(78735) Oak Hill / Barton Creek Preserve Apartment Reviews

This ZIP Code Just Got Its Commute Back.

Oak Hill / Barton Creek Preserve Apartments (78735). Hill Country quiet on the southwest edge of Austin. Studios from the low $1,200s. Communities built from 1997 to 2023.

I’ve toured apartment communities across the 78735 ZIP code for renters who want more space, more trees, and less noise than anything inside the MoPac loop. This is suburban Austin. No high-rises, no walkable nightlife, no pretending you can get by without a car. What you get is Hill Country at your back door.

Every community in this ZIP code has a full review below. Each one covers what listing sites leave out: actual screening criteria, real fee breakdowns, net effective rent math, and honest resident feedback compared to what I saw on my own tours.

A few things worth knowing about 78735 before you dig in.

The Y at Oak Hill defined this ZIP for five years. That’s finally changing. The $677 million Oak Hill Parkway project broke ground in 2021 and turned the intersection of US 290 and SH 71 into a construction zone. For five years, that added 15 to 30 minutes to people’s commutes. The new 290 mainlanes are open now. So are the flyovers connecting 290 and 71. If you crossed this ZIP off your list a year ago because of the traffic, the math is different now.

Two distinct clusters. East Oak Hill runs along Rialto Blvd and William Cannon, where most of the communities sit. You’re closer to shopping and restaurants on that side. West Oak Hill spreads along Highway 71 and Old Bee Caves Road, further from 290. Quieter out there, and more tucked away.

H-E-B is your grocery store. The Oak Hill H-E-B on 290 at FM 1826 is 90,000 square feet and handles the whole area. No Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s in Oak Hill.

Jack Allen’s Kitchen is the neighborhood restaurant. It’s on Highway 71, and it’s where most people in Oak Hill go when they want a real sit-down meal. Via 313 does Detroit-style pizza on 290. Donn’s BBQ has been out here since 1987. It’s not South Lamar, but you’re not leaving the ZIP to eat well.

Deer are part of the deal out here. Oak Hill backs up to preserve land, and the deer don’t stay on their side of it. You’ll see them in parking lots, on walking paths, and between buildings at dusk. If you have a dog that loses it around wildlife, that’s worth knowing before you sign.

The Barton Creek Greenbelt is close but not in your backyard. Trail’s End on Camp Craft Road is about ten to fifteen minutes from most of the communities here. That’s the western end of the trail system where you’ll find the Hill of Life, Sculpture Falls, and fewer crowds.

Pick a community below to read the full review, or get in touch if you want me to narrow it down based on your budget, timeline, and screening situation.