Free in the Austin area
Free roadside assistance in
Texas: Austin HERO.
Austin HERO provides free roadside assistance, minor-crash clearance and traffic-incident support on 337 miles of greater Austin highways.
Official sources checked October 6, 2026Call 512-974-HERO (4376) and give the route, direction and nearest exit or landmark. Call 911 instead for injury, fire or immediate danger.
Published sections of I-35, US 183, 183A, 183 Toll, US 290, 290 Toll, SH 71 and Loop 1 in greater Austin.
Most routes operate Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.; selected I-35 sections add weekend or 24-hour weekday coverage.
At a glance
Key facts about Austin HERO
This record separates the program operator, request method and actual patrol coverage so motorists can see what the published service does—and what it does not promise.
- Official program
- Austin Highway Emergency Response Operator Program
- Operating agency
- Texas Department of Transportation and Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
- Published cost
- Free in the Austin area
- Service area
- Published sections of I-35, US 183, 183A, 183 Toll, US 290, 290 Toll, SH 71 and Loop 1 in greater Austin.
- Request or dispatch route
- Call 512-974-HERO (4376) and give the route, direction and nearest exit or landmark. Call 911 instead for injury, fire or immediate danger.
- Information checked
- October 6, 2026
Operator and base
Who runs Austin HERO
Texas Department of Transportation and Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization administers or operates this public motorist-assistance program. The service works through mobile patrol vehicles and traffic-management dispatch rather than as a repair shop that motorists visit.
The official program material reviewed for this page does not publish a public walk-in patrol base. Use the request or dispatch method above rather than traveling to an agency office for roadside help.
Patrol footprint
Where and when the service operates
Published sections of I-35, US 183, 183A, 183 Toll, US 290, 290 Toll, SH 71 and Loop 1 in greater Austin.
Most routes operate Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.; selected I-35 sections add weekend or 24-hour weekday coverage.
The operating agency publishes coverage as a corridor, route or patrol-area description rather than a guaranteed pickup radius. A vehicle inside the described area is not guaranteed an available unit.
Published assistance
What Austin HERO can provide
These services are summarized from the operating agency's current public information. The attending operator decides what is safe and available at the scene.
- Flat-tire change and tire inflation
- Gasoline, water and battery jump-start
- Minor vehicle repair
- Disabled-vehicle relocation
- Crash-scene traffic control and debris removal
Before relying on it
Coverage and service limits
- Coverage and hours vary by corridor.
- HERO provides immediate safety assistance, not unlimited towing or comprehensive repair.
- Higher-priority incidents can affect response.
If you are stranded
What to do before help arrives
These steps combine the program's published request guidance with basic roadside-safety precautions. Conditions at the scene always take priority.
- 01
Move as far away from live traffic as safely possible and switch on the vehicle's hazard lights.
- 02
Use the published request method for this program: Call 512-974-HERO (4376) and give the route, direction and nearest exit or landmark. Call 911 instead for injury, fire or immediate danger.
- 03
Call 911 for a crash, injury, fire, vehicle in a live lane or any other immediate danger.
Primary-source record
Check the operating agency
Routes, hours and program rules can change. Use the official sources below for the latest operating information.
