Austin, Texas

USA / Texas / Austin /
 city, capital city of state/province/region, draw only border, county seat

Austin is the capital of the US State of Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in the nation from 2000 to 2006. Austin has a population of 790,390 (2010 US Census). The city is the cultural and economic center of the Austin–Round Rock–San Marcos metropolitan area, which has a population of over 1,716,291 (2010 US Census), making it the 35th-largest metropolitan area in the United States
In the 1830s, pioneers began to the settle the area in central Austin along the Colorado River. After Republic of Texas Vice President Mirabeau B. Lamar visited the area during a buffalo-hunting expedition between 1837 and 1838, he proposed that the republic's capital then located in Houston, Texas, be relocated to the area situated on the north bank of the Colorado River near the present-day Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge. In 1839, the site was officially chosen as the republic's new capital (the republic's seventh and final location) and was incorporated under the name, Waterloo. Shortly thereafter, the name was changed to Austin in honor of Stephen F. Austin, the "Father of Texas" and the republic's first secretary of state.

The city grew throughout the 19th century and became a center for government and education with the construction of the Texas State Capitol and the University of Texas. After a lull in growth from the Great Depression, Austin resumed its development into a major city in the 1980s and emerged as a center for technology and business. Austin is home to many companies, high-tech and otherwise: Fortune 500 corporation Whole Foods Market is headquartered in the city as well as Apple, AMD, Freescale Semiconductor, Google, IBM, Intel, National Instruments, Samsung, Texas Instruments, and 3M having either headquarters or prominent regional offices in Austin. Dell's worldwide headquarters is located in nearby Round Rock, a suburb of Austin.

Residents of Austin are known as "Austinites". They include a diverse mix of government employees (e.g., university faculty & staff, law enforcement, political staffers); foreign and domestic college students; musicians; high-tech workers; blue-collar workers and businesspeople. The city is home to development centers for many technology corporations; it adopted the "Silicon Hills" nickname in the 1990s. However, the current official slogan promotes Austin as "The Live Music Capital of the World", a reference to the many musicians and live music venues within the area, and the long-running PBS TV concert series Austin City Limits. In recent years, some Austinites have also adopted the unofficial slogan "Keep Austin Weird". This interpretation of the classic, "Texas-style" sense of independence refers to: the traditional and proudly eclectic, liberal lifestyles of many Austin residents; a desire to protect small, unique, local businesses from being overrun by large corporations; and, as a reaction to the perceived rise of conservative influences within the community. In the late 1800s, Austin also became known as the City of the "Violet Crown" for the wintertime violet glow of color across the hills just after sunset. Even today, many Austin businesses use the term "violet crown" in their name. Lastly, Austin is known as a "clean air city" for the city's stringent no-smoking ordinances that apply to all public places and buildings, and all restaurants.

www.ci.austin.tx.us/
www.teslarati.com/tesla-giga-texas-austin-transit-exper...
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   30°19'21"N   97°44'43"W

Comments

  • Austin is known as "the city of live music" in the US. You will find fun and "wierd" at every corner. Is a very laid back city with and you can still find some "groovy" feeling of the hippy wave of the sixties.
  • I have a website of interesting austin events. Check out http://www.AustinProgressiveCalendar.com
  • Just got back from Austin. Liked it and hope to go back. Some of the friendliest people I've ever met.
  • I live in Austin. It is SO interesting, weird, fun, beautiful, friendly, clean, and much more! THE BEST city in Texas, everyone will love it!
  • Austin is one of the coolest cities anywhere!!!!! Austin is known as "The Live Music Capital of the World" in the World!! Move here!! It's a great place to live!!! 2005 Pop. 1,120,090 (Austin-Metro Area) Don't stop bringing that noise.
  • Austin is great place to live!! Don't underestimate it!!!!
  • I'm 56 and visited Austin for 4 days during SXSW this last April. The music was great, the people friendly, the food was great, and even when I drove into Austin from San Marcos on Friday the traffic was busy, but manageable. I say thumbs up for Austin.
  • I live in austin, have for the past 20 years of my life, im only 24. the city is all about live and local music. it does have a problem with traffic. and yes, sometimes the cops have an attitude and can be pushy/assholes. but thats authority in general, cops all over have problems. Texas is a very Republican state. Austin is mostly Democratic, our main county (travis) voted mostly for Obama. Like big cities, we do have a problem with being fat; its Texas and we have delicious bar-b-que, so sue us. Although, we have lots and lots of beautiful undeveloped country space that makes us seem not too developed. Austin is very touchy about protecting its underwater sources; mess it up and we'll chop off your hands.... really. VISIT AUSTIN! Listen to the music, visit and swim in Zilker Park, Taste the Bar-B-Que and bathe in the good ole Texas Sun.
  • Austin is not that great with zoning laws, but at least it's not like Houston. Thank God!!!
  • Show all comments
  •  47 km
  •  48 km
  •  92 km
  •  119 km
  •  131 km
  •  135 km
  •  152 km
  •  270 km
  •  349 km
  •  359 km