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Austin, Texas

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Austin is the capital city of the state of Texas.

Austin by Sentinel-2, 2020-03-25
Austin by Sentinel-2, 2020-03-25

It sits within the beautiful Texas Hill Country. The city is near many lakes and rivers. The Colorado River flows through the region.

Covert Park at Mount Bonnell 20160905130602
Covert Park at Mount Bonnell 20160905130602

You can find Lady Bird Lake and Lake Travis here. There are also places like Barton Springs and McKinney Falls. The city is part of Travis County. Some parts of the city reach into Hays and Williamson counties.

Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge
Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge

People who live in Austin are called Austinites. They are a very diverse group of people. Some work in the government or at large colleges. Many others work in music or high-tech jobs.

Biking in Congress Avenue
Biking in Congress Avenue

The city is famous for its many musicians. People call it "The Live Music Capital of the World."

Sixth Street (Austin) at night
Sixth Street (Austin) at night

You can see this at the Austin City Limits concert series. The city also hosts the South by Southwest festival. This event includes film, music, and interactive media. Some people even use the slogan "Keep Austin Weird" to protect local shops.

Museum weird 2012
Museum weird 2012

Long ago, people lived on this land. Evidence shows humans were there at least 11,200 years ago.

Hamilton Pool March 2016 3
Hamilton Pool March 2016 3

These early people are linked to the Clovis culture. Later, American Indian groups like the Tonkawa lived there. Spanish colonists also traveled through the area. In 1839, the city was named for Stephen F. Austin. He was known as the "Father of Texas."

Austin old capital
Austin old capital

The city was first called Waterloo before the name changed. An explorer named Mirabeau B. Lamar helped choose the site. He liked the hills and the waterways.

Old map-Austin-1873-sm
Old map-Austin-1873-sm

Austin has changed a lot over the years. In the 1870s, railroads helped the city trade cotton and cattle.

Texas45
Texas45

The state capitol building was finished in 1888. It was a very large building for its time.

Texas capitol goddess 1888
Texas capitol goddess 1888

Since the 1960s, technology has become very important. Companies like IBM and Texas Instruments arrived early on.

DeepEddyPoolBySteveHopson
DeepEddyPoolBySteveHopson

Today, many huge companies like Apple, Dell, and Tesla have offices here. This growth earned the city the nickname "Silicon Hills."

Austin Metrorail
Austin Metrorail

The city has become one of the fastest-growing places in the United States.

There are many ways to experience the city today. You can visit the University of Texas at Austin. It is a very large school with over 50,000 students.

Austin public library opened October 28 2017
Austin public library opened October 28 2017

Sports fans can watch Austin FC play. This was the city's first major professional sports team.

Austin Texas Rent
Austin Texas Rent

You might see a colorful glow in the sky after sunset. People call this the "City of the Violet Crown."

Pennybacker bridge sunset 2006
Pennybacker bridge sunset 2006

Whether you like nature or big cities, there is much to see. The city connects many people and ideas together.

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🖼️ Images & Media (37)
File:Texas capitol goddess 1888.jpg
Texas capitol goddess 1888.jpg
File:Austin old capital.png
Austin old capital.png
File:Old map-Austin-1873-sm.jpg
Old map-Austin-1873-sm.jpg
File:Austin by Sentinel-2, 2020-03-25.jpg
Austin by Sentinel-2, 2020-03-25.jpg
File:9162018.Moon.Light.towers.NRSID76002071 02.jpg
9162018.Moon.Light.towers.NRSID76002071 02.jpg
File:2011 Texas Drought.jpg
2011 Texas Drought.jpg
File:Austin, Texas covered in snow ESA23166430.jpeg
Austin, Texas covered in snow ESA23166430.jpeg
File:ButlerTrailAustin.jpg
ButlerTrailAustin.jpg
File:BartonCreek-2010-c.JPG
BartonCreek-2010-c.JPG
File:DeepEddyPoolBySteveHopson.jpg
DeepEddyPoolBySteveHopson.jpg
File:Hamilton Pool March 2016 3.JPG
Hamilton Pool March 2016 3.JPG
File:Covert Park at Mount Bonnell 20160905130602.jpg
Covert Park at Mount Bonnell 20160905130602.jpg

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