Cities near Houston, TX
Quick answer
The nearest major metro to Houston is Austin, TX, 155 miles west — roughly 3 hr by road. Its combined sales tax rate is 8.25% against 8.25% in Houston.
Distance to nearby metros
Great-circle distance from the Houston centroid (29.596, -95.459).
| Metro | Straight line | Est. drive | Direction | Combined rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | 154.7 mi | 3 hr | west | 8.25% |
| San Antonio, TX | 184.6 mi | 3 hr 34 min | west | 8.25% |
| Arlington, TX | 232.4 mi | 4 hr 30 min | northwest | 8.25% |
| Fort Worth, TX | 244.1 mi | 4 hr 43 min | northwest | 8.25% |
| Dallas, TX | 247.8 mi | 4 hr 48 min | north | 8.25% |
Source: Place centroids: USGS/Census public-domain coordinates · rates as published for 2026
How these distances are calculated
Straight-line figures are great-circle distances between incorporated-place centroids using the haversine formula on a 3,958.76-mile mean-radius sphere — exact to within a few metres for this purpose. Drive time is an estimate: road distance is modelled at 1.2× the straight line (the standard North American circuity factor) at 62 mph for trips over 60 miles and 35 mph below that. It is not a routed itinerary and ignores traffic, terrain and tolls.