Cover title. Austin's main daily newspaper is the Austin American-Statesman. Since the early 2010s, the former working class residential street has turned into a popular nightlife district. [287] KOOP (FM) is a volunteer-run radio station with more than 60 locally produced programs. The median house price was $185,906 in 2009, and it has increased every year since 2004. [85] Consequently, tornadoes strike Austin less frequently than areas farther to the north. Austin's warm climate and the river's calm waters, nearly 6 miles (9.7 km) length and straight courses are especially popular with crew teams and clubs. [154] The city of Austin has the second-largest number of food trucks per capita in the United States. The growth generated by this boom largely passed by Austin at first, with the city slipping from fourth largest to 10th largest in Texas between 1880 and 1920. Overall the schools seem great (kids are elementary age and we love it). According to a survey done at the University of Texas, 57% of commuters bike to campus. [14] Located in Central Texas within the greater Texas Hill Country, it is home to numerous lakes, rivers, and waterways, including Lady Bird Lake and Lake Travis on the Colorado River, Barton Springs, McKinney Falls, and Lake Walter E. Long. communityimpact.com Austin economy outperforming state, national averages as it climbs back from recession [49] Combined with the system of segregated public services, racial segregation increased in Austin during the first half of the twentieth century, with African Americans and Mexicans experiencing high levels of discrimination and social marginalization. Locally produced art is featured at the South Austin Museum of Popular Culture. Austin also has numerous smaller special interest or sub-regional newspapers such as the Oak Hill Gazette, Westlake Picayune, Hill Country News, Round Rock Leader, NOKOA, and The Villager among others. Opponents characterized the resulting district layout as excessively partisan gerrymandering, and the plan was challenged in court by Democratic and minority activists. Some metropolitan areas contain metropolitan divisions. The mission was in this area for only about seven months, and then was moved to San Antonio de Béxar and split into three missions. [70] The 165-foot (50 m) moonlight towers were built in the late 19th century and are now recognized as historic landmarks. [321], The city's bike advocacy organization is Bike Austin. The Supreme Court of the United States has never struck down a redistricting plan for being excessively partisan. The Rochester–Austin combined statistical area has … A new southeast leg of Highway 45 has recently been completed, running from US 183 and the south end of Segment 5 of TX-130 south of Austin due west to I-35 at the FM 1327/Creedmoor exit between the south end of Austin and Buda. The current … A movie theater chain by the name of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema was founded in Austin in 1997; the South Lamar location of which is home to the annual week-long Fantastic Fest film festival. Texas Monthly, a major regional magazine, is also headquartered in Austin. [225], Camping is legal on all public property except in front of City Hall since 2019. U.S. Highway 183 runs from northwest to southeast, and State Highway 71 crosses the southern part of the city from east to west, completing a rough "box" around central and north-central Austin. [44] However, as other new railroads were built through the region in the 1870s, Austin began to lose its primacy in trade to the surrounding communities. The longest-running concert music program on American television, Austin City Limits, is recorded at ACL Live at The Moody Theater, located in the bottom floor of the 478 feet (146 m) W Hotels in Austin. The HOPE Outdoor Gallery is a public, three-story outdoor street art project located on Baylor Street in the Clarksville neighborhood. State Highway 130 is a bypass route designed to relieve traffic congestion, starting from Interstate 35 just north of Georgetown and running along a parallel route to the east, where it bypasses Round Rock, Austin, San Marcos and New Braunfels before ending at Interstate 10 east of Seguin, where drivers could drive 30 miles (48 km) west to return to Interstate 35 in San Antonio. Capital Metro returned in 2020 with a major transit expansion plan called Project Connect, which was comfortably passed by voters on the November 2020 ballot. [184] The gallery will build a new art park at Carson Creek Ranch in Southeast Austin.[185]. ", "The Nielsen Company Issues Top Ten U.S. Includes indexes. Austin is known as an enclave of liberal politics in an otherwise conservative state—so much so, that the city is sometimes sarcastically called the "People's Republic of Austin" by residents of other parts of Texas, and conservatives in the Texas Legislature. Rainfall and streamflow data … KLRU produces several award-winning locally produced programs such as Austin City Limits. Statistical Atlas: The Demographic Statistical Atlas of the United States Text, directory, indexed list to points of interest, and indexed map of the University of Texas at Austin on verso. Explanation: Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas as defined in March 2020 by the OMB Bulletin No. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.14. [57] Lady Bird Lake, Lake Austin, and Lake Travis are each on the Colorado River. [68] Austin is currently undergoing a skyscraper boom, which includes recent construction on new office, hotel and residential buildings. [38] The fear of Austin's proximity to the Indians and Mexico, which still considered Texas a part of their land, created an immense motive for Sam Houston, the first and third President of the Republic of Texas, to relocate the capital once again in 1841. Austin, Travis County and Williamson County have been the site of human habitation since at least 9200 BC. Williamson County. Austin (US: /ˈɔːstən/, UK: /ˈɒstɪn, ˈɔːstɪn/)[6] is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. [101], A 2014 University of Texas study stated that Austin was the only U.S. city with a fast growth rate between 2000 and 2010 with a net loss in African Americans. "©2015 Edition Five Star Maps, Inc." Includes index, Austin and vicinity map and map of downtown Austin. Copyright Office Panel title: Metropolitan Austin. Two districts—Eanes and Round Rock—are rated "gold medal," the highest of the magazine's cost-performance categories.[281]. Explosive growth continues in the Austin metropolitan area as employers flock to central Texas and its desirable lifestyle. [106], According to Sperling's BestPlaces, 52.4% of Austin's population are religious. Cars were equipped with engines of 1489 cc (90.9 cui) displacement, delivering 41 kW (56 PS, 55 hp) of power. [76] The lowest ever recorded temperature in the city was −2 °F (−19 °C) on January 31, 1949. [4] Austin is situated at the foot of the Balcones Escarpment, on the Colorado River, with three artificial lakes within the city limits: Lady Bird Lake (formerly known as Town Lake), Lake Austin (both created by dams along the Colorado River), and Lake Walter E. Long that is partly used for cooling water for the Decker Power Plant. [281] Most of the city is served by the Austin Independent School District. [65] Notably, the area is home to many types of wildflowers that blossom throughout the year but especially in the spring. Many of Austin's soils, especially the clay-rich types, are slightly to moderately alkaline and have free calcium carbonate. Legend and some text in English and Spanish. On August 1, 1839, the first auction of 217 out of 306 lots total was held. Indexes and map of downtown Austin on verso. Black communities such as Wheatville, Pleasant Hill, and Clarksville were established, with Clarksville being the oldest surviving freedomtown ‒ the original post-Civil War settlements founded by former African-American slaves ‒ west of the Mississippi River. Honest, "It's Snowing in Austin. [128] Austin residents have the highest Internet usage in all of Texas. As of 2014[update], Austin's African American and non-Hispanic white percentage share of the total population is declining despite the actual number of both ethnic groups increasing. It was about quality of life."[142]. Network television stations (affiliations in parentheses) include KTBC (Fox O&O), KVUE (ABC), KXAN (NBC), KEYE-TV (CBS), KLRU (PBS), KNVA (The CW), KBVO (My Network TV), and KAKW (Univision O&O). Panels were obsolete within 18 months of production ending and most things that are specifi c to the car are hard or impossible to fi nd – at least on a new basis. [33] Waterloo was selected, and "Austin" was chosen as the town's new name. [205] Precourt negotiated an agreement with the City of Austin to build a $200 million privately funded stadium on public land at 10414 McKalla Place,[206] following initial interest in Butler Shores Metropolitan Park and Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Park. [23] With regard to education, Austin is the home of the University of Texas at Austin, which over 50,000 students attend. [215] Zilker Park is also home to numerous attractions, including the Zilker Botanical Garden, the Umlauf Sculpture Garden, Zilker Hillside Theater, the Austin Nature & Science Center, and the Zilker Zephyr, a 12 in (305 mm) gauge miniature railway carries passengers on a tour around the park. [218] Both Zilker Park and Auditorium Shores have a direct view of the Downtown skyline.[219]. Downtown Austin scored 88 points out of a possible 100, with the West Campus neighborhood scoring 87, and East Austin scoring 81.[326]. [116] Austin is considered to be a major center for high tech. The Metropolitan was never actually badged an Austin at all, despite being built at Longbridge especially for the US market. Rooster Teeth Productions, creator of popular web series such as Red vs. Blue and RWBY, is also located in Austin. In 2004, the Democrats rebounded strongly as John Kerry enjoyed a 14.0% margin over Bush, who once again won Texas.[268]. [117] Austin's largest employers include the Austin Independent School District, the City of Austin, Dell, the U.S. Federal Government, NXP Semiconductors, IBM, St. David's Healthcare Partnership, Seton Family of Hospitals, the State of Texas, the Texas State University, and the University of Texas at Austin.[117].