Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat of Travis County. Austin is the 11th-largest city in the United States, and the 4th-largest in Texas. Its population in 2020 was 961,855.[6] The University of Texas at Austin is located there.
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| Coordinates: 30°16′2″N 97°44′35″W / 30.26722°N 97.74306°WCoordinates: 30°16′2″N 97°44′35″W / 30.26722°N 97.74306°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State | Texas |
| Counties | Travis, Hays, Williamson |
| Settled | 1835 |
| Incorporated | December 27, 1839 |
| Named for | Stephen F. Austin |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| • Mayor | Kirk Watson (D)[a] |
| • City Council | Members
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| • City manager | T.C. Broadnax[1] |
| Area | |
| • State capital | 326.51 sq mi (845.66 km2) |
| • Land | 319.94 sq mi (828.64 km2) |
| • Water | 6.57 sq mi (17.02 km2) |
| • Metro | 4,285.70 sq mi (11,099.91 km2) |
| Elevation | 489 ft (149 m) |
| Population (2022)U.S. Census Estimates | |
| • State capital | 974,447  |
| • Rank | 33rd in North America 10th in the United States 4th in Texas |
| • Density | 3,006.36/sq mi (1,160.76/km2) |
| • Urban | 1,809,888 (US: 29th) |
| • Urban density | 2,921.0/sq mi (1,127.8/km2) |
| • Metro | 2,421,115 (US: 26th) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 73301, 73344, 78681, 78701–78705, 78708–78739, 78741–78742, 78744–78768, 78772–78774, 78778–78779, 78783, 78799 |
| FIPS code | 48-05000[5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1384879[3] |
| Website | austintexas |
Austin is frequently called the "Live Music Capital of the World". Several Fortune 500 companies have their main offices (also known as the headquarters) and regional offices in Austin.
History
Austin was first called Waterloo in 1835. In 1839, it was chosen to be the capital city of The Republic of Texas and named for Stephen F. Austin. The University of Texas at Austin was founded in 1883.
In March 2018, a series of bombings occurred in Austin killing two people.[7]
Climate
Austin has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa in the Koeppen climate classification) with hot summers and mild winters. The city rarely gets snow at all and frosts are infrequent.
Government
The current mayor of Austin is Steve Adler.
Austin also has a city council with ten district representatives plus the mayor.
Business
Many businesses have their main offices in or near Austin, including AMD, Dell, Freescale Semiconductors, PayPal, and Whole Foods.
Famous Destinations
-6th Street (Also known as Pecan Street): Known for various bars, including old fashioned saloons, dive bars, gay bars, etc. Most of these bars host live music.
-Mount Bonnell: The highest point in Austin, TX. Come here for romantic moments and beautiful nature in front of scenic vistas.
-Capitol Building: Taller than the U.S. Capitol.
-Congress Ave.: One of the main streets of the city. Famous for the bat bridge which hosts millions of Mexican Free-Tail Bats. South Congress Ave. (Aka SOCO) is a famous tourist district with unique and odd shops, trailer park eats, and more live music.
Sports
The sports team of the University of Texas at Austin is known as the Texas Longhorns.
Austin is the largest city in the United States without a major-league professional sports team.[8]
Formula One has made an agreement with the city of Austin to host the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in the city. A new racetrack was built to host the race.[9] The United States Grand Prix began taking place in Austin since 2012.
Austin, Texas Media
Statue of the Goddess of Liberty on the Texas State Capitol grounds, prior to installation atop the rotunda
Second capitol building in Austin
An 1873 illustration of Edwin Waller's layout for Austin
Austin as seen from space, 2020
One of the 15 remaining moonlight towers in Austin
The 2011 Texas drought dried up many of central Texas' waterways. This boat was left to sit in the middle of what is normally a branch of Lake Travis, part of the Colorado River.
Austin covered in snow on February 15, 2021. Photo from ESA.
Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail along Lady Bird Lake
Sculpture Falls along the Barton Creek Greenbelt
Austin's Deep Eddy Pool is the oldest human-made pool in Texas.
References
- ↑ "Government". austintexas.gov. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ↑ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Austin, Texas". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
- ↑ "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ↑ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Austin city, Texas". American Factfinder. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
- ↑ "QuickFacts: Austin city, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
- ↑ Alejandra Matos, Austin Police increase reward for information in bombings case, Houston Chronicle (March 18, 2018).
- ↑ "Ten largest cities without a major pro sports franchise in North America". Yahoo! Sports. June 10, 2011. Archived from the original on October 22, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
- ↑ "Formula One returns to the United States". formula1.COM. Formula One Administration Ltd. Retrieved 2010-05-27.
Notes
- ↑ All elected officials in the city of Austin are officially nonpartisan; party affiliation is for informational purposes only.