Watch Austin Traffic in Real-Time
Access 1000+ live street cameras across the Austin-Round Rock metro — where America's fastest-growing major city meets highway infrastructure built for a much smaller town. Our interactive map provides real-time access to live street feeds and intersection cameras throughout downtown Austin, South Congress, and the Domain. Monitor I-35 through downtown, check MoPac express lane conditions, track US-183 and the airport corridor, and navigate SXSW, ACL, F1, and UT game day traffic in real time.
VIEW AUSTIN CAMERAS →Camera Coverage
I-35 Corridor
300+ Live Cameras
Georgetown to San Marcos, upper/lower deck downtown, UT campus area
MoPac (Loop 1)
200+ Live Cameras
Parmer to Slaughter, express toll lanes, Pennybacker Bridge area
US-183 / Research Blvd
180+ Live Cameras
Cedar Park to airport, 183A toll road, Bergstrom Expressway
Downtown & Surface Streets
150+ Live Cameras
Congress Ave, Lamar Blvd, Cesar Chavez, SoCo, airport access
Loop 360 & US-290
170+ Live Cameras
Capital of Texas Highway, Oak Hill Y, eastern suburbs to Manor
Austin has transformed from a laid-back college town into one of America's fastest-growing metropolitan areas, and its highway infrastructure has struggled to keep pace. According to recent estimates from the American Community Survey, Austin commuters have an average travel time to work of approximately 23.2 minutes, though congestion levels remain high.
According to the INRIX 2024 Global Traffic Scorecard, Austin ranked 22nd among U.S. cities for traffic congestion, with drivers losing an average of 39 hours to traffic delays annually. This represents a 3% increase in delays compared to 2023, costing each driver an estimated $698 in lost time and fuel.
The city's population doubled between 2000 and 2020, while the core highway network remains fundamentally constrained by geography. Lake Travis to the west, the Colorado River through downtown, and the Balcones Escarpment running north-south create natural chokepoints that no amount of construction can fully overcome.
Research published by the Federal Highway Administration found that access to real-time traffic camera feeds reduces secondary accident rates by up to 30% by enabling faster incident detection and response. This is especially vital in Austin during peak travel periods, where average downtown speeds often drop to 17 mph.
I-35: Austin's Central Corridor
I-35 defines Austin more than any other roadway. This single corridor carries north-south through traffic between Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio while simultaneously serving as the main commuter route for East Austin, the University of Texas, downtown, and neighborhoods extending to Round Rock and beyond.
I-35 Key Segments
- Upper/Lower Deck Split (Downtown) — Between Airport Blvd and Holly St, wrong choice costs 20+ minutes
- UT Campus Area (15th-51st St) — University access, game days, graduation weekends
- Airport Blvd Interchange — US-183 junction, Mueller development, East Austin access
- Ben White Blvd (US-290) — Airport connection, South Austin truck traffic
- Slaughter Lane to Buda — South Austin suburban growth, backups extend past city limits
- Round Rock Section — Dell Technologies corridor, Williamson County suburban growth
The I-35 Expansion Project
I-35 Capital Express is the largest highway reconstruction in Austin's history. Through 2028 and beyond, construction affects virtually every segment through central Austin. Lane closures and trouble spots shift as work progresses — cameras are the only reliable way to see current conditions rather than what scheduled closures suggest.
Check I-35 Conditions Now
See live conditions on I-35 before committing to Austin's most congested corridor.
VIEW AUSTIN CAMERAS →MoPac (Loop 1): The Western Alternative
MoPac Expressway runs parallel to I-35 along Austin's western edge. Originally a bypass for downtown traffic, it's now a critical commuter route with express toll lanes added in 2017.
- Parmer Lane to Far West Blvd: Serves tech employers in northwest Austin including Apple's campus and the Domain. Morning inbound traffic stacks from the Parmer interchange south.
- Far West to Lady Bird Lake: Express lane section with variable toll pricing — cameras show both free and toll lanes so you can judge whether the toll (up to $10+ at peak) buys meaningful time savings.
- Cesar Chavez Street Interchange: Where MoPac meets downtown at the river, feeding Zilker Park, Barton Springs, and downtown surface streets.
- Slaughter Lane to La Crosse: South MoPac under construction with planned express lane extensions.
MoPac Express Lane Strategy
MoPac express lanes use dynamic pricing that changes every 5 minutes. During severe congestion, toll lanes flow at highway speeds while free lanes crawl — $8-12 might save 20 minutes. During moderate congestion, both move similarly and the toll buys nothing. Check cameras to see what the toll actually buys before committing.
US-183: North Austin Corridor
US-183 serves as the primary east-west route through North Austin with express toll lanes and a complete reconstruction of the I-35 interchange.
US-183 Camera Coverage
- 183A Toll Road — Cedar Park extension into fast-growing Leander suburbs
- Research Blvd Section — MoPac to I-35, at street level with signals — major bottleneck
- Bergstrom Expressway (183 South) — Tolled route from US-290 to Austin-Bergstrom Airport
US-290 and the Oak Hill "Y"
The Oak Hill area where US-290 West meets Loop 360 has been Austin's most notorious bottleneck for decades. The "Y at Oak Hill" reconstruction project is finally underway but continues into the late 2020s. Cameras show the current state of the work zone and help identify the least-delay route through the construction.
US-290 East runs from downtown toward Manor and Elgin, carrying heavy traffic from fast-growing eastern Travis County plus truck traffic to Houston via SH-71.
Loop 360: The Scenic Bottleneck
Loop 360 (Capital of Texas Highway) winds through the hills west of Austin, providing the only north-south route between MoPac and Lake Travis. Its scenic quality — ridgeline roads and the Pennybacker Bridge over Lake Austin — also explains its limitations. Sharp curves, limited shoulders, and at-grade intersections create a highway that cannot handle peak-hour demand.
Cameras at key intersections show where traffic backs up onto mainlanes. Bee Cave Road, Walsh Tarlton Lane, and Westlake Drive are particular trouble spots where left-turning vehicles stop through traffic.
Monitor Your Austin Commute
Build a custom route and see every camera along your daily drive across the Austin metro.
BUILD YOUR ROUTE →Downtown Austin Surface Streets
When highways congest, Austin's downtown street grid becomes critical:
- Congress Avenue: Main street from the Capitol to the river, north-south alternative to I-35
- Lamar Boulevard: Primary north-south arterial parallel to MoPac, heavily used by commuters avoiding tolls
- Airport Boulevard: I-35 connection to Mueller redevelopment and East Austin
- Cesar Chavez Street: East-west along Lady Bird Lake's north bank, connecting MoPac to I-35
- South Congress (SoCo): Trendy commercial corridor, increasingly congested as popularity grows
Users can also monitor live street feeds along Lamar Boulevard and Congress Avenue to check for road-level gridlock during SXSW events or ACL surges.
Traffic Patterns
Austin rush hours: Morning 7:00-9:30 AM (worst 7:30-8:30 AM). Afternoon 4:00-7:00 PM. Friday anomaly: Austin's tech industry and state government create "work from anywhere Friday" effects — traffic starts by 2:00 PM but can be lighter overall than Tuesday-Thursday.
Major Events
Event Traffic Impact
- SXSW (March): Downtown transforms for 2 weeks — I-35, Cesar Chavez, all downtown streets severely congested mid-morning through late night
- ACL Festival (two October weekends): 75,000+ daily at Zilker Park — MoPac, Barton Springs Rd, Cesar Chavez corridor impassable during festival hours
- UT Football (fall Saturdays): Traffic starts 3-4 hours before kickoff around I-35 campus area, Red River St, MLK Blvd
- Formula 1 US Grand Prix (October/November): 400,000+ over race weekend at Circuit of the Americas — SH-130, US-183 South, SH-71 East see extraordinary volumes
Weather
Flash flooding is Austin's most dangerous weather hazard. Low water crossings on Shoal Creek, Barton Creek, and Onion Creek close without warning during heavy rain. Cameras can show flooded underpasses before official closure notifications spread. Ice events are rare but paralyze the city — MoPac's hills and Loop 360's curves become impassable before I-35's flatter alignment.
Austin-Bergstrom Airport Access
Multiple routes reach ABIA, and cameras help choose among them:
- SH-71 from downtown/MoPac: Primary western approach through Oak Hill
- US-183 South (Bergstrom Expressway): Tolled route from North Austin and I-35
- SH-130 from the north: Eastern bypass when I-35 congestion makes the direct route slower
- Presidential Boulevard: Final terminal approach — check for rideshare staging or construction backup
Airport traffic peaks correlate with flight schedules rather than traditional rush hours. Sunday evening return traffic and Monday/Friday business traveler patterns create their own rhythms.
About the Platform
TrafficVision.Live aggregates feeds from 600+ official sources into one seamless interface. Use our interactive map to find cameras by location, switch to grid view for side-by-side monitoring, build custom routes for your commute, or save favorites for instant access. Available 24/7 on any device.
These Austin cameras are part of the world's largest traffic camera directory with 135,000+ live feeds from 600+ sources across 130+ countries worldwide.
Related Guides
- Texas Statewide Traffic Cameras
- Dallas Street Cameras
- Houston Street Cameras
- San Antonio Traffic Cameras
How many traffic cameras does Austin have?
TrafficVision.Live provides access to over 1000 cameras throughout the Austin-Round Rock metro area, covering I-35, MoPac, US-183, US-290, Loop 360, and downtown surface streets.
Are Austin traffic cameras free?
Yes, all Austin cameras on TrafficVision.Live are completely free. These are publicly maintained cameras operated by TxDOT.
How does I-35 construction affect traffic?
The I-35 Capital Express project is reconstructing virtually every segment through central Austin through 2028+. Lane closures shift regularly. Check cameras to see actual conditions rather than relying on scheduled closure information.
Should I use MoPac express lanes?
It depends on congestion levels. Express lanes use dynamic pricing ($1-$12+) that changes every 5 minutes. Check cameras to see whether toll lanes are moving significantly faster than free lanes before paying.
What are the worst traffic events in Austin?
SXSW (March), ACL Festival (October), Formula 1 US Grand Prix (October/November), and UT home football games each create severe localized congestion. Check cameras before and during these events to find passable routes.
Where can I find Austin street feeds?
You can find live Austin street feeds and intersection cameras by using our interactive map, which aggregates TxDOT data for major surface routes like Lamar Boulevard and South Congress Avenue.
Start Watching Austin Street Cameras
Access 1000+ live camera feeds across I-35, MoPac, and city street feeds instantly.
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