Now loading: Zipline Brings Fast, Autonomous Delivery to Austin

Zipline’s early access program First Flight is launching in Austin today, bringing access to quick, autonomous drone delivery to Texas’s fastest growing metro area.

In 2025, Austinite’s commutes took 40% longer on average than travel without traffic, according to the TomTom Traffic Index. That’s time better spent taking a walk around Lady Bird Lake, exploring the Blanton Museum of Art, or listening to live music on Red River. 

The region's traffic slows down errands and makes traditional delivery times unpredictable. Zipline’s drone delivery service saves time for everyone by making deliveries without adding more cars to already constrained roads.

With First Flight, the first 5,000 residents get exclusive access to Zipline deliveries of everyday goods, essentials, family dinner, and last-minute items delivered when and where they’re needed.

Once registered in the Zipline app, First Flight members receive:

First Flight starts in Round Rock and will expand over time as Zipline grows its availability throughout Austin.

Zipline’s electric, autonomous drones have safely flown more than 140 million miles across multiple continents, successfully making more than 3 million deliveries. Zipline operations include more than 30 municipalities in four U.S. States, with hundreds of businesses on the Zipline app including national and local brands, and healthcare facilities around the world.

When you download the Zipline app from the App Store or Google Play store, create an account and place an order from your favorite restaurant, Zipline’s electric drone will autonomously retrieve the order then quietly fly to your address. Upon arrival, the drone stays more than 300 feet in the air while a pod containing the order descends to the ground on a tether. The pod makes precise deliveries even in high winds and bad weather conditions, leaving the order behind while it flies back to charge for its next delivery.

Staying high in the sky during flights and delivery makes Zipline quieter for people on the ground, and is just one of the ways Zipline has designed its system to blend into the background of everyday life. 

Zipline’s First Flight introduces fast, autonomous drone delivery to Austinites.

“Zipline’s decision to serve Round Rock residents as its first Austin location is evidence that Williamson County has developed into an important technology center,” said Williamson County Judge Steven Snell. “Williamson County's tech footprint continues to expand. Zipline’s drone delivery is bringing fast and convenient solutions to improve everyday life for WilCo residents.”

As demand for instant delivery grows, the next generation of urban infrastructure is taking shape above the streets. Drone delivery is becoming part of everyday life, and for Austin’s First Flight members, that future is already here.