What is the Highland area of Austin?
Highland is a north-central Austin area built around two landmarks: the ACC Highland campus and the Highland MetroRail station. Both sit near the I-35 and US 290 interchange. Centro Studio Homes is at 824 Camino La Costa, Austin, TX 78752, and describes itself as in the Highland neighborhood.
The area is known for its change of use. Austin Community College turned a shopping mall into a campus, and the surrounding land now holds housing, offices and stores.
What is the ACC Highland campus?
ACC Highland is a campus of Austin Community College, built from the former Highland Mall. ACC says Highland Mall opened in 1971 and closed in 2015. The campus address is 6101 Highland Campus Dr., and Centro is about 0.6 miles away in a straight line.
Read more in our ACC Highland glossary entry. The college describes the site as an anchor to a mixed-use community with parks, trails, apartments, offices, restaurants and shops. It lists 81 acres, 3 new parks and 1.25 miles of trails on its Highland page.
What is the Highland Station?
Highland Station is a CapMetro Rail stop at Airport Boulevard and Highland Mall Boulevard. It sits across the street from the old mall site, now the campus. CapMetro’s Red Line runs from Downtown to Leander and lists Highland (ACC) as one of its stations.
The station is about 0.7 miles from Centro in a straight line. Read the Highland Station and MetroRail Red Line entries for the basics.
How far is Centro from the main places nearby?
Centro is about 0.6 miles from ACC Highland and 0.7 miles from Highland Station in a straight line. On foot, both are longer because the walking route goes around the I-35 frontage road. The table shows each measure and its basis.
| Place | Straight line | On foot | Drive estimate, no traffic |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACC Highland, 6101 Highland Campus Dr | about 0.6 miles | 1.2 miles, 26 to 28 min | 1.2 miles, about 3 min |
| Highland Station | about 0.7 miles | 1.3 miles, 28 to 33 min | 1.2 miles, about 3 min |
| Mueller (Thinkery, 1830 Simond Ave) | about 2.2 miles | not measured | 3.3 miles, about 6 min |
| UT Austin (110 Inner Campus Dr) | about 3.6 miles | not measured | 5.0 miles, about 11 min |
| Downtown (1100 Congress Ave) | about 4.2 miles | not measured | 5.4 miles, about 9 min |
Straight-line figures use the Census geocode for 824 Camino La Costa. Walking times come from Google walking data on 2026-11-02. Drive times are free-flow estimates, so rush hour on I-35 will take longer.
Which roads and highways are close?
Centro’s own copy says it is close to I-35, US 290 and US 183. Highland sits at the I-35 and US 290 interchange, so a drive to most of Austin starts from a highway ramp. ACC also notes direct access to IH-35, US-290 and US-183.
That helps if you drive, but it also means busy frontage roads. Test the trip you would make most often at the hour you would make it. Our Highland commute table lays out the car-free choices side by side.
What does a studio at Centro cost?
Homes start at $699. As listed on 2026-11-02, 1st floor studios run $729 to $1,114 per month and 2nd floor studios run $699 to $1,099. Prices change daily, so check current pricing on the floor plans page.
Centro has 306 studios, rebuilt in 2019-2020 from the studs out. Deposits start at $500. See security deposit and the deposits page for the full fee list. Centro also lists up to 8 weeks free on select floor plans, and offers vary by floor plan.
How do I see the area for myself?
Walk the route you expect to use. Start at Centro, then try the path to Highland Station and to the ACC campus. Note the crossings, the frontage road and the time it takes. A tour lets you ask the leasing office about parking, bike storage and the walk.
For more on getting around without a car, read Getting Around Highland Without a Car and the car-free commute guide. The Highland apartments page has the full area overview.
Next step
Book a tour to walk the area with the leasing team, or call (737) 317-8369.
