island are the usual targets, with Padre Island National Seashore beyond Corpus Christi for undeveloped sand. It's a real road trip, not a day at the beach.

Saturday looks like the best day across this list.

Strongest single forecast: Matagorda Beach on Saturday (82).

Matagorda Beach

157 mi · ~3 hr 46 min drive · Matagorda County, TX
35

Mixed conditions today.

87°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Saturday (82)

Surfside Beach (TX)

173 mi · ~4 hr 9 min drive · Brazoria County, TX
35

Mixed conditions today.

88°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Saturday (79)

Port Aransas Beach

174 mi · ~4 hr 10 min drive · Nueces County, TX
36

Decent day for sunbathing.

83°F water 89°F air 10 to 14 mph wind Best this week: Saturday (79)

Jamaica Beach

182 mi · ~4 hr 23 min drive · Galveston County, TX
36

Mixed conditions today.

88°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Saturday (81)

Mustang Island State Park

182 mi · ~4 hr 23 min drive · Nueces County, TX
41

Decent day for sunbathing.

87°F air 15 mph wind Best this week: Saturday (78)

Pirates Beach

184 mi · ~4 hr 25 min drive · Galveston County, TX

Skip the beach today.

89°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Saturday (78)

Galveston Seawall

189 mi · ~4 hr 32 min drive · Galveston County, TX

Skip the beach today.

87°F water 88°F air 10 to 15 mph wind Best this week: Saturday (79)

Stewart Beach

190 mi · ~4 hr 34 min drive · Galveston County, TX

Skip the beach today.

87°F water 88°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Friday (80)

East Beach (Galveston)

192 mi · ~4 hr 36 min drive · Galveston County, TX

Skip the beach today.

87°F water 88°F air 10 to 15 mph wind Best this week: Friday (82)

Crystal Beach (Bolivar Peninsula)

195 mi · ~4 hr 41 min drive · Galveston County, TX

Skip the beach today.

87°F water 88°F air 5 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Friday (80)

Padre Island National Seashore

221 mi · ~5 hr 18 min drive · Kleberg County, TX
78

Ideal for fishing.

86°F air 12 to 15 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (80)

Sea Rim State Park

225 mi · ~5 hr 24 min drive · Jefferson County, TX

Skip the beach today.

87°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (80)

South Padre Island Beach

268 mi · ~6 hr 26 min drive · Cameron County, TX
77

Great day for swimming.

78°F water 88°F air 12 to 15 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (80)

Boca Chica Beach

296 mi · ~7 hr 7 min drive · Cameron County, TX
83

Ideal for fishing.

85°F air 15 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (81)

Grand Isle State Park

472 mi · ~11 hr 20 min drive · Jefferson County, LA

Skip the beach today.

89°F air 5 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (53)

Bay St. Louis Beach

502 mi · ~12 hr 3 min drive · Hancock County, MS
77

Great day for a beach walk.

Pass Christian Beach

507 mi · ~12 hr 10 min drive · Harrison County, MS

Skip the beach today.

90°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (48)

Gulfport Beach

516 mi · ~12 hr 24 min drive · Harrison County, MS

Skip the beach today.

88°F air 10 to 15 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (48)

West Ship Island

524 mi · ~12 hr 34 min drive · Harrison County, MS
77

Great day for a beach walk.

Biloxi Beach

527 mi · ~12 hr 39 min drive · Harrison County, MS

Skip the beach today.

90°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (46)

Dauphin Island Public Beach

575 mi · ~13 hr 47 min drive · Mobile County, AL

Skip the beach today.

87°F water 88°F air 10 to 15 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (38)

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge

592 mi · ~14 hr 12 min drive · Baldwin County, AL

Skip the beach today.

89°F air 5 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Friday (42)

Gulf Shores Public Beach

600 mi · ~14 hr 23 min drive · Baldwin County, AL

Skip the beach today.

87°F water 89°F air 10 to 15 mph wind Best this week: Friday (34)

Orange Beach

607 mi · ~14 hr 34 min drive · Baldwin County, AL

Skip the beach today.

87°F water 89°F air 10 to 15 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (36)

Perdido Key State Park

613 mi · ~14 hr 42 min drive · Escambia County, FL

Skip the beach today.

85°F water 89°F air 10 to 15 mph wind Best this week: Friday (35)

Distance is straight-line, drive times are estimates

Mileage shown is straight-line distance from the center of Austin. Real drive times depend on highway routing, weekend traffic, and where in the metro you start. For summer Saturdays, plan 20–40 minutes longer than the estimates here. The range slider above filters by the same straight-line distance.

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