Beyond Magnolia Market at the Silos, the shop and food-truck lot created by Chip and Joanna Gaines, Waco has plenty more to see. About 148,000 people live here on the Brazos River, roughly halfway between Dallas and Austin. Baylor University shapes the feel of town, especially on football Saturdays at McLane Stadium.
A visitor can spend a day at the Dr Pepper Museum, the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame, the Waco Suspension Bridge and Riverwalk, and Cameron Park, which has good hiking and biking plus the zoo. Waco Mammoth National Monument is a surprise worth the stop. Living here is affordable compared with Austin and Dallas, and the pace is easy. The downsides are a violent crime rate above the national average in some parts of town (car break-ins are the common visitor problem), triple-digit summers, and a spring storm season with hail and tornado risk.
Trip planning at a glance
Peak season
Baylor football and graduation weekends, Magnolia events and holidays
Quieter season
Summer weekdays and January
Nearest airport
Waco Regional Airport (ACT), 8 miles northwest (limited commercial service
Highlights
Magnolia Market at the Silos and Magnolia Table
Baylor University campus and McLane Stadium
Dr Pepper Museum
Waco Suspension Bridge and Brazos Riverwalk
Cameron Park Zoo and Cameron Park hiking and biking
Out of 10. Open any score to see how it’s worked out. “Data-based” scores come from published figures; “Hey! En Route estimate” scores are worked out from what we know about the city; “Hey! En Route rating” scores were set by our editors.
6.7/10Good
Connector Score8.3
18 worthwhile cities within three hours; reachable by road, intercity bus, and air; lodging and sights for an overnight stop. Hey! En Route estimate
Safety5.0
About 600 violent crimes per 100,000 people a year; the US average is about 370. Data-based
Affordability7.1
Cost of living index about 94, where the national average is 100. Data-based
Transportation7.0
Reachable by: road, intercity bus, and air. Hey! En Route estimate
Car-free friendliness5.0
Intercity train or bus, plus local transit and walkability. Hey! En Route estimate
Walkability7.7
A walkable downtown. Hey! En Route estimate
Things to do6.6
Known for 9 kinds of attraction, with 6 annual events listed. Hey! En Route estimate
Food & dining5.6
A known food scene, weighted by city size. Hey! En Route estimate
Places to stay5.8
Lodging at budget, mid-range and luxury prices. Hey! En Route estimate
Nature & outdoors7.5
Known for mountains & hiking, national & state parks, lakes & rivers. Hey! En Route estimate
Scenic value7.3
From its landscape: coast, mountains, lakes and parks. Hey! En Route estimate
Family friendliness7.0
Zoos, aquariums, theme parks and museums, weighted by safety. Hey! En Route estimate
Solo-traveler friendliness5.8
Safety, getting around without a car, hostels, and things to do. Hey! En Route estimate
Nightlife3.6
Estimated from city size and live music. Hey! En Route estimate
Remote-work friendliness6.3
City size, affordability, cafés and connections. Hey! En Route estimate
Road-trip convenience6.5
18 worthwhile cities within three hours’ drive, plus parking, EV charging and RV options. Hey! En Route estimate
Train-trip convenience1.0
No intercity train service noted. Hey! En Route estimate
Bus-trip convenience7.3
Intercity buses, with 14 nearby cities reachable by bus. Hey! En Route estimate
Heart of Texas; Home of Baylor University and Dr Pepper; Magnolia Market at the Silos (Chip and Joanna Gaines); Home of Texas Ranger Hall of Fame
Founded
1849 laid out as a town on the Brazos River; 1856 incorporated as a city (Waco named for the Wichita-affiliated Waco people)
Languages
English; Spanish; Vietnamese; Chinese; Arabic
Airports
Waco Regional Airport (ACT), about 8 miles northwest (limited commercial service, mainly American to Dallas/Fort Worth); Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW), about 90 miles north; Austin-Bergstrom (AUS), about 100 miles south; Killeen-Fort Hood Regional (GRK), about 55 miles southwest
Tipping
Restaurants 18-20%; bars $1-2 per drink or 15-20% of tab; taxis and rideshare 15-20%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 per night; bellhops $2-5 per bag; counter service optional
About this data
Population (147,788), land area, median home value and median gross rent are from Census QuickFacts (population July 1, 2025; value and rent ACS 2020-2024). Metro figure of about 300,000 is an approximate recent estimate for the Waco MSA (McLennan County), not retrieved from a current Census table. Tourism bureau site (destinationwaco.org) appeared in search results; no dedicated tourism calendar URL was seen, so the City of Waco events page was used. Some event names are general and may not be current. Elevation, coordinates, founding, event names and months, hotel ranges, tipping, cost-of-living index, crime figures, airport distances and 1BR rent are approximate or from general knowledge and not verified in this pass; lower confidence. Search snippets only for URLs, which were seen in search results but not load-tested.
Last updated September 25, 2026 · Source: Research spreadsheet · Editorial ·
Per person per day, with a room shared by two. Change anything below to fit your trip.
Budget
$100/day
Lodging about $80 a night
Mid-range
$153/day
Lodging about $130 a night
Luxury
$256/day
Lodging about $213 a night
Budget calculator
Vehicle
mpg
These are estimates from typical prices, not quotes. Real costs vary with season, events, booking time and your own habits; taxes and fees are approximate.
Cost of living
For longer stays and relocation.
Cost of living index
94 (national average = 100)
Typical 1-bedroom rent
$1,100a month
Research notes
About 90-97 versus US=100 (approximate, common indices); typical 1BR rent about $950-1,250 per month (Census median gross rent for all units $1,165)
Research notes on prices and seasons
Hotels per night: budget $65-95; mid-range $95-165; high-end $165-260. Peak times are Baylor football and graduation weekends, Magnolia events and holidays; rates rise sharply then; summer weekdays and January are cheapest. Rough daily visitor budget excluding lodging: $60-115
Top sights
Magnolia Market at the Silos and Magnolia Table
Baylor University campus and McLane Stadium
Dr Pepper Museum
Waco Suspension Bridge and Brazos Riverwalk
Cameron Park Zoo and Cameron Park hiking and biking
Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum
Waco Mammoth National Monument
Mayborn Museum
Lake Waco
Waco Hippodrome and downtown eats
Known for:Mountains & hikingNational & state parksLakes & riversMuseums & galleriesHistoric sitesFood scenePro sportsShoppingFamily & kids
Things to do
3 listings in Waco, ranked by traveller reviews. Featured listings are marked.
Safety information is a guide from public data and our research, not a guarantee. Conditions change; check local news and official advice before you go.
5.0
Fair · Data-based
About 600 violent crimes per 100,000 people a year; the US average is about 370.
Safety overview
Violent crime rate is above the US average (roughly 700-900 per 100k, approximate) with property crime also elevated; vehicle theft and car break-ins are the main visitor risk. Hospitals: Baylor Scott and White Hillcrest Medical Center, Ascension Providence Hospital, Waco VA Medical Center. Hazards: severe thunderstorms, hail and tornadoes (March to June; the 1953 Waco tornado is historic), triple-digit summer heat, Brazos River flooding, occasional winter ice storms
Local notes
Specific places where extra care is worthwhile, especially at night. Most visits are trouble-free.
Parts of East Waco, areas near Elm Avenue and North Waco, and some older blocks along Franklin Avenue and Bosque Boulevard away from busy corridors have higher crime; use ordinary big-city caution at night. Downtown, the Baylor area, Cameron Park by day and Magnolia district are generally comfortable for visitors
Times marked “est.” are estimates: drives use typical road distances at highway speeds, and train or bus times assume both cities have service. Always check a route planner and timetables before you travel.
Route ideas
Suggested by Hey! En Route from the best-connected next stops. Save one to your routes and make it your own.
2-day trip
Waco (1 night)
3-day trip
Waco (1 night) → Austin (1 night)
About 101 mi, 1 h 51 min of travel
5-day trip
Waco (2 nights) → Austin (1 night) → San Antonio (1 night)
About 181 mi, 3 h 22 min of travel
7-day trip
Waco (2 nights) → Austin (1 night) → San Antonio (1 night) → Corpus Christi (1 night)
About 324 mi, 5 h 49 min of travel
10-day trip
Waco (2 nights) → Austin (2 nights) → San Antonio (1 night) → Corpus Christi (1 night) → Houston (1 night)
