Moving from Austin to Reno

Austin city has about 980,000 residents and the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro area about 2.4 million. Its cost table sits closer to Reno's than any other Texas origin does, and the Census shows people moving both ways between Hays, Travis and Williamson Counties and Washoe County.

The drive: 1,689 miles, mostly I-40 and US 84

The road distance from Austin to our Sparks warehouse is about 1,689 miles, against a straight line of 1,396 miles. The highways add about 293 miles. Free-flow driving is 31 hours, which the planner rounds to four road days at 500 miles a day. That is a road figure only, and your written estimate sets the delivery window.

I-40 is the longest piece at 586 miles. US 95 adds 272 miles at the Nevada end, US 84 adds 253 miles and US 183 adds 75 miles near Austin. Those four roads cover 1,186 of the 1,689 miles, so more than a quarter of the trip is on lesser highways.

Central Texas to the Great Basin

Austin sits at about 610 feet, and Reno at 4,930 feet. The routing tool lists no named mountain pass on this route. The drive crosses the southern plains and climbs gradually to the high desert.

Austin's snow total in the climate normals is 0.2 inches a year; Reno's is about 21 inches. Winter driving on the Nevada end is the part of the route most worth checking in advance, using the NDOT road conditions site. DriveTexas covers the Texas end.

Reading the road numbers

Split into 500-mile days, the 1,689 miles are three full days and a fourth day of about 189 miles. Free-flow driving of 31 hours implies a pace of about 54 miles per hour and assumes no stops, no traffic and no weather, so it describes the road and not the delivery.

I-40 is about 35 percent of the distance, and US 84 at 253 miles is the second-longest piece. Short roads such as US 183 matter most at the start, when the truck leaves the Austin metro area. If you follow the truck in your own vehicle, fill the tank before the 272 miles of US 95 at the Nevada end.

What changes when you arrive

Austin city's median rent is $1,729, higher than Reno's $1,556. The median home value is $555,300 in Austin and $548,300 in Reno, and the median household income is $93,658 against $80,760. For many Austin households, Reno housing looks familiar on paper.

The climate is the bigger adjustment. Austin's July high is near 96.6 with a July low near 75, and Reno's July low is near 60, so evenings cool off quickly. Austin gets about 36 inches of rain a year; Reno gets about 7.

How the move works with O'Brien's

On a move from Austin, you book the move with O'Brien's, the Bekins agent in Sparks, and we coordinate it from your Austin home through the Bekins Van Lines network, then handle delivery, unpacking and storage in Sparks. Your written estimate sets the delivery window.

A long-distance estimate is itemized and in writing, and the price is based on weight. If your Reno or Sparks home is not ready on delivery day, the shipment can be held in the Sparks warehouse, and vault storage starts from $40 per month.

Getting settled in Reno

Texas and Nevada both collect no personal income tax, so wages are taxed the same way at the state level. Nevada asks new residents to register vehicles and get a license within 30 days. See moving to Reno for utilities and schools.