Universal City, Converse and Live Oak: Planning a Commute to JBSA

The short version. To compare homes in Universal City, Converse and Live Oak for work at JBSA-Randolph or JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, compare four specific things: the home's driveway, the gate you are authorized to use, the building where you report, and your shift. The city name alone cannot settle a commute. Below are six road corridors worth investigating, one for each city and base pair. None of them is a tested route, a recommendation of the fastest way in, or a promise that a gate will admit you. A gate is a stop along the way, not the door where you report.

This guide is for buyers comparing specific addresses for a job at Randolph or Fort Sam Houston. It covers the questions this guide answers: which roads are worth testing, which gate serves the actual building and shift, whether construction or a different outbound gate could change the trip, whether transit is worth checking, and what a fair comparison should measure. We have not driven these routes for this guide, and we report no travel times. Sources were read on October 21, 2026.

Start with four facts, not a city

Two homes in the same city can have very different commutes, and two buyers going to the same base can too. Before comparing any homes, write down:

1. The driveway. The exact address, not the city or ZIP code. The first few turns out of a neighborhood decide which main road you can reach.
2. Your authorized gate. Which gate you are allowed to use, in which direction, on which days. Opening hours and authorization are separate questions.
3. Your reporting building. Where you park and walk in. At Fort Sam Houston in particular, a main-post building and Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) are different destinations.
4. Your shift. When you arrive and when you leave. The trip home is its own trip and may use a different gate or road.

Your gate authorization and exact worksite are your own information. Keep them private; you do not need to share them with us to use this guide.

Six corridors worth investigating

These rows come from each city's official maps and TxDOT's corridor information. They are our editorial screening suggestions, not official JBSA directions and not tested itineraries. Use them to decide which roads to check from a particular address.

Untested corridor families from Universal City, Converse and Live Oak to JBSA-Randolph and JBSA-Fort Sam Houston. Editorial screening suggestions, not directions. Sources read 2026-10-21.

From and to	Corridor to investigate	What you still need to resolve
Universal City to Randolph	The address's connection to Pat Booker Road and the FM 78 approach.	Check Lindsey (Main) Gate against your reporting building, your authorization, your direction of travel and your shift.
Converse to Randolph	The address's connection to FM 78, with FM 1516 (South Seguin) or Toepperwein as possible feeders depending on where the home sits.	Which approach is continuous and legal from that address, and whether FM 1516 work is on the way.
Live Oak to Randolph	Toepperwein, Kitty Hawk and Pat Booker road connections toward a confirmed FM 78 gate approach.	The actual connecting route, and whether it touches I-35 or Loop 1604 construction.
Universal City to Fort Sam Houston	A feeder from the address toward I-35 southbound, using Pat Booker Road or Loop 1604 only where it makes sense.	Walters and BAMC/I-35 are different possible endpoints. Your work building decides which one to check.
Converse to Fort Sam Houston	FM 78 toward the Kirby, I-410 and I-35 area, then an approach to a specific gate.	Main post or BAMC, FM 1516 work near the home, and I-410 or FM 78 work where it applies.
Live Oak to Fort Sam Houston	A connection from the address to I-35 southbound through a suitable Toepperwein or Judson-area feeder.	The exact ramp sequence, the gate, the worksite and a separate route home.

The gate names come from JBSA's official Randolph gate page and Fort Sam Houston gate page, as retrieved by our research tool on October 21, 2026. Our own direct requests to those pages were blocked, so we have not independently confirmed how any gate is operating today. Check the pages yourself before a trip.

What the city maps can and cannot tell you

Each city publishes maps that help with first-pass geography:

• Universal City. The city's official map shows Pat Booker Road, Kitty Hawk Road, FM 78 and Loop 1604. We could not confirm the map's revision date.
• Converse. The planning department page links the city's comprehensive plan, adopted in December 2025. Printed page 78 of the plan has a map of the existing transportation network.
• Live Oak. The city offers official maps and a GIS map viewer. Locations are approximate, not survey-precise.

These maps show where roads are. They do not show today's turn restrictions, lane closures or detours, so treat them as a starting point only. For each city in more depth, see our guides to living in Universal City and Live Oak along I-35 and Loop 1604, and our Converse page.

Construction that can change a trip

Several TxDOT projects sit on or near these corridors. Whether any of them affects you depends on the exact address and route, so check only the ones your trip actually uses.

• I-35 NEX Central. TxDOT's project page describes 9.5 miles of I-35 from I-410 North to FM 3009, with construction starting in June 2022 and completion estimated for late 2027. The work includes elevated lanes and ramp changes. Planned connections are not open roads until TxDOT opens them. Checked October 21, 2026.
• I-35 NEX South, Phase I. This phase runs between I-410 South and I-410 North. TxDOT's phase page and its program phasing table list estimated completion in 2028. Read October 21, 2026.
• I-35 NEX South, Phase III. This phase covers the I-35 and I-410 South interchange to FM 78, with reconstruction around I-410 and FM 78. TxDOT's phase page estimates late 2028, while the program phasing table estimates 2029. We found nothing that says which estimate is current, so we report both. Checked October 21, 2026.
• FM 1516. If a Converse address actually uses FM 1516, look at TxDOT's FM 1516 corridor page (I-10 to FM 78). It describes the work in proposal-stage language, and a separate state registration record exists for related work. Neither gives a current TxDOT completion date, so we do not give one. Not every Converse home uses FM 1516. Read October 21, 2026.

Closures change often. TxDOT's I-35 NEX traffic impacts page warns that closures can change, and the list we saw included older dated entries. For the day you travel, check DriveTexas. These pages are where to check, not a statement that any route is clear.

Gates, visitor processing and credentials

We do not list gate hours or visitor center hours here. We could not independently confirm current gate and visitor-center hours, so check JBSA's official pages before traveling. For any trip, confirm all of these separately:

• which direction the gate serves at your arrival and departure times;
• the weekday, weekend and holiday schedule;
• whether visitor processing is open when you arrive, which may not match the gate's own hours;
• whether your credentials allow you through that gate.

A gate being open does not mean you may enter, and it does not mean its visitor center is open at the same time. Start with JBSA's Randolph visitor information and Fort Sam Houston visitor information pages. We did not verify everything in those pages, so we do not quote screening times, sponsor rules or credential exceptions. For more on what to ask about a home near a gate, see our questions to ask before buying near a JBSA gate.

Is VIA worth checking?

Possibly, as a screening step. Two VIA routes are worth a look from Converse: Route 21 as a lead toward Fort Sam Houston, and Route 502 as a lead toward the Randolph Transit Center. Randolph Transit Center is not the same place as JBSA-Randolph. A route that reaches the transit center does not reach your building.

VIA's Link page, checked October 21, 2026, lists a Randolph zone that runs daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. and names BAMC among its destinations. A zone or a destination name does not mean a particular address is covered, that the service passes through a controlled gate, that it is one ride without transfers, or that it fits your shift. To screen VIA, check the pickup and drop-off points, any connections, the walking at each end, gate access, and both legs of your shift. Use VIA's route directory and service alerts for current details. Service can change.

A worksheet for testing the commute yourself

This is a method we suggest. It is not an agency standard, and the results it produces describe your trips, not what is typical. We have recorded no trips with it.

1. Start from the actual driveway. End at the actual reporting entrance. Record the gate and the parking spot as separate points along the way.
2. Pick ordinary workdays that resemble each other, and travel at your real shift times.
3. Before each trip, check the official gate information and DriveTexas, and note when you checked.
4. If you are authorized to make the trip, record the date, departure time, route, when you reached and cleared the gate, when you parked and reported, the weather, and any incidents or unusual delays.
5. Test the trip home separately. It may use a different gate or road.
6. Repeat on comparable days. One trip is an anecdote.
7. Keep app estimates in a separate column from what you actually saw.

Do not write down credential numbers or security procedures, and do not take sensitive photographs.

Commute test worksheet. Blank by design: fill in one column per trip. Leave any result you did not collect empty.

Field	Trip 1	Trip 2	Trip 3
Date
Direction (to work or home)
Origin (driveway)
Destination (reporting entrance)
Shift
Gate info and DriveTexas checked at
Route taken
Gate used
Observed start
Observed end (reported in)
Interruptions, weather or incidents
Repeat dates

What we have not verified

We have not confirmed, and have not guessed: any measured commute time, typical gate wait or ranking of which city is fastest (we did no test drives); exact routes from any address to any gate, current legal turns, building access or who may enter; current gate and visitor center hours, holiday exceptions or processing times; which of TxDOT's two Phase III completion estimates is current; a current FM 1516 completion date; a complete list of today's closures; and whether VIA serves any particular address, passes a controlled gate or fits a shift. We also do not cover school assignments or home prices here.

Questions about planning a JBSA commute

Which is closest to JBSA-Randolph: Universal City, Converse or Live Oak?

The city does not answer that. A commute depends on the home's driveway, your authorized gate, your reporting building and your shift. Compare specific addresses, and test the trip at your real shift times.

Which roads should I check from each city?

As a starting point: Pat Booker Road and FM 78 from Universal City to Randolph; FM 78, with FM 1516 or Toepperwein depending on the address, from Converse; Toepperwein, Kitty Hawk and Pat Booker roads from Live Oak; and I-35 southbound or FM 78 toward the I-410 area for Fort Sam Houston. These are untested suggestions, not directions.

Will I-35 construction affect my commute?

It depends on your route. TxDOT's NEX Central project covers 9.5 miles of I-35 from I-410 North to FM 3009, with completion estimated for late 2027. Other NEX South phases have estimates of 2028 or later. Check DriveTexas on the day you travel.

Can I take VIA from Converse to Fort Sam Houston or Randolph?

Possibly, but check before relying on it. VIA Route 21 is a lead toward Fort Sam Houston and Route 502 toward the Randolph Transit Center, which is not JBSA-Randolph. VIA Link's Randolph zone, listed as daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. as of October 21, 2026, does not by itself mean an address is covered or that service passes a gate.

What are the gate hours at Randolph and Fort Sam Houston?

We do not list them, because we could not confirm current hours. Check JBSA's official gate and visitor information pages before each trip, and confirm your authorization separately from the gate schedule.

Sources

• City of Universal City, official map. Read 2026-10-21; revision date not confirmed.
• City of Converse, planning department and comprehensive plan (adopted December 2025; existing transportation network map on printed page 78). Read 2026-10-21.
• City of Live Oak, maps and GIS viewer (approximate locations). Read 2026-10-21.
• Joint Base San Antonio, Randolph gates, Fort Sam Houston gates, Randolph visitor information and Fort Sam Houston visitor information. Gate names retrieved 2026-10-21 by our research tool; our direct requests were blocked, so hours are not reported.
• TxDOT, I-35 NEX Central, NEX South Phase I, NEX South Phase III, I-35 NEX program and phasing table, traffic impacts and FM 1516, I-10 to FM 78. Read 2026-10-21.
• Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, project registration TABS2023025687. Read 2026-10-21.
• DriveTexas, for travel-day road conditions.
• VIA Metropolitan Transit, Route 21, Route 502, VIA Link, route directory and service alerts. Read 2026-10-21.

Where these facts come from

Provenance and review schedule for this page.

Road geography	Official Universal City, Converse and Live Oak maps, read 2026-10-21. Preliminary geography only.
Corridor table	Our editorial screening suggestions from the city maps and TxDOT corridor pages. Not tested and not official directions.
Construction	TxDOT project pages and program table, read 2026-10-21. Completion dates are TxDOT estimates, not promises.
Gates	Gate names from JBSA's official pages as retrieved 2026-10-21. Hours not reported.
Transit	VIA route and Link pages, read 2026-10-21. Service can change.
Test results	None. The worksheet is a proposed method with no recorded trips.
Published	2026-10-23
Next review due	2027-01-23, or sooner if TxDOT changes an I-35 NEX completion estimate.
Corrections	If something on this page does not match its source, tell us and we will correct it and update the review date.

Related guides

For the bases themselves, see our Lackland vs. Randolph vs. Fort Sam Houston area guide and our checklist for buying near JBSA-Randolph in Universal City. Our relocation guide covers moving to the San Antonio area, and our military page explains how we work with military buyers.

Get a shortlist built around your commute

Tell us which base you are heading to and the general area of your building, plus your price range and must-haves. We will pull homes in Universal City, Converse, Live Oak or nearby, and for each one, list the corridors and construction to check before you test the drive. You keep your gate and credential details to yourself.

Velvet Realty Group is brokered by LPT Realty, LLC. Equal Housing Opportunity.