Austin, Texas
Infoplease
Discover the city of Austin, Texas: including the flag, state motto, history, landmarks, fun facts, demographics, population, weather, trivia, and more!
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Austin, the state capital of Texas and seat of Travis County, is the fourth-largest city in Texas. It is situated in the south-central part of the state on the Colorado River.

The site was called Waterloo in 1838, and in 1839 it was incorporated as a city and chosen as the capital of the independent Republic of Texas. Waterloo was renamed Austin in honor of Stephen F. Austin, the founder of the Texas Republic. It became the permanent capital of the state of Texas in 1870.

Austin's growth was spurred by several developments after the Civil War > the railroads reached the city in the 1870s; it was crossed by the important Chisholm cattle trail; and it became the seat of the state university in 1883.

Austin has a growing commercial and diversified manufacturing sector. Civilian government employment is 20% of the labor force and is important to the economy. As home to the University of Texas, Austin is a major center for research and development and is nationally recognized as a high-technology center.

Austin's visitor attractions include the Austin Museum of Art, the Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and the Austin Zoo.

See also Encyclopedia: Austin.

Facts About Texas

Discover even more fascinating Austin facts and Texas in-depth: historic events, disasters, entertainment, animals, geographic landmarks, travel ideas, and haunted places in Texas!

Selected famous natives and residents:

Don Baylor baseball player and manager;

Earl Campbell football player;

Liz Carpenter author;

Dabney Coleman actor;

Ben Crenshaw golfer;

Michael Dell founder Dell Computer Corp.;

Tobe Hooper film director;

Lady Bird Johnson former first lady;

Tom Kite golfer;

James Michener author;

Willie Nelson musician;

Amado Pena artist;

Darrell Royal football coach;

Zachary Scott actor;

Jerry Jeff Walker musician;

Dalhart Windberg artist.

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