View source for Place:Austin, Texas

{{Short description|Capital city of Texas, United States}}
{{redirect2|Austin, United States|City of Austin|other places and cities|Austin (disambiguation)#Places}}
{{distinguish|Austin County, Texas}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Austin
| settlement_type    = State capital
| named_for          = Stephen F. Austin
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
  | border        = infobox
  | total_width   = 280
  | image_style   = border:1;
  | perrow        = 1/2/2/2
  | caption_align = center
  | image1        = Austin Texas skyline, December 2023 - Day.jpg
  | caption1      = Downtown Austin skyline
  | image2        = 2025 Texas State Capitol 03.jpg
  | caption2      = Texas State Capitol
  | image3        = Driskill Hotel Exterior.jpg
  | caption3      = Driskill Hotel
  | image4        = Zilker Park 2017-01-20.jpg
  | caption4      = Zilker Park
  | image5        = The Clock Tower (69174981).jpeg
  | caption5      = The Clock Tower at [[Organization:University of Texas at Austin|UT Austin]]
  | image6        = Paramount Theater - Austin, Texas - DSC08308.jpg
  | caption6      = Paramount Theatre
  | image7        = Laguna Gloria.jpg
  | caption7      = Laguna Gloria
  }}
| image_flag         = Flag of Austin, Texas.svg
| flag_size          = 135px
| image_seal         = Seal of Austin, TX.svg
| seal_size          = 100px
| image_blank_emblem = Coat of arms of Austin, Texas.svg
| blank_emblem_type  = Coat of arms
| blank_emblem_size  = 65
| blank_emblem_alt   = 
| blank_emblem_link  = List of U.S. county and city insignia
| nicknames          = Live Music Capital of the World, Silicon Hills, ATX, City of the Violet Crown
| motto              = Keep Austin Weird (unofficial)
| image_map          = {{maplink
  | id = Q16559
  | frame              = yes
  | plain              = yes
  | frame-align        = center
  | frame-width        = 270
  | frame-height       = 270
  | frame-coord        = SWITCH:{{coord|qid=Q16559}}###{{coord|qid=Q110426}}###{{coord|qid=Q1439}}###{{coord|39.5|-98.35}}
  | zoom               = SWITCH:9;8;4;3
  | marker             = city
  | type               = SWITCH:shape-inverse;shape-inverse;point;point
  | stroke-width       = SWITCH:2,1.5,0,0
  | stroke-color       = #5f5f5f
  | fill               = #808080
  | fill-opacity    = SWITCH:.5,.3,.3,.3
  | id2                = SWITCH:Q16559;Q110426;Q1439;Q30
  | type2              = shape-inverse
  | stroke-width2      = 2
  | stroke-color2      = #5F5F5F
  | stroke-opacity2    = SWITCH:1;1;1;1
  | fill2              = #808080
  | fill-opacity2      = SWITCH:0;.5;0.5;0.5
  | switch             = Austin;Travis County;Texas;the United States
}}
| pushpin_map        = Texas#USA
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Texas##Location in the United States
| pushpin_relief     = 1
| coordinates        = {{coord|30|16|02|N|97|44|35|W|region:US-TX_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{flagu|United States}}
| subdivision_type1  = State
| subdivision_type2  = Counties
| subdivision_name1  = {{flag|Texas}}
| subdivision_name2  = Travis, Hays, Williamson
| established_title  = Settled
| established_date   = {{Start date and age|1835}}
| established_title2 = Incorporated
| established_date2  = {{Start date and age|1839|12|27}}
| government_type    = Council–manager
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Kirk Watson (D){{efn|name=pledged}}
| leader_title1      = City Council
| leader_name1       = {{collapsible list
                               | bullets=yes
                               |title = Members
                               |1 = Natasha Harper-Madison (D)
                               |2 = Vanessa Fuentes (D)
                               |3 = Jose Velasquez (D)
                               |4 = Jose "Chito" Vela (D)
                               |5 = Ryan Alter (D)
                               |6 = Krista Laine (D)
                               |7 = Mike Siegel (D)
                               |8 = Paige Ellis (D)
                               |9 = Zohaib "Zo" Qadri (D)
                               |10 = Marc Duchen (D)
                              }}
| leader_title2      = [[Social:City manager|City manager]]
| leader_name2       = T.C. Broadnax<ref name="CityGovernment" />
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="2019 Gazetteer" />
| area_total_sq_mi   = 326.51
| area_land_sq_mi    = 319.94
| area_water_sq_mi   = 6.57
| area_total_km2     = 845.66
| area_land_km2      = 828.64
| area_water_km2     = 17.02
| area_metro_km2     = 11099.91
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 607
| population_total   = 961855
| population_as_of   = 2020
| population_rank    = 33rd in North America<br />13th in the United States<br />5th in Texas
| population_footnotes = <ref name="a760">{{cite web | title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Austin city, Texas | website=Census Bureau QuickFacts | date=2024-07-01 | url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/austincitytexas/LFE041223 | access-date=2025-05-15}}</ref>
| population_metro_footnotes = <ref name="2020Pop" />
| population_metro   = 2550637  (US: 25th)
| pop_est_as_of      = 2024
| pop_est_footnotes  = <ref name="a760">{{cite web | title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Austin city, Texas | website=Census Bureau QuickFacts | date=2024-07-01 | url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/austincitytexas/LFE041223 | access-date=2025-05-15}}</ref>
| population_urban   = 1809888 (US: 29th)
| population_density_urban_km2 = 1,127.8
| population_density_urban_sq_mi = 2,921.0
| population_density_sq_mi = 3006.36
| population_est     = 993588 {{gain}}
| population_density_km2 = 1160.76
| population_demonym = Austinite
| demographics_type2 = GDP
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web|title=Total Gross Domestic Product for Austin-Round Rock, TX (MSA)|url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NGMP12420|website=fred.stlouisfed.org|access-date=January 3, 2024|archive-date=January 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110062547/https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NGMP12420|url-status=live}}</ref>
| demographics2_title1 = Metro
| demographics2_info1 = $248.110 billion (2023)
| postal_code_type   = ZIP Codes
| postal_code        = 73301, 73344, 78681, 78701–78705, 78708–78739, 78741–78742, 78744–78768, 78772–78774, 78778–78779, 78783, 78799
| area_code          = 512 & 737
| area_code_type     = Area codes
| website            = {{official URL}}
| blank_name         = FIPS code
| blank_info         = 48-05000<ref name="Census 2010" />
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2409761<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2409761}}</ref>
| pushpin_label      = Austin
| timezone           = [[Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset         = −6
| timezone_DST       = [[Central Time Zone|CDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = −5
}}

'''Austin''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɔː|s|t|ɪ|n|audio=En-us-Austin.oga}} {{respell|AW|stin}})<ref>{{cite LPD|3}}</ref> is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. With a population of 961,855 at the 2020 census,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin's Population Continues Another Decade of Growth According to U.S. Census Bureau {{!}} AustinTexas.gov |url=https://www.austintexas.gov/news/austins-population-continues-another-decade-growth-according-us-census-bureau-0 |access-date=2022-10-10 |website=www.austintexas.gov |archive-date=March 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220317153104/https://www.austintexas.gov/news/austins-population-continues-another-decade-growth-according-us-census-bureau-0 }}</ref> it is the 13th-most populous city in the U.S., fifth-most populous city in Texas, and second-most populous U.S. state capital (after Phoenix, Arizona), while the Austin metro area with an estimated 2.55 million residents is the 25th-largest metropolitan area in the nation. Austin is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839,<ref>{{Cite web |title=City of Austin - Austin History Center: When was Austin founded? |url=http://www.austinlibrary.com/ahc/faq1.htm |website=Austin Public Library}}</ref> it has been one of the fastest-growing large cities in the United States since 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weissmann |first=Jordan |date=May 21, 2015 |title=Population growth in U.S. cities: Austin is blowing away the competition. |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2015/05/21/population_growth_in_u_s_cities_austin_is_blowing_away_the_competition.html |website=Slate |access-date=November 1, 2015 |archive-date=October 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013092356/http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2015/05/21/population_growth_in_u_s_cities_austin_is_blowing_away_the_competition.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 14, 2017 |title=America's Fastest Growing Cities 2016 |url=https://www.forbes.com/pictures/emeg45ehgji/1-austin-texas/ |website=Forbes |access-date=August 24, 2017 |archive-date=August 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828031748/https://www.forbes.com/pictures/emeg45ehgji/1-austin-texas/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=May 21, 2020 |title=Southern and Western Regions Experienced Rapid Growth This Decade |url=https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2020/south-west-fastest-growing.html |access-date=April 28, 2021 |website=United States Census Bureau |archive-date=October 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015202403/https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2020/south-west-fastest-growing.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Located in {{nowrap|Central Texas}} within the greater [[Earth:Texas Hill Country|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. Austin's history dates back to at least 9200 BC, with early habitation by [[Social:Clovis culture|Clovis peoples]] and later by Indigenous groups such as the Tonkawa.<!--Per WP:CITELEAD, references are not needed in the lead if it is sourced in the body of the article.--> Austin and San Antonio are approximately {{convert|80.|mi}} apart, and both fall along the I-35 corridor. This combined metropolitan region of San Antonio–Austin has approximately 5 million people.<ref name="sa-atxmetro">{{Cite news |last=Egan |first=John |date=6 September 2022 |title=Booming Texas region could rival Dallas-Fort Worth as 'next great U.S. metroplex,' mayor says |work=CultureMap |url=https://fortworth.culturemap.com/news/city-life/09-06-22-austin-san-antonio-next-great-us-metroplex/ |access-date=December 26, 2023 |archive-date=December 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231214003817/https://fortworth.culturemap.com/news/city-life/09-06-22-austin-san-antonio-next-great-us-metroplex/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Austin is the southernmost state capital in the contiguous United States and is considered a [[Organization:Globalization and World Cities Research Network#Gamma +|Gamma&nbsp;+&nbsp;level]] [[Global city|global city]] as categorized by the [[Organization:Globalization and World Cities Research Network|Globalization and World Cities Research Network]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The World According to GaWC 2020 |url=https://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2020t.html |access-date=2021-11-14 |website=lboro.ac.uk |publisher=[[Organization:Globalization and World Cities Research Network|Globalization and World Cities Research Network]] |archive-date=August 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824031341/https://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2020t.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Residents of Austin are known as Austinites.<ref name="Long 2010" /> They include a diverse mix of government employees, college students, musicians, high-tech workers, and [[Social:Blue-collar worker|blue-collar worker]]s. The city's official slogan promotes Austin as "The Live Music Capital of the World", a reference to the city's many musicians and live music venues, as well as the long-running PBS TV concert series ''Austin City Limits''.<ref name="motto" /><ref name="atx_motto" /> Austin is the site of South by Southwest (SXSW), an annual conglomeration of parallel film, [[Interactive media|interactive media]], and music festivals. The city also adopted "Silicon Hills" as a nickname in the 1990s due to a rapid influx of technology and development companies. In recent years, some Austinites have adopted the unofficial slogan "Keep Austin Weird",<ref>{{Cite web |title=MetroSeeker.com |url=http://www.metroseeker.com/austin |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120065906/http://www.metroseeker.com/austin |archive-date=November 20, 2011 |access-date=November 16, 2011 |publisher=MetroSeeker.com}}</ref> which refers to the desire to protect small, unique, and local businesses from being overrun by large corporations.<ref name="weird" /> Ongoing rapid development and gentrification challenge its bohemian roots and fuel nostalgia for “Old Austin.” <!--Per WP:CITELEAD, references are not needed in the lead if it is sourced in the body of the article.--> Since the late 19th century, Austin has also been known as the "City of the Violet Crown", because of the colorful glow of light across the hills just after sunset.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Just what is a violet crown? |date=June 21, 2011 |url=http://www.violetcrownvoices.com/just-what-is-a-violet-crown |access-date=August 19, 2016 |archive-date=April 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402211615/http://www.violetcrownvoices.com/just-what-is-a-violet-crown |url-status=live|website=Voices of the Violet Crown}}</ref>

Emerging from a strong economic focus on government and education, since the 1990s, Austin has become a center for technology and business.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brief History of Austin |url=https://library.austintexas.gov/ahc/brief-history-austin |website=Austin Public Library |access-date=December 20, 2020 |archive-date=January 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125232421/http://library.austintexas.gov/ahc/brief-history-austin |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="austin history" /> The technology roots in Austin can be traced back to the 1960s, when defense electronics contractor Tracor (now BAE Systems) began operations in the city in 1962. IBM followed in 1967, opening a facility to produce its Selectric typewriters. Texas Instruments was set up in Austin two years later, and Motorola (now NXP Semiconductors) started semiconductor chip manufacturing in 1974. A number of Fortune 500 companies have headquarters or regional offices in Austin, including [[Company:3M|3M]], [[Company:Advanced Micro Devices|Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)]], [[Company:Agilent Technologies|Agilent Technologies]], Amazon, [[Company:Apple Inc.|Apple]], [[Company:Dell|Dell]], [[Company:Expedia Group|Expedia]], [[Company:Meta Platforms|Facebook (Meta)]], [[Company:General Motors|General Motors]], [[Company:Google|Google]], [[Company:IBM|IBM]], [[Company:Intel|Intel]], NXP Semiconductors, [[Company:Oracle Corporation|Oracle]], [[Company:Tesla, Inc.|Tesla]], and [[Company:Texas Instruments|Texas Instruments]]. With regard to education, Austin is the home of the [[Organization:University of Texas at Austin|University of Texas at Austin]], one of the largest universities in the U.S., with over 50,000 students.<ref>{{Cite web |title=University of Texas at Austin |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/university-of-texas-at-austin-3658#:~:text=The%20University%20of%20Texas%20at,the%20College%20of%20Liberal%20Arts. |website=U.S. News & World Report - Best Colleges Ranking |access-date=March 15, 2021 |archive-date=January 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220130144145/https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/university-of-texas-at-austin-3658#:~:text=The%20University%20of%20Texas%20at,the%20College%20of%20Liberal%20Arts. |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2021, Austin became home to Austin FC, the first (and currently only) major professional sports team in the city.

==History==
{{For timeline|Timeline of Austin, Texas}}
Austin, Travis County and Williamson County have been the site of human habitation since at least 9200 BC. The area's earliest known inhabitants lived during the late [[Earth:Pleistocene|Pleistocene]] (Ice Age) and are linked to the [[Social:Clovis culture|Clovis culture]] around 9200 BC (over 11,200 years ago), based on evidence found throughout the area and documented at the much-studied Gault Site, midway between Georgetown and Fort Cavazos.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QEhnDwAAQBAJ&dq=austin+texas+9200+bc&pg=PT409 | title=Ancient Lives: An Introduction to Archaeology and Prehistory | isbn=978-1-317-28194-8 | last1=Fagan | first1=Brian M. | date=July 15, 2016 | publisher=Routledge }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 15, 2010 |title=Handbook of Texas Online, "Gault Site" entry |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/bbgya |access-date=July 18, 2010 |doi=<!-- Texas+State+History+Association --> |archive-date=July 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710065631/http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/bbgya |url-status=live }}</ref> 
When settlers arrived from Europe, the Tonkawa tribe inhabited the area. The Comanches and Lipan Apaches were also known to travel through the area.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Native American tribe was most common in the area? |url=http://www.cityofaustin.org/library/ahc/faq5.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060929131032/http://www.cityofaustin.org/library/ahc/faq5.htm|archive-date=29 September 2006|url-status=dead|access-date=September 20, 2007 |website=Austin City Connection |publisher=City of Austin}}</ref> Spanish colonists, including the Espinosa-Olivares-Aguirre expedition, traveled through the area, though few permanent settlements were created for some time.<ref name="HOT: Hays Co" /> In 1730, three Catholic missions from East Texas were combined and reestablished as one mission on the south side of the Colorado River, in what is now Zilker Park, in Austin. The mission was in this area for only about seven months, then was moved to San Antonio de Béxar and split into three missions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ryan |first=Steven |date=June 9, 2010 |title=Austin, Catholic Diocese of |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/ica02 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710003436/http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/ica02 |archive-date=July 10, 2011 |access-date=May 28, 2011 |website=Handbook of Texas Online |publisher=Texas State Historical Association}}</ref>

During the 1830s, pioneers began to settle the area in central Austin along the Colorado River. Spanish forts were established in what are now Bastrop and San Marcos.<ref name="HOT: Hays Co" /><ref name="HOT: Bastrop" /> Following Mexico's independence, new settlements were established in Central Texas.<ref name="HOT: Bastrop" /><ref>{{Handbook of Texas|name=Fayette County|id=hcf03|retrieved=Feb 17, 2010|author=Garrett, Daphne Dalton}} Texas State Historical Association.</ref><ref name="HOT:Travis Co" />

[[File:Texas capitol goddess 1888.jpg|thumb|Statue of the Goddess of Liberty on the Texas State Capitol grounds, prior to installation atop the rotunda]]

In 1835–1836, Texans fought and won independence from Mexico. Texas thus became an independent country with its own president, congress, and monetary system. In 1839, the Texas Congress formed a commission to seek a site for the new capital of the Republic of Texas to replace Houston.<ref name="HOT: Austin" /> When he was Vice President of Texas, Mirabeau B. Lamar had visited the area during a [[Biology:American bison|buffalo]]-hunting expedition between 1837 and 1838. He advised the commissioners to consider the area on the north bank of the Colorado River (near the present-day Congress Avenue Bridge), noting the area's hills, waterways, and pleasant surroundings.<ref name="Patoski 2010" /> It was seen as a convenient crossroads for trade routes between Santa Fe and Galveston Bay, as well as routes between Northern Mexico and the Red River.<ref name="Erlichman 2006" /> In 1839, the site was chosen, and briefly incorporated under the name "Waterloo".<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|name=Waterloo, Texas|id=hvw13|retrieved=February 17, 2010}} Texas State Historical Association.</ref> Shortly afterward, 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 [[Organization:University of Texas at Austin|University of Texas at Austin]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=History Lesson |url=http://www.austintexas.org/travel_trade/why_austin/historyheritage |access-date=July 28, 2008 |publisher=Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau |archive-date=May 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501122959/http://www.austintexas.org/travel_trade/why_austin/historyheritage |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Austin old capital.png|thumb|Second capitol building in Austin]]

Edwin Waller was picked by Lamar to survey the village and draft a plan laying out the new capital.<ref name="HOT: Austin" /> The original site was narrowed to {{convert|640|acres|-1|abbr=on}} that fronted the Colorado River between two creeks, Shoal Creek and Waller Creek, which was later named in his honor. Waller and a team of surveyors developed Austin's first city plan, commonly known as the Waller Plan, dividing the site into a 14-block grid plan bisected by a broad north–south thoroughfare, Congress Avenue, running up from the river to Capital Square, where the new Texas State Capitol was to be constructed. A temporary one-story capitol was erected on the corner of Colorado and 8th Streets. On August 1, 1839, the first auction of 217 out of 306 lots total was held.<ref name="HOT: Austin" /><ref name="Erlichman 2006" /> The Waller Plan designed and surveyed now forms the basis of downtown Austin.

In 1840, a series of conflicts between the Texas Rangers and the Comanches, known as the Council House Fight and the Battle of Plum Creek, pushed the Comanches westward, mostly ending conflicts in Central Texas.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|name=Plum Creek, Battle of|id=btp04|retrieved=February 17, 2010}} Texas State Historical Association.</ref> Settlement in the area began to expand quickly. Travis County was established in 1840, and the surrounding counties were mostly established within the next two decades.<ref name="HOT:Travis Co" />

Initially, the new capital thrived but Lamar's political enemy, Sam Houston, used two Mexican army incursions to San Antonio as an excuse to move the government. Sam Houston fought bitterly against Lamar's decision to establish the capital in such a remote wilderness. The men and women who traveled mainly from Houston to conduct government business were intensely disappointed as well. By 1840, the population had risen to 856, nearly half of whom fled Austin when Congress recessed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=City of Austin Community Inventory Report |url=http://www.imagineaustin.net/inventory-historic.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100309084740/http://www.imagineaustin.net/inventory-historic.htm |archive-date=March 9, 2010 |access-date=December 11, 2009 |publisher=Austin City Connection}}</ref> The resident African American population listed in January of this same year was 176.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin Treasures: First Year Firsts: 1839. |url=http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/library/ahc/begin/firsts.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020109140428/http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/library/ahc/begin/firsts.htm |archive-date=January 9, 2002 |access-date=April 18, 2011 |publisher=Austin City Connections}}</ref> 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. Upon threats of Mexican troops in Texas, Houston raided the Land Office to transfer all official documents to Houston for safe keeping in what was later known as the Archive War, but the people of Austin would not allow this unaccompanied decision to be executed. The documents stayed, but the capital would temporarily move from Austin to Houston to Washington-on-the-Brazos. Without the governmental body, Austin's population declined to a low of only a few hundred people throughout the early 1840s. The voting by the fourth President of the Republic, Anson Jones, and Congress, who reconvened in Austin in 1845, settled the issue to keep Austin the seat of government, as well as annex the Republic of Texas into the United States.

In 1860, 38% of Travis County residents were slaves.<ref>{{Cite news |year=1961 |title=Map Showing the Distribution of the Slave Population of the Southern States of the United States |work=The New York Times |url=http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/opinion/FULLFRAMEmap.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/opinion/FULLFRAMEmap.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |access-date=December 13, 2010}}</ref> In 1861, with the outbreak of the American Civil War, voters in Austin and other Central Texas communities voted against secession.<ref name="HOT: Bastrop" /><ref name="HOT: Austin" /> However, as the war progressed and fears of attack by Union forces increased, Austin contributed hundreds of men to the [[Place:Confederate States of America|Confederate]] forces. The African American population of Austin swelled dramatically after the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas by Union General Gordon Granger at Galveston, in an event commemorated as Juneteenth. 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.<ref name="HOT: Austin" /> In 1870, blacks made up 36.5% of Austin's population.<ref name="census" />

[[File:Old map-Austin-1873-sm.jpg|thumb|An 1873 illustration of Edwin Waller's layout for Austin]]

The postwar period saw dramatic population and economic growth. The opening of the Houston and Texas Central Railway (H&TC) in 1871<ref>[http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txrober2/HOTBHOUSTONTEXASCENTRAL.htm Roots Web], retrieved July 13, 2010 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100509220634/http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txrober2/HOTBHOUSTONTEXASCENTRAL.htm |date=May 9, 2010}}</ref> turned Austin into the major trading center for the region, with the ability to transport both cotton and cattle. The Missouri, Kansas & Texas (MKT) line followed close behind.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Texas Transportation Museum |url=http://www.txtransportationmuseum.org/MKT.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930190607/http://www.txtransportationmuseum.org/MKT.htm |archive-date=September 30, 2011 |access-date=September 15, 2014 |website=Txtransportationmuseum.org/}}</ref> Austin was also the terminus of the southernmost leg of the Chisholm Trail, and "drovers" pushed cattle north to the railroad.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Martin |first=Don |title=Austin |date=2009 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-0-7385-7067-9 |location=Chicago, Illinois |page=31}}</ref> Cotton was one of the few crops produced locally for export, and a [[Engineering:Cotton gin|cotton gin]] engine was located downtown near the trains for "ginning" cotton of its seeds and turning the product into bales for shipment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of the Cotton gin (postcard images) |url=http://www.texasescapes.com/Cotton/Cotton-Gins-In-Texas-3.htm |access-date=September 15, 2014 |website=Texasescapes.com |archive-date=June 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140628083602/http://www.texasescapes.com/Cotton/Cotton-Gins-In-Texas-3.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref name="HOT: Austin" /> In addition, the areas east of Austin took over cattle and cotton production from Austin, especially in towns like Hutto and Taylor that sit over the blackland prairie, with its deep, rich soils for producing cotton and hay.<ref>Martin (2009), p. 30.</ref><ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=hes02|title=San Marcos, Texas|retrieved=Feb 17, 2010|author=Greene, Daniel P.}} Texas State Historical Association.</ref>

In September 1881, Austin public schools held their first classes. The same year, Tillotson Collegiate and Normal Institute (now part of [[Organization:Huston–Tillotson University|Huston–Tillotson University]]) opened its doors. The [[Organization:University of Texas at Austin|University of Texas]] held its first classes in 1883, although classes had been held in the original wooden state capitol for four years before.<ref>Martin (2009), p. 84.</ref>

During the 1880s, Austin gained new prominence as the state capitol building was completed in 1888 and claimed as the seventh largest building in the world.<ref name="HOT: Austin" /> In the late 19th century, Austin expanded its city limits to more than three times its former area, and the first granite dam was built on the Colorado River to power a new street car line and the new "moon towers".<ref name="HOT: Austin" /> The first dam washed away in a flood on April 7, 1900.<ref>Martin (2009), p. 107.</ref>

In the late 1920s and 1930s, Austin implemented the 1928 Austin city plan through a series of civic development and beautification projects that created much of the city's infrastructure and many of its parks. In addition, the state legislature established the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) that, along with the city of Austin, created the system of dams along the Colorado River to form the Highland Lakes. These projects were enabled in large part because the Public Works Administration provided Austin with greater funding for municipal construction projects than other Texas cities.<ref name="HOT: Austin" />

During the early 20th century, a three-way system of social segregation emerged in Austin, with Anglos, African Americans and Mexicans being separated by custom or law in most aspects of life, including housing, health care, and education. Deed restrictions also played an important role in residential segregation. After 1935 most housing deeds prohibited African Americans (and sometimes other nonwhite groups) from using land.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tretter |first=Eliot |title=Shadows of a Sunbelt City - The Environment, Racism, and the Knowledge Economy in Austin |date=2016 |publisher=The University of Georgia Press |isbn=978-0-8203-4489-8 |page=126}}</ref> 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.<ref>McDonald, Jason (2012). ''Racial Dynamics in Early Twentieth-Century Austin, Texas''. Lexington Books. ISBN/9780739170977</ref>

In 1940, the destroyed granite dam on the Colorado River was finally replaced by a hollow concrete dam<ref>Martin (2009). p. 111.</ref> that formed Lake McDonald (now called Lake Austin) and which has withstood all floods since. In addition, the much larger Mansfield Dam was built by the LCRA upstream of Austin to form Lake Travis, a flood-control reservoir.<ref>Martin (2009), p. 112.</ref>

In the early 20th century, the Texas Oil Boom took hold, creating tremendous economic opportunities in Southeast Texas and North Texas. The growth generated by this boom largely passed by Austin at first, with the city slipping from fourth largest to tenth largest in Texas between 1880 and 1920.<ref name="HOT: Austin" />

After a severe lull in economic growth from the Great Depression, Austin resumed its steady development. Following the mid-20th century, Austin became established as one of Texas' major metropolitan centers. In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Austin's population as 14.5% Hispanic, 11.9% black, and 73.4% non-Hispanic white.<ref name="census" /> In the late 20th century, Austin emerged as an important high tech center for [[Physics:Semiconductor|semiconductor]]s and software. The [[Organization:University of Texas at Austin|University of Texas at Austin]] emerged as a major university.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin in Texas |url=http://www.writeonaustin.org/ |access-date=April 16, 2010 |publisher=Writeonaustin.com |archive-date=June 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140628105213/http://www.writeonaustin.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The 1970s saw Austin's emergence in the national music scene, with local artists such as Willie Nelson, Asleep at the Wheel, and Stevie Ray Vaughan and iconic music venues such as the Armadillo World Headquarters. Over time, the long-running television program ''Austin City Limits'', its namesake Austin City Limits Festival, and the South by Southwest music festival solidified the city's place in the music industry.<ref name="austin history" />

==Geography==
[[File:Austin by Sentinel-2, 2020-03-25.jpg|alt=|thumb|upright=1|right|Austin as seen from space, 2020]]
Austin, the southernmost state capital of the contiguous 48 states, is located in Central Texas on the Colorado River. Austin is {{convert|146|mi|-1}} northwest of Houston,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Distance from Austin, TX to Houston, TX |url=https://check-distance.com/route/austin-tx/houston-tx |access-date=December 2, 2018 |website=check-distance.com |language=en}}</ref> {{convert|182|mi|-1}} south of Dallas<ref>{{Cite web |title=Distance from Austin, TX to Dallas, TX |url=https://check-distance.com/route/austin-tx/dallas-tx |access-date=December 2, 2018 |website=check-distance.com |language=en |archive-date=December 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181202202736/https://check-distance.com/route/austin-tx/dallas-tx |url-status=live }}</ref> and {{convert|74|mi|-1}} northeast of San Antonio.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Distance from Austin, TX to San Antonio, TX |url=https://check-distance.com/route/austin-tx/san-antonio-tx |access-date=December 2, 2018 |website=check-distance.com |language=en}}</ref>

Austin occupies a total area of {{convert|790.1|km2||order=flip}}. Approximately {{convert|18.6|km2|order=flip}} of this area is water.<ref name="Census 2010" />  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. Mansfield Dam and the foot of Lake Travis are located within the city's limits.<ref name="HOT: Austin" /> Lady Bird Lake, Lake Austin, and Lake Travis are each on the Colorado River.<ref name="HOT: Austin" />

The elevation of Austin varies from {{convert|425|ft|m|0}} to approximately {{convert|1000|ft|m|0}} above sea level.<ref name="Abbott 2003" /> Due to the fact it straddles the Balcones Fault, much of the eastern part of the city is flat, with heavy clay and loam soils, whereas the western part and western suburbs consist of rolling hills on the edge of the [[Earth:Texas Hill Country|Texas Hill Country]].<ref name="Baird 2009" /> Because the hills to the west are primarily [[Earth:Limestone|limestone]] rock with a thin covering of topsoil, portions of the city are frequently subjected to [[Earth:Flash flood|flash flood]]s from the runoff caused by thunderstorms.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=ryh02|name=Hill Country|retrieved=November 7, 2009|author=Jordan, Terry G.|author-link=Terry G. Jordan-Bychkov}} Texas State Historical Association.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Watches and warnings |url=http://www.news8austin.com/content/weather/watches_and_warnings/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114040732/http://news8austin.com/content/weather/watches_and_warnings/ |archive-date=January 14, 2010 |access-date=February 7, 2010 |publisher=News 8 Austin}}</ref> To help control this runoff and to generate hydroelectric power, the Lower Colorado River Authority operates a series of dams that form the Texas Highland Lakes. The lakes also provide venues for boating, swimming, and other forms of recreation within several parks on the lake shores.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=mwl03|name=Lower Colorado River Authority|author=McCann, William|retrieved=February 7, 2010}} Texas State Historical Association.</ref>

Austin is located at the intersection of four major ecological regions, and is consequently a temperate-to-hot green oasis with a highly variable climate having some characteristics of the desert, the tropics, and a wetter climate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin Climate Summary |url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/ewx/aus/ausclisum.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606123855/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/ewx/aus/ausclisum.pdf |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |access-date=February 7, 2010 |publisher=NOAA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin Texas Weather Patterns |url=http://www.visiting-austin-texas.com/austin-texas-weather.html |access-date=February 7, 2010 |publisher=Visiting Austin Texas}}</ref> The area is very diverse ecologically and biologically, and is home to a variety of animals and plants.<ref name="Vines 1984" /> Notably, the area is home to many types of wildflowers that blossom throughout the year but especially in the spring. This includes the popular [[Biology:Bluebonnet (plant)|bluebonnets]], some planted by "Lady Bird" Johnson, wife of former President [[Biography:Lyndon B. Johnson|Lyndon B. Johnson]].<ref>Baird (2009), p. 225.</ref>

The soils of Austin range from shallow, gravelly clay loams over limestone in the western outskirts to deep, fine sandy loams, silty clay loams, silty clays or clays in the city's eastern part. Some of the clays have pronounced shrink-swell properties and are difficult to work under most moisture conditions. Many of Austin's soils, especially the clay-rich types, are slightly to moderately alkaline and have free [[Chemistry:Calcium carbonate|calcium carbonate]].<ref>{{Cite web |first=Nora |last=Fowler |title=Geology (Edward's Plateau Ecology) |url=http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/fowler/epveg/epgeol.htm |access-date=February 7, 2010 |publisher=University of Texas at Austin |archive-date=September 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927183558/http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/fowler/epveg/epgeol.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Cityscape===
 
{{Wide image|File:Downtown Austin, Texas from the Colorado River, October 2022.jpg|800px|{{center|Downtown Austin, Texas from across the Colorado River, October 2022}}|alt=Downtown Austin, Texas from across the Colorado River, October 2022|center}}

Austin's skyline historically was modest, dominated by the Texas State Capitol and the University of Texas Main Building. However, since the 2000s, many new high-rise towers have been constructed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austonian Reaches Full Height |url=http://www.myfoxaustin.com/dpp/news/local/091709_Austonian_Reaches_Full_Height |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091203185650/http://www.myfoxaustin.com/dpp/news/local/091709_Austonian_Reaches_Full_Height |archive-date=December 3, 2009 |access-date=October 17, 2009 |publisher=KTBC}}</ref> Austin is currently undergoing a skyscraper boom, which includes recent construction on new office, hotel and residential buildings. Downtown's buildings are somewhat spread out, partly due to a set of [[Engineering:Zoning|zoning]] restrictions that preserve the view of the Texas State Capitol from various locations around Austin, known as the [[Social:Texas Capitol View Corridors|Capitol View Corridors]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 2007 |title=Downtown Development and Capitol View Corridors |url=http://www.cityofaustin.org/downtown/downloads/CVC_Report_Final.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229163033/http://www.cityofaustin.org/downtown/downloads/CVC_Report_Final.pdf |archive-date=February 29, 2008 |access-date=March 4, 2008}}</ref>
[[File:9162018.Moon.Light.towers.NRSID76002071 02.jpg|thumb|upright|One of the 15 remaining [[Moonlight towers (Austin, Texas)|moonlight towers]] in Austin]]
At night, parts of Austin are lit by "artificial moonlight" from moonlight towers built to illuminate the central part of the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin History Center a division of the Austin Public Library: Frequently Asked Questions about Austin, Answer 4 |url=http://www.cityofaustin.org/library/ahc/faq4.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010921035144/http://www.cityofaustin.org/library/ahc/faq4.htm |archive-date=September 21, 2001 |access-date=July 15, 2010}}</ref> The {{convert|165|ft|m|adj=on}} moonlight towers were built in the late 19th century and are now recognized as historic landmarks. Only 15 of the 31 original innovative towers remain standing in Austin, but none remain in any of the other cities where they were installed. The towers are featured in the 1993 film ''Dazed and Confused''.

In December 2023, amid rising home prices, the Austin City Council loosened the city's zoning rules to permit by-right development of triplexes on each lot and loosened restrictions on tiny homes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-31 |title=Here's how cities across Texas changed their zoning to increase housing |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2024/01/31/heres-how-cities-across-texas-changed-their-zoning-to-increase-housing/ |website=Dallas News |language=en}}</ref>

====Downtown====
{{Main|Downtown Austin}}The central business district of Austin is home to the tallest condo towers in the state, with The Independent (58 stories and {{convert|690|ft|abbr=on}} tall) and The Austonian (topping out at 56 floors and {{convert|685|ft|abbr=on}} tall). The Independent became the tallest all-residential building in the U.S. west of Chicago when topped out in 2018. In 2005, then-Mayor Will Wynn set out a goal of having 25,000 people living downtown by 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 2008 |title=Booming downtown Austin condo market |url=http://firstcallaustin.com/news3.htm |website=Austin-American Statesman |access-date=June 11, 2009 |archive-date=February 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203105448/http://firstcallaustin.com/news3.htm }}</ref> Although downtown's growth did not meet this goal, downtown's residential population did surge from an estimated 5,000 in 2005 to 12,000 in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 4, 2015 |title=The surprising backstory of Austin's goal for 25,000 downtown residents |url=http://www.mystatesman.com/news/local/the-surprising-backstory-austin-goal-for-000-downtown-residents/rDWcPfE9y2yOejCC6OqCHO/ |website=Austin-American Statesman |access-date=March 26, 2017 |archive-date=March 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326140103/http://www.mystatesman.com/news/local/the-surprising-backstory-austin-goal-for-000-downtown-residents/rDWcPfE9y2yOejCC6OqCHO/ }}</ref> The skyline has drastically changed in recent years, and the residential real estate market has remained relatively strong. {{as of|2016|December}}, there were 31 high rise projects either under construction, approved or planned to be completed in Austin's downtown core between 2017 and 2020. Sixteen of those were set to rise above {{convert|400|ft|abbr=on}} tall, including four above 600', and eight above 500'. An additional 15 towers were slated to stand between 300' and 399' tall.

===Climate===
{{climate chart
|Austin
|41.4|61.4|2.20
|44.8|65.1|2.02
|51.3|72.1|2.76
|58.6|79.7|2.09
|66.7|86.4|4.41
|72.3|92.0|4.33
|74.4|95.4|1.88
|74.6|96.9|2.35
|69.5|90.5|2.99
|60.7|81.7|3.88
|50.7|71.3|2.96
|42.4|62.4|2.40
|units = imperial
|float = right
|clear = both }}
Austin is located within the middle of a unique, narrow transitional zone between the dry deserts of the American Southwest and the lush, green, more humid regions of the American Southeast. Its climate, topography, and vegetation share characteristics of both. Officially, Austin has a [[Earth:Humid subtropical climate|humid subtropical climate]] (''Cfa'' under the [[Earth:Köppen climate classification|Köppen climate classification]], ''Cfhl'' under the [[Earth:Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha climate classification]]). This climate is typified by long, very hot summers, short, mild winters, and warm to hot spring and fall seasons in-between. Austin averages {{convert|34.32|in|mm|0}} of annual rainfall distributed mostly evenly throughout the year, though spring and fall are the wettest seasons. Sunshine is common during all seasons, with 2,650 hours, or 60.3% of the possible total, of bright sunshine per year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Climate Data |url=http://www.usclimatedata.com/ |website=usclimatedata.com |access-date=June 16, 2015 |archive-date=April 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200405163506/http://www.usclimatedata.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Summers in Austin are very hot, with average July and August highs frequently reaching the high-90s (34–36&nbsp;°C) or above. Highs reach {{convert|90|F|0}} on 123 days per year, of which 29 days reach {{convert|100|°F|0}}; all years in the 1991-2020 period recorded at least 1 day of the latter.<ref name="NWSC-NOAA" /> The average daytime high is {{convert|70|F|0}} or warmer between March 1 and November 21, rising to {{convert|80|F|0}} or warmer between April 14 and October 24, and reaching {{convert|90|F|0}} or warmer between May 30 and September 18.<ref name="NWSC-NOAA" /> The highest ever recorded temperature was {{convert|112|°F|0}} occurring on September 5, 2000, and August 28, 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Very hot early september 2000 weather |url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ewx/html/wxevent/2000_2001/sep2wx.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080103083353/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ewx/html/wxevent/2000_2001/sep2wx.htm |archive-date=January 3, 2008 |access-date=March 19, 2007 |publisher=National Weather Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin's all-time high: 112 degrees |url=http://www.statesman.com/news/local/austin-ties-all-time-high-112-degrees-1802560.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111220022909/http://www.statesman.com/news/local/austin-ties-all-time-high-112-degrees-1802560.html |archive-date=December 20, 2011 |access-date=January 27, 2017 |website=Statesman.com}}</ref> An uncommon characteristic of Austin's climate is its highly variable humidity, which fluctuates frequently depending on the shifting patterns of air flow and wind direction. It is common for a lengthy series of warm, dry, low-humidity days to be occasionally interrupted by very warm and humid days, and vice versa. Humidity rises with winds from the east or southeast, when the air drifts inland from the Gulf of Mexico, but decreases significantly with winds from the west or southwest, bringing air flowing from Chihuahuan Desert areas of West Texas or Northern Mexico.<ref name="NWSC-NOAA" />

Winters in Austin are mild, although occasional short-lived bursts of cold weather known as "Blue Northers" can occur. January is the coolest month with an average daytime high of {{convert|62.5|°F|0}}. The overnight low drops to or below freezing 12 times per year,<ref name="NWSC-NOAA" /> and sinks below {{convert|45|°F|0}} during 76 evenings per year, mostly between mid-December and mid-February. The average first and last dates for a freeze are December 1 and February 15, giving Austin an average growing season of 288 days, and the coldest temperature of the year is normally about {{convert|24.2|°F|0}} under the 1991-2020 climate normals, putting Austin in USDA zone 9a.<ref name="NWSC-NOAA" />

Conversely, winter months also produce warm days on a regular basis. On average, 10 days in January reach or exceed {{convert|70|F|0}} and 1 day reaches {{convert|80|F|0}}; during the 1991-2020 period, all Januarys had at least 1 day with a high of {{convert|70|F|0}} or more, and most (60%) had at least 1 day with a high of {{convert|80|F|0}} or more.<ref name="NWSC-NOAA" /> The lowest ever recorded temperature in the city was {{convert|-2|°F|0}} on January 31, 1949. Roughly every two years Austin experiences an [[Earth:Ice storm|ice storm]] that freezes roads over and cripples travel in the city for 24 to 48 hours.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin Weather & Climate |url=http://austin.about.com/od/weatherenvironment/a/weather.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070118231257/http://austin.about.com/od/weatherenvironment/a/weather.htm |archive-date=January 18, 2007 |access-date=March 19, 2007 |publisher=About.com}}</ref> When Austin received {{convert|0.04|in|mm|0}} of ice on January 24, 2014, there were 278 vehicular collisions.<ref>Price, Asher; Taboada, Melissa B.; Jankowski, Phillip. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=14B9AD3B7160C710&p_docnum=28&p_queryname=9 Cold leads to crashes, closings, cancellations: Schools close, flights fall through as freezing rain, sleet coat area]." ''Austin American-Statesman''. January 25, 2014.</ref> Similarly, snowfall is rare in Austin.<ref>"[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=1224505D93AFF678&p_docnum=90&p_queryname=11 It's not always sweltering in Central Texas. Honest]." ''Austin American-Statesman''. July 27, 2008.</ref> A snow event of {{convert|0.9|in|cm|0}} on February 4, 2011, caused more than 300 car crashes.<ref>Plohetski, Tony. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=13538BABACFB9060&p_docnum=53&p_queryname=9 Wearing winter white]." ''Austin American-Statesman''. February 5, 2011.</ref> The most recent major snow event occurred February 14–15, 2021, when {{convert|6.4|in|cm|0}} of snow fell at Austin's Camp Mabry, the largest two-day snowfall since records began being kept in 1948.<ref>"[https://www.weather.gov/media/ewx/wxevents/ewx-20210218.pdf February 2021 Historical Winter Storm Event South-Central Texas]". ''Austin/San Antonio Weather Forecast Office''. '[[Earth:National Weather Service|National Weather Service]]. February 2021.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Amid the misery of Austin's winter storm, kid-like joy |url=https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/2021/02/15/record-austin-snowfall-spells-joy-kids/6752325002/ |access-date=February 15, 2021 |publisher=Austin American-Statesman}}</ref>

Typical of Central Texas, severe weather in Austin is a threat that can strike during any season. However, it is most common during the spring. According to most classifications, Austin lies within the extreme southern periphery of [[Earth:Tornado Alley|Tornado Alley]], although many sources place Austin outside of Tornado Alley altogether.<ref name="Data Foundry: Austin Risk Assessment" /> Consequently, tornadoes strike Austin less frequently than areas farther to the north.<ref name="Data Foundry: Austin Risk Assessment" /> However, severe weather and/or [[Earth:Supercell|supercell thunderstorms]] can occur multiple times per year, bringing damaging winds, lightning, heavy rain, and occasional flash flooding to the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin Flood Safety |url=http://www.austintexas.gov/department/flood-safety |access-date=April 15, 2017 |archive-date=May 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529220413/http://www.austintexas.gov/department/flood-safety |url-status=live }}</ref> The deadliest storm to ever strike city limits was the twin tornadoes storm of May 4, 1922, while the deadliest [[Earth:Tornado outbreak|tornado outbreak]] to ever strike the metro area was the Central Texas tornado outbreak of May 27, 1997.

{{Austin weatherbox}}

===Natural disasters===

==== 2011 drought ====

[[File:2011 Texas Drought.jpg|thumb|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.]]
From October 2010 through September 2011, both major reporting stations in Austin, Camp Mabry and Bergstrom Int'l, had the least rainfall of a [[Earth:Water year|water year]] on record, receiving less than a third of normal precipitation.<ref name="NWSC-NOAA" /> This was a result of [[Earth:La Niña|La Niña]] conditions in the eastern Pacific Ocean where water was significantly cooler than normal. David Brown, a regional official with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, explained that "these kinds of droughts will have effects that are even more extreme in the future, given a warming and drying regional climate."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Galbraith |first=Kate |date=August 26, 2011 |title=Assessing Climate Change in a Drought-Stricken State |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/26/us/26ttdrought.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/26/us/26ttdrought.html |archive-date=2022-01-01 |url-access=limited |access-date=September 7, 2011}} </ref> The drought, coupled with exceedingly high temperatures throughout the summer of 2011, caused many wildfires throughout Texas, including notably the Bastrop County Complex Fire in neighboring Bastrop, Texas.

==== 2018 flooding and water crisis ====
In the fall of 2018, Austin and surrounding areas received heavy rainfall and [[Earth:Flash flood|flash flood]]ing following Hurricane Sergio.<ref name="rainfall" /> The Lower Colorado River Authority opened four floodgates of the Mansfield Dam after Lake Travis was recorded at 146% full at {{convert|704.3|ft}}.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reding |first=Shawna |date=October 20, 2018 |title=Austin's Lake Travis level decreases for first time this week following recent floods |url=https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austins-lake-travis-level-decreases-for-first-time-this-week-following-recent-floods/269-606274991 |access-date=December 18, 2018 |website=KVUE |archive-date=December 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181219044025/https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austins-lake-travis-level-decreases-for-first-time-this-week-following-recent-floods/269-606274991 |url-status=live }}</ref> From October 22 to October 29, 2018, the City of Austin issued a mandatory citywide [[Chemistry:Boil-water advisory|boil-water advisory]] after the Highland Lakes, home to the city's main water supply, became overwhelmed by unprecedented amounts of silt, dirt, and debris that had washed in from the Llano River.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Mulder |first1=Brandon |last2=Wilson |first2=Mark D. |date=October 28, 2018 |title=Austin water drinkable again, but keep usage low, officials say |url=https://www.statesman.com/news/20181028/austin-water-drinkable-again-but-keep-usage-low-officials-say |access-date=December 18, 2018 |website=Austin American-Statesman}}</ref> Austin Water, the city's water utility, has the capacity to process up to 300&nbsp;million gallons of water per day; however, the elevated level of [[Biology:Turbidity|turbidity]] reduced output to only 105&nbsp;million gallons per day. Since Austin residents consumed an average of 120&nbsp;million gallons of water per day, the infrastructure was not able to keep up with demand.<ref name="rainfall" />

==== 2021 winter storm ====

[[File:Austin, Texas covered in snow ESA23166430.jpeg|thumb|Austin covered in snow on February 15, 2021. Photo from [[ESA]].]]
In February 2021, Winter Storm Uri dropped prolific amounts of snow across Texas and Oklahoma, including Austin. The Austin area received a total of {{convert|6.4|in}} of snowfall between February 14 and 15, with snow cover persisting until February 20.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=ewx |title=Climate |publisher=National Weather Service |access-date=December 23, 2021 |archive-date=April 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409223456/https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=ewx |url-status=live }}</ref> 
This marked the longest time the area had had more than {{convert|1|in}} of snow, with the previous longest time being three days in January 1985.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bannin |first1=Nick |title=Austin breaks record for consecutive days of snow on the ground |url=https://www.kxan.com/weather/weather-blog/austin-breaks-record-for-consecutive-days-of-snow-on-the-ground |website=KXAN Austin |publisher=KXAN |access-date=15 November 2021 |date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=November 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115045008/https://www.kxan.com/weather/weather-blog/austin-breaks-record-for-consecutive-days-of-snow-on-the-ground/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Lack of winterization in [[Chemistry:Gas-fired power plant|natural gas power plants]], which supply a large amount of power to the Texas grid, and increased energy demand caused ERCOT and Austin Energy to enact rolling blackouts in order to avoid total grid collapse between February 15 and February 18.<ref>{{cite web |title=February 2021 Winter Storms After-Action Report February 11 – 20 |url=https://austinenergy.com/wcm/connect/482f26ba-7c94-465a-8a00-59bd65f33967/Feb2021-WinterStormsAfterActionReport.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=nPGWQUI |publisher=Austin Energy |access-date=15 November 2021 |archive-date=November 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115045004/https://austinenergy.com/wcm/connect/482f26ba-7c94-465a-8a00-59bd65f33967/Feb2021-WinterStormsAfterActionReport.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=nPGWQUI }}</ref> Initial rolling blackouts were to last for a maximum of 40 minutes, however lack of energy production caused many blackouts to last for much longer, at the peak of the blackouts an estimated 40% of Austin Energy homes were without power.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Autullo |first1=Ryan |title='Basically we're stuck here': 40% of Austin Energy homes without power amid failed 'rotating blackouts' |url=https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/02/15/austin-power-outage-40-without-power-amid-austin-energys-rolling-blackouts/6752667002/ |website=Austin American-Statesman |access-date=15 November 2021 |date=15 February 2021 |archive-date=February 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215203200/https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/02/15/austin-power-outage-40-without-power-amid-austin-energys-rolling-blackouts/6752667002/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Starting on February 15, Austin Water received reports of pipe breaks, hourly water demand increased from 150 million gallons per day on February 15 to a peak hourly demand of 260 million gallons per day on February 16. On the morning of February 17 demand increased to 330 million gallons per day, the resulting drop of water pressure caused the Austin area to enter into a [[Chemistry:Boil-water advisory|boil-water advisory]] which would last until water pressure was restored on February 23.<ref>{{cite web |title=Austin Water Winter Strom Uri After Action Report |url=http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Water/AW_WinterStorm_Report.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Water/AW_WinterStorm_Report.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |website=Austin Water |access-date=15 November 2021 |date=3 November 2021}}</ref>

==== 2023 winter storm ====
Beginning January 30, 2023 the City of Austin experienced a winter freeze which left 170,000 Austin Energy customers without electricity or heat for several days. The slow pace of repairs and lack of public information from City officials frustrated many residents.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2023/02/07/austin-ice-storm-power-outages-2023/|title=How freezing rain, tree-lined neighborhoods and above-ground power lines prolonged Austin power outages|first=Samantha|last=Aguilar|date=February 8, 2023|website=The Texas Tribune}}</ref> A week after the freeze and when Austin City Council members were proposing to evaluate his employment, City Manager Spencer Cronk finally apologized.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kut.org/energy-environment/2023-02-07/with-job-on-the-line-austin-city-manager-spencer-cronk-offers-heartfelt-apologies-for-winter-storm-response|title=With job on the line, Austin's city manager offers 'heartfelt apologies' for winter storm response|date=February 7, 2023|website=KUT Radio, Austin's NPR Station}}</ref> On Thursday February 16, 2023, Cronk was fired by the Austin City Council for the city's response to the winter storm.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2023/02/15/city-manager-spencer-cronk-austin-fired-ice-storm-power-outages/69903330007/|title=Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk out, will get $463,000 in severance|website=Austin American-Statesman|access-date=February 20, 2023|archive-date=February 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223140357/https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2023/02/15/city-manager-spencer-cronk-austin-fired-ice-storm-power-outages/69903330007/|url-status=live}}</ref> Former City Manager Jesus Garcia was named Interim City Manager.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kvue.com/article/news/politics/jesus-garza-interim-austin-city-manager/269-d8fed411-ebe4-4a64-8c06-d044a162c9b0|title=Who is Jesús Garza? More about the new interim Austin city manager|date=February 15, 2023|website=kvue.com}}</ref>

===Parks===
The Austin Parks and Recreation Department received the Excellence in Aquatics award in 1999 and the Gold Medal Awards in 2004 from the National Recreation and Park Association.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Past NAB Recipients |url=http://www.nrpa.org/content/default.aspx?documentId=728 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207082316/http://www.nrpa.org/content/default.aspx?documentId=728 |archive-date=December 7, 2008 |access-date=October 26, 2008 |publisher=National Recreation and Park Association}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Surprises, Sessions and a Social at NRPA Congress & Exposition |url=http://www.nrpa.org/content/default.aspx?documentId=1549 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207082258/http://www.nrpa.org/content/default.aspx?documentId=1549 |archive-date=December 7, 2008 |access-date=October 26, 2008 |publisher=National Recreation and Park Association}}</ref>

To strengthen the region's parks system, which spans more than {{convert|29000|acres|0|abbr=on}}, The Austin Parks Foundation was established in 1992 to develop and improve parks in and around Austin. APF works to fill the city's park funding gap by leveraging volunteers, philanthropists, park advocates, and strategic collaborations to develop, maintain and enhance Austin's parks, trails and green spaces.

===Lady Bird Lake===

[[File:ButlerTrailAustin.jpg|thumb|Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail along Lady Bird Lake]]
[[File:BartonCreek-2010-c.JPG|thumb|Sculpture Falls along the Barton Creek Greenbelt]]
[[File:DeepEddyPoolBySteveHopson.jpg|thumb|Austin's Deep Eddy Pool is the oldest human-made pool in Texas.]]
[[File:Hamilton Pool March 2016 3.JPG|thumb|Hamilton Pool Preserve|alt=]]
[[File:Covert Park at Mount Bonnell 20160905130602.jpg|thumb|View of the Colorado River from Covert Park at Mount Bonnell|alt=]]

Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Barnes |first=Michael |title=Austin Answered: The evolving names of Austin's big central lakes |url=https://www.statesman.com/news/20171130/austin-answered-the-evolving-names-of-austins-big-central-lakes |access-date=February 11, 2020 |website=Austin American-Statesman |language=en |archive-date=July 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726112542/https://www.statesman.com/news/20171130/austin-answered-the-evolving-names-of-austins-big-central-lakes |url-status=live }}</ref> is a river-like reservoir on the Colorado River. The lake is a popular recreational area for paddleboards, [[Software:Kayak|kayak]]s, canoes, [[Engineering:Dragon boat|dragon boat]]s, and rowing shells. Austin's warm climate and the river's calm waters, nearly {{convert|6|mi|km|1}} length and straight courses are especially popular with crew teams and clubs. Other recreational attractions along the shores of the lake include swimming in Deep Eddy Pool, the oldest swimming pool in Texas, and Red Bud Isle, a small island formed by the 1900 collapse of the McDonald Dam that serves as a recreation area with a dog park and access to the lake for canoeing and fishing.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin Parks and Recreation Department, Red Bud Isle |url=http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/parks/redbudisle.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091121055246/http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/parks/redbudisle.htm |archive-date=November 21, 2009}}</ref> The {{convert|10.1|mi|km}} Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail forms a complete circuit around the lake. A local nonprofit, The Trail Foundation, is the Trail's private steward and has built amenities and infrastructure including trailheads, lakefront gathering areas, restrooms, exercise equipment, as well as doing Trailwide ecological restoration work on an ongoing basis. The Butler Trail loop was completed in 2014 with the public-private partnership 1-mile Boardwalk project.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 30, 2015 |title=Projects Page |url=http://www.thetrailfoundation.org/meet/butler-trail-projects/ |access-date=November 30, 2015 |publisher=The Trail Foundation}}</ref>

Along the shores of Lady Bird Lake is the {{convert|350|acre|ha|abbr=off}} Zilker Park, which contains large open lawns, sports fields, cross country courses, historical markers, concession stands, and picnic areas.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meets at this location |url=https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/134718/more |access-date=September 15, 2018 |publisher=athletic.net}}</ref> 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 {{RailGauge|12in}} gauge miniature railway carries passengers on a tour around the park.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Zilker Metropolitan Park |url=http://austintexas.gov/department/zilker-metropolitan-park |access-date=May 22, 2015 |website=City of Austin |archive-date=May 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150516061931/http://austintexas.gov/department/zilker-metropolitan-park |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Andrew Jackson Zilker |url=http://www.austinlibrary.com/ahc/exlegacy1.htm |access-date=May 22, 2015 |website=Austin Public Library}}</ref> Auditorium Shores, an urban park along the lake, is home to the Palmer Auditorium, the Long Center for the Performing Arts, and an off-leash dog park on the water.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Amy |date=December 6, 2013 |title=Then There's This: Turf Fight at Auditorium Shores |work=Austin Chronicle |url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2013-12-06/then-theres-this-turf-fight-at-auditorium-shores/ |access-date=April 23, 2015 |archive-date=April 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424114332/http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2013-12-06/then-theres-this-turf-fight-at-auditorium-shores/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Both Zilker Park and Auditorium Shores have a direct view of the Downtown skyline.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Auditorium Shores |url=http://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/texas/austin/things-to-do/sights/reviews/auditorium-shores-611024/ |access-date=April 23, 2015 |website=Fodor's}}</ref>

===Barton Creek Greenbelt===

The Barton Creek Greenbelt is a {{convert|7.25|mi|km|adj=on}} public [[Engineering:Green belt|green belt]] managed by the City of Austin's Park and Recreation Department. The Greenbelt, which begins at Zilker Park and stretches South/Southwest to the Woods of Westlake subdivision, is characterized by large [[Earth:Limestone|limestone]] cliffs, dense foliage, and shallow bodies of water. Popular activities include rock climbing, mountain biking, and hiking. Some well known naturally forming swimming holes along Austin's greenbelt include Twin Falls, Sculpture Falls, Gus Fruh Pool, and Campbell's Hole. During years of heavy rainfall, the water level of the creek rises high enough to allow swimming, cliff diving, kayaking, paddle boarding, and tubing.

===Swimming holes===

Austin is home to more than 50 public pools and swimming holes. These include Deep Eddy Pool, Texas' oldest human-made swimming pool, and Barton Springs Pool, the nation's largest natural swimming pool in an urban area.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 5, 2005 |title=Friends celebrate and help Deep Eddy |url=http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/default.asp?ArID=138758 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207194348/http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/default.asp?ArID=138758 |archive-date=December 7, 2008 |access-date=October 14, 2008 |publisher=News 8 Austin}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=February 23, 2006 |title=Texas Natural Areas At Risk |url=https://www.environmenttexas.org/uploads/yo/8d/yo8dd25vILBEwL-9ntbrPg/ET-Risk-Report-Print.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081028224016/https://www.environmenttexas.org/uploads/yo/8d/yo8dd25vILBEwL-9ntbrPg/ET-Risk-Report-Print.pdf |archive-date=October 28, 2008 |access-date=October 14, 2008 |publisher=Environment Texas |page=5}}</ref> Barton Springs Pool is spring-fed while Deep Eddy is well-fed. Both range in temperature from about {{convert|68.0|°F|°C}} during the winter to about {{convert|71.6|°F|°C}} during the summer.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2006 |title=Temperature, Water, Degrees Celsius Water Year October 2005 to September 2006 |url=http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/wy2006/pdfs/08155500.2006.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080909225502/http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/wy2006/pdfs/08155500.2006.pdf |archive-date=September 9, 2008 |access-date=August 19, 2008 |website=Water-Data Report 2006, 08155500 Barton Springs at Austin, Texas |publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey |pages=13–15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |year=2007 |title=Temperature, Water, Degrees Celsius Water Year October 2006 to September 2007 |url=http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/wy2007/pdfs/08155500.2007.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080909225512/http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/wy2007/pdfs/08155500.2007.pdf |archive-date=September 9, 2008 |access-date=August 19, 2008 |website=Water-Data Report 2007, 08155500 Barton Springs at Austin, Texas |publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey |pages=11–13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |year=2007 |title=Water Quality Records |url=http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/wy2007/pdfs/08155500.2007.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080909225512/http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/wy2007/pdfs/08155500.2007.pdf |archive-date=September 9, 2008 |access-date=August 19, 2008 |website=Water-Data Report 2007, 08155500 Barton Springs at Austin, Texas |publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey |page=4}}</ref> Hippie Hollow Park, a county park situated along Lake Travis, is the only officially sanctioned clothing-optional public park in Texas. Hamilton Pool Preserve is a natural pool that was created when the dome of an underground river collapsed due to massive erosion thousands of years ago. The pool, located about {{convert|23|mi|km}} west of Austin, is a popular summer swimming spot for visitors and residents. Hamilton Pool Preserve consists of {{convert|232|acre|km2}} of protected natural habitat featuring a jade green pool into which a {{convert|50|ft|m|adj=on}} waterfall flows.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hamilton Pool Nature Preserve |url=http://www.co.travis.tx.us/tnr/parks/hamilton_pool.asp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100124141108/http://www.co.travis.tx.us/tnr/parks/hamilton_pool.asp |archive-date=January 24, 2010 |access-date=February 7, 2010 |publisher=Travis County, Texas}}</ref>

====Other parks====

In May 2021, voters in the City of Austin reinstated a public camping ban.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2022/08/31/texas-austin-homeless-camping-ban/ |title=Austin voters banned homeless people from camping in public spaces. The city is creating housing for them but not fast enough. |last=Tompkins |first=Lucy |work=The Texas Tribune |date=August 31, 2022 |access-date=March 27, 2023}}</ref> That includes downtown green spaces as well as trails and greenbelts such as along Barton Creek.{{efn|Although Council's attempt to address homelessness and the cost of living had prohibited camping in certain areas of the city, very lax enforcement of that policy frustrated the public and led to reinstatement of the widespread ban.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Findell |first=Elizabeth |title=Camping comes to Austin public spaces — but not at City Hall |url=https://www.statesman.com/news/20190628/camping-comes-to-austin-public-spaces---but-not-at-city-hall |website=Austin American-Statesman |date=June 28, 2019 |access-date=March 27, 2023}}</ref>}}

McKinney Falls State Park is a state park administered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, located at the confluence of Onion Creek and Williamson Creek. The park includes several designated hiking trails and campsites with water and electric. The namesake features of the park are the scenic upper and lower falls along Onion Creek. The Emma Long Metropolitan Park is a municipal park along the shores of Lake Austin, originally constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The {{convert|284|acre|ha|abbr=}} Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a [[Biology:Botanical garden|botanical garden]] and arboretum that features more than 800 species of native Texas plants in both garden and natural settings; the Wildflower Center is located {{convert|10|mi|km|abbr=}} southwest of Downtown in Circle C Ranch.<ref>{{Citation |last=Gould|first=Lewis L. |title=Lady Bird Johnson, Our Environmental First Lady |year=1999 |publisher=University Press of Kansas}}</ref> Roy G. Guerrero Park is located along the Colorado River in East Riverside and contains miles of wooded trails, a sandy beach along the river, and a disc golf course.

Covert Park, located on the top of Mount Bonnell, is a popular tourist destination overlooking Lake Austin and the Colorado River. The mount provides a vista for viewing the city of Austin, Lake Austin, and the surrounding hills.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=June 1979 |title=Austin: Outdoors |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ly4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22 |journal=Texas Monthly  |page=22}}</ref> It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1969, bearing Marker number 6473,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mount Bonnell |url=http://www.9key.com/markers/marker_detail.asp?atlas_number=5453006473&search_term=mormon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707071849/http://www.9key.com/markers/marker_detail.asp?atlas_number=5453006473&search_term=mormon |archive-date=July 7, 2011 |access-date=October 3, 2018 |website=Recorded Texas Historic Landmark |publisher=William Nienke, Sam Morrow}}</ref> and was listed on the [[Earth:National Register of Historic Places|National Register of Historic Places]] in 2015.

The Louis René Barrera Indiangrass Wildlife Sanctuary, located on the north shore of Lake Walter E. Long, is a park managed by the Austin Parks and Recreation Department with the goal of restoring the Blackland Prairie. While not open to the public, it is accessible through guided tours.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1850 = 629
| 1860 = 3494
| 1870 = 4428
| 1880 = 11013
| 1890 = 14575
| 1900 = 22258
| 1910 = 29860
| 1920 = 34876
| 1930 = 53120
| 1940 = 87930
| 1950 = 132459
| 1960 = 186545
| 1970 = 253539
| 1980 = 345890
| 1990 = 465622
| 2000 = 656562
| 2010 = 790390
| 2020 = 961855
| estyear = 2024
| estimate = 993588
| estref = <ref name="a760">{{cite web | title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Austin city, Texas | website=Census Bureau QuickFacts | date=2024-07-01 | url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/austincitytexas/LFE041223 | access-date=2025-05-15}}</ref>
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{Cite web |title=Census of Population and Housing |url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html |access-date=June 4, 2016 |publisher=Census.gov |archive-date=June 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610232059/http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />2010–2020 }}

===2020===
According to the 2020 United States census,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin city, Texas – Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2020 |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/austincitytexas/LND110210 |access-date=February 19, 2022 |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328215609/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/austincitytexas/LND110210 |url-status=live }}</ref> the city of Austin had a population of 961,855. The racial and ethnic composition of Austin was 72.6% White (48.3% non-Hispanic White), 33.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% African American, 7.6% Asian, 0.7% American Indian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, and 3.4% of two or more races.
[[File:Race and ethnicity 2010- Austin (5560474714).png|thumb|Map of racial distribution in Austin, 2010 U.S. census. Each dot is 25 people: {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#ff0000|White}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#0000ff|Black}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#00ffaa|Asian}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#ffa600|Hispanic}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#ffff07|Other}}]]

===2010===
According to the 2010 United States census,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin city, Texas – Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/ |access-date=February 19, 2011 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |archive-date=July 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709054630/https://www.census.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the city of Austin had a population of 790,390.  The racial and ethnic composition of Austin was 68.3% White (48.7% non-Hispanic White), 35.1% Hispanic or Latino (29.1% Mexican, 0.5% Puerto Rican, 0.4% Cuban, 5.1% Other), 8.1% African American, 6.3% Asian (1.9% Indian, 1.5% Chinese, 1.0% Vietnamese, 0.7% Korean, 0.3% Filipino, 0.2% Japanese, 0.8% Other), 0.9% American Indian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 3.4% of two or more races.

===2000===
In 2000 there were {{formatnum:656562}} people, {{formatnum:265649}} households, and {{formatnum:141590}} families residing in the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Census website |url=https://www.census.gov/ |access-date=January 31, 2008 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |archive-date=July 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709054630/https://www.census.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2000, the population density was {{convert|2610|PD/sqmi}}. There were {{formatnum:276842}} dwelling units at an average density of {{convert|1101|/sqmi}}. There were {{formatnum:265648}} households, out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.7% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city, 22.5% of the population was under the age of 18, 16.6% was from 18 to 24, 37.1% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males.

The 2000 census found that the median income for a household in the city was {{Currency|42689|USD}}, and the median income for a family was ${{formatnum:54091}}. Males had a median income of ${{formatnum:35545}} compared to ${{formatnum:30046}} for females. The per capita income for the city was ${{formatnum:24163}}. About 9.1% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over. The median house price was ${{formatnum:185906}} in 2009, and it has increased every year since 2004.{{update after|2012|4|20}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin Housing Trends and Values |url=http://austin.housealmanac.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060521135252/http://austin.housealmanac.com/ |archive-date=May 21, 2006 |access-date=December 12, 2009 |publisher=HouseAlmanac.com}}</ref> The median value of a house which the owner occupies was $318,400 in 2019—higher than the average American home value of $240,500.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: United States; Austin city, Texas |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/00,4805000#flag-js-NA |access-date=August 29, 2018 |website=Census Bureau QuickFacts |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Race and ethnicity===
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="font-size: 90%;"
|-
! Racial composition  
!2022<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Austin city, Texas |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/austincitytexas/LND110210 |access-date=2023-08-11 |website=www.census.gov |language=en |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328215609/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/austincitytexas/LND110210 |url-status=live }}</ref>!! 2020<ref name="census1">{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4805000&y=2020&d=DEC%20Redistricting%20Data%20%28PL%2094-171%29&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=July 4, 2022}}</ref> !! 2010<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin (city), Texas |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/4805000.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215163855/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/4805000.html |archive-date=February 15, 2012 |access-date=May 25, 2014 |website=State & County QuickFacts |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> !! 2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Planning/Demographics/travis_profile.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Planning/Demographics/travis_profile.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000|access-date=August 10, 2022}}</ref>!! 1990<ref name="census1" /> !! 1970<ref name="census1" /> !! 1950<ref name="census1" />
|-
| White (Non-Hispanic) 
|47.7%|| 47.1% || 48.7% || 56.4% || 61.7% ||  73.4% || 86.6%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino 
|32.5%|| 32.5% || 35.1% || 28.2% || 23.0% || 14.5% || n/a
|-
| Asian 
|8.4%|| 8.9% || 6.2% || 4.5% || 3.0% || 0.2% || 0.1%
|-
| Black or African American 
|7.9%|| 6.9% || 7.7% || 9.3% || 12.4% || 11.8% || 13.3%
|-
| Mixed 
|4.5%|| 3.9% || 1.7% || 2.9%
|}

[[File:Race and ethnicity 2010- Austin (5560474714).png|thumb|Map of racial distribution in Austin, 2010 U.S. census. Each dot is 25 people: {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#ff0000|White}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#0000ff|Black}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#00ffaa|Asian}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#ffa600|Hispanic}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#ffff07|Other}}]]

A 2014 [[Organization:University of Texas at Austin|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. {{As of|2014}}, Austin's African American and non-Hispanic white percentage shares of the total population were declining despite the total populations of both ethnic groups increasing, as their rate of growth was slower than that of the city's Asian and Hispanic or Latino communities. Austin's non-Hispanic white population dropped below 50% in 2005.<ref>Donahue, Emily and David Brown. "[http://kut.org/post/austins-only-fast-growing-city-country-losing-african-americans Austin's the Only Fast-Growing City in the Country Losing African-Americans]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20140520050651/http://kut.org/post/austins-only-fast-growing-city-country-losing-african-americans Archive]). ''KUT''. Moody College of Communication at the [[Organization:University of Texas at Austin|University of Texas at Austin]], Friday May 16, 2014. Retrieved on May 20, 2014.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Top Ten Demographic Trends in Austin, Texas {{pipe}} Planning and Zoning {{pipe}} AustinTexas.gov - The Official Website of the City of Austin |url=https://www.austintexas.gov/page/top-ten-demographic-trends-austin-texas |access-date=January 27, 2017 |website=AustinTexas.gov |archive-date=August 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830144728/https://www.austintexas.gov/page/top-ten-demographic-trends-austin-texas }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=May 16, 2019 |title=People Keep Moving To Austin, But Where Are They Coming From? |url=https://www.kut.org/austin/2019-05-16/people-keep-moving-to-austin-but-where-are-they-coming-from |website=KUT Radio, Austin's NPR Station}}</ref>

=== Sexual orientation and gender identity ===
According to a survey completed in 2014 by Gallup, it was estimated that 5.3% of residents in the Austin metropolitan area identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wong |first=Curtis M. |date=March 20, 2015 |title=And The U.S. City With The Highest Percentage Of LGBT People Is |work=HuffPost |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/metro-areas-lgbt-population-_n_6911232}}</ref> The Austin metropolitan area had the third-highest rate in the nation.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hensley |first=Nicole |date=March 20, 2015 |title=Salt Lake City has higher percentage of LGBT people than NYC |work=New York Daily News |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/salt-lake-city-higher-percentage-lgbt-people-nyc-article-1.2157135 |access-date=January 27, 2017}}</ref>

=== Religion ===
According to [[Company:Sperling's BestPlaces|Sperling's BestPlaces]], 52.4% of Austin's population identified as religious in 2018.<ref name="TXReligion" /> The majority of Austinites identified themselves as [[Religion:Christianity|Christians]]; about 25.2% of the population claimed affiliation with the [[Organization:Catholic Church|Catholic Church]].<ref name="TXReligion" /> The city's Catholic population is served by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin, headquartered at the Cathedral of Saint Mary. Nationwide, 23% of Americans identified as Catholic in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Five Key Findings on Religion in the U.S. |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/200186/five-key-findings-religion.aspx |access-date=January 31, 2019 |website=gallup.com |date=December 23, 2016 |language=en-us |archive-date=September 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912113030/http://www.gallup.com/poll/200186/five-key-findings-religion.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> Other significant Christian groups in Austin include [[Religion:Baptists|Baptists]] (8.7%), followed by [[Philosophy:Methodism|Methodists]] (4.3%), Latter-day Saints (1.5%), Episcopalians or Anglicans (1.0%), [[Religion:Lutheranism|Lutherans]] (0.8%), [[Religion:Presbyterianism|Presbyterians]] (0.6%), [[Religion:Pentecostalism|Pentecostals]] (0.3%), and other Christians such as the Disciples of Christ and [[Religion:Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox Church]] (7.1%).<ref name="TXReligion" /> The second largest religion Austinites identify with is [[Religion:Islam|Islam]] (1.7%); roughly 0.8% of Americans nationwide claimed affiliation with the Islamic faith.<ref name="TXReligion" /> The dominant branch of Islam is Sunni Islam. Established in 1977, the largest [[Engineering:Mosque|mosque]] in Austin is the Islamic Center of Greater Austin. The community is affiliated with the Islamic Society of North America. [[Religion:Judaism|Judaism]] forms less than 0.1% of the religious demographic in Austin. [[Religion:Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]], Reform, and Conservative congregations are present in the community.<ref name="TXReligion" /> The same study says that eastern faiths including [[Religion:Buddhism|Buddhism]] and [[Religion:Hinduism|Hinduism]] made up 0.9% of the city's religious population.<ref name="TXReligion" /> Several Hindu temples exist in the Austin Metropolitan area with the most notable one being Radha Madhav Dham. In addition to those religious groups, Austin is also home to an active secular humanist community, hosting nationwide television shows and charity work.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://atheist-community.org/ |website=Atheist Community of Austin}}</ref>

=== Homelessness ===
As of 2019, there were 2,255 individuals experiencing homelessness in Travis County. Of those, 1,169 were sheltered and 1,086 were unsheltered.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Homelessness in Austin |url=https://www.austinecho.org/about-echo/homelessness-in-austin/ |access-date=January 9, 2020 |website=Austin ECHO}}</ref> In September 2019, the Austin City Council approved $62.7&nbsp;million for programs aimed at homelessness, which includes housing displacement prevention, crisis mitigation, and [[Finance:Affordable housing|affordable housing]]; the city council also earmarked $500,000 for crisis services and encampment cleanups.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mekelburg|first=Madlin |date=October 17, 2019 |title=How much does the city of Austin spend, per homeless person? |url=https://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2019/oct/17/greg-abbott/how-much-does-city-austin-spend-homeless-person/ |access-date=January 9, 2020 |website=PolitiFact}}</ref>

In June 2019, following ''Martin v. Boise'', a federal court ruling on homelessness sleeping in public,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018 |title=Opinions |url=http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2018/09/04/15-35845.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2018/09/04/15-35845.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |website=cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov}}</ref> the Austin City Council lifted a 25-year-old ban on camping, sitting, or lying down in public unless doing so causes an obstruction. The resolution also included the approval of a new housing-focused shelter in South Austin.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sanders|first=Austin |date=June 21, 2019 |title=Council Bites the Bullet, Helps the Homeless |url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2019-06-21/council-bites-the-bullet-helps-the-homeless/ |access-date=January 9, 2020 |website=The Austin Chronicle}}</ref> In early October 2019, Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent a letter to Mayor Steve Adler threatening to deploy state resources to combat the camping ban repeal.<ref name="Bova" /> On October 17, 2019, the City Council revised the camping ordinance, which imposed increased restrictions on sidewalk camping.<ref name="Bova" /> In November 2019, the State of Texas opened a temporary homeless encampment on a former vehicle storage yard owned by the Texas Department of Transportation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bova|first=Gus |date=December 20, 2019 |title=Greg Abbott's 'Indefinite,' Imperfect Homeless Camp |url=https://www.texasobserver.org/greg-abbotts-indefinite-imperfect-homeless-camp/ |access-date=January 9, 2020 |website=Texas Observer}}</ref>

In May 2021, the camping ban was reinstated after a [[Social:Referendum|ballot proposition]] was approved by 57% of voters. The ban introduces penalties for camping, sitting, or lying down on a public sidewalk or sleeping outdoors in or near Downtown Austin or the area around the [[Organization:University of Texas at Austin|University of Texas]] campus. The ordinance also prohibits solicitation at certain locations.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Autullo|first=Ryan |date=May 1, 2021 |title=Austin voters choose to bring back homeless camping ban |url=https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/05/01/proposition-b-election-results-austin-homeless-camping-ban/7220579002/ |access-date=May 13, 2021 |website=Austin American-Statesman}}</ref>

==Economy==
[[File:Biking in Congress Avenue.JPG|alt=|thumb|Downtown Austin from Congress Avenue Bridge, with Texas State Capitol in background, 2012]]
The Greater Austin metropolitan statistical area had a gross domestic product (GDP) of $248&nbsp;billion in 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=Total Gross Domestic Product for Austin-Round Rock, TX (MSA) |url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NGMP12420 |website=FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis |access-date=July 14, 2025 |archive-date=February 26, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250226133628/https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NGMP12420|url-status=live }}</ref> Austin is considered to be a major center for high tech.<ref name="CityDataEconomy" /> Thousands of graduates each year from the engineering and computer science programs at the [[Organization:University of Texas at Austin|University of Texas at Austin]] provide a steady source of employees that help to fuel Austin's technology and defense industry sectors. As a result of the high concentration of high-tech companies in the region, Austin was strongly affected by the [[Dot-com bubble|dot-com boom]] in the late 1990s and subsequent bust.<ref name="CityDataEconomy" /> Austin's largest employers include the Austin Independent School District, the City of Austin, [[Company:Dell Technologies|Dell Technologies]], the U.S. Federal Government, NXP Semiconductors, [[Company:IBM|IBM]], St. David's Healthcare Partnership, Seton Family of Hospitals, the State of Texas, the [[Organization:Texas State University|Texas State University]], and the [[Organization:University of Texas at Austin|University of Texas at Austin]].<ref name="CityDataEconomy" />

Other high-tech companies with operations in Austin include [[Company:3M|3M]], [[Company:Apple Inc.|Apple]] (the largest campus outside of Cupertino), [[Company:Amazon|Amazon]], [[Company:Advanced Micro Devices|AMD]], Apartment Ratings, [[Company:Applied Materials|Applied Materials]], [[Company:Arm|Arm]], Bigcommerce, BioWare, [[Company:Blizzard Entertainment|Blizzard Entertainment]], Buffalo Technology, [[Company:Cirrus Logic|Cirrus Logic]], [[Company:Cisco Systems|Cisco Systems]], [[Company:Cloudflare|Cloudflare]], Crowdstrike, [[Software:Dropbox (service)|Dropbox]], [[Company:EBay|eBay]], [[Company:Electronic Arts|Electronic Arts]], Flextronics, [[Company:Facebook|Facebook]], [[Company:Google|Google]], [[Company:Hewlett-Packard|Hewlett-Packard]], Hoover's, HomeAway, [[Company:HostGator|HostGator]], [[Organization:Indeed|Indeed]], Intel Corporation, [[Company:Meta Platforms|Meta]], [[National Instruments]], [[Company:Nintendo|Nintendo]], [[Company:Nvidia|Nvidia]], [[Company:Oracle Corporation|Oracle]], [[Company:PayPal|PayPal]], [[Company:Polycom|Polycom]], Qualcomm, [[Company:Rackspace|Rackspace]], RetailMeNot, [[Company:Rooster Teeth|Rooster Teeth]], [[Company:Samsung|Samsung Group]], [[Company:Silicon Labs|Silicon Labs]], [[Company:Spansion|Spansion]], [[Software:TikTok|TikTok]], [[Company:United Devices|United Devices]], [[Company:VMware|VMware]], X (formerly Twitter), [[Company:Xerox|Xerox]], and [[Company:Zoho Corporation|Zoho Corporation]]. The proliferation of technology companies has led to the region's nickname, "Silicon Hills", and spurred development that greatly expanded the city.

[[Company:Tesla, Inc.|Tesla, Inc.]], an [[Engineering:Electric vehicle|electric vehicle]] and clean energy company has its corporate headquarters in Austin inside Gigafactory Texas, a large vehicle assembly plant which employs over 20,000 people. The company expects to eventually have a staff of 60,000 in the Austin area as production ramps up.<ref name="Hardison 2023">{{Cite news |last=Hardison |first=Kathryn |date=September 20, 2023 |title=60K Tesla workers in Austin? That's the plan |work=Austin Business Journal |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2023/09/20/tesla-exec-manufacturing-expo-presentation.html |access-date=September 25, 2023}}</ref> 
Austin is also emerging as a hub for [[Medicine:Pharmaceutical industry|pharmaceutical]] and [[Engineering:Biotechnology|biotechnology]] companies; the city is home to about 85 of them.<ref name="CityDataEconomy" /> In 2004, the city was ranked by the Milken Institute as the No. 12 biotech and life science center in the United States<ref>{{Cite web |last1=DeVol |first1=Ross |last2=Wong|first2=Perry |last3=Ki|first3=Junghoon |last4=Bedroussian|first4=Armen |last5=Koepp|first5=Rob |title=America's Biotech and Life Science Clusters: San Diego's Position and Economic Contributions |url=https://milkeninstitute.org/articles/what-are-americas-top-biotech-centers-new-milken-institute-study-shows-which-metros-lead |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080930114645/http://www.milkeninstitute.org/publications/publications.taf?function=detail&ID=312&cat=ResRep |archive-date=September 30, 2008 |access-date=September 20, 2008 |publisher=Milken Institute}}</ref> and in 2018, [[Company:CBRE Group|CBRE Group]] ranked Austin as #3 emerging life sciences cluster.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 13, 2019 |title=2019 U.S. Life Sciences Clusters |url=https://www.cbre.us/research-and-reports/US-Life-Sciences-Clusters-2019 |website=CBRE.us |publisher=[[Company:CBRE Group|CBRE Group]] |language=en |quote=Source: CBRE Research, Q4 2018 |access-date=November 4, 2020 |archive-date=November 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103135724/https://www.cbre.us/research-and-reports/us-life-sciences-clusters-2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> Companies such as Hospira, Pharmaceutical Product Development, and ArthroCare Corporation are located there.

Whole Foods Market, an international grocery store chain specializing in fresh and packaged food products, was founded and is headquartered in Austin.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Whole Foods Market |url=http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20101024055834/http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company/ |archive-date=October 24, 2010 |access-date=October 12, 2010}}</ref>

Other companies based in Austin include NXP Semiconductors, GoodPop, Temple-Inland, Sweet Leaf Tea Company, Keller Williams Realty, National Western Life, GSD&M, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Golfsmith, [[Company:Forestar Group|Forestar Group]], EZCorp, Outdoor Voices, Tito's Vodka, Speak Social, and YETI.

In 2018, Austin metro-area companies saw a total of $1.33&nbsp;billion invested. In 2018, Austin's venture capital investments accounted for more than 60 percent of Texas' total investments.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Herrera |first=Sebastian |title=VC investment in Austin has never been so robust. What does it mean? |url=https://www.statesman.com/news/20190124/vc-investment-in-austin-has-never-been-so-robust-what-does-it-mean |access-date=October 22, 2019 |website=Austin American-Statesman |language=en}}</ref>

=== Employment ===
{{As of|2024}}, the unemployment rate in Austin was 3.4% and the median household income was [[Finance:United States dollar|$]]83,830; Austin's top employers were:<ref>{{cite web |date=March 11, 2025 |title=Annual Comprehensive Financial Report For the Year Ended September 30, 2024 |url=https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Finance/Financial%20Transparency/CAFR/FY2024-City-of-Austin-ACFR.pdf |access-date=July 14, 2025 |website=Financial Services Department |publisher=City of Austin, Texas |pages=294,295}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Rank !! Employer 
! Employees in 2024 !! Employees in 2015
! 2024 Share !! 2015 Share
|-
| 1 || State Government
| {{Increase}} 40,460 || 38,499
| {{Decrease}} 2.97%  || 4.06%
|-
| 2 || [[Organization:University of Texas at Austin|University of Texas at Austin]]
| {{Increase}} 32,193 || 23,131
| {{Decrease}} 2.37%  || 2.44%
|-
| 3 || H-E-B
| {{Increase}} 22,955 || 11,277
| {{Increase}} 1.69%  || 1.19%
|-
| 4 || City of Austin
| {{Increase}} 16,195 || 12,977
| {{Decrease}} 1.19%  || 1.37%
|-
| 5 || Ascension Seton {{also known as}} Seton Healthcare Network
| {{Increase}} 14,842 || 10,945
| {{Decrease}} 1.09%  || 1.15%
|-
| 6 || Federal Government
| {{Increase}} 14,700 || 11,800
| {{Decrease}} 1.08%  || 1.24%
|-
| 7 || [[Company:Dell|Dell]] 
|              13,000 || 13,000
| {{Decrease}} 0.96%  || 1.37%
|-
| 8 || [[Company:Tesla, Inc.|Tesla]]
| {{Increase}} 12,277 || -
| {{Increase}} 0.90%  || -
|-
| 9 || St. David's Healthcare Partnership
| {{Increase}} 11,484 || 8,369
| {{Decrease}} 0.84%  || 0.88%
|-
| 10 || [[Company:Amazon|Amazon]]
| {{Increase}} 11,000 || -
| {{Increase}} 0.81%  || -
|}

== Infastructure ==

===Transportation===
In 2009, 72.7% of Austin (city) commuters drove alone, with other mode shares being: 10.4% carpool, 6% were remote workers, 5% use transit, 2.3% walk, and 1% bicycle.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009 |title=Table B08406. Sex of Workers by Means of Transportation for Workplace Geography – Universe: Workers 16 Years and Over |url=https://www.census.gov/ |access-date=May 4, 2011 |website=United States Census Bureau |series=2009 American Community Survey |archive-date=July 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709054630/https://www.census.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Freemark |first=Yonah |date=October 13, 2010 |title=Transit Mode Share Trends Looking Steady; Rail Appears to Encourage Non-Automobile Commutes |url=https://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2010/10/13/transit-mode-share-trends-looking-steady-rail-appears-to-encourage-non-automobile-commutes/ |access-date=October 31, 2017 |website=Transport Politic |archive-date=January 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116171634/https://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2010/10/13/transit-mode-share-trends-looking-steady-rail-appears-to-encourage-non-automobile-commutes/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2016, the American Community Survey estimated modal shares for Austin (city) commuters of 73.5% for driving alone, 9.6% for carpooling, 3.6% for riding transit, 2% for walking, and 1.5% for cycling.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016 |title=2015 American Community Survey, 1-year estimates: Commuting Characteristics by Sex |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/16_1YR/S0801/1600000US4805000 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213114746/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/16_1YR/S0801/1600000US4805000 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=October 31, 2017 |website=United States Census Bureau |series=American Fact Finder}}</ref> The city of Austin has a lower than average percentage of households without a car. In 2015, 6.9 percent of Austin households lacked a car, and decreased slightly to 6 percent in 2016. The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Austin averaged 1.65 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Macaig |first=Mike |date=December 9, 2014 |title=Car Ownership in U.S. Cities Data and Map |url=http://www.governing.com/gov-data/car-ownership-numbers-of-vehicles-by-city-map.html |journal=Governing |access-date=May 3, 2018 |archive-date=May 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511162014/http://www.governing.com/gov-data/car-ownership-numbers-of-vehicles-by-city-map.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Highways====
[[File:Pennybacker bridge sunset 2006.jpg|alt=|thumb|The Pennybacker Bridge is the signature element of Loop 360 in the [[Earth:Texas Hill Country|Texas Hill Country]].]]

Central Austin lies between two major north–south freeways: I-35 to the east and the Mopac Expressway (Loop 1) to the west. US 183 runs from northwest to southeast, and SH 71 crosses the southern part of the city from east to west, completing a rough "box" around central and north-central Austin. Austin is the largest city in the United States to be served by only one Interstate Highway.

US 290 enters Austin from the east and merges into I-35. Its highway designation continues south on I-35 and then becomes part of SH 71, continuing to the west. US 290 splits from Highway 71 in southwest Austin, in an interchange known as "The Y." SH 71 continues to Brady, and Highway 290 continues west to interchange for I-10 near Junction. I-35 continues south through San Antonio to Laredo on the Mexican border. I-35 is the highway link to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex in Northern Texas. There are two links to Houston (US 290 and SH 71/I-10). US 183 leads northwest of Austin toward Lampasas.

In the mid-1980s, construction was completed on Loop 360, a scenic highway that curves through the hill country from near the 71/Mopac interchange in the south to near the US 183/Mopac interchange in the north. The iconic Pennybacker Bridge, also known as the "360 Bridge," crosses Lake Austin to connect the northern and southern portions of Loop 360.

====Tollways====

[[File:Texas45.jpg|thumb|right|Interchange of [[Interstate 35]] and State Highway 45]]

SH 130 is a bypass route designed to relieve traffic congestion, starting from I-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 I-10 east of Seguin, where drivers could drive {{convert|30|mi|km}} west to return to I-35 in San Antonio. The first segment was opened in November 2006, which was located east of Austin–Bergstrom International Airport at Austin's southeast corner on SH 71. Highway 130 runs concurrently with SH 45 from Pflugerville on the north until it reaches US 183 well south of Austin, at which point SR 45 continues west. The entire route of SH 130 is now complete. The final leg opened on November 1, 2012. The highway is noted for having a maximum speed limit of {{convert|85|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} for the entire route. The {{convert|41|mi|km|adj=on}} section of the toll road between Mustang Ridge and Seguin has a posted speed limit of {{convert|85|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}, the highest posted speed limit in the United States.

SH 45 runs east–west from just south of US 183 in Cedar Park to 130 inside Pflugerville (just east of Round Rock). A tolled extension of State Highway Loop 1 was also created. A new southeast leg of SH 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 Road exit between the south end of Austin and Buda. The 183A Toll Road opened in March 2007, providing a tolled alternative to US 183 through the cities of Leander and Cedar Park. Currently under construction is a change to East US 290 from US 183 to the town of Manor. Officially, the tollway will be dubbed Tollway 290 with "Manor Expressway" as nickname.

Despite the overwhelming initial opposition to the toll road concept when it was first announced, all three toll roads have exceeded revenue projections.<ref name="Wear 2009" />

====Airports====
[[File:AUSCentralConcourse.JPG|thumb|The Barbara Jordan Terminal at Austin–Bergstrom International Airport]]

Austin's primary airport is Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) (IATA code '''AUS'''), located {{convert|5|mi|km|0}} southeast of the city. The airport is on the site of the former Bergstrom Air Force Base, which was closed in 1993 as part of the Base Realignment and Closure process. Until 1999, Robert Mueller Municipal Airport was Austin's main airport until ABIA took that role and the old airport was shut down.<ref name="LA Times Closed" /> Austin Executive Airport, along with several smaller airports outside the city center, serves general aviation traffic.

====Intercity transit====
[[File:Texas Eagle arriving in Austin, en route from Los Angeles to Chicago.jpg|thumb|right|Amtrak's ''Texas Eagle'' stops in Austin twice daily.]]

Amtrak's Austin Station is located in west downtown and is served by the ''Texas Eagle'' which runs daily between Chicago and San Antonio, continuing on to Los Angeles several times a week.<ref name="Amtrak Texas Eagle" />

Railway segments between Austin and San Antonio have been evaluated for a proposed regional passenger rail project called "Lone Star Rail". However, failure to come to an agreement with the track's current owner, [[Company:Union Pacific Railroad|Union Pacific Railroad]], ended the project in 2016.<ref name="Maas 2016" />

Greyhound Lines operates the current Austin Bus Station at the Eastside Bus Plaza<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.greyhound.com/en-us/bus-stations-in-austin-1|title=Greyhound Bus Stations in Austin, Texas|website=www.greyhound.com|access-date=February 20, 2023|archive-date=February 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230220231158/https://www.greyhound.com/en-us/bus-stations-in-austin-1|url-status=live}}</ref>  Grupo Senda's Turimex Internacional service operates bus service from Austin to Nuevo Laredo and on to many destinations in Mexico from their station in East Austin.<ref name="Turimex" /> Megabus offers daily service to San Antonio, Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.<ref name="Megabus PR" />

====Public transportation====
[[File:Austin Metrorail.jpg|thumb|CapMetro Rail train at Downtown station]]

The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CapMetro) provides public transportation to the city, primarily with its CapMetro Bus local bus service, the CapMetro Express express bus system, as well as a [[Engineering:Bus rapid transit|bus rapid transit]] service, CapMetro Rapid. CapMetro opened a {{convert|32|mi|km|adj=on}} hybrid rail system, CapMetro Rail, in 2010.<ref name="Cap Metro All Systems Go 2009" /> The system consists of a single line serving downtown Austin, the neighborhoods of East Austin, North Central Austin, and Northwest Austin plus the suburb of Leander.

Since it began operations in 1985, CapMetro has proposed adding [[Engineering:Light rail|light rail]] services to its network. Despite support from the City Council, voters rejected light rail proposals in 2000<ref name="Clark-Madison 2000" /> and 2014.<ref name="Curington 2014" /> However, in 2020, voters approved CapMetro's {{US$|10 billion}} transit expansion plan, Project Connect, by a comfortable margin. The plan proposes 2 new light rail lines, an additional bus rapid transit line (which could be converted to light rail in the future), a second commuter rail line, several new MetroRapid lines, more MetroExpress routes, and a number of other infrastructure, technology and service expansion projects.<ref name="Cap Metro Project Connect" />

Capital Area Rural Transportation System connects Austin with outlying suburbs and surrounding rural areas.

====Ride sharing====

Austin is served by several ride-sharing companies including [[Company:Uber|Uber]] and [[Company:Lyft|Lyft]].<ref name="Uber Austin" /><ref name="Lyft Austin" /><ref name="RideAustin" /> On May 9, 2016, Uber and Lyft voluntarily ceased operations in Austin in response to a city ordinance that required ride sharing company drivers to get fingerprint checks, have their vehicles labeled, and not pick up or drop off in certain city lanes.<ref name="MacMillan 2016" /><ref name="Woodyard 2016" /> Uber and Lyft resumed service in the summer of 2017.<ref name="Samuels 2017" /> The city was previously served by [[Company:Fasten|Fasten]] until they ceased all operations in the city in March 2018.<ref name="Jechow 2018" />

Austin is also served by Electric Cab of North America's six-passenger [[Engineering:Electric car|electric cabs]] that operate on a flexible route from the Kramer MetroRail Station to Domain Northside and from the Downtown CapMetro Rail station and MetroRapid stops to locations between the Austin Convention Center and near Sixth and Bowie streets by Whole Foods.<ref name="Denney 2018" />

[[Engineering:Carsharing|Carsharing]] service [[Company:Zipcar|Zipcar]] operates in Austin and, until 2019, the city was also served by Car2Go which kept its North American headquarters in the city even after pulling out.<ref name="Turner 2019" />

====Cycling and walking====

[[File:Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|The Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge over the Colorado River]]

The city's bike advocacy organization is Bike Austin.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bike Austin |url=https://www.bikeaustin.org/ |access-date=September 10, 2021 |website=Bike Austin |archive-date=August 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818215540/https://www.bikeaustin.org/ }}</ref> BikeTexas, a state-level advocacy organization, also has its main office in Austin.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.biketexas.org/about-us/ |access-date=September 10, 2021 |website=BikeTexas|date=October 12, 2018 }}</ref>

[[Engineering:Bicycle|Bicycle]]s are a popular transportation choice among students, faculty, and staff at the University of Texas. According to a survey done at the University of Texas, 57% of commuters bike to campus.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bike Survey Results |url=http://parking.utexas.edu/bike/survey.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202060644/http://parking.utexas.edu/bike/survey.html |archive-date=February 2, 2017 |access-date=January 31, 2017 |website=The University of Texas at Austin Parking and Transportation Services}}</ref>

The City of Austin and CapMetro jointly own a bike-sharing service, CapMetro Bike, which is available in and around downtown. The service is a franchise of BCycle, a national bike sharing network owned by Trek Bicycle, and is operated by local nonprofit organization Bike Share of Austin.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wear |first=Ben |date=November 30, 2016 |title=Austin B-cycle, with rentals on the rise, adding bikes and stations |url=https://www.statesman.com/news/20161130/austin-b-cycle-with-rentals-on-the-rise-adding-bikes-and-stations |access-date=September 30, 2018 |website=Austin American-Statesman |archive-date=October 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002064544/https://www.statesman.com/news/20161130/austin-b-cycle-with-rentals-on-the-rise-adding-bikes-and-stations |url-status=live }}</ref> Until 2020 the service was known as Austin BCycle.<ref>{{Cite web |last=King |first=Samuel |date=24 September 2020 |title=Austin BCycle Becomes MetroBike As City Partners With Cap Metro To Expand Bike-Share Program |url=https://www.kut.org/transportation/2020-09-24/austin-bcycle-becomes-metrobike-as-city-partners-with-cap-metro-to-expand-bike-share-program |access-date=6 September 2021 |website=KUT Radio |language=en}}</ref> In 2018, Lime began offering dockless bikes, which do not need to be docked at a designated station.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Widner |first=Cindy |date=August 27, 2018 |title=Lime makes dockless bikes, scooters more affordable to underserved |url=https://austin.curbed.com/2018/8/27/17788496/austin-dockless-scooters-bikes-affordable-lime |access-date=September 30, 2018 |website=Curbed}}</ref>

In 2018, scooter-sharing companies Lime and Bird debuted rentable electric scooters in Austin. The city briefly banned the scooters — which began operations before the city could implement a permitting system — until the city completed development of their "dockless mobility" permitting process on May 1, 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Allbright |first=Claire |date=May 1, 2018 |title=A flock of electric scooters suddenly descended on Austin. Now the city is scrambling to regulate them. |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2018/05/01/flock-electric-scooters-suddenly-descended-austin-now-city-scrambling-/ |access-date=October 1, 2018 |website=Texas Tribune |archive-date=October 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002065044/https://www.texastribune.org/2018/05/01/flock-electric-scooters-suddenly-descended-austin-now-city-scrambling-/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Dockless electric scooters and bikes are banned from Austin city parks and the Ann and Roy Butler Trail and Boardwalk.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Young |first=Ryan |date=July 9, 2018 |title=E-bikes, e-scooters not welcome in Austin parks |url=https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2018/07/e-bikes-e-scooters-not-welcome-in-austin-parks/ |access-date=October 1, 2018 |website=Austin Monitor |archive-date=October 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002065035/https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2018/07/e-bikes-e-scooters-not-welcome-in-austin-parks/ |url-status=live }}</ref> For the 2018 Austin City Limits Music Festival, the city of Austin offered a designated parking area for dockless bikes and scooters.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Widner |first=Cindy |date=October 1, 2018 |title=ACL Fest 2018 will have dedicated parking for dockless scooters and bikes |url=https://austin.curbed.com/2018/10/1/17920984/acl-fest-2018-parking-scooters-dockless-bikes-where |access-date=October 1, 2018 |website=Curbed |archive-date=October 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002065023/https://austin.curbed.com/2018/10/1/17920984/acl-fest-2018-parking-scooters-dockless-bikes-where |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Parking lots ====
In November 2023, Austin became the largest city in the US that has abolished parking mandates. It did so to encourage walking, biking, and public transit use, as well as to lower the cost of housing and increase the amount of housing units that can be built in the city. Portland and Minneapolis also took this action.<ref>{{cite news |last1=FECHTER |first1=JOSHUA |title=To fight climate change and housing shortage, Austin becomes largest U.S. city to drop parking-spot requirements |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/02/austin-minimum-parking-requirements-housing-shortage/ |access-date=7 November 2023 |agency=Texas tribune |date=2 November 2023 |archive-date=November 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107165314/https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/02/austin-minimum-parking-requirements-housing-shortage/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Culture==

[[File:Museum weird 2012.jpg|thumb|Museum of the Weird on Sixth Street]]
[[File:Mexican American Cultural Center, Austin, TX IMG 6232.JPG|thumb|The Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, located on Lady Bird Lake at 600 River Street]]

"Keep Austin Weird" has been a local [[Philosophy:Motto|motto]] for years, featured on bumper stickers and T-shirts. This motto has not only been used in promoting Austin's eccentricity and diversity, but is also meant to bolster support of local independent businesses.<ref name="weird" /> According to the 2010 book ''[[Social:Weird City|Weird City]]'' the phrase was begun by a local Austin Community College librarian, Red Wassenich, and his wife, Karen Pavelka, who were concerned about Austin's "rapid descent into commercialism and overdevelopment."<ref name="Long 2010" /> The slogan has been interpreted many ways since its inception, but remains an important symbol for many Austinites who wish to voice concerns over rapid growth and development. Austin has a long history of vocal citizen resistance to development projects perceived to degrade the environment, or to threaten the natural and cultural landscapes.<ref name="Swearingen 2010" />

According to the Nielsen Company, adults in Austin read and contribute to blogs more than those in any other U.S. metropolitan area and have the highest Internet usage in all of Texas.<ref name="Nielsen Company" /> In 2013, Austin was the most active city on [[Company:Reddit|Reddit]], having the largest number of views per capita.<ref name="Dunbar 2013" />

South Congress is a shopping district stretching down South Congress Avenue from Downtown. This area is home to coffee shops, eccentric stores, restaurants, food trucks, trailers, and festivals. It prides itself on "Keeping Austin Weird," especially with development in the surrounding area(s). Many Austinites attribute its enduring popularity to the unobstructed [[Social:Texas Capitol View Corridors|view]] of the Texas State Capitol.<ref name="Patoski 2010" />

The Rainey Street Historic District is a neighborhood in Downtown Austin formerly consisting of bungalow style homes built in the early 20th century. Since the early 2010s, the former [[Social:Working class|working class]] residential street has turned into a popular nightlife district. Much of the historic homes have been renovated into hotels, condominiums, bars and restaurants, many of which feature large porches and outdoor yards for patrons.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Solomon|first=Dan |date=August 25, 2015 |title=Take A Look At Austin's Rainey Street As It Was Ten Years Ago |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily-post/take-a-look-at-austins-rainey-street-as-it-was-ten-years-ago/ |access-date=December 7, 2018 |website=Texas Monthly}}</ref> The Rainey Street district is also home to the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center.

Austin has been part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network under the category Media Arts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin designated as the world's only new 'City of Media Arts' {{!}} AustinTexas.gov - The Official Website of the City of Austin |url=http://www.austintexas.gov/news/austin-designated-worlds-only-new-%E2%80%98city-media-arts%E2%80%99 |access-date=October 3, 2018 |website=www.austintexas.gov |language=en}}</ref>

===Old Austin===
[[File:Austin Texas Rent.webp|thumb|Austin, Texas average monthly rent]]
"Old Austin" is an [[Philosophy:Adage|adage]] often used by nostalgic natives.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 5, 2013 |title=The Fight Over Keeping Austin Weird |magazine=Time |url=https://nation.time.com/2013/07/05/the-fight-over-keeping-austin-weird/}}</ref> The term "Old Austin" refers to a time when the city was smaller and more bohemian with a considerably lower cost of living and better known for its lack of traffic, [[Philosophy:Hipster (contemporary subculture)|hipsters]], and [[Earth:Urban sprawl|urban sprawl]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=What do you miss most about 'old Austin'? |url=http://www.statesman.com/weblogs/all-ablog-austin/2014/apr/25/think-old-austin-long-gone/ |access-date=January 27, 2017 |website=Statesman.com |archive-date=January 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115191731/http://www.statesman.com/weblogs/all-ablog-austin/2014/apr/25/think-old-austin-long-gone/ }}</ref> It is often employed by longtime residents expressing displeasure at the rapidly changing culture,<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Ainsworth |first1=Kelli |last2=Connelly |first2=Kelly |last3=Dunbar |first3=Wells |date=October 11, 2012 |title=What Draws People to Austin (And What Drives Them Away) |url=http://kut.org/post/what-draws-people-austin-and-what-drives-them-away |access-date=January 27, 2017 |website=Kut.org |archive-date=November 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161112074445/http://kut.org/post/what-draws-people-austin-and-what-drives-them-away |url-status=live }}</ref> or when referencing nostalgia of Austin culture.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 25, 2021 |title=What's The Story Behind Herman The Singing Plumber? |url=https://www.kut.org/austin/2021-03-25/whats-the-story-behind-herman-the-singing-plumber |access-date=April 1, 2021 |website=KUT Radio, Austin's NPR Station |language=en|author-first1=Michelle|author-last1=Dahlenburg}}</ref>

The growth and popularity of Austin<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 19, 2014 |author-last1=Pope|author-first1=Colin|title=How many people move to Austin a day? Here's the official number |work=Austin Business Journal |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/at-the-watercooler/2014/02/how-many-people-move-to-austin-a-day-heres-the.html |access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref> can be seen by the expansive development taking place in its downtown landscape.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin, then and now |url=http://projects.statesman.com/then-and-now/growth-then-now.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150516030641/http://projects.statesman.com/then-and-now/growth-then-now.html |archive-date=May 16, 2015 |access-date=January 27, 2017 |website=POrojects.statesman.com}}</ref> This growth can have a negative impact on longtime small businesses that cannot keep up with the expenses associated with gentrification and the rising cost of real estate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=East Austin restaurant El Azteca likely closing after 53 years |url=http://dining.blog.austin360.com/2016/08/15/east-austin-restaurant-el-azteca-likely-closing-after-53-years/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818140454/http://dining.blog.austin360.com/2016/08/15/east-austin-restaurant-el-azteca-likely-closing-after-53-years/ |archive-date=August 18, 2016 |access-date=August 19, 2016 |website=Austin 360}}</ref> A former Austin musician, Dale Watson, described his move away from Austin, "I just really feel the city has sold itself. Just because you're going to get $45 million for a company to come to town – if it's not in the best interest of the town, I don't think they should do it. This city was never about money. It was about quality of life."<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 8, 2018 |title=Dale Watson On Leaving Austin: 'The City Has Sold Itself' |url=http://kut.org/post/dale-watson-leaving-austin-city-has-sold-itself |website=NPR |access-date=March 9, 2018 |archive-date=March 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309015706/http://kut.org/post/dale-watson-leaving-austin-city-has-sold-itself |url-status=live }}</ref> Though much is changing rapidly in Austin, businesses such as Thundercloud Subs are thought by many to maintain classic Austin business cultural sentiments unique to the history of the city; as Diana Burgess stated, "I definitely appreciate that they haven't raised their prices a ton or made things super fancy. I think it speaks to that <u>original Old Austin vibe</u>. A lot of us that grew up here really appreciate that."<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=2022-01-27|title=An Oral History of ThunderCloud Subs|url=https://www.austinmonthly.com/an-oral-history-of-thundercloud-subs/|access-date=2022-01-28|magazine=Austin Monthly Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref> Aaron Franklin, owner of Franklin Barbecue, credited the Old Austin cultural mindset and community support with the success of his barbecue restaurant and the long lines that have supported his business since starting it out of a food trailer in 2009.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Machen |first1=Rod |date=May 15, 2015 |title=Catching Up With Aaron Franklin |url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/food/2015-05-15/catching-up-with-aaron-franklin |access-date=2024-12-03 |newspaper=Austin Chronicle |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Annual cultural events===
[[File:Sixth Street (Austin) at night.jpg|thumb|Sixth Street on a weekend night]]

The O. Henry House Museum hosts the annual O. Henry Pun-Off, a pun contest where the successful contestants exhibit wit akin to that of the author William Sydney Porter.

Other annual events include Eeyore's Birthday Party, Spamarama, Austin [[Social:LGBT pride|Pride]] Festival & Parade in August, the Austin Reggae Festival in April,<ref>{{Citation |title=Austin Reggae Festival |url=http://austinreggaefest.com/ |access-date=November 21, 2016}}</ref> Kite Festival, Texas Craft Brewers Festival in September,<ref>{{Citation |title=Texas Craft Brewers Festival |url=http://texascraftbrewersfestival.org/about |access-date=November 21, 2016 |archive-date=October 25, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025020101/http://texascraftbrewersfestival.org/about }}</ref> Art City Austin in April,<ref>{{Citation |title=Art Alliance Austin |url=https://www.artallianceaustin.org/artcity |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161121171847/https://www.artallianceaustin.org/artcity |access-date=November 21, 2016 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=November 21, 2016 }}</ref> East Austin Studio Tour in November,<ref>{{Citation |title=The 15 Coolest Neighborhoods in the World in 2016 |date=March 11, 2016 |url=http://www.howitravel.co/the-15-coolest-neighborhoods-in-the-world-in-2016/ |access-date=November 21, 2016 |archive-date=December 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203011043/http://www.howitravel.co/the-15-coolest-neighborhoods-in-the-world-in-2016/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and Carnaval Brasileiro in February. Sixth Street features annual festivals such as the Pecan Street Festival and Halloween night. The three-day Austin City Limits Music Festival has been held in Zilker Park every year since 2002. Every year around the end of March and the beginning of April, Austin is home to "Texas Relay Weekend."

Austin's Zilker Park Tree is a Christmas display made of lights strung from the top of a Moonlight tower in Zilker Park. The Zilker Tree is lit in December along with the "Trail of Lights," an Austin Christmas tradition. The Trail of Lights was canceled four times, first starting in 2001 and 2002 due to the September 11 Attacks, and again in 2010 and 2011 due to budget shortfalls, but the trail was turned back on for the 2012 holiday season.<ref>[http://www.austintexas.gov/event/trail-lights] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025092601/http://www.austintexas.gov/event/trail-lights|date=October 25, 2014}}</ref>

From 1962 to 1998, the Austin Aqua Festival, or "Aqua Fest", took place on the shores of Town Lake (now known as Lady Bird Lake). Originally conceived as a summer tourism draw, the multi-day event evolved from water-themed activities to a broader civic festival due to growth and community interest. Eventually attendance and financial solvency began to dwindle as larger music and summer festivals grew in prominence.

===Cuisine and breweries===
[[File:Two of many food trucks and trailers that serve the eclectic South Austin neighborhood of Austin, Texas LCCN2014632540.tif|thumb|A food truck trailer park in South Austin]]

Notable Austin cuisine includes Texas barbecue and Tex-Mex; Franklin Barbecue in Austin's has sold out of brisket every day since its establishment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Franklin BBQ, By the Numbers |date=March 10, 2014 |url=https://www.yahoo.com/food/franklin-bbq-by-the-numbers-78973377166.html |access-date=February 11, 2015 |archive-date=February 12, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150212005446/https://www.yahoo.com/food/franklin-bbq-by-the-numbers-78973377166.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 16, 2014 |title=The Best American Travel Destinations for Meat Lovers |url=http://www.mensjournal.com/expert-advice/the-best-american-travel-destinations-for-meat-lovers-20141216/franklin-barbecue-austin |access-date=February 11, 2015 |archive-date=February 12, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150212003215/http://www.mensjournal.com/expert-advice/the-best-american-travel-destinations-for-meat-lovers-20141216/franklin-barbecue-austin |url-status=live }}</ref> Breakfast tacos and queso are popular food items in the city; Austin is sometimes called the "home of the breakfast taco."<ref>[http://austin.eater.com/2016/2/19/11060078/breakfast-taco-austin-history How Austin Became the Home of the Crucial Breakfast Taco] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317145814/http://austin.eater.com/2016/2/19/11060078/breakfast-taco-austin-history |date=March 17, 2016 }}, Eater Austin, February 19, 2016,</ref> Kolaches are a common pastry in Austin bakeries due to the large Czech and German immigrant population in Texas.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dao |first=Dan Q. |date=April 10, 2017 |title=Kolaches are a Breakfast Staple Worth a Trip to the Lone Star State |url=https://www.saveur.com/kolache-pastry-texas |access-date=October 5, 2018 |archive-date=June 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190623004953/https://www.saveur.com/kolache-pastry-texas/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Oasis Restaurant is the largest outdoor restaurant in Texas, which promotes itself as the "Sunset Capital of Texas" with its terraced views looking West over Lake Travis.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gilbert |first=Jeffrey |date=June 2, 2005 |title=Fire ravages Austin's Oasis restaurant - Houston Chronicle |work=Houston Chronicle |url=https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Fire-ravages-Austin-s-Oasis-restaurant-1943364.php |access-date=October 31, 2012}}</ref> Birdie's, a [[Finance:Counter service|counter-service]] restaurant and wine bar that opened in 2021, was ''Food & Wine''<nowiki/>'s 2023 Restaurant of the Year.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Shah |first=Kshushbu |date=15 September 2023 |title=Birdie's in Austin Marries Destination-Worthy Dining With a Sustainable, Supportive Workplace |url=https://www.foodandwine.com/2023-restaurant-of-the-year-birdies-7963193 |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=Food & Wine |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=The Dish:Birdies |url=https://www.cbs.com/shows/video/7_iA8lZxFNoMeDy38WWvIN1EjHFyaTd9/ |website=CBS}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Richard |date=2023-10-02 |title=How Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel Created Hit Restaurant Birdie's |url=https://appetitomagazine.com/features/how-tracy-malechek-ezekiel-created-hit-restaurant-birdies |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=Appetito |language=en}}</ref>

P. Terry's, an Austin-based fast food burger chain, has a loyal following among Austinites.<ref>{{Cite web |title=USA Today Travel |url=http://experience.usatoday.com/food-and-wine/features/point-of-interest/2013/10/08/p-terrys-burger-stand/2943705/ |access-date=February 9, 2015}}</ref> Some other Austin-based chain restaurants include Amy's Ice Creams, Chuy's, DoubleDave's Pizzaworks, and Schlotzky's. The Chili's at 45th and Lamar has been the subject of internet memes since 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Connell |first=Chris |date=January 17, 2023 |title=Why is the Chili's at 45th and North Lamar famous online? |url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/food/article/austin-chilis-45th-lamar-famous-17716484.php |website=San Antonio Express-News}}</ref><ref name="statesman">{{Cite web |last=Bradshaw |first=Kelsey |date=March 6, 2023 |title=Chili's forever: How a chain restaurant became Austin's favorite spot |url=https://www.statesman.com/story/entertainment/things-to-do/2023/03/06/chilis-austin-texas-45th-lamar-grill-bar-restaurant/69858974007/ |url-access=subscription |website=Austin American-Statesman}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Reese |first=Ginny |date=January 17, 2023 |title=See Why This Texas Chili's Is Infamous Among Residents And Visitors |url=https://www.iheart.com/content/2023-01-17-see-why-this-texas-chilis-is-infamous-among-residents-and-visitors/ |website=[[Software:IHeartRadio|iHeartRadio]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Falcon |first=Russell |date=December 10, 2022 |title=Is Austin's best restaurant really the Chili's on 45th and Lamar? |url=https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/why-is-the-chilis-at-45th-and-north-lamar-famous-online/ |website=KXAN-TV}}</ref>

Austin is also home to a large number of food trucks, with 1,256 food trucks operating in 2016.<ref name="FoodTrucks" /> The city of Austin has the second-largest number of food trucks per capita in the United States.<ref name="FoodTrucks" /> Austin's first food hall, "Fareground," features a number of Austin-based food vendors and a bar in the ground level and courtyard of One Congress Plaza.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Anderson, Will |date=January 19, 2018 |title=From hog tacos to smelly cheese: Downtown Austin food hall Fareground opens with something new for culinary scene |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2018/01/19/from-hog-tacos-to-stinky-cheese-fareground-austin.html |access-date=August 4, 2018 |website=Austin Business Journal |archive-date=September 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190907074503/https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2018/01/19/from-hog-tacos-to-stinky-cheese-fareground-austin.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Austin has a large craft beer scene, with over 50 microbreweries in the metro area.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Puga |first=Eric |date=June 23, 2017 |title=Top 10 Austin Breweries |url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/food/2017-06-23/top-10-austin-breweries/ |access-date=October 5, 2018 |website=Austin Chronicle}}</ref>  Notable Austin-area breweries include Jester King Brewery, Live Oak Brewing Company, and Real Ale Brewing Company.

===Music===
[[File:ACL2009SBH.jpg|thumb|right|2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival with view of stages and Downtown Austin]]
As Austin's official slogan is ''The Live Music Capital of the World'', the city has a vibrant live music scene with more music venues per capita than any other U.S. city.<ref name="motto" /><ref name="atx_motto" /> Austin's music revolves around the many nightclubs on 6th Street and an annual music/film/interactive festival known as South by Southwest (SXSW). The concentration of restaurants, bars, and music venues in the city's downtown core is a major contributor to Austin's live music scene, as the ZIP Code encompassing the downtown entertainment district hosts the most bar or alcohol-serving establishments in the U.S.<ref>{{Cite web |title=City Data Top 101 ZIP Codes with most drinking places 2005 |url=http://www.city-data.com/top2/z52.html |access-date=August 20, 2013 |publisher=City Data}}</ref>

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 {{convert|478|ft|m|0}} W Hotels in Austin.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zaragoza |first=Sandra |date=February 25, 2010 |title=New Austin City Limits home taking shape |work=Austin Business Journal |url=http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2010/02/22/daily46.html |access-date=July 3, 2010 |archive-date=February 28, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100228191706/http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2010/02/22/daily46.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Calnan |first=Christopher |date=September 10, 2009 |title=New downtown hotel and residential tower |url=http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2009/09/07/daily19.html |access-date=July 3, 2010 |archive-date=July 16, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100716205231/http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2009/09/07/daily19.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Austin City Limits'' and C3 Presents produce the Austin City Limits Music Festival, an annual music and art festival held at Zilker Park in Austin. Other music events include the Urban Music Festival, Fun Fun Fun Fest, Wobeon Music Festival, Chaos In Tejas, Seismic Music Festival at the Concourse Project, and Old Settler's Music Festival. Austin Lyric Opera performs multiple operas each year (including the 2007 opening of Philip Glass's ''Waiting for the Barbarians'', written by University of Texas at Austin alumnus J. M. Coetzee).<ref name="Rossie 2009" /> The Austin Symphony Orchestra performs a range of classical, pop and family performances and is led by music director and conductor Peter Bay. The Austin Baroque Orchestra and La Follia Austin Baroque ensembles both give historically informed performances of [[History:Baroque music|Baroque music]]. The Texas Early Music Project regularly performs music from the Medieval and Renaissance eras, as well as the Baroque.

===Film===
Austin hosts several film festivals, including the SXSW (South by Southwest) Film Festival and the Austin Film Festival, which hosts international films. 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wolfe |first=April |date=September 27, 2017 |title=Torches at Fantastic Fest: Sorting Through the Ashes of a Film Festival |url=https://www.laweekly.com/film/fantastic-fest-may-be-2017s-most-controversial-film-festival-but-not-for-its-movies-8694952 |access-date=February 3, 2019 |website=L.A. Weekly |archive-date=January 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128030938/https://www.laweekly.com/film/fantastic-fest-may-be-2017s-most-controversial-film-festival-but-not-for-its-movies-8694952 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2004 the city was first in ''MovieMaker Magazine's'' annual top ten cities to live and make movies.<ref>{{Cite news |last=O'Connell |first=Joe |date=February 8, 2008 |title=No. 1 Austin does the Sundance |work=The Austin Chronicle |url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2008-02-01/586568/ |access-date=January 13, 2017 |archive-date=September 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909005124/https://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2008-02-01/586568/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Austin has been the location for a number of motion pictures, partly due to the influence of The University of Texas at Austin Department of Radio-Television-Film. Films produced in Austin include ''The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' (1974), ''Songwriter'' (1984), ''Man of the House'', ''Secondhand Lions'', ''Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2'', ''Nadine'', ''Waking Life'', ''Spy Kids'', ''The Faculty'', ''Dazed and Confused'', ''The Guards Themselves'', ''Wild Texas Wind'', ''Office Space'', ''The Life of David Gale'', ''Miss Congeniality'', ''[[Philosophy:Doubting Thomas|Doubting Thomas]]'', ''Slacker'', ''Idiocracy'', ''Death Proof'', ''The New Guy'', ''Hope Floats'', ''The Alamo'', ''Blank Check'', ''The Wendall Baker Story'', ''School of Rock'', ''A Slipping-Down Life'', ''A Scanner Darkly'', ''Saturday Morning Massacre'', and most recently, the Coen brothers' ''True Grit'', ''Grindhouse'', ''Machete'', ''How to Eat Fried Worms'', ''Bandslam'' and ''Lazer Team''. In order to draw future film projects to the area, the Austin Film Society has converted several airplane hangars from the former Mueller Airport into filmmaking center Austin Studios. Projects that have used facilities at Austin Studios include music videos by The Flaming Lips and feature films such as ''25th Hour'' and ''Sin City''.

Austin also hosted the MTV series, ''The Real World: Austin'' in 2005. Season 4 of the AMC show ''Fear the Walking Dead'' was filmed in various locations around Austin in 2018.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Karacostas |first=Chase |date=June 21, 2018 |title=Fear the Walking Dead filmed at these Austin-area locations |url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/movies-tv/article/Fear-the-Walking-Dead-filmed-in-Austin-earlier-13014099.php |access-date=October 5, 2018 |website=San Antonio Express-News |archive-date=August 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806212238/https://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/movies-tv/article/Fear-the-Walking-Dead-filmed-in-Austin-earlier-13014099.php |url-status=live }}</ref> The film review websites Spill.com and Ain't It Cool News are based in Austin. Rooster Teeth Productions, creator of popular web series such as ''Red vs. Blue'', ''RWBY'', and ''Camp Camp'' was also located in Austin.

===Theater===
[[File:State and Paramount Theaters - Austin, Texas - DSC08305.jpg|thumb|The State Theater and Paramount Theatre on Congress Avenue in Downtown Austin]]
Austin has a strong theater culture, with dozens of itinerant and resident companies producing a variety of work. A volunteer-run arts organization supporting creative expression and counter-culture community - Church of the Friendly Ghost (COTFG) helped many experimental programs get their start in Austin, TX. The city also has live performance theater venues such as the Zachary Scott Theatre Center, Vortex Repertory Company, Salvage Vanguard Theater, Rude Mechanicals' the Off Center, Austin Playhouse, Scottish Rite Children's Theater, Hyde Park Theatre, the Blue Theater, The Hideout Theatre, and Esther's Follies.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Theater Guide |url=http://www.austin360.com/arts/content/events/special/theaterguide.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226045544/http://www.austin360.com/arts/content/events/special/theaterguide.html |archive-date=February 26, 2008 |access-date=October 25, 2008 |website=Austin American-Statesman}}</ref> The Victory Grill was a renowned venue on the Chitlin' Circuit.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin History Center: Nightclub on the Chitlin Circuit |url=http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/library/ahc/faq15.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021129015745/http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/library/ahc/faq15.htm |archive-date=November 29, 2002 |access-date=September 14, 2008 |publisher=City of Austin}}</ref> Public art and performances in the parks and on bridges are popular. Austin hosts the Fuse Box Festival each April featuring theater artists.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 22, 2009 |title=Fusebox Festival Starts Tomorrow |url=http://austinist.com/2009/04/22/fusebox_festival_starts_tomorrow.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513060133/http://austinist.com/2009/04/22/fusebox_festival_starts_tomorrow.php |archive-date=May 13, 2012 |publisher=Gothamist LLC (New York)}}</ref>

The Paramount Theatre, opened in downtown Austin in 1915, contributes to Austin's theater and film culture, showing classic films throughout the summer and hosting regional premieres for films such as ''Miss Congeniality''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About The Paramount Theatre |url=http://www.austintheatre.org/site/PageServer?pagename=paramounttheatre |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928162303/http://www.austintheatre.org/site/PageServer?pagename=paramounttheatre |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |access-date=July 24, 2008 |publisher=Paramount Theatre and State Theatre Company}}</ref> The Zilker Park Summer Musical is a long-running outdoor musical.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Faires|first=Robert |date=July 11, 2008 |title=Arts Review: Disney's Beauty |work=Austin Chronicle |url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/review}}</ref>

The Long Center for the Performing Arts is a 2,300-seat theater built partly with materials reused from the old Lester E. Palmer Auditorium.

Ballet Austin is among the fifteen largest ballet academies in the country.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Our Story, Mission & Core Values|url=https://balletaustin.org/about/our-story/|access-date=2022-02-05|website=Ballet Austin|language=en-US}}</ref> Each year Ballet Austin's 20-member professional company performs ballets from a wide variety of choreographers, including their artistic director, Stephen Mills. The city is also home to the Ballet East Dance Company, a modern dance ensemble, and the Tapestry Dance Company which performs a variety of dance genres.

The Austin improvisational theatre scene has several theaters: ColdTowne Theater, The Hideout Theater, and The Fallout Theater. Austin also hosts the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival, which draws comedic artists in all disciplines to Austin.

===Libraries===

[[File:Austin public library opened October 28 2017.jpg|thumb|View of Austin Central Library from César Chávez Street]]

The Austin Public Library is operated by the City of Austin and consists of the Central Library on César Chávez Street, the Austin History Center, 20 branches and the Recycled Reads bookstore and upcycling facility.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Locations |language=en |work=Austin Public Library |url=http://library.austintexas.gov/locations |access-date=August 31, 2017}}</ref> The APL library system also has mobile libraries – bookmobile buses and a human-powered trike and trailer called "unbound: sin fronteras."<ref>{{Cite news |title=unbound: sin fronteras |work=Austin Public Library |url=http://library.austintexas.gov/location/unbound |access-date=October 26, 2016 |archive-date=October 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026232517/http://library.austintexas.gov/location/unbound }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Milwood Pocket Library Closing, Bookmobile Opening to Take its Place |work=Austin Public Library |url=http://library.austintexas.gov/press-release/milwood-pocket-library-closing-bookmobile-opening-take-its-place-343998 |access-date=October 26, 2016 |archive-date=October 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026232229/http://library.austintexas.gov/press-release/milwood-pocket-library-closing-bookmobile-opening-take-its-place-343998 }}</ref>

The Central Library, which is an anchor to the redevelopment of the former Seaholm Power Plant site and the Shoal Creek Walk, opened on October 28, 2017.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Seaholm redevelopment ready to break ground at last |work=statesman |url=http://www.statesman.com/business/seaholm-redevelopment-ready-break-ground-last/kGfrqw4u4Kl0qQKV3Tz5sL/ |access-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831215809/http://www.statesman.com/business/seaholm-redevelopment-ready-break-ground-last/kGfrqw4u4Kl0qQKV3Tz5sL/ }}</ref> The six-story Central Library contains a living rooftop garden, reading porches, an indoor reading room, bicycle parking station, large indoor and outdoor event spaces, a gift shop, an art gallery, café, and a "technology petting zoo" where visitors can play with next-generation gadgets like [[3D printing|3D printers]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chaudhury |first=Nadia |date=December 16, 2016 |title=Austin Central Library's Cookbook Cafe Will Patch Together Recipes |url=https://austin.eater.com/2016/12/16/13982170/cookbook-cafe-austin-central-library-recipes |access-date=August 31, 2017 |website=Eater Austin}}</ref> In 2018, Time magazine named the Austin Central Library on its list of "World's Greatest Places."<ref>{{Cite news |title=Austin Central Library |magazine=Time |url=https://time.com/collection/worlds-greatest-places-2018/5359176/austin-central-library-texas/ |access-date=October 3, 2018}}</ref>

===Museums and other points of interest===
[[File:LBJ Library 2017.jpg|thumb|The [[Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library]] on the University of Texas campus in Austin]]
Museums in Austin include the Texas Science and Natural History Museum, the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, Thinkery, the Blanton Museum of Art (reopened in 2006), the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum across the street (which opened in 2000), The Contemporary Austin, the Elisabet Ney Museum, the Women and Their Work gallery, and the galleries at the Harry Ransom Center. The Texas State Capitol itself is also a major tourist attraction.

The Driskill Hotel, built in 1886, once owned by George W. Littlefield, and located at 6th and Brazos streets, was finished just before the construction of the Capitol building. Sixth Street is a musical hub for the city. The Enchanted Forest, a multi-acre outdoor music, art, and performance art space in South Austin hosts events such as fire-dancing and circus-like-acts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin Enchanted Forest |url=http://www.austinenchantedforest.com/ |access-date=February 4, 2010 |publisher=Austin Enchanted Forest}}</ref> Austin is also home to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, which houses documents and artifacts related to the Johnson administration, including LBJ's limousine and a re-creation of the Oval Office.

[[File:TMI castle austin 2014.jpg|thumb|The HOPE Outdoor Gallery, overlooked by the historic Texas Military Academy building, the oldest standing educational building in Texas; the gallery has since been demolished.]]Locally produced art is featured at the South Austin Museum of Popular Culture. The Mexic-Arte Museum is a Mexican and Mexican-American art museum founded in 1983. Austin is also home to the O. Henry House Museum, which served as the residence of O. Henry from 1893 to 1895. Farmers' markets are popular attractions, providing a variety of locally grown and often organic foods.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin Farmer's Market |url=http://www.austinfarmersmarket.org/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107064818/http://www.austinfarmersmarket.org/ |archive-date=January 7, 2010 |access-date=February 4, 2010 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Austin also has many odd statues and landmarks, such as the ''Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial'', the ''Willie Nelson'' statue, the Mangia dinosaur, the Loca Maria lady at Taco Xpress, the Hyde Park Gym's giant flexed arm, and Daniel Johnston's ''Hi, How are You?'' Jeremiah the Innocent frog mural.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wildly Austin |url=http://www.wildlyaustin.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090628043941/http://www.wildlyaustin.com/ |archive-date=June 28, 2009 |access-date=February 4, 2010 |publisher=Wildly Austin}}</ref>

The Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge houses the world's largest urban population of [[Biology:Mexican free-tailed bat|Mexican free-tailed bat]]s. Starting in March,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Congress Bridge Bats |url=http://www.austincityguide.com/content/congress-bridge-bats-austin.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090822084039/http://www.austincityguide.com/content/congress-bridge-bats-austin.asp |archive-date=August 22, 2009 |access-date=February 15, 2010 |publisher=Austin City Guide}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=To the Bat Bridge! |url=http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/resources/keeptexaswild/bats/mexicanfreetailedbat.phtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100126100341/http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/resources/keeptexaswild/bats/mexicanfreetailedbat.phtml |archive-date=January 26, 2010 |access-date=February 15, 2010 |publisher=austin.com}}</ref> up to 1.5&nbsp;million bats take up residence inside the bridge's expansion and contraction zones as well as in long horizontal grooves running the length of the bridge's underside, an environment ideally suited for raising their young. Every evening around sunset, the bats emerge in search of insects, an exit visible on [[Earth:Weather radar|weather radar]]. Watching the bat emergence is an event that is popular with locals and tourists, with more than 100,000 viewers per year. The bats migrate to Mexico each winter.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Keep Texas Wild |url=http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/resources/keeptexaswild/bats/mexicanfreetailedbat.phtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100126100341/http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/resources/keeptexaswild/bats/mexicanfreetailedbat.phtml |archive-date=January 26, 2010 |access-date=February 4, 2010 |publisher=Texas Parks and Wildlife Department}}</ref>

The Austin Zoo, located in unincorporated western Travis County, is a rescue zoo that provides sanctuary to displaced animals from a variety of situations, including those involving neglect.

The HOPE Outdoor Gallery was a public, three-story outdoor street art project located on Baylor Street in the Clarksville neighborhood.<ref>{{Cite web |title=HOPE Outdoor Gallery |url=https://www.austintexas.org/listings/hope-outdoor-gallery/7825/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002141704/https://www.austintexas.org/listings/hope-outdoor-gallery/7825/ |archive-date=October 2, 2018 |access-date=October 1, 2018 |website=Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau}}</ref> The gallery, which consisted of the foundations of a failed multifamily development,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rambin |first=James |date=January 9, 2018 |title=With Demolition Pending, Castle Hill's Graffiti Gallery Isn't Long for This World |url=https://austin.towers.net/with-demolition-pending-castle-hills-graffiti-gallery-isnt-long-for-this-world/ |access-date=October 1, 2018 |website=Austin TOWERS |archive-date=October 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002141642/https://austin.towers.net/with-demolition-pending-castle-hills-graffiti-gallery-isnt-long-for-this-world/ |url-status=live }}</ref> was a constantly-evolving canvas of graffiti and murals. Also known as "Castle Hill" or simply "Graffiti Park", the site on Baylor Street was closed to the public in early January 2019 but remained intact, behind a fence and with an armed guard, in mid-March 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cooper |first=Rachel |date=January 2, 2019 |title=Austin's Iconic Graffiti Park Closes As A New Canvas Is Prepped Near The Airport |url=http://www.kut.org/post/austins-iconic-graffiti-park-closes-new-canvas-prepped-near-airport |access-date=January 5, 2019 |website=www.kut.org |language=en |archive-date=January 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104230902/http://www.kut.org/post/austins-iconic-graffiti-park-closes-new-canvas-prepped-near-airport |url-status=live }}</ref> The gallery will build a new art park at Carson Creek Ranch in Southeast Austin.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Flores |first=Nancy |date=July 17, 2018 |title=Exclusive: Graffiti park's move to Carson Creek Ranch moved to 2019 |url=https://www.statesman.com/news/20180717/exclusive-graffiti-parks-move-to-carson-creek-ranch-moved-to-2019 |access-date=October 1, 2018 |website=Austin American-Statesman |archive-date=October 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002102400/https://www.statesman.com/news/20180717/exclusive-graffiti-parks-move-to-carson-creek-ranch-moved-to-2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Sports===


{| class="wikitable" style="float:left; margin:10px;"
|+ Austin area professional sports teams
! Club
! Sport
! Founded
! League
! Venue
|-
|Austin Bats
|Basketball
| align=center | 2014
|American Basketball Association
|Travis Early College High School
|-
|Austin Crows
|Australian rules football
| align=center | 2002
|United States Australian Football League
|Onion Creek Soccer Complex
|-
|Austin FC
|Soccer
| align=center | 2018
|Major League Soccer
|Q2 Stadium
|-
|Austin Outlaws
|Quadball
| align=center | 2016
|Major League Quadball
|Round Rock Multipurpose Complex
|-
|Austin Rise FC
|Soccer
| align=center | 2022
|WPSL PRO
|House Park
|-
|Austin Sol
|Ultimate
| align=center | 2016
|Ultimate Frisbee Association
|Chaparral Stadium
|-
|Austin Spurs
|Basketball
| align=center | 2005
|NBA G League
|H-E-B Center at Cedar Park
|-
|Austin Torch
|Ultimate
| align=center | 2019
|Premier Ultimate League
| Rudolph Gamblin Field
|-
|Round Rock Express
|Baseball
| align=center | 2000
|Pacific Coast League (AAA)
|Dell Diamond
|-
|Texas Stars
|Ice hockey
| align=center | 2009
|American Hockey League
|H-E-B Center at Cedar Park
|}

{{clear}}

[[File:Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in 2010.jpg|alt=|thumb|Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, home of Texas Longhorns football|220x220px]]

[[File:Cedar park center 2014.jpg|thumb|[[H-E-B Center at Cedar Park|H-E-B Center]] stadium located in Cedar Park, Texas]]
[[File:Austin FC VS FC Dallas by cornfield948 (20210830150614).jpg|thumb|Q2 Stadium of Austin FC]]
Many Austinites support the athletic programs of the University of Texas at Austin known as the Texas Longhorns. During the 2005–2006 academic term, the Longhorns football team was named the NCAA Division I FBS National Football Champion, and the Longhorns baseball team won the College World Series.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 27, 2005 |title=Texas Wins Sixth College World Series. Title |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jun-27-sp-cws27-story.html |access-date=June 22, 2010 |archive-date=September 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190907054241/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jun-27-sp-cws27-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Horns of plenty: VY, Texas deny USC three-peat bid |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=260040030 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712205427/http://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=260040030 |archive-date=July 12, 2017 |access-date=June 22, 2010 |work=ESPN}}</ref> The football team plays its home games in the state's second-largest sports stadium, Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, seating over 101,000 fans.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 20, 2009 |title=Texas 34, Texas Tech 24 box score |work=USA Today |url=http://content.usatoday.com/sportsdata/football/ncaaf/game/TexasTech_Texas/2009/09/19 |access-date=October 3, 2009 |archive-date=January 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120193632/http://content.usatoday.com/sportsdata/football/ncaaf/game/TexasTech_Texas/2009/09/19 |url-status=live }}</ref> Baseball games are played at UFCU Disch–Falk Field.

Austin was the most populous city in the United States without a major-league professional sports team, which changed in 2021 with Austin FC's entry to MLS.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 10, 2011 |title=Ten largest cities without a major pro sports franchise in North America |work=Yahoo! Sports |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ycn-8611569 |access-date=October 19, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022161256/https://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ycn-8611569 |archive-date=October 22, 2013}}</ref> Minor-league professional sports came to Austin in 1996, when the Austin Ice Bats began playing at the Travis County Expo Center;<ref>{{Cite web |title=A to Z Encyclopedia of Ice Hockey – Au |url=http://www.azhockey.com/Au.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100609042938/http://www.azhockey.com/Au.htm |archive-date=June 9, 2010 |access-date=June 22, 2010 |publisher=Azhockey.com}}</ref> they were later replaced by the AHL Texas Stars.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Texas Stars |url=http://www.texasstarshockey.com/home/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619141215/http://www.texasstarshockey.com/home/ |archive-date=June 19, 2010 |access-date=June 22, 2010 |publisher=Texasstarshockey.com}}</ref> Austin has hosted a number of other professional teams, including the Austin Spurs of the NBA G League,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home - Austin Spurs |url=http://www.nba.com/dleague/austin/ |website=Austin Spurs |access-date=July 3, 2010 |archive-date=April 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428194830/http://www.nba.com/dleague/austin/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the Austin Aztex of the United Soccer League, the Austin Outlaws in WFA football, and the Austin Aces in WTT tennis.

Natural features like the bicycle-friendly [[Earth:Texas Hill Country|Texas Hill Country]] and generally mild climate make Austin the home of several endurance and multi-sport races and communities. The Capitol 10,000 is the largest {{nowrap|10 k}} race in Texas, and approximately fifth largest in the United States.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 11, 2010 |title=Cap 10K race a running success |work=KXAN News |location=Austin, TX |url=http://www.kxan.com/dpp/health/Cap-10K-race-a-running-success |access-date=February 2, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100413003309/http://www.kxan.com/dpp/health/Cap-10K-race-a-running-success |archive-date=April 13, 2010}}</ref> The Austin Marathon has been run in the city every year since 1992. Additionally, the city is home to the largest 5 mile race in Texas,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin Sub Sandwich Shop - Thundercloud Subs |url=http://thundercloud.com/turkey-trot/history/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716235415/http://thundercloud.com/turkey-trot/history/ |archive-date=July 16, 2015 |access-date=July 16, 2015}}</ref> named the Turkey Trot as it is run annually on Thanksgiving. Started in 1991 by Thundercloud Subs, a local sandwich chain (who still sponsors the event), the event has grown to host over 20,000 runners. All proceeds are donated to Caritas of Austin, a local charity.

The Austin-founded American Swimming Association hosts several swim races around town. Austin is also the hometown of several cycling groups and the disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Macur |first=Juliet |date=October 22, 2012 |title=Lance Armstrong Is Stripped of His 7 Tour de France Titles |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/sports/cycling/armstrong-stripped-of-his-7-tour-de-france-titles.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/sports/cycling/armstrong-stripped-of-his-7-tour-de-france-titles.html |archive-date=2022-01-01 |url-access=limited |access-date=November 14, 2017}} </ref> Combining these three disciplines is a growing crop of triathlons, including the Capital of Texas Triathlon held every Memorial Day on and around Lady Bird Lake, Auditorium Shores, and Downtown Austin.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 3, 2009 |title=Capital of Texas triathlon maps |url=http://www.captextri.com/triathlon-information.php#att6 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102132934/https://www.captextri.com/triathlon-information.php |archive-date=January 2, 2014}}</ref>

Austin is home to the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), a grade 1 Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile specification {{convert|3.427|mi|km|adj=on}} motor racing facility which hosts the Formula One United States Grand Prix.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 4, 2019 |title=Contact Us |url=http://www.circuitoftheamericas.com/contact |website=Circuit of The Americas}}</ref> The State of Texas has pledged $25&nbsp;million in public funds annually for 10 years to pay the sanctioning fees for the race.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Maher |first=John |date=July 20, 2010 |title=Combs enthusiastic about F1 after watching Gritish Grand Prix |work=Austin American-Statesman |url=http://www.statesman.com/sports/racing/combs-enthusiastic-about-f1-after-watching-british-grand-812021.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100723104435/http://www.statesman.com/sports/racing/combs-enthusiastic-about-f1-after-watching-british-grand-812021.html |archive-date=July 23, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Noble |first=Jonathan |date=May 25, 2010 |title=US Grand Prix returns to F1 in 2012 |work=autosport.com |publisher=Haymarket Publishing |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/83873 |url-status=live |access-date=May 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100526183212/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/83873 |archive-date=May 26, 2010}}</ref> Built at an estimated cost of $250 to $300&nbsp;million, the circuit opened in 2012 and is located just east of the Austin Bergstrom International Airport.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 25, 2010 |title=Formula One Headed for Austin |url=http://www.statesman.com/sports/formula-one-headed-for-austin-708205.html?cxtype=rss_business |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100922064423/http://www.statesman.com/sports/formula-one-headed-for-austin-708205.html?cxtype=rss_business |archive-date=September 22, 2010 |access-date=July 2, 2010 |website=Austin American-Statesman}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Tavo(CT)Hellmund Bio |url=http://www.racingwest.com/drivers/tavo-ct-hellmund/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100601084459/http://www.racingwest.com/drivers/tavo-ct-hellmund/ |archive-date=June 1, 2010 |access-date=July 2, 2010 |publisher=Racing West.com |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The circuit also hosts the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix NASCAR race in late March each year.

The summer of 2014 marked the inaugural season for World TeamTennis team Austin Aces, formerly Orange County Breakers of the southern California region. The Austin Aces played their matches at the Cedar Park Center northwest of Austin, and featured former professionals Andy Roddick and Marion Bartoli, as well as current WTA tour player Vera Zvonareva.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Austin Aces |url=http://www.austinacestennis.com/teams/page.aspx?article_id=4163 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819125610/http://www.austinacestennis.com/teams/page.aspx?article_id=4163 |archive-date=August 19, 2014 |access-date=August 18, 2014 |website=Austin Aces}}</ref> The team left after the 2015 season.

In 2017, Precourt Sports Ventures announced a plan to move the Columbus Crew SC soccer franchise from Columbus, Ohio to Austin.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 17, 2017 |title=Statement from Precourt Sports Ventures |url=https://www.columbuscrewsc.com/post/2017/10/17/statement-precourt-sports-ventures |access-date=October 18, 2017 |archive-date=October 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018191523/https://www.columbuscrewsc.com/post/2017/10/17/statement-precourt-sports-ventures |url-status=live }}</ref> Precourt negotiated an agreement with the City of Austin to build a $200&nbsp;million privately funded stadium on public land at 10414 McKalla Place,<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 29, 2018 |title=Statement from Precourt Sports Ventures |language=en-US |work=MLS2ATX |url=http://mls2atx.com/statement-from-precourt-sports-ventures-june-29/ |access-date=July 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702035632/http://mls2atx.com/statement-from-precourt-sports-ventures-june-29/ |archive-date=July 2, 2018}}</ref> following initial interest in Butler Shores Metropolitan Park and Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Park.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Strong 'no Guerrero' message to stadium debate |work=statesman |url=https://www.statesman.com/sports/soccer/strong-guerrero-message-stadium-debate/1tC1wkLD2xObN3EvUhsawO/ |access-date=July 1, 2018 |archive-date=July 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702035512/https://www.statesman.com/sports/soccer/strong-guerrero-message-stadium-debate/1tC1wkLD2xObN3EvUhsawO/ }}</ref> As part of an arrangement with the league, operational rights of Columbus Crew SC were sold in late 2018,<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Ferree |first1=Ben |publisher=Pro Soccer USA |date=December 28, 2018 |title=Columbus Crew SC saved: MLS announces new ownership agreement |url=https://www.prosoccerusa.com/mls/columbus-crew-sc/mls-announces-sale-of-columbus-crew-sc/ |access-date=June 7, 2019 |archive-date=June 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607052211/https://www.prosoccerusa.com/mls/columbus-crew-sc/mls-announces-sale-of-columbus-crew-sc/ }}</ref> and Austin FC was announced as Major League Soccer's 27th franchise on January 15, 2019, with the expansion team starting play in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bils |first=Chris |title=Austin FC officially announced as 27th MLS club with 'local roots' |url=https://www.statesman.com/sports/20190115/austin-fc-officially-announced-as-27th-mls-club-with-local-roots |website=Austin American-Statesman |access-date=June 7, 2019 |archive-date=May 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520104105/https://www.statesman.com/sports/20190115/austin-fc-officially-announced-as-27th-mls-club-with-local-roots |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Austin Country Club is a private golf club located along the shores of the Colorado River, right next to the Pennybacker Bridge. Founded in 1899, the club moved to its third and present site in 1984, which features a challenging layout designed by noted course architect Pete Dye.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tucker |first=Brandon |date=March 16, 2017 |title=Tour the host golf course of the WGC-Dell Match Play, Austin Country Club |url=http://www.golfadvisor.com/articles/austin-country-club-16328.htm |access-date=March 27, 2017 |website=Golf Advisor |archive-date=March 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328105907/http://www.golfadvisor.com/articles/austin-country-club-16328.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Barnes |first=Michael |date=April 1, 2015 |title=Golfers and nonplayers remain fond of former Austin Country Club |work=Austin American-Statesman |location=(Texas) |url=http://www.mystatesman.com/entertainment/golfers-and-nonplayers-remain-fond-former-austin-country-club-site/jEDyEr6QTzDQiwp056mJ0I/ |access-date=March 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328105339/http://www.mystatesman.com/entertainment/golfers-and-nonplayers-remain-fond-former-austin-country-club-site/jEDyEr6QTzDQiwp056mJ0I/ |archive-date=March 28, 2017}}</ref>

Austin is set to host the BLAST.TV Austin Major, the 22nd ''Counter-Strike'' Major esports tournament, from June 9 to 22, 2025.<ref>{{cite news |last1=MIRAA |title=Official: BLAST to host 2025 Summer Major in Austin |url=https://www.hltv.org/news/39249/official-blast-to-host-2025-summer-major-in-austin |access-date=June 14, 2024 |work=HLTV.org |date=June 14, 2024 |archive-date=June 14, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614181336/https://www.hltv.org/news/39249/official-blast-to-host-2025-summer-major-in-austin |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Government==

===City government===
[[File:AustinTXCityHall.JPG|thumb|Austin City Hall]]

Austin is administered by an 11-member city council (10 council members elected by geographic district plus a mayor elected at large). The council is accompanied by a hired [[Social:City manager|city manager]] under the manager-council system of municipal governance. Council and mayoral elections are non-partisan, with a runoff in case there is no majority winner. A referendum approved by voters on November 6, 2012, changed the council composition from six council members plus a mayor elected at large to the current "10+1" district system. Supporters maintained that the at-large system would increase participation for all areas of the city, especially for those which had lacked representation from City Council.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2013-02-01/the-road-to-10-1/|title=The bumpy ride toward Austin's redistricted future|website=www.austinchronicle.com|access-date=February 8, 2023|archive-date=February 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208032808/https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2013-02-01/the-road-to-10-1/|url-status=live}}</ref>

November 2014 marked the first election under the new system. The Federal government had forced San Antonio and Dallas to abandon at-large systems before 1987; however, the court could not show a racist pattern in Austin and upheld the city's at-large system during a 1984 lawsuit. In five elections between 1973 and 1994 Austin voters rejected single-member districts.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Greenberger |first=Scott S. |date=April 6, 1997 |title=From the archives: Austin faces ghost of racial history in City Council contest |work=Austin American-Statesman |url=https://www.statesman.com/news/local/austin-faces-ghost-racial-history-city-council-contest/RZ8CjQ4DWOnIAPdMYKvy4H/ |access-date=August 26, 2018 |archive-date=August 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827110335/https://www.statesman.com/news/local/austin-faces-ghost-racial-history-city-council-contest/RZ8CjQ4DWOnIAPdMYKvy4H/ }}</ref>

Austin formerly operated its city hall at 128 West 8th Street.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Availability of FEIS |url=http://www.swf.usace.army.mil/pubdata/notices/3oakpdf/PPN3RV1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090109125039/http://www.swf.usace.army.mil/pubdata/notices/3oakpdf/PPN3RV1.pdf |archive-date=January 9, 2009 |access-date=December 29, 2008 |publisher=Fort Worth District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Antoine Predock and Cotera Kolar Negrete & Reed Architects designed a new city hall building, which was intended to reflect what ''The Dallas Morning News'' referred to as a "crazy-quilt vitality, that embraces everything from country music to environmental protests and high-tech swagger."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin City Hall |url=http://www.hunterdouglascontract.com/referenceprojects/article.jsp?pId=8a438349014db9420102a25eeb960621 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081119030748/http://www.hunterdouglascontract.com/referenceprojects/article.jsp?pId=8a438349014db9420102a25eeb960621 |archive-date=November 19, 2008 |access-date=December 29, 2008 |publisher=Hunter Douglas Contract}}</ref> The new city hall, built from recycled materials, has solar panels in its garage.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Witt|first=Howard |date=September 28, 2007 |title=In heart of Texas, drumbeat for green |work=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/services/newspaper/printedition/friday/chi-austin_green_wittsep28,0,2964379.story}}</ref> The city hall, at 301 West Second Street, opened in November 2004.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin City Hall |url=http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/cityhall/ |access-date=December 29, 2008 |publisher=City of Austin}}</ref> Kirk Watson is the current mayor of Austin, assuming the office for a second non-consecutive term on January 6, 2023.

In the 2012 elections, City Council elections were moved from May to November and City council members were given staggered term limits<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://communityimpact.com/austin/news/2012/11/05/voters-back-austin-city-council-term-limits-moving-election-date/|title=Voters back Austin City Council term limits, moving election date|first=Gene|last=Davis|date=November 5, 2012|website=Community Impact|access-date=February 8, 2023|archive-date=February 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208032820/https://communityimpact.com/austin/news/2012/11/05/voters-back-austin-city-council-term-limits-moving-election-date/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2022 Proposition D moved the term of the Austin Mayor to coincide with Presidential election years, so Kirk Watson would only serve two years unlike his predecessor Steve Adler<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kut.org/politics/2022-10-18/austin-mayor-term-election-2022|title=Austin's next mayor will serve two years, not the usual four|date=October 18, 2022|website=KUT Radio, Austin's NPR Station|access-date=February 8, 2023|archive-date=February 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208033702/https://www.kut.org/politics/2022-10-18/austin-mayor-term-election-2022|url-status=live}}</ref>

Law enforcement in Austin is provided by the Austin Police Department, except for state government buildings, which are patrolled by the Texas Department of Public Safety. The University of Texas Police operate from the [[Organization:University of Texas at Austin|University of Texas]].

Fire protection within the city limits is provided by the Austin Fire Department, while the surrounding county is divided into twelve geographical areas known as emergency services districts, which are covered by separate regional fire departments.<ref>{{Cite web |title=EMS Austin-Travis-County {{pipe}} AustinTexas.gov |url=http://www.austintexas.gov/content/ems-austin-travis-county |url-status=live |archive-date=October 11, 2011 |website=www.austintexas.gov |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011010946/http://atcems.org/home/index2.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=78&Itemid=41}}</ref> Emergency medical services are provided for the whole county by Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin Fire Department |url=http://www.austintexas.gov/department/fire |access-date=September 15, 2014 |website=Austintexas.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin Travis-County EMS Department |url=http://www.austintexas.gov/department/ems |access-date=October 17, 2014 |website=Austintexas.gov |archive-date=October 29, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029063118/http://www.austintexas.gov/department/ems |url-status=live }}</ref>

'''Mayor Kirk Watson (D)'''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! District !! Name !! Party (officially nonpartisan) !! References
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 1 ||Natasha Harper-Madison|| Democratic || <ref>{{Cite news |title=Updates From Austin As Texas Faces Frigid Temps |language=en |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/02/19/969369320/updates-from-austin-as-texas-faces-frigid-temps |access-date=2022-05-17 |archive-date=May 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517190810/https://www.npr.org/2021/02/19/969369320/updates-from-austin-as-texas-faces-frigid-temps |url-status=live }}</ref>
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 2 || Vanessa Fuentes || Democratic || <ref>{{Cite web |title=Vanessa Fuentes |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Vanessa_Fuentes |access-date=November 22, 2019 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}</ref>
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 3 ||Jose Velasquez|| Democratic ||<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Jose_Velasquez|title=Jose Velasquez|website=Ballotpedia|access-date=February 8, 2023|archive-date=February 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208054155/https://ballotpedia.org/Jose_Velasquez|url-status=live}}</ref>
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 4 || Jose "Chito" Vela|| Democratic ||<ref>|https://ballotpedia.org/Jose_Vela</ref>
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 5 || Ryan Alter || Democratic ||<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Ryan_Alter|title=Ryan Alter|website=Ballotpedia|access-date=February 8, 2023|archive-date=February 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208054148/https://ballotpedia.org/Ryan_Alter|url-status=live}}</ref>
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| 6 || Mackenzie Kelly || Republican ||<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mackenzie Kelly |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Mackenzie_Kelly |access-date=January 22, 2021 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}</ref>
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 7 || Leslie Pool || Democratic || <ref>{{Cite web |title=Leslie Pool |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Leslie_Pool |access-date=November 22, 2019 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}</ref>
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 8 || Paige Ellis || Democratic ||<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 28, 2018 |title=Paige Ellis represents sharp political shift for Southwest Austin's District 8 |url=https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2018/12/paige-ellis-represents-sharp-political-shift-for-southwest-austins-district-8/ |access-date=November 22, 2019 |website=Austin Monitor}}</ref>
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 9 || Zohaib Qadri || Democratic || <ref>{{Cite web |title=Leslie Pool |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Zohaib_Qadri |website=Ballotpedia |language=en |access-date=February 8, 2023 |archive-date=February 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208054149/https://ballotpedia.org/Zohaib_Qadri |url-status=live }}</ref>
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 10 || Alison Alter || Democratic ||<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alison Alter |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Alison_Alter |access-date=November 22, 2019 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en |archive-date=June 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190614224052/https://ballotpedia.org/Alison_Alter |url-status=live }}</ref>
|}

In 2003, the city adopted a resolution against the USA PATRIOT Act that reaffirmed constitutionally guaranteed rights.

===Crime===
As of 2019, Austin is one of the safest large cities in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 23, 2020 |title=2019 City of Austin Safety Rankings Now Available |url=https://www.austintexas.gov/news/2019-city-austin-safety-rankings-now-available |access-date=May 27, 2021 |website=austintexas.gov |publisher=City of Austin |archive-date=July 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727192318/https://austintexas.gov/news/2019-city-austin-safety-rankings-now-available |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2019, the FBI named Austin the 11th safest city on a list of 22 American cities with a population above 400,000.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bowen |first=Kacey |date=December 23, 2020 |title=Austin ranked in top 10 safest large cities in United States |agency=KTBC |url=https://www.fox7austin.com/news/austin-ranked-in-top-10-safest-large-cities-in-united-states |access-date=May 27, 2021 |archive-date=August 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803211508/https://www.fox7austin.com/news/austin-ranked-in-top-10-safest-large-cities-in-united-states |url-status=live }}</ref>

FBI statistics show that overall violent and property crimes dropped in Austin in 2015, but increased in suburban areas of the city.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 28, 2016 |title=Violent crime rate drops in Austin, but grows in suburbs, data |url=http://www.mystatesman.com/news/crime--law/violent-crime-rate-drops-austin-but-grows-suburbs-data-show/30T89Khh0uESC7qM6tiIGO/ |access-date=January 27, 2017 |website=Mystatesman.com |archive-date=January 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107100520/http://www.mystatesman.com/news/crime--law/violent-crime-rate-drops-austin-but-grows-suburbs-data-show/30T89Khh0uESC7qM6tiIGO/ }}</ref> One such southeastern suburb, Del Valle, reported eight homicides within two months in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eighth body identified in Del Valle |work=KTBC |url=http://www.fox7austin.com/news/local-news/215154781-story |access-date=May 25, 2017 |publisher=Fox7austin.com |archive-date=July 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170724211313/http://www.fox7austin.com/news/local-news/215154781-story }}</ref> According to 2016 APD crime statistics, the 78723 census tract had the most violent crime, with 6 murders, 25 rapes, and 81 robberies.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016 |title=Zip code report |url=https://austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Zip_Code_Creim_Report_2016.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Zip_Code_Creim_Report_2016.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |access-date=June 14, 2019 |website=austintexas.gov}}</ref> The city had 39 homicides in 2016, the most since 1997.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Folan |first=Evan |date=January 2, 2017 |title=2016 homicide rate: El Paso remains steady as Austin, San Antonio experience sharp increase |work=KVIA |url=http://www.kvia.com/crime/year-in-review-el-pasos-homicides-compared-to-state-national-trend/243616709 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105083306/http://www.kvia.com/crime/year-in-review-el-pasos-homicides-compared-to-state-national-trend/243616709 |archive-date=January 5, 2017 |access-date=January 27, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 29, 2016 |title=Austin Murder Total Highest Since 2010 |url=http://www.twcnews.com/tx/austin/news/2016/12/29/austin-murder-rate-highest-since-2010.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105085218/http://www.twcnews.com/tx/austin/news/2016/12/29/austin-murder-rate-highest-since-2010.html |archive-date=January 5, 2017 |access-date=January 27, 2017 |website=Twcnews.com}}</ref>

====Notable incidents====
In 1884 and 1885, one of the earliest recorded [[Philosophy:Serial killer|serial killings]] in the United States occurred in Austin, in which 8 people were murdered by a suspect known as the "Servant Girl Annihilator".<ref name=TexasMonthly>{{cite news |last=Hollandsworth |first=Skip |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/capital-murder/ |title=Capital Murder |newspaper=Texas Monthly |date=July 2000}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/94680/how-servant-girl-annihilator-terrorized-1880s-austin|title=How the 'Servant Girl Annihilator' Terrorized 1880s Austin|date=2017-04-25|website=www.mentalfloss.com|language=en|access-date=2020-03-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://truecrimesociety.com/2019/09/28/the-servant-girl-annihilator/|title=True Crime Society - The Servant Girl Annihilator|date=2019-09-29|website=True Crime Society|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-07|archive-date=2020-02-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217203117/https://truecrimesociety.com/2019/09/28/the-servant-girl-annihilator/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

One of the first American mass school shooting incidents took place in Austin on August 1, 1966, when Charles Whitman shot 43 people, killing 13 from the top of the University of Texas tower.<ref name="texasmonthly.com" /> The University of Texas tower shooting led to the formation of the SWAT team of the Austin Police Department.<ref name="texasmonthly.com" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 1, 1966 |title=Paulding County, GA - History of SWAT |url=http://www.paulding.gov/index.aspx?NID=519 |access-date=May 25, 2017 |publisher=Paulding.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=April 1, 1997 |title=The Birth and Evolution of the SWAT Unit - Article - POLICE Magazine |url=http://www.policemag.com/channel/swat/articles/1997/04/the-birth-and-evolution-of-the-swat-unit/page/2.aspx |access-date=May 25, 2017 |publisher=Policemag.com |archive-date=March 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170330090958/http://www.policemag.com/channel/swat/articles/1997/04/the-birth-and-evolution-of-the-swat-unit/page/2.aspx }}</ref>

In 1991, four teenage girls were murdered in a yogurt shop by an unknown assailant(s). A police officer responded to reports of a fire at the I Can't Believe It's Yogurt! store on Anderson Lane and discovered the girls' bodies in a back room. The murders remain unsolved.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 19, 2019 |title=True Crime Society - The Yogurt Shop Murders |url=https://truecrimesociety.com/2019/08/18/the-yogurt-shop-murders/ |access-date=May 13, 2020 |website=True Crime Society |language=en-US |archive-date=June 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604124209/https://truecrimesociety.com/2019/08/18/the-yogurt-shop-murders/ }}</ref>

In 2010, Andrew Joseph Stack III deliberately crashed his [[Engineering:Piper PA-28 Cherokee|Piper PA-28 Cherokee]] into Echelon 1, a building in which the [[Finance:Internal Revenue Service|Internal Revenue Service]] was a lessee of, housing 190 employees.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 6, 2010 |title=IRS Opts for New Address in Austin |url=https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/irs-opts-for-new-address-in-austin/1893031/ |access-date=June 13, 2020 |website=KXAS-TV}}</ref> The resulting explosion killed one and injured 13 IRS employees, partially damaged the building and cost the IRS a total of $38.6&nbsp;million.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 18, 2012 |title=Austin Plane Crash Cost IRS $38.6 Million |url=https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/austin-plane-crash-cost-irs-386-million |access-date=June 13, 2020 |website=Accounting Today}}</ref> ''(see 2010 Austin suicide attack)''

A series of bombings occurred in Austin in March 2018. Over the course of 20 days, five package bombs exploded, killing two people and injuring another five. The suspect, 23-year-old Mark Anthony Conditt of Pflugerville, Texas, blew himself up inside his vehicle after he was pulled over by police<!--DO NOT SPECIFY AN AGENCY; REFERENCES INDICATE THAT THIS WAS MULTI-AGENCY OPERATION--> on March 21, also injuring a police officer.<ref name="time_Aust">{{Cite magazine |last=Ducharme |first=Jamie |date=March 21, 2018 |title=Austin Serial Bombing Suspect Identified as Mark Anthony Conditt |url=https://time.com/5207936/austin-texas-bombing-suspect-dead/ |access-date=March 22, 2018 |magazine=Time |archive-date=March 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322022353/http://time.com/5207936/austin-texas-bombing-suspect-dead/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="npr._Mark">{{Cite web |last=Chappell |first=Bill |date=March 22, 2018 |title=Mark Anthony Conditt: What We Know About The Austin Bomber |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/21/595604376/mark-anthony-conditt-what-we-know-about-the-austin-bombing-suspect |access-date=March 22, 2018 |website=NPR |archive-date=March 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321232309/https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/21/595604376/mark-anthony-conditt-what-we-know-about-the-austin-bombing-suspect |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2020, Austin was the victim of a [[Cyberattack|cyberattack]] by the Russian group [[Organization:Berserk Bear|Berserk Bear]], possibly related to the U.S. federal government data breach earlier that year.<ref name="intercept-2020-12-17">{{Cite web |last1=Hvistendahl |first1=Mara Hvistendahl |last2=Lee |first2=Micah |last3=Smith |first3=Jordan |date=December 17, 2020 |title=Russian Hackers Have Been Inside Austin City Network for Months |url=https://theintercept.com/2020/12/17/russia-hack-austin-texas/ |website=The Intercept |access-date=December 20, 2020 |archive-date=December 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217234405/https://theintercept.com/2020/12/17/russia-hack-austin-texas/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin officials quiet on reports that city network hacked |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/report-says-austin-s-city-network-hacked-city-says-critical-systems-not-affected/ar-BB1c1kSd |website=www.msn.com |access-date=December 20, 2020 |archive-date=April 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416125801/https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/report-says-austin-s-city-network-hacked-city-says-critical-systems-not-affected/ar-BB1c1kSd |url-status=live }}</ref>

On April 18, 2021, a [[Engineering:Shooting|shooting]] occurred at the Arboretum Oaks Apartments near The Arboretum shopping center, in which a former Travis County Sheriff's Office detective killed his ex-wife, his adoptive daughter, and his daughter's boyfriend.<ref>{{Cite web |first1=Alejandro |last1=Martínez-Cabrera|first2=Tony|last2=Plohetski|first3=John|last3=Bacon|title='Danger remains high': Suspect remains at large in fatal shooting of 3 near Austin shopping center |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/04/18/austin-shooting-what-we-know/7277555002/ |access-date=April 19, 2021 |website=USA Today |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Statesman.shooting">{{Cite web |date=April 19, 2021 |title=Shooting suspect Stephen Broderick caught near Manor, authorities say; 2 victims identified |url=https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/04/19/shooting-suspect-stephen-broderick-caught-near-manor-authorities-say-2-victims-identified/7283005002/ |access-date=April 19, 2021 |archive-date=April 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419185202/https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/04/19/shooting-suspect-stephen-broderick-caught-near-manor-authorities-say-2-victims-identified/7283005002/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=April 19, 2021 |title=Austin shooting: Former detective arrested, charged in triple murder after manhunt |url=https://www.kxan.com/news/local/travis-county/austin-shooting-suspect-arrested-wanted-for-killing-3-people/ |access-date=April 19, 2021 |website=KXAN Austin |language=en-US}}</ref> The suspect, who was previously charged with child sexual assault, was arrested in Manor after a 20-hour manhunt.<ref name="CNN.Shooting">{{Cite web |last1=Hassan |first1=Carma |last2=Silverman |first2=Hollie |last3=Elassar |first3=Alaa |date=2021-04-18 |title=Authorities arrest a former sheriff's detective wanted in Austin, Texas, shooting that left 3 dead |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/18/us/austin-shooting-three-dead/index.html |access-date=2025-05-26 |website=CNN}}</ref><ref name="USATODAY.Shooting">{{Cite web |date=April 19, 2021 |title=What we know about Austin shooting suspect Stephen Broderick |author-first1=Joe|author-last1=Mutascio|author-first2=Ryan|author-last2=Autullo|website=[[Software:USA Today|USA Today]] |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2021/04/18/stephen-broderick-austin-shooting-suspect-arboretum/7278131002 |access-date=April 19, 2021}}</ref>

A mass shooting took place in the early morning of June 12, 2021, on Sixth Street, which resulted in 14 people injured and one dead. The man killed was believed to be an innocent bystander who was struck as he was standing outside a bar. A 19-year-old suspect, De'ondre "Dre" White, was formally charged and arrested in Killeen nearly two weeks after the shooting.<ref>{{Cite web |first1=Alta |last1=Spells |first2=Deanna |last2=Hackney |date=June 12, 2021 |title=One arrest made in Austin, Texas, mass shooting that injured 14 people |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/12/us/austin-texas-shooting-downtown/index.html |website=CNN |access-date=June 12, 2021 |archive-date=June 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210612113502/https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/12/us/austin-texas-shooting-downtown/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Marini |first=Miriam |title=Man killed in Austin shooting was living in Michigan, set to marry high school sweetheart |url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2021/06/14/austin-shooting-victim-douglas-kantor-michigan/7688582002/ |website=Detroit Free Press}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/austin-shooting-new-suspect-19-arrested-after-manhunt-police-say|title=Austin shooting: New suspect, 19, arrested after manhunt, police say|publisher=Fox News|date=June 25, 2021|access-date=April 2, 2022|archive-date=May 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220503154736/https://www.foxnews.com/us/austin-shooting-new-suspect-19-arrested-after-manhunt-police-say|url-status=live|last1=Aaro|first1=David}}</ref>

In 2024, Zacharia Doar, a 23-year old Palestinian-American man, was attacked and stabbed in the chest on West 26th Street, West Campus, after returning from a rally in support of Palestinian human rights. The assailant, 36-year old Bert James Baker was arrested at the scene and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Austin |first=C. B. S. |date=2024-02-07 |title=West Campus stabbing officially classified as hate crime by Austin police |url=https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/west-campus-stabbing-officially-classified-as-hate-crime-by-austin-police |access-date=2024-02-16 |website=KEYE |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-07 |title=Austin police say West Campus attack meets hate crime definition |url=https://www.kvue.com/video/news/crime/austin-police-say-west-campus-attack-meets-hate-crime-definition/269-90c249f8-c4ee-4891-9215-22d3c887d31a |access-date=2024-02-16 |website=kvue.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

On August 11, 2025, a mass shooting occurred outside a [[Company:Target Corporation|Target]] store in North Austin, killing three people. The suspect fled the Target by hijacking a [[Engineering:Car|car]] belonging to one of the victims. After leaving the Target area, the suspect crashed the stolen vehicle and proceeded to steal another vehicle from a car dealership. The suspect was later taken into custody after being subdued with a [[Engineering:Taser|Taser]]. He was later identified as a 32-year-old male.<ref>{{Cite web |title=3 dead in shooting at Target in Austin, suspect detained: Police |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/shooting-reported-target-austin-suspect-large-police/story?id=124557400}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=3 killed in Austin Target shooting; suspect is detained |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/two-killed-austin-target-shooting-suspect-detained-rcna224420}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=3 killed in north Austin shooting, suspect detained |url=https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/multiple-killed-hurt-in-north-austin-shooting/}}</ref>

===Other levels of government===
[[File:Federal Courthouse, Austin, TX IMG 6339.JPG|thumb|The 8-story U.S. Courthouse is located at Fourth, Fifth, San Antonio, and Nueces streets (opened December 2012).<ref name="Castillo 2012" />|alt=|220x220px]]
Austin is the county seat of Travis County and hosts the Heman Marion Sweatt Travis County Courthouse downtown, as well as other county government offices. The Texas Department of Transportation operates the Austin District Office in Austin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dot.state.tx.us/local_information/austin_district/ |title=Austin District |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125200305/http://www.dot.state.tx.us/local_information/austin_district/ |archive-date=January 25, 2010 |website=Texas Department of Transportation<!--Please go to "View District Location--> |access-date= January 11, 2010}}</ref> The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Austin I and Austin II district parole offices in Austin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/parole/parole-directory/paroledir-rgnldisparoff4.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904002737/http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/parole/parole-directory/paroledir-rgnldisparoff4.htm|archive-date=September 4, 2011 |title=Parole Division - Directory - Regional and District Parole Offices |website=Texas Department of Criminal Justice}}</ref> The United States Postal Service operates several post offices in Austin.

===Politics===

Former Governor [[Biography:Rick Perry|Rick Perry]] had previously referred to it as a "blueberry in the tomato soup", meaning, Austin had previously been a Democratic city in a Republican state.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rick Perry Booed on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" at SXSW in Austin |url=https://people.com/tv/rick-perry-booed-on-jimmy-kimmel-live-at-sxsw-in-austin/ |access-date=January 14, 2021 |website=People |language=EN |date=March 12, 2014 |first=Alex |last=Heigl}}</ref> However, Texas currently has multiple urban cities also voting Democratic and electing Democratic mayors in elections.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://texasview.org/cities-in-texas-that-are-liberal/ |title=Cities in Texas That Are Liberal - 2023 |first=Christian |last=Linden |date=August 27, 2022 |website=Texas View |access-date=February 8, 2023 |archive-date=February 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208032823/https://texasview.org/cities-in-texas-that-are-liberal/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

After the most recent redistricting, Austin is currently divided between the 10th, 35th and 37th Congressional districts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=7oGYy0Q+&id=C8B0A58C0A2FE3FB6B822E034AC8BBBAA42C4E77&thid=OIP.7oGYy0Q-dyfKNMzdtppmLwHaHG&mediaurl=https://cdn.hpm.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/21170843/Latest-Map-1536x1474.jpg&cdnurl=https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.ee8198cb443e7727ca34ccddb69a662f?rik=d04spLq7yEoDLg&pid=ImgRaw&r=0&exph=1474&expw=1536&q=congressional+map+of+texas+2023&simid=607992938069384587&FORM=IRPRST&ck=B865C471E77D215F4CD04D0607F49786&selectedIndex=0&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0|title=Congressional map of Texas 2023|website=Bing}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right;"
|+ Travis County Presidential elections results
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
! Year
! Republican
!Democratic
|-
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|2024
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|29.4% ''170,613''
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|'''68.7%''' ''398,253''
|-
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|2020
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|26.4% ''161,337''
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|'''71.4%''' ''435,860''
|-
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|2016
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|27.4% ''126,750''
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|'''66.3%''' ''306,475''
|-
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|2012
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|36.2% ''140,152''
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|'''60.1%''' ''232,788''
|-
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|2008
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|34.3% ''136,981''
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|'''63.5%''' ''254,017''
|-
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|2004
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|42.0% ''147,885''
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|'''56.0%''' ''197,235''
|-
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|2000
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|'''46.9%''' ''141,235''
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|41.7% ''125,526''
|-
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|1996
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|39.9% ''98,454''
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|'''52.3%''' ''128,970''
|-
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|1992
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|31.9% ''88,105''
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|'''47.3%''' ''130,546''
|-
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|1988
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|44.9% ''105,915''
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|'''54.1%''' ''127,783''
|-
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|1984
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|'''56.8%''' ''124,944''
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|42.8% ''94,124''
|-
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|1980
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|45.7% ''73,151''
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|'''46.9%''' ''75,028''
|-
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|1976
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|46.7% ''71,031''
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|'''51.6%''' ''78,585''
|-
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|1972
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|'''56.3%''' ''70,561''
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|43.2% ''54,157''
|-
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|1968
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|41.6% ''34,309''
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|'''48.1%''' ''39,667''
|-
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|1964
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|31.0% ''19,838''
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|'''68.9%''' ''44,058''
|-
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|1960
|  style="text-align:center; background:#FFB6B6;"|44.9% ''22,107''
|  style="text-align:center; background:#B0CEFF;"|'''54.9%''' ''27,022''
|}

====Issues====
A controversial turning point in the political history of the Austin area was the 2003 Texas redistricting. Before then, Austin had been entirely or almost entirely within the borders of a single congressional district–what was then the 10th District–for over a century. Opponents characterized the resulting district layout as excessively partisan [[Social:Gerrymandering|gerrymandering]], and the plan was challenged in court by Democratic and minority activists. The Supreme Court of the United States has never struck down a redistricting plan for being excessively partisan. The plan was subsequently upheld by a three-judge federal panel in late 2003, and on June 28, 2006, the matter was largely settled when the Supreme Court, in a 7–2 decision, upheld the entire congressional redistricting plan with the exception of a Hispanic-majority district in southwest Texas. This affected Austin's districting, as U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett's district (U.S. Congressional District 25) was found to be insufficiently compact to compensate for the reduced [[Social:Minority influence|minority influence]] in the southwest district; it was redrawn so that it took in most of southeastern Travis County and several counties to its south and east.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stohr |first=Greg |date=June 28, 2006 |title=Republican Texas Redistricting Upheld by Top Court |publisher=Bloomberg |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=ah1suoNgrH7g |access-date=July 24, 2008}}</ref>

====Environmental movement====
The distinguishing political movement of Austin politics has been that of the environmental movement, which spawned the parallel neighborhood movement, then the more recent conservationist movement (as typified by the Hill Country Conservancy),<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zaragosa |first=Sara |date=August 28, 2009 |title=Conservancy shifts into high gear; Efforts steer land away from development |work=Austin Business Journal |url=http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2009/08/31/story4.html |access-date=July 25, 2010 |archive-date=August 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828183400/http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2009/08/31/story4.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and eventually the current ongoing debate about "sense of place" and preserving the Austin quality of life. Much of the environmental movement has matured into a debate on issues related to saving and creating an Austin "sense of place."<ref name="Swearingen 2010" /> In 2012, Austin became just one of a few cities in Texas to ban the sale and use of plastic bags. However, the ban ended in 2018 due to a court ruling that regarded all bag bans in the state to contravene the Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act.<ref name="Hoffberger">{{Cite news |last=Hoffberger |first=Chase |date=June 22, 2018 |title=Say Goodbye to the Plastic Bag Ban; Texas Supreme Court rules city ordinances can't override state law |work=The Austin Chronicle |url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2018-06-22/say-goodbye-to-the-plastic-bag-ban}}</ref> In 2016, Austin became the first Gold designee of the SolSmart program,<ref>{{Cite web |title=500 Communities Designated! Get Ready for 500 More |url=https://solsmart.org/news/500-communities-designated-get-ready-for-500-more |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=SolSmart |language=en}}</ref> a national program from the U.S. Department of Energy that recognizes local governments for enacting solar-friendly measures at the local level.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-09-27 |title=Austin wins award for improving access to solar energy |first1=Rosie|last1=Newberry|url=https://www.kxan.com/news/austin-wins-award-for-improving-access-to-solar-energy/ |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=KXAN Austin |language=en-US |archive-date=June 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230615191324/https://www.kxan.com/news/austin-wins-award-for-improving-access-to-solar-energy/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-10-03 |title=Austin Achieves Award for Solar Energy |url=https://texashillcountry.com/austin-award-solar-energy/ |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=Texas Hill Country |language=en-US |archive-date=June 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230615191324/https://texashillcountry.com/austin-award-solar-energy/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Education==

According to the 2015–2019 Census estimates, 51.7% of Austin residents aged 25 and over have earned at least a [[Bachelor's degree|bachelor's degree]], compared with the national figure of 32.1%. 19.4% hold a [[Graduate degree|graduate]] or [[Social:Professional degree|professional degree]], compared with the national figure of 12.4%.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin city, Texas – American Community Survey 2015-2019 |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=DP02&g=0100000US_1600000US4805000&tid=ACSDP5Y2019.DP02 |access-date=26 December 2021 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |archive-date=December 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211226161525/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=DP02&g=0100000US_1600000US4805000&tid=ACSDP5Y2019.DP02 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Higher education===

[[File:Texas University at Austin (8095546843).jpg|alt=|thumb|[[University of Texas at Austin|The University of Texas at Austin]]]]
[[File:Austin Community College campus in 2013.jpg|thumb|[[Austin Community College District|Austin Community College]]]]

Austin is home to the [[Organization:University of Texas at Austin|University of Texas at Austin]], the flagship institution of the [[Organization:University of Texas System|University of Texas System]] with over 40,000 undergraduate students and 11,000 graduate students.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Facts & Figures {{pipe}} The University of Texas at Austin |url=https://www.utexas.edu/about/facts-and-figures |website=www.utexas.edu |access-date=July 11, 2020 |archive-date=October 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011183549/https://www.utexas.edu/about/facts-and-figures |url-status=live }}</ref>

Other institutions of higher learning in Austin include St. Edward's University, [[Organization:Huston–Tillotson University|Huston–Tillotson University]], Austin Community College, [[Organization:Concordia University Texas|Concordia University]], the Seminary of the Southwest, Texas Health and Science University, [[Organization:University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences|University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences]], [[Organization:Austin Graduate School of Theology|Austin Graduate School of Theology]], Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, [[Organization:Virginia College|Virginia College]]'s Austin Campus, The Art Institute of Austin, Southern Careers Institute of Austin, Austin Conservatory and branch campuses of [[Organization:Case Western Reserve University|Case Western Reserve University]] and [[Organization:Park University|Park University]].

The [[Organization:University of Texas System|University of Texas System]] and [[Organization:Texas State University System|Texas State University System]] are headquartered in downtown Austin.

===Public primary and secondary education===

Approximately half of the city by area is served by the Austin Independent School District. This district includes notable schools such as the magnet Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School of Austin, Texas (LASA), which, by test scores, has consistently been within the top thirty high schools in the nation, as well as The Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders. The remaining portion of Austin is served by adjoining school districts, including Round Rock ISD, Pflugerville ISD, Leander ISD, Manor ISD, Del Valle ISD, Lake Travis ISD, Hays ISD, and Eanes ISD.<ref>"[https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Planning/Demographics/School_Districts_and_The_City.pdf Regional School Districts and the City of Austin]." City of Austin. March 2013. Retrieved on August 4, 2016.</ref>

===Private and alternative education===

The Austin metropolitan area is also served by 27 charter school districts and over 100 private schools.<ref name="austin-chamber.org" />  Austin has a large network of private and alternative education institutions for children in PreK–12th grade exists. Austin is also home to several child developmental institutions.

==Media==
Austin's main daily newspaper is the ''Austin American-Statesman''. ''The Austin Chronicle'' is Austin's alternative weekly, while ''The Daily Texan'' is the student newspaper of the [[Organization:University of Texas at Austin|University of Texas at Austin]]. Austin's business newspaper is the weekly ''Austin Business Journal''. ''The Austin Monitor'' is an online outlet that specializes in insider reporting on City Hall, Travis County Commissioners Court, AISD, and other related local civics beats. The ''Monitor'' is backed by the nonprofit Capital of Texas Media Foundation. 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. ''Texas Monthly'', a major regional magazine, is also headquartered in Austin. The ''Texas Observer'', a muckraking biweekly political magazine, has been based in Austin for over five decades. The weekly ''Community Impact Newspaper'' published by John Garrett, former publisher of the ''Austin Business Journal'' has five regional editions and is delivered to every house and business within certain ZIP codes and all of the news is specific to those ZIP codes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 29, 2008 |title=Community Impact Distribution Map |url=http://www.impactnews.com/reader-services/248-general/1805-distribution-map |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013094040/http://impactnews.com/reader-services/248-general/1805-distribution-map |archive-date=October 13, 2008 |access-date=October 28, 2008 |website=Community Impact Newspaper}}</ref> Another statewide publication based in Austin is ''The Texas Tribune'', an on-line publication focused on Texas politics.<ref name="nytimes.com" /> The ''Tribune'' is "user-supported" through donations, a business model similar to public radio.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thornton |first=John |date=August 1, 2009 |title=What If: The Non-Profit Media Model |work=HuffPost |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-if-the-non-profit-me_b_248284}}</ref> The editor is Evan Smith, former editor of ''Texas Monthly''. Smith co-founded the ''Texas Tribune'', a nonprofit, non-partisan public media organization, with Austin venture capitalist John Thornton and veteran journalist Ross Ramsey.<ref name="nytimes.com" /><ref>[http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/Texas_Tribune_set_as_state_watchdog.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090728065728/http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/Texas_Tribune_set_as_state_watchdog.html|date=July 28, 2009}}</ref>

Commercial radio stations include KASE-FM (country), KVET (sports), KVET-FM (country), KKMJ-FM (adult contemporary), KLBJ (talk), KLBJ-FM (classic rock), KJFK (variety hits), KFMK (contemporary Christian), KOKE-FM (progressive country) and KPEZ (rhythmic contemporary). KUT-FM is the leading public radio station in Texas and produces the majority of its content locally.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beach |first=Patrick |date=August 15, 2008 |title=KUT's 50 years of not playing the hits |url=http://www.austin360.com/music/content/music/stories/2008/08/0817kut.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222023451/http://www.austin360.com/music/content/music/stories/2008/08/0817kut.html |archive-date=December 22, 2008 |access-date=October 25, 2008 |website=Austin American-Statesman}}</ref> KOOP (FM) is a volunteer-run radio station with more than 60 locally produced programs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=KOOP Website |url=http://www.koop.org |access-date=September 19, 2014 |publisher=Koop.org}}</ref> KVRX is the student-run college radio station of the University of Texas at Austin with a focus on local and non-mainstream music and community programming.<ref>{{Cite web |title=KVRX Website |url=http://www.kvrx.org |access-date=September 19, 2014 |publisher=Kvrx.org}}</ref> Other listener-supported stations include KAZI (urban contemporary), and KMFA (classical).

Network television stations (affiliations in parentheses) include KTBC (Fox [[Engineering:Owned-and-operated station|O&O]]), KVUE (ABC), KXAN (NBC), KEYE-TV (CBS), KLRU (PBS), KNVA (The CW), KBVO (MyNetworkTV), and KAKW (Univision [[Engineering:Owned-and-operated station|O&O]]). KLRU produces several award-winning locally produced programs such as ''Austin City Limits''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Holloway |first=Diane |date=October 29, 2007 |title=Austin stations win Lone Star Emmys |url=http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/tvblog/entries/2007/10/29/austin_stations_win_lone_star_emmys.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207055031/http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/tvblog/entries/2007/10/29/austin_stations_win_lone_star_emmys.html |archive-date=December 7, 2008 |access-date=October 25, 2008 |website=Austin American-Statesman |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Despite Austin's explosive growth, it is only a medium-sized market (currently 38th) because the suburban and rural areas are not much larger than the city proper. Additionally, the proximity of San Antonio truncates the potential market area.

Alex Jones, journalist, radio show host and filmmaker, produces his talk show ''The Alex Jones Show'' in Austin which broadcasts nationally on more than 60 AM and FM radio stations in the United States, WWCR Radio shortwave and XM Radio: Channel 166.<ref>{{Cite web |title=America's Talk: Compelling Talk Show Hosts |url=http://www.siriusxm.com/americastalk |access-date=January 19, 2013 |publisher=Siriusxm.com |archive-date=March 28, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130328141818/http://www.siriusxm.com/americastalk |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Notable people==

==International relations==
Austin has two types of relationships with other cities, sister and friendship.

===Sister cities===
Austin's sister cities are:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sister and Friendship Cities Program |url=https://www.austintexas.gov/department/sister-and-friendship-cities-program |access-date=October 26, 2020 |publisher=City of Austin |archive-date=October 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021120816/https://www.austintexas.gov/department/sister-and-friendship-cities-program |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Place:Adelaide|Adelaide, South Australia]], Australia (1983)
*{{flagicon|FRA}} Angers, Pays de la Loire, France (2011)
*{{flagicon|TUR}} Antalya, Antalya Province, Turkey (2009)
*{{flagicon|KOR}} Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (2001)
*{{flagicon|UK}} Hackney, [[Place:London|London, England]], United Kingdom (2014)
*{{flagicon|GER}} Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany (1991)
*{{flagicon|PER}} [[Place:Lima|Lima]], Peru (1981)
*{{flagicon|LSO}} [[Place:Maseru|Maseru]], Lesotho (1978)
*{{flagicon|JPN}} Ōita, Ōita, Japan (1990)
*{{flagicon|IND}} Pune, Maharashtra, India (2018)
*{{flagicon|MEX}} Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico (1968)
*{{flagicon|TWN}} Taichung, Taiwan (1986)
*{{flagicon|CHN}} Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China (1997)
{{div col end}}
The cities of Belo Horizonte, Brazil and Elche, Spain were formerly sister cities, but after an Austin City Council vote in 1991, their statuses were deactivated.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Austin City Council Minutes |url=http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/edims/document.cfm?id=24471 |access-date=March 21, 2010 |website=Austin City Connection |publisher=City of Austin |archive-date=October 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005165128/http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/edims/document.cfm?id=24471 |url-status=live }}</ref> Orlu, South East, Nigeria became a sister city in 2000, but was downgraded to emeritus status later.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sister Cities Membership Directory |url=https://sistercities.org/membership-directory/ |access-date=June 8, 2024 |publisher=Sister Cities International |archive-date=May 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240526141207/https://www1.sistercities.org/membership-directory/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Friendship cities===
Covenants between two city leaders:<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 31, 2019 |title=What Is The Difference Between A Sister City And A Friendship City? |url=https://austintexas.gov/faq/what-difference-between-sister-city-and-friendship-city |access-date=January 8, 2020 |website=City of Austin |archive-date=January 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118181324/https://austintexas.gov/faq/what-difference-between-sister-city-and-friendship-city |url-status=live }}</ref>
*{{flagicon|KHM}} Siem Reap, Cambodia (2011)
*{{flagicon|FRA}} Villefranche-sur-Mer, France (2010)
*{{flagicon|MEX}} Tehuacán, Puebla, Mexico (2019)
*{{flagicon|MEX}} San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico (2024)
*{{flagicon|THA}} Chiang Mai, Thailand (2023)

==See also==
* List of companies based in Austin, Texas
* List of people from Austin, Texas
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Travis County, Texas
* Music of Austin, Texas
* List of Austin neighborhoods

==Notes==
{{Notelist|notes=
{{efn|name=pledged|All elected officials in the city of Austin are officially nonpartisan; party affiliation is for informational purposes only.}}
}}

==References==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="CityGovernment">{{Cite web |title=Government |url=http://www.austintexas.gov/government |access-date=July 27, 2024 |website=austintexas.gov |language=en}}</ref>
<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web |title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Austin city, Texas |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4805000 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213041636/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4805000 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=February 8, 2018 |website=American Factfinder |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>
<ref name="motto">{{Cite web |title=Live Music Capital of the World |url=http://www.cityofaustin.org/music/ |access-date=June 12, 2007 |website=Austin City Connection |publisher=City of Austin}}</ref>
<ref name="atx_motto">{{Cite web |title=The ATX |url=http://www.atxfest.com/general_info.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070406212857/http://www.atxfest.com/general_info.php |archive-date=April 6, 2007 |access-date=April 6, 2007 |publisher=ATX Fest |df=mdy-all}}</ref>
<ref name="weird">{{Cite news |last=Kanter |first=Alexis |date=September 9, 2004 |title=Keep Austin Weird? |work=The Daily Texan |url=http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2004/09/09/Focus/Keep-Austin.Weird-713824.shtml |access-date=July 28, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724172638/http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2004/09/09/Focus/Keep-Austin.Weird-713824.shtml |archive-date=July 24, 2008 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>
<ref name="HOT: Hays Co">{{Handbook of Texas|name=Hays County |id=hch11 |retrieved=February 17, 2010 |author=Cecil, Paul F.; Greene, Daniel P.}} Texas State Historical Association.</ref>
<ref name="HOT: Bastrop">{{Handbook of Texas|name=Bastrop, Texas|id=hgb04|retrieved=Feb 17, 2010|author=Marks, Paula Mitchell}} Texas State Historical Association.</ref>
<ref name="HOT:Travis Co">{{Handbook of Texas|name=Travis County|id=hct08|author=Smyrl, Vivian Elizabeth|retrieved=February 17, 2010}} Texas State Historical Association.</ref>
<ref name="HOT: Austin">{{Handbook of Texas |id=hda03 |name=Austin, Texas |author=Humphrey, David C. |retrieved=February 17, 2010}} Texas State Historical Association.</ref>
<ref name="census">{{Cite web |title=Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals by Race, 1790 to 1990, and by Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, for Large Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120812191959/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html |archive-date=August 12, 2012 |access-date=December 24, 2011 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>
<ref name="austin history">{{Cite web |title=The History of Austin |url=http://www.cityofaustin.org/library/ahc/briefhistory.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120208122826/http://www.cityofaustin.org/library/ahc/briefhistory.htm |archive-date=February 8, 2012 |access-date=December 28, 2007 |website=Austin City Connection |publisher=City of Austin}}</ref>
<ref name="NWSC-NOAA">{{Cite web |title=NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data |url=https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=ewx |access-date=November 30, 2012 |publisher=[[Organization:National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]}}</ref>
<ref name="Data Foundry: Austin Risk Assessment">{{Cite web |title=Data Foundry: Austin Risk Assessment |url=https://www.datafoundry.com/pdf/Austin_Risk_Assessment.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416045310/https://www.datafoundry.com/pdf/Austin_Risk_Assessment.pdf |archive-date=April 16, 2017 |access-date=April 15, 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="rainfall">{{Cite web |last=Anchondo|first=Carlos |date=October 22, 2018 |title=Austin issues city-wide boil water notice; calls for action "to avoid running out of water" |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2018/10/22/austin-water-boil-water-notice-after-historic-flooding/ |access-date=December 18, 2018 |website=Texas Tribune}}</ref>
<ref name="TXReligion">{{Cite web |title=Austin, Texas Religion |url=https://www.bestplaces.net/religion/city/texas/austin |access-date=August 29, 2018 |website=www.bestplaces.net}}</ref>
<ref name="Bova">{{Cite web |last=Bova|first=Gus |date=November 1, 2019 |title=Greg Abbott vs. Austin's Homeless |url=https://www.texasobserver.org/homelessness-austin-greg-abbott-crisis/ |access-date=January 9, 2020 |website=Texas Observer}}</ref>
<ref name="CityDataEconomy">{{Cite web |title=Austin: Economy |url=http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-South/Austin-Economy.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080923223922/http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-South/Austin-Economy.html |archive-date=September 23, 2008 |access-date=September 20, 2008 |website=City-Data.com}}</ref>
<ref name="Nielsen Company">{{Cite web |title=The Nielsen Company Issues Top Ten U.S. Lists For 2007 |url=http://www.nielsenmedia.com/nc/portal/site/Public/menuitem.55dc65b4a7d5adff3f65936147a062a0/?vgnextoid=d5df7b5dd2ac6110VgnVCM100000ac0a260aRCRD |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119221644/http://www.nielsenmedia.com/nc/portal/site/Public/menuitem.55dc65b4a7d5adff3f65936147a062a0/?vgnextoid=d5df7b5dd2ac6110VgnVCM100000ac0a260aRCRD |archive-date=January 19, 2008 |access-date=December 12, 2007 |publisher=Nielsen Company}}</ref>
<ref name="FoodTrucks">{{Cite web |last=Downing|first=Amber |date=May 25, 2017 |title=Austin is a food truck heaven, says census data |url=https://www.khou.com/article/life/food/austin-is-a-food-truck-heaven-says-census-data/285-442823361 |access-date=October 5, 2018 |website=KHOU}}</ref>
<ref name="texasmonthly.com">{{Cite magazine |date=August 1, 1966 |title=The UT Tower Shooting Archives |url=http://www.texasmonthly.com/category/topics/ut-tower-shooting/ |magazine=Texas Monthly |access-date=May 25, 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="austin-chamber.org">{{Cite web |title=Austin Chamber of Commerce Greater Austin Profile |url=http://www.austin-chamber.org/DoBusiness/GreaterAustinProfile/education.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618080314/http://www.austin-chamber.org/DoBusiness/GreaterAustinProfile/education.html |archive-date=June 18, 2010 |access-date=July 8, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="nytimes.com">{{Cite news |last=Pérez-Peña |first=Richard |date=July 17, 2009 |title=Web News Start-Up Has Its Eye on Texas |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/business/media/18texas.html |access-date=September 19, 2014}}</ref>
<ref name="2020Pop">{{Cite web |title=2020 Population and Housing State Data |url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html |access-date=22 August 2021 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>
<ref name="2019 Gazetteer">{{Cite web |title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_48.txt |access-date=August 7, 2020 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>

<ref name="Wear 2009">{{Cite news |last=Wear |first=Ben |date=September 28, 2009 |title=Positive signs for financial future of Texas 130 tollway |page=B1 |work=Austin American-Statesman |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85064103/ |access-date=September 10, 2021 |quote=Report on the tollway...has been making more money than projected. |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
<ref name="LA Times Closed">{{Cite news |date=May 24, 1999 |title=Service Begins at New Austin Airport |page=2 |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/421536061/}}</ref>
<ref name="Turimex">{{Cite web |title=Turimex Internacional |url=https://www.turimex.com/ |access-date=September 9, 2021 |website=Turimex Internacional}}</ref>
<ref name="Megabus PR">{{Cite press release |title=Megabus.Com Expands Service To/From Dallas, Houston, San Antonio And Five Cities |date=May 31, 2012 |url=http://us.megabus.com/Megabus%20expands%20service%20tofrom%20Dallas%20Houston%20San%20Antonio%20and%20five%20cities.aspx |access-date=September 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806001637/http://us.megabus.com/Megabus%20expands%20service%20tofrom%20Dallas%20Houston%20San%20Antonio%20and%20five%20cities.aspx |archive-date=August 6, 2012 |website=Megabus.com}}</ref>
<ref name="Amtrak Texas Eagle">{{Cite web |title=Texas Eagle Train |url=https://www.amtrak.com/texas-eagle-train |access-date=10 September 2021 |website=Amtrak |language=en}}</ref>
<ref name="Cap Metro All Systems Go 2009">{{Cite web |title=All Systems Go Long-Range Transit Plan |url=http://allsystemsgo.capmetro.org/capital-metrorail-qa.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090303163125/http://allsystemsgo.capmetro.org/capital-metrorail-qa.shtml |archive-date=March 3, 2009 |access-date=April 23, 2009 |website=CapMetro}}</ref>
<ref name="Clark-Madison 2000">{{Cite news |last=Clark-Madison |first=Mike |date=October 13, 2000 |title=The Facts So Far: Light Rail |work=Austin Chronicle |url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid:78940 |access-date=January 2, 2011}}</ref>
<ref name="Curington 2014">{{Cite web |last=Curington |first=Jennifer |date=August 7, 2014 |title=Austin City Council puts rail bond on ballot |url=http://impactnews.com/austin-metro/central-austin/austin-city-council-puts-road-and-rail-bond-on-ballot/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812203357/http://impactnews.com/austin-metro/central-austin/austin-city-council-puts-road-and-rail-bond-on-ballot/ |archive-date=August 12, 2014 |access-date=September 15, 2014 |website=Community Impact Newspaper}}</ref>
<ref name="Cap Metro Project Connect">{{Cite web |title=Project Connect |url=https://capmetro.org/projectconnect/ |access-date=August 13, 2020 |website=CapMetro}}</ref>
<ref name="Rossie 2009">{{Cite book |last1=Rossie |first1=Cam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k6692W5sYakC |title=Insiders' Guide to Austin |last2=Hylton |first2=Hilary |publisher=Global Pequot |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-7627-4864-8 |location=Guilford, Connecticut |page=247}}</ref>
<ref name="Uber Austin">{{Cite web |title=Uber in Austin, TX |url=https://www.uber.com/global/en/cities/austin/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726100232/https://www.uber.com/global/en/cities/austin/ |archive-date=July 26, 2019 |website=Uber}}</ref>
<ref name="Maas 2016">{{Cite news |last1=Maas |first1=Jimmy |last2=Philpott |first2=Ben |date=October 18, 2016 |title=CAMPO Vote Derails Lone Star Rail Project |work=KUT |url=http://kut.org/post/campo-vote-derails-lone-star-rail-project |access-date=May 18, 2018}}</ref>
<ref name="Vines 1984">{{Cite book |last=Vines |first=Robert A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zdzusoTpjUMC |title=Trees of central Texas |publisher=University of Texas Press |year=1984 |isbn=978-0-292-78058-3 |location=Austin, Texas |pages=4–6}}</ref>
<ref name="Lyft Austin">{{Cite web |title=Austin |url=https://www.lyft.com/rider/cities/austin-tx |access-date=February 26, 2020 |website=Lyft}}</ref>
<ref name="RideAustin">{{Cite web |title=About us |url=http://www.rideaustin.com/about-us |access-date=February 26, 2020 |website=RideAustin |language=en-US |archive-date=February 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226000115/http://www.rideaustin.com/about-us }}</ref>
<ref name="MacMillan 2016">{{Cite news |last1=MacMillan |first1=Douglas |last2=Silverman |first2=Rachel Emma |date=May 9, 2016 |title=Uber, Lyft Shut Down in Austin Over Fingerprint Vote |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/texas-capital-city-votes-to-keep-fingerprinting-for-uber-lyft-drivers-1462796972 |access-date=August 14, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="Patoski 2010">{{Cite journal |last=Patoski |first=Joe Nick |date=July–August 2010 |title=It's Just Different Here |url=http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2010/july-august/austin-tx.html |journal=[[Organization:National Trust for Historic Preservation|Preservation]] |page=38 |access-date=October 31, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306080227/http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2010/july-august/austin-tx.html |archive-date= Mar 6, 2012}}</ref>
<ref name="Woodyard 2016">{{Cite news |last1=Woodyard |first1=Chris |last2=Toppo |first2=Greg |date=May 8, 2016 |title=Uber, Lyft halt Austin service after losing vote |work=[[Software:USA Today|USA Today]] |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2016/05/08/uber-lyft-halt-austin-service-after-losing-vote/84119554/ |access-date=August 14, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="Samuels 2017">{{Cite news |last=Samuels |first=Alex |date=May 25, 2017 |title=Uber, Lyft returning to Austin on Monday |language=en |work=The Texas Tribune |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2017/05/25/uber-lyft-returning-austin-monday/ |access-date=September 10, 2021}}</ref>
<ref name="Abbott 2003">{{Cite book |last=Abbott |first=Mary Lu |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z6TOeGvQdFsC |title=Romantic Weekends Texas |publisher=Hunter Publishing |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-58843-358-9 |edition=2 |location=Edison, New Jersey |page=80}}</ref>
<ref name="Baird 2009">{{Cite book |last=Baird |first=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CBJ5p4oC7HsC |title=Frommer's San Antonio & Austin |publisher=Frommer's |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-470-43789-6 |location=Hoboken, New Jersey |page=24}}</ref>
<ref name="Erlichman 2006">{{Cite book |last=Erlichman |first=Howard J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nNAwb0ycptoC |title=Camino Del Norte: How a Series of Watering Holes, Fords, And Dirt Trails Evolved into Interstate 35 in Texas |publisher=Texas A&M University Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-58544-473-1 |location=College Station, Texas |page=61}}</ref>
<ref name="Swearingen 2010">{{Cite book | last=Swearingen | first=William Jr. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=raCa0HuWAX0C |title=Environmental City: People, Place, and the Meaning of Modern Austin |date=April 1, 2010 |publisher=University of Texas Press |isbn=978-0-292-72181-4 |location=Austin, Texas |pages=18, 19 |access-date=July 25, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="Long 2010">{{Cite book |title=[[Social:Weird City|Weird City: Sense of Place and Creative Resistance in Austin, Texas]] |date=May 1, 2010 |publisher=University of Texas Press |isbn=978-0-292-77815-3}}</ref>
<ref name="Jechow 2018">{{Cite web |last=Jechow |first=Andy |date=March 2, 2018 |title=Ride-hail app Fasten shutting down operations in Austin |url=https://www.kxan.com/news/business/ride-hail-app-fasten-shutting-down-operations-in-austin/1031529515 |access-date=September 30, 2018 |website=KXAN}}</ref>
<ref name="Denney 2018">{{Cite web |last=Denney |first=Amy |date=February 15, 2018 |title=Free electric cab service expands into downtown Austin, sees success at Domain Northside |url=https://communityimpact.com/austin/northwest-austin/environment/2018/02/15/free-electric-cab-service-expands-downtown-austin-sees-success-domain-northside/ |access-date=October 1, 2018 |website=Community Impact Newspaper}}</ref>
<ref name="Turner 2019">{{Cite web |last=Turner |first=Sammy |date=September 27, 2019 |title=Car2Go pulling out of Austin and 4 other cities |url=https://www.kvue.com/article/money/car2go-leaving-austin/269-58475e94-bf1d-458f-a43a-a5b56bd94d4c |access-date=10 September 2021 |website=KVUE}}</ref>
<ref name="Dunbar 2013">{{Cite web |last=Dunbar |first=Wells |date=May 9, 2013 |title=Austin is Reddit's No. 1 City for Views Per Capita – Worldwide |url=http://www.kut.org/post/austin-reddits-no-1-city-views-capita-worldwide |access-date=September 29, 2018 |website=KUT}}</ref>
<ref name="Castillo 2012">{{Cite news |last=Castillo |first=Juan |date=December 3, 2012 |title=New Federal Courthouse opens in Austin |work=Austin American Statesman |url=http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/new-federal-courthouse-opens-in-austin/nTMCQ/ |access-date=January 27, 2013 |archive-date=December 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121207084526/http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/new-federal-courthouse-opens-in-austin/nTMCQ/ }}</ref>
}}

==Further reading==

* {{Cite book |last=Shank |first=Barry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v79of-KXnfgC |title=Dissonant Identities: The Rock'n'Roll Scene in Austin, Texas |publisher=University Press of New England |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-8195-6276-0 |location=Hanover, New Hampshire}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Thompson |first1=Karen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=raCa0HuWAX0C |title=Austin, Texas |last2=Howell |first2=Kathy R. |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-7385-0832-0 |location=Charleston, South Carolina}}
* Wright, Lawrence. "[https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/02/13/the-astonishing-transformation-of-austin The Astonishing Transformation of Austin, Texas]". ''The New Yorker'', February 6, 2023.

== External links ==
{{Sister project links
|wikt = Austin
|voy = Austin, Texas
}}

* [http://austintexas.gov/ AustinTexas.gov] - official city website
* [http://austinchamber.com/ Austin Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://texashistory.unt.edu/browse/contributor/ASPL/ Historic photographs from the Austin History Center], hosted by the [http://texashistory.unt.edu/ Portal to Texas History]
* {{Handbook of Texas |id = hda03 |name = Austin}}
* {{osmrelation|113314}}

{{Austin}}
{{Greater Austin}}
{{Public art in Austin, Texas}}
{{Republic of Texas}}
{{Texas}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Other articles related to Austin
|list =
{{Travis County, Texas}}
{{Hays County, Texas}}
{{Williamson County, Texas}}
{{US state capitals}}
{{Texas county seats}}
}}
{{USPopulousCities}}


{{Sourceattribution|Austin, Texas}}