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 2016 was 931,830.[3] The University of Texas at Austin is located there.

"Austin" redirects here. For the British motor manufacturer, see Austin Motor Company.
City of Austin
Flag of City of Austin
Flag
Coat of arms of City of Austin
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): 
Live Music Capital of the World,[1] River City, ATX, The City with the Violet Crown
Location in the state of Texas
Location in the state of Texas
Coordinates:
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountiesTravis County
Government
 • MayorKirk Watson
Area
 • City296.25 sq mi (767.28 km2)
 • Metro
4,285.7 sq mi (11,099.91 km2)
Population
 (2016)[2]
 • City931,830 (11th)
 • Density3,358.3/sq mi (1,296.65/km2)
 • Metro
2,056,405 (31st)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
78701-78705, 78708-78728, 78730-78739, 78741-78742, 78744-78769
Area code(s)512[737
Websitewww.ci.austin.tx.us

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.[4]

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.[5]

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.[6] The United States Grand Prix began taking place in Austin since 2012.

References
  1. "Live Music Capital of the World". City of Austin. Archived from the original on 2007-06-07. Retrieved 2007-06-12.
  2. "Census: San Marcos fastest-growing U.S. city — again". Archived from the original on April 17, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  3. "Census: San Marcos fastest-growing U.S. city — again". Archived from the original on April 17, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  4. Alejandra Matos, Austin Police increase reward for information in bombings case, Houston Chronicle (March 18, 2018).
  5. "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.
  6. "Formula One returns to the United States". formula1.COM. Formula One Administration Ltd. Retrieved 2010-05-27.
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