Austin, Texas

Flag Seal
Nickname: "Live Music Capital of the World"
Location
Location in the state of Texas
Coordinates 30°18′01″N, 97°44′50″W
Government
County	Travis County
Mayor	Will Wynn
Geographical characteristics
Area
City	669.3 km²
Land	651.4 km²
Water	17.9 km²
Population
City (2004)	681,804
Density	1,007.9 persons/km²
Metro	1,412,271
Time zone   Summer (DST)	CST (UTC-6) CDT (UTC-5)
Website: www.cityofaustin.org

Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Travis County. As of the 2004 U.S. Census estimate, Austin had a population of 681,804 people, making it the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 16th-largest in the United States. Situated in the region of Central Texas, the Austin–Round Rock metropolitan area is one of the fastest-growing in the U.S. and is home to an estimated population of 1.4 million. Austin, Texas skyline from Town Lake. ... File links The following pages link to this file: Austin, Texas ... Image File history File links Seal_of_Austin,_Texas. ... A nickname is a short, clever, cute, derogatory, or otherwise substitute name for a person or things real name (for example, Tom is short for Thomas). ... Image File history File links TXMap-doton-Austin. ... Official language(s) See: Languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 268,581 sq. ... United States of America, showing states, divided into counties. ... The Travis County Courthouse Travis County is a county located in the state of Texas. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger,greater) is the politician who serves as chief executive official of some types of municipalities. ... Will Wynn is the current mayor of Austin, Texas. ... Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 1,000 km² and 10,000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... World map of the population density in 2006 Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large city and its adjacent zone of influence, or of several neighboring cities or towns and adjoining areas, with one or more large cities serving as its hub or hubs. ... A time zone is a region of the Earth that has adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Areas in blue which observe daylight saving time. ... The Central Standard Time Zone (CST) is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting six hours from Coordinated Universal Time UTC. In the United States, the time zone includes the entire area of the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas except for El... Central Standard Time ... Central Daylight Time or CDT is the Central Time Zone (or CST) during Daylight Savings Time. ... -12 | -11 | -10 | -9:30 | -9 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3:30 | -3 | -2:30 | -2 | -1 | UTC | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7:30 | +8 | +8:30 | +8... A state of the United States (a U.S. state) is any one of the fifty states (four of which officially favor the term commonwealth) which, along with the District of Columbia, form the United States of America. ... Official language(s) See: Languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 268,581 sq. ... A county seat is an administrative center for a county. ... The Travis County Courthouse Travis County is a county located in the state of Texas. ... The U.S. Census is mandated by the United States Constitution. ... Central Texas (a part of which is Texas Hill Country), is a region in the U.S. state of Texas. ... Texas has 25 metropolitan areas (MSAs) defined by the United States Census Bureau. ...

The first documented settlement of current day Austin occurred in 1835 and the site was named Waterloo in 1837. In 1839, Mirabeau B. Lamar renamed the city in honor of Stephen F. Austin. Its original name is honored by local businesses such as Waterloo Ice House and Waterloo Records. Austin is situated on the Colorado River and on the Balcones Fault, which in much of Austin runs roughly the same route as the MoPac expressway. Combatants France Anglo-Allied/Prussian/ Dutch Commanders Napoléon Bonaparte Michel Ney Duke of Wellington Gebhard von Blücher Strength 72,000 67,000 Anglo-Dutch 60,000 Prussian (48,000 engaged by about 18:00) Casualties 25,000 22,000 Map of the Waterloo campaign The Battle of Waterloo... Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar (August 16, 1798 – December 19, 1859) was the second president of the Republic of Texas. ... Stephen F. Austin Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836), known as the Father of Texas, led the Anglo-American colonization of the region. ... Waterloo Records is a large record and music store in Austin, Texas. ... The Colorado River as it winds through the Austin area. ... The Balcones Fault is a zone of normal faulting in Texas (USA) that runs approximately from the southwest part of the state to the north central region. ... Texas State Highway Loop 1 is a controlled-access highway which provides access to the west side of Austin, Texas. ...

Residents of Austin are known as Austinites and include a mix of university professors, students, politicians, lobbyists, and high-tech workers. The city is home to enough large sites of major technology corporations to have earned the nickname, "Silicon Hills". Austin's official slogan is The Live Music Capital of the World. A professor is a senior teacher and researcher, usually in a college or university. ... A politician is an individual involved in politics, sometimes this may include political scientists. ... Lobbying is the practice of private advocacy with the goal of influencing a governing body, in order to ensure that an individuals or organizations point of view is represented in the government. ...

History

Early settlers

For several hundred years before the arrival of European settlers, the area around present-day Austin was inhabited by a mixture of Tonkawa, Comanche, and Lipan Apache Indians, who fished and hunted along the creeks, including present-day Barton Springs. This article is about the continent. ... Seal of the Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma Tonkawa The Tonkawa are a people native to central Texas, speaking the Tonkawa language. ... Comanche territory. ... Lipan Apache are also known as Nde buffalo hunters, called by anthropologists and historians for many years as Eastern Apache, Apache de los Llanos, Lipan, Ipande, and other names. ... The Barton Springs are four natural springs located on the grounds of Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. ...

Anglo American settlers

Stephen F. Austin.

The first documented permanent settlement of current day Austin occurred in 1835. Anglo American settlers began arriving in the area, when Texas was still part of Mexico. They founded the village of Waterloo in 1837, along the banks of the Colorado River. According to local folklore, Stephen F. Austin, the "father of Texas", negotiated a peace treaty with the local Indians at the site of the present day Treaty Oak after several settlers were killed in raids. According to local legend, Austin also negotiated a boundary treaty with the Indians that laid out the fledgling town's limits. Stephen F. Austin Image taken from http://www. ... Stephen F. Austin Image taken from http://www. ... Stephen F. Austin Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836), known as the Father of Texas, led the Anglo-American colonization of the region. ... Combatants France Anglo-Allied/Prussian/ Dutch Commanders Napoléon Bonaparte Michel Ney Duke of Wellington Gebhard von Blücher Strength 72,000 67,000 Anglo-Dutch 60,000 Prussian (48,000 engaged by about 18:00) Casualties 25,000 22,000 Map of the Waterloo campaign The Battle of Waterloo... Stephen F. Austin Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836), known as the Father of Texas, led the Anglo-American colonization of the region. ... The Treaty Oak is a once-majestic Southern live oak in Austin, Texas. ...

Republic of Texas

Waterloo was chosen to become the capital of the new Republic of Texas in 1839 and was purchased by The Republic for that purpose. Mirabeau B. Lamar renamed the city in honor of Stephen F. Austin. The city's original name is honored by local businesses such as Waterloo Ice House and Waterloo Records. Official language English (de facto) Spanish, French, German and Native American languages regionally Capital Washington-on-the-Brazos (1836) Harrisburg (1836) Galveston (1836) Velasco (1836) Houston (1837–1839) Austin (1839–1845) Largest city San Antonio de Béxar Presidents David G. Burnet, Sam Houston, Mirabeau B. Lamar, Anson Jones Area... Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar (August 16, 1798 – December 19, 1859) was the second president of the Republic of Texas. ... Stephen F. Austin Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836), known as the Father of Texas, led the Anglo-American colonization of the region. ... Waterloo Records is a large record and music store in Austin, Texas. ...

A grid plan for the new capital's streets was surveyed by Judge Edwin Waller (after whom Waller Creek was named). The grid survives nearly intact in present-day downtown Austin. The north-south streets of the grid were named for the rivers of Texas, following an east-west progression from Sabine Street to Rio Grande Street (Red River Street being "out of order" to the west of Sabine Street). The exception was the central thoroughfare Congress Avenue, which leads from the far south side of town over the river to the foot of the hill where the new Texas State Capitol was to be constructed. The original north-south grid was bookended by West Avenue and East Avenue (now Interstate 35). A simple grid plan road map (Windermere, Florida). ... Judge Edwin Waller (November 4, 1800-January 3, 1881) was an entrepreneur, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, the first mayor of Austin, Texas and the designer of its downtown grid plan. ... The Sabine River is shown highlighted, along with the Neches River The Sabine River is a river, 555 miles (893 km) long, in the U.S. states of Texas and Louisiana. ... The Rio Grande flowing in Big Bend National Park The Rio Grande in its lower course, between Matamoros and Brownsville Known as the Rio Grande in the United States and as the Río Bravo (or, more formally, the Río Bravo del Norte) in Mexico, the river, 3,034... The Red River is one of several rivers with that name, and of two rivers with that name in the United States. ... Downtown Austin and the State Capitol as seen from the Congress Avenue Bridge over Town Lake Congress Avenue is the Main Street of Austin, Texas. ... The Texas State Capitol, located in Austin, Texas, is the fourth building to serve as the seat of Texas government. ... Interstate 35 (abbreviated I-35) is an interstate highway running north-south in the central United States. ...

The east-west streets of the grid followed a progression uphill from the river and were named after trees native to the region, with Pecan Street as the main east-west thoroughfare. The east-west streets were later renamed in a numbered progression, with Pecan Street becoming Sixth Street. The original tree-named streets survive in nostalgic names, including Pecan Street, which is the name of a locally-produced beer. Binomial name Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh. ... 6th Street is a street in Austin, Texas. ...

In October 1839, the entire government of the Republic of Texas arrived by oxcart from Houston. By the next January, the population of the town was 839. Flag Seal Nickname: Space City Location Location in the state of Texas Coordinates , Government Counties Harris County Fort Bend County Montgomery County Mayor Bill White Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,558 km²  (601. ...

Also in 1839, the Congress of the Republic of Texas set aside 40 acres (160,000 m²) of land near downtown Austin for a "university of the first class". This land became the central campus of The University of Texas at Austin in 1883. Official language English (de facto) Spanish, French, German and Native American languages regionally Capital Washington-on-the-Brazos (1836) Harrisburg (1836) Galveston (1836) Velasco (1836) Houston (1837–1839) Austin (1839–1845) Largest city San Antonio de Béxar Presidents David G. Burnet, Sam Houston, Mirabeau B. Lamar, Anson Jones Area... The University of Texas at Austin, often called UT or Texas, is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. ...

In 1842, Austin almost lost its status as capital city during the Texas Archive War. President Sam Houston had tried to relocate the seat of government from Austin to Houston, and then to Washington-on-the-Brazos. In the dead of night on December 29, 1842, a group of men was sent to take the archives of Texas from Austin to Washington-on-the-Brazos. Angelina Eberly fired a cannon at the men, who made their escape, only to be caught by another group of men who returned the archives back to Austin. The Texas Archive War was an episode of Texas history that reflects the tenacity of the residents of the period as well as the personalities of many of the people involved in the development of Texas. ... Sam Houston Samuel Houston (March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was a 19th century American statesman, politician and soldier. ... Categories: Texas stub | Texas history | Texas state parks ... December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 2 days remaining. ... 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Many consider Angelina Eberly the savior of Austin. ...

1845 to 1899

After Texas was admitted to the Union in 1845, two unsuccessful statewide elections were held that attempted to move the capital elsewhere. Official language(s) See: Languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 268,581 sq. ... Motto: (1789 to 1956) (Latin for Out of many, one) In God We Trust (1956 to present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice...

From 1861 to 1865, Texas was part of the Confederacy.

St. Edward's University (then St. Edward's Academy) was founded in 1878 by Rev. Edward Sorin, Superior General of the Congregation of Holy Cross, on South Austin farm land. This article is about the university in Texas. ... The Very Rev. ...

In September 1881, the city schools admitted their first public school classes. That same year, Tillotson Collegiate and Normal Institute, the forerunner of Huston-Tillotson University, opened to the public. Huston-Tillotson University is a historically black university in Austin, Texas. ...

In 1882 construction began on The University of Texas at Austin campus with the placement of the cornerstone of the Main Building. The University formally opened in 1883. From 1884 to 1885, an axe murderer, the Servant Girl Annihilator, terrorized Austin. The University of Texas at Austin, often called UT or Texas, is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. ... The Servant Girl Annihilator is the given name of a notorious serial killer or killers who terrorized Austin, TX in 1884-1885. ...

Texas State Capitol.

The Texas State Capitol was completed in 1888 on the site specified in the 1839 plan. At the time it was billed as the "seventh largest building in the world." larger image of my photo of the Texas state capitol taken May 2001 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... larger image of my photo of the Texas state capitol taken May 2001 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Texas State Capitol, located in Austin, Texas, is the fourth building to serve as the seat of Texas government. ...

In 1891, the neighborhood of Hyde Park was developed north of the The University of Texas as a streetcar suburb. Hyde Park is a historic neighborhood in Central Austin, located just north of the University of Texas. ... The University of Texas at Austin, often called UT or Texas, is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. ... A streetcar suburb is a community whose growth was mostly shaped by the coming of the electric streetcar or tram. ...

In 1893, the Great Granite Dam on the Colorado River was constructed, stabilizing the river's flow and providing hydroelectric power.

1900 to 1969

In 1900, a great storm caused Colorado river waters to crest 11 feet above the granite and limestone dam, washing sections of the dam 60 feet downstream, sending a wall of water into downtown Austin, leveling homes and killing 47 persons. Two more failed attempts would be made to rebuild the dam until Tom Miller Dam was completed slightly up river in the 1940s. Tom Miller Dam is one of several dams constructed by the City of Austin, Texas for the purpose of flood control and for generating hydroelectric power. ...

In 1910, the city opened the concrete Congress Avenue Bridge across the Colorado River, fostering development along South Congress Avenue. The Littlefield Building at 6th and Congress downtown also opened this same year.

In 1911, the city extended the streetcar line into South Austin, allowing for development of Travis Heights in 1913. Travis Heights is a neighborhood in Austin, Texas, bounded by the Colorado River on the north, Interstate 35 on the east, Congress Avenue on the west, and Oltorf Street on the south. ...

In the 1930s, the Lower Colorado River Authority replaced the Great Granite Dam by building a series of seven dams and reservoirs that now define the Colorado river's course through Austin. Lyndon Baines Johnson, then a member of the House of Representatives, played an instrumental role in authorizing funding for the dams. The Lower Colorado River Authority or LCRA was formed in 1934 by the Texas legislature. ... Lyndon Baines Johnson ( August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was an American politician. ... The chamber of the United States House of Representatives is located in the south wing of the Capitol building, in Washington, D.C.. This photograph shows a rare glimpse of the four vote tallying boards (the blackish squares across the top), which display each members name and vote as...

On August 1, 1966, in the city's most traumatic event, Charles Whitman terrorized Austin by killing 16 people, his wife and mother in the early hours, 3 in the Tower and 11 with a high-powered rifle from the UT Tower. Whitman was killed by APD officer Houston McCoy with two fatal shotgun blasts. August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... 1963 yearbook photo of Charles Whitman. ... The Main Building Tower in the foreground. ... Houston McCoy and Ramiro Martinez are the two Austin Police Department officers credited with killing Charles Whitman on August 1, 1966. ...

1970 to 1989

In the 1970s, Austin became a refuge for a group of Country and Western musicians and songwriters seeking to escape the music industry's corporate domination of Nashville. The best-known artist in this group was Willie Nelson, who became an icon for what became the city's "alternate music industry." The Armadillo World Headquarters gained a national reputation during the 1970s as a venue for these anti-establishment musicians as well as mainstream acts. In the following years, Austin gained a reputation as a place where struggling musicians could launch their careers in informal live venues in front of receptive audiences. This ultimately led to the city's motto, "Live music capital of the world." In popular music, Country music, also called country and western music or country-western, is an amalgam of popular musical forms developed in the Southern United States, with roots in traditional folk music, Celtic Music, Blues, Gospel music, and Old-time music that began to develop rapidly [1] in the... Flag Seal Nickname: Music City Location Location in Davidson County and the state of Tennessee Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Tennessee Davidson County Founded: Incorporated: 1780 1806 Mayor Bill Purcell (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 526. ... Willie Nelson William Hugh Willie Nelson (born April 30, 1933) is an American entertainer and songwriter, and originally from Abbott, Texas. ... The Armadillo World Headquarters (usually called simply The Armadillo) was the premiere music hall and entertainment center in Austin, Texas between 1970 and 1980. ...

During the 1970s and 1980s, the city experienced a tremendous boom in development that temporarily halted with the Savings and Loan crisis in the late 1980s. The growth led to an ongoing series of fierce political battles that pitted preservationists against developers. In particular the preservation of Barton Springs, and by extension the Edwards Aquifer, became an issue which defined the themes of the larger battles. The Savings and Loan crisis of the 1980s was a wave of savings and loan association failures in the United States in which over 1,000 savings and loan institutions failed. ... The Edwards Aquifer one of the most prolific artesian aquifers in the world. ...

1990 to present

Downtown high-rises, viewed from the west.

In the 1990s, the boom resumed with the influx and growth of a large technology industry. Initially the technology industry was centered around larger, established companies such as IBM, but in the late 1990s, Austin gained the additional reputation of being a center of the dot-com boom and subsequent dot-com bust. Austin is also known for game development, filmmaking, and popular music. Image File history File linksMetadata Austin_skyline. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Austin_skyline. ... For other uses, see IBM (disambiguation). ... The Dot-com bubble (or dot-com speculative bubble) refers to the approximately four years of time (1997–2001) in which stock markets in Western nations had their value increase rapidly and most significantly in the technology and new Internet sector. ... The Early 2000s recession was felt in mostly Western countries, affecting the European Union mostly during 2000 and 2001 and the United States mostly in 2002 and 2003. ... Neverwinter Nights, a popular modern computer role-playing game, features a powerful 3D graphics engine. ... Filmmaking is the process of making a film. ... Popular music is music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and mostly distributed commercially. ...

In 2000, Austin became the center of an intense media focus as the headquarters of presidential candidate and Texas Governor George W. Bush. Interestingly, the headquarters of his main opponent, Al Gore, were in Nashville, thus re-creating the old country music rivalry between the two cities. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States and a former governor of Texas. ... Albert Arnold Gore, Jr. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Music City Location Location in Davidson County and the state of Tennessee Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Tennessee Davidson County Founded: Incorporated: 1780 1806 Mayor Bill Purcell (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 526. ...

As Austin became known as a location for creative individuals, corporate retail branches also moved into town and displaced many 'home-grown' businesses. To many long-time Austinites, this loss of landmark retail establishments has left a void in the city's culture. In response, "Keep Austin Weird" became a popular rallying cry and many Austinites have reacted with renewed support of local businesses. Keep Austin Weird is the slogan adopted by the Austin Business Alliance to promote small businesses in Austin, Texas. ...

Geography

According to the 2000 United States Census Bureau, Austin is located at 30°18′01″N, 97°44′50″W (30.300474, -97.747247)^GR1. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 669.3 km² (258.4 mi²). 651.4 km² (251.5 mi²) of it is land and 17.9 km² (6.9 mi²) of it (2.67%) is water. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... The following is a list of sources used in the creation of encyclopedia articles on various geographic topics and locations, such as cities, counties, states, and countries. ... The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... A square mile is an Imperial unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (5,280 feet, 1,760 yards, 1,609. ...

Austin is situated on the Colorado River, with three man-made (artificial) lakes wholly within the city limits: Town Lake, Lake Austin, and Lake Walter E. Long. Additionally, the foot of Lake Travis, including Mansfield Dam, is located within the city's limits. Town Lake, Lake Austin, and Lake Travis are all on the Colorado River. The city is also situated on the Balcones Fault, which, in much of Austin, runs roughly the same route as the MoPac Expressway. The eastern part of the city is flat, whereas the western part and western suburbs consist of scenic rolling hills on the edge of the Texas Hill Country. Because the hills to the west are primarily limestone rock with a thin covering of topsoil, the city is subjected to frequent flash flooding from the excessive runoff caused by thunderstorms. 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 located on the lake shores. Austin skyline with Town Lake in foreground. ... Part of Lake Austin as seen from Mount Bonnell. ... Lake Travis is an artificial lake on the Colorado River in central Texas in the United States. ... Mansfield Dam Mansfield Dam is a dam located at 30. ... The Balcones Fault is a zone of normal faulting in Texas (USA) that runs approximately from the southwest part of the state to the north central region. ... Texas State Highway Loop 1 is a controlled-access highway which provides access to the west side of Austin, Texas. ... The Texas Hill Country, as seen from near Interstate 10. ... Limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... Lower Antelope Canyon was carved out of sandstone over millions of years by flash floods A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas, rivers and streams, that is caused by the intense rainfall associated with a thunderstorm, or multiple training thunderstorms. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Hydroelectric dam diagram The waters of Llyn Stwlan, the upper reservoir of the Ffestiniog Pumped-Storage Scheme in north Wales, can just be glimpsed on the right. ... The Lower Colorado River Authority or LCRA was formed in 1934 by the Texas legislature. ... Scrivener Dam, in Canberra, Australia, was engineered to withstand a once-in-5000-years flood event A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or retards the flow, often creating a reservoir, lake or impoundment. ... The Texas Highland Lakes are a chain of man-made lakes formed by several dams on the Texas Colorado River, which winds Southeast from its headwaters near the border of Texas and New Mexico through Central Texas to the Gulf of Mexico. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A breaststroke swimmer Swimming is a technique that humans, and other animals, use to move through water using only movements of the body. ... Tigers playing in the water. ... An Australian park A park is any of a number of geographic features. ...

A popular point of prominence in Austin is Mount Bonnell. At about 780 feet above sea level, it is a natural limestone formation overlooking Lake Austin on the Colorado River, approximately 200 feet below its summit. An engraved rock at the top of Mount Bonnell. ... Part of Lake Austin as seen from Mount Bonnell. ...

Government and politics

Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, site of first U.S. capital. ...

Law and government

Downtown Austin and the State Capitol as seen from the Congress Avenue Bridge over Town Lake.

Austin is administered by a city council of seven members, each of them elected by the entire city, and by an elected mayor under the weak mayor-council government system of municipal governance. Council and mayoral elections are non-partisan, with a runoff in case there is no 50% majority winner. Austin remains an anomaly among large Texas cities in that the council is not elected by districts, though there has been a strong effort to change the election system to one of single districts. ImageMetadata File history File links Austin_downtown. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Austin_downtown. ... A city council is the most common style of legislative government in a city or town. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger,greater) is the politician who serves as chief executive official of some types of municipalities. ... Mayor-Council government is one of two variations of government most commonly used in modern representative municipal governments in the United States. ...

Politics

The main political actors within Austin city politics are interest groups such as the pro-environmental Save Our Springs Alliance, the Austin Police Association, Austin Toll Party and the Austin Business Council. Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... The Austin Toll Party is an organization dedicated to stopping the expansion of road tolls Austin, Texas. ...

The political controversy that dominated the 1990s was the conflict between environmentalists, strong in the city center, and advocates of urban growth, who tend to live in the outlying areas. The city council has in the past tried to mitigate the controversy by advocating smart growth, but growth and environmental protection are still the main hot-button issues in city politics. Today conservatives in Austin argue that the city's various highway traffic problems are rooted in the denial of past highway/infrastructure development by political action committees who do not support highway expansion. Bold textHello ... Smart growth is a concept and term used by those who seek to identify a set of policies governing transportation and land use planning policy for urban areas that benefits communities and preserves the natural environment. ...

Austin is well known as a center for liberal politics in a generally conservative state, leading some Texas conservatives to deride the city as "The People's Republic of Austin." Austin's suburbs, especially to the west and north, and several satellite municipalities, however, tend toward political conservatism. This article discusses liberalism as a major worldwide political ideology, its development, and its many modern-day variations. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

As a result of the major party realignment that began in the 1970's, central Austin became a stronghold of the Democratic Party while the suburbs tend to vote Republican. To a limited degree the division between Democratic and Republican precincts coincides with the aforementioned divisions between supporters of environmental regulations and supporters of urban growth. One consequence of this is that in the most recent redistricting plan, formulated by U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay and imposed by the Republican-majority legislature, the central city has been split among multiple sprawling districts that do not conform to any unifying economic, geographic or cultural theme. Many political observers have characterized the resulting districting layout as gerrymandering. The plan was challenged in court by Democratic and minority activists, but was upheld by a three-judge federal panel in late 2003; in December 2005, the United States Supreme Court accepted an appeal of this decision for argument on March 1, 2006. [1] The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... This article is about the modern United States Republican Party. ... Redrawing electoral districts in this example creates a guaranteed 3-to-1 advantage for Party 1. ... The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Overall, the city leans Democratic; in the 2004 presidential election, Senator John Kerry won a substantial majority of the votes in Travis County as illustrated in this pictorial of votes by-county. Of Austin's six state legislative districts, three are strongly Democratic, one leans Republican, and two are swing districts presently held by Democrats. However, two of its three congressional districts are presently held by Republicans; this is largely due to the 2003 redistricting, which left Austin with no congressional seat of its own. Travis County was also the only county in Texas to reject Texas Constitutional Amendment Proposition 2 — effectively outlawing gay marriage and status equal or similar to it — and did so by a wide margin (40% for, 60% against). John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ...

The combination of economic conservatism with social liberalism has also made Austin an active area for the Libertarian Party. Although the Libertarians remain a third party, the party is very active in the Austin area, and one of the past Libertarian presidential candidates, Michael Badnarik, comes from Austin. Michael Badnarik is currently making a run to represent part of Austin in the U.S. Congress in the House of Representatives, District 10. Republican congressman Ron Paul is from the Texas Gulf Coast and used to represent neighboring counties surrounding Travis County. The Libertarian Party is an American political party founded in 1971. ... Badnarik campaigning in July 2004. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ... Representative Ron Paul Ronald Ernest Ron Paul, MD (born August 20, 1935), a physician and Texas politician, is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from his states 14th Congressional District. ...

Two of the candidates for President in the 2004 race call Austin home. Michael Badnarik, mentioned above as the Libertarian Party candidate, and David Cobb of the Green Party both have lived in Austin. During the run up to the election in November a Presidential debate was held at the University of Texas student union involving the two minor party candidates. While the Commission on Presidential Debates only invites Democrats and Republicans to participate in televised debates, the debate at UT was open to all Presidential candidates. David Cobb appealing for votes at the annual Fighting Bob Fest in Baraboo, Wisconsin, September 2004 David Keith Cobb (born December 24, 1962 in San Leon, Texas) is an American ex-lawyer and activist, and was the 2004 presidential candidate of the Green Party of the United States (GPUS). ... This article is about the green parties around the world. ... The University of Texas System comprises fifteen educational institutions in Texas, of which nine are general academic universities, and six are health institutions. ... The Commission on Presidential Debates was created by the Democratic and Republican parties in 1987 to moderate the U.S. presidential election debates. ...

Economy

Thousands of graduates each year from the engineering and computer science programs at The University of Texas at Austin provide a steady source of young, talented and driven employees that help to fuel Austin's technology sector. The metro Austin area also has much lower housing costs than, for example, Silicon Valley. As a result of the relatively high concentration of high tech companies in the region, Austin was strongly affected by the dot-com boom in the late 1990s and subsequent bust, although recovery is proceeding rapidly. The University of Texas at Austin, often called UT or Texas, is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. ... A view of downtown San Jose, the self-proclaimed Capital of Silicon Valley. ... Dot-com (also dotcom or redundantly dot. ...

Austin's biggest employers include the State of Texas, The University of Texas, the SETON Healthcare Network, Dell, IBM and Freescale Semiconductor (spun off from Motorola in 2004). Other high-tech companies in Austin include Apple Computer, Vignette, AMD, Applied Materials, Intel, Motive Inc, Cirrus Logic, Samsung, National Instruments, United Devices and Sun Microsystems. The proliferation of technology companies has led to the region's nickname, "the Silicon Hills," (Austin was originally "Silicon Gulch", but it seems that San Jose, California already has that distinction) and has spurred rapid development that has greatly expanded the city to the north and south. The University of Texas at Austin, often called UT or Texas, is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. ... Dell Inc. ... For other uses, see IBM (disambiguation). ... American corporation Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. ... Motorola (NYSE: MOT) is an international communications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. ... Apple Computer, Inc. ... Vignette (software) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... For other possible meanings of AMD see AMD (disambiguation) Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. ... Applied Materials, Inc. ... Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC, SEHK: 4335), founded in 1968 as Integrated Electronics Corporation, is an American multinational corporation that is best known for designing and manufacturing microprocessors and specialized integrated circuits. ... Motive Inc (Motive, Inc. ... Cirrus Logic NASDAQ: CRUS is a fabless semiconductor supplier specializing in analog, mixed-signal, and DSP chips. ... Samsung Group is one of the largest South Korean business groupings. ... The National Instruments Campus in Austin, Texas National Instruments NASDAQ: NATI is a producer of Virtual instrumentation software. ... United Devices, Inc. ... Sun Microsystems, Inc. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Capital of Silicon Valley Location Location of San Jose within Santa Clara County, California. ...

Other globally well known companies, such as Hoover's, Inc., a business research and publishing company, are headquartered in the city. Hoovers, Inc. ...

In addition to global companies, Austin features a strong network of independent, locally-owned firms and organzations, the Austin Independent Business Alliance. The success of these businesses reflects the high level of commitment by the citizens of Austin to preserving the unique spirit of the city, and has been tied to the "Keep Austin Weird" campaign. Austin Independent Business Alliance (AIBA) is an organization of independent, locally-owned firms in Austin, Texas composed of over 300 member businesses. ... Keep Austin Weird is the slogan adopted by the Austin Business Alliance to promote small businesses in Austin, Texas. ...

Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 656,562 people, 265,649 households, and 141,590 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,007.9/km² (2,610.4/mi²). There were 276,842 housing units at an average density of 425.0/km² (1,100.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.36% White, 10.05% Black or African American, 0.59% Native American, 4.72% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 16.23% from other races, and 2.99% from two or more races. 30.55% of the population were Hispanic American or Latino of any race. 1870 US Census for New York City A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ... The following is a list of sources used in the creation of encyclopedia articles on various geographic topics and locations, such as cities, counties, states, and countries. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... Hispanic, as used in the United States, is one of several terms used to categorize US citizens, permanent residents and temporary immigrants, whose background hail either from the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America or relating to a Spanish-speaking culture. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ...

There were 265,649 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. A marriage is a committed relationship between or among individuals, recognized by civil authority and/or bound by the religious beliefs of the participants. ...

In the city the population was spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 16.6% from 18 to 24, 37.1% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,689, and the median income for a family was $54,091. Males had a median income of $35,545 vs. $30,046 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,163. 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. From the year 2000 to 2005, the median house price in Austin grew 34%. The per capita income for a group of people may be defined as their total personal income, divided by the total population. ... Map of countries showing percentage of population who have an income below the national poverty line The poverty line is the level of income below which one cannot afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. ...

Culture

The sights of Austin's nightlife on 6th Street.

Austin's official slogan is The Live Music Capital of the World. Austin has a vibrant live music scene boasting more music venues per capita than any other U.S. city. Austin's music revolves around the many nightclubs on 6th Street and an annual film/music/multimedia festival known as South by Southwest. The longest-running concert music program on American television, Austin City Limits, is videotaped on the University of Texas at Austin campus. Austin City Limits and Waterloo Records run the Austin City Limits Music Festival, an annual music and art festival held at Zilker Park in Austin. Other annual events include Eeyore's Birthday Party in April and Carnaval in February. Image File history File links Sixth Street in Austin, Texas File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Sixth Street in Austin, Texas File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... 6th Street is a street in Austin, Texas. ... The music of Austin centers around Red River and 6th Street, where bars and clubs of every kind can be found. ... It has been suggested that Disco Bar be merged into this article or section. ... 6th Street is a street in Austin, Texas. ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed. ... Music is a form of expression in the medium of time using the structures of tones and silence. ... Multimedia is the use of several different media (e. ... South by Southwest (SXSW, Inc. ... Austin City Limits is a music program on American television. ... The University of Texas at Austin, often called UT or Texas, is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. ... Waterloo Records is a large record and music store in Austin, Texas. ... Main entrance of the 2005 Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park. ... Zilker Metropolitan Park is a recreational area in western Austin, Texas (near Rollingwood), which comprises over 350 acres (1. ... The Eeyore of Liberty, a statue which combines The Statue of Liberty with Eeyore, frequently appears near the drum circles at this annual event. ... See also: Carnival Corporation, Carnival Cruise Lines, Carnivàle Swabian-Alemannic carnival clowns in Wolfach, Germany A carnival parade is a public celebration, combining some elements of a circus and public street party, generally during the Carnival Season. ...

Austinites take great pride in being eccentric and celebrate the differences between themselves and other U.S. cities. "Keep Austin Weird" has become a local motto in recent years, featured on innumerable 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 and independent businesses. Another example of Austin "weirdness" is Leslie Cochran, a vagrant transvestite and frequent mayoral candidate whose best showing was 7.77% of the vote in 2000. Keep Austin Weird is the slogan adopted by the Austin Business Alliance to promote small businesses in Austin, Texas. ... A motto is a phrase or a short list of words meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. ... Leslie Cochran at the Keep Austin Weird 5K. Leslie Alicia Cochran (born as Al Leslie Cochran on June 24, 1951) is a vagrant cross-dresser and arguably the most locally famous street person in Austin, Texas. ... Vagrancy is a crime in some European countries, but most of these laws have been abandoned. ... Drag queens Luc DArcy and Jerry Cyr and friend at Montreals 2003 Divers/Cité pride parade. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

Stevie Ray Vaughan statue on Town Lake. ...

Media

Austin City Limits Music Festival with view of stages and Austin skyline.

Austin has been the location for a number of motion pictures, partly due to the influence of The University of Texas at Austin's outstanding Department of Radio-Television-Film. Films produced in Austin include Man of the House, Secondhand Lions, Waking Life, Spy Kids, Dazed and Confused, Office Space, The Life of David Gale, Miss Congeniality, Doubting Thomas and Slacker. 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 the 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. Image File history File links ACL-2004. ... Image File history File links ACL-2004. ... Main entrance of the 2005 Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park. ... Man of the House is a 2005 comedy film starring Tommy Lee Jones about a Texas Ranger who has to protect a group of cheerleaders who previously witnessed a murder. ... Secondhand Lions is a 2003 American adventure/comedy film about a young boy who is sent to live with his two eccentric but mysterious great-uncles on a farm in Texas. ... Waking Life is a digitally rotoscoped and animated film, directed by Richard Linklater and made in 2001. ... Alexa Vega as Carmen in Spy Kids Spy Kids is a name of a movie trilogy released from 2001 to 2003. ... Dazed and Confused movie poster Dazed and Confused is a 1993 American movie written and directed by Richard Linklater. ... Office Space is a 1999 comedy film written and directed by Mike Judge, partially based on his 1991 animated short films of the same name. ... The Life of David Gale is a 2003 motion picture that tells the fictional story of a philosophy professor, David Gale, who was dedicated to the abolition of the death penalty and who was sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a colleague and fellow abolitionist. ... Miss Congeniality is a 2000 comedy film/thriller film directed by Donald Petrie, starring Sandra Bullock. ... Doubting Thomas as a side project of the band Skinny Puppy. ... Slacker (1991) is an American independent film directed by Richard Linklater. ... The Austin Film Society (AFS) is a non-profit film society based in Austin, Texas. ... The Flaming Lips (formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983) are an idiosyncratic and acclaimed American alternative rock band. ... 25th Hour is a Spike Lee motion picture based on David Benioffs novel The 25th Hour. ... Sin City is a 2005 neo-noir portmanteau film based on the graphic novels of the same name, directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodríguez. ... MTV: Music Television is a young adult cable television network headquartered in New York City. ...

Austin hosts the annual Austin Film Festival, as well as South by Southwest, which draw films of many different types from all over the world. In 2004 the city was first in Moviemaker Magazine's annual top ten cities to live and make movies. The Austin Film Festival was started in 1994 in Austin, Texas and is the first organization of its kind to focus on the writer’s unique creative contribution to the film and television industries. ... South by Southwest (SXSW, Inc. ...

Austin also hosts the annual Austin City Limits Music Festival, which attracts musical artists from around the world. The 2005 festival included Oasis, Coldplay, and Franz Ferdinand. Main entrance of the 2005 Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park. ... Oasis are a rock band originally formed in Manchester, England. ... Coldplay is a post-Britpop/alternative rock band from London, United Kingdom known for their rock melodies and introspective lyrics. ... Franz Ferdinand is a British rock band from Glasgow, named after the archduke of Austria whose assassination sparked World War I. As of 2006, Franz Ferdinand is composed of Alexander Kapranos (lead vocals, guitar), Robert Hardy (bass guitar), Nicholas McCarthy (guitar, keyboard, backing vocals), and Paul Thomson (drums, backing vocals). ...

Austin also has a strong theater culture, with dozens of itinerant and resident companies producing a wide variety of work. From Esther's Follies on E. 6th street to Zachary Scott on S. Lamar, live entertainment can be found around the city.

Architectural landmarks

A moonlight tower.

Buildings that comprise Austin's skyline are modest in height and somewhat spread out. The latter characteristic is due to a restriction that preserves the view of the Texas Capitol building from various locations around Austin. Austin's current tallest building, the Frost Bank Tower, opened in 2004 and stands at 515 feet. Download high resolution version (163x720, 100 KB)The Zilker Park Moonlight Tower in 2005. ... Download high resolution version (163x720, 100 KB)The Zilker Park Moonlight Tower in 2005. ...

The Congress Avenue Bridge houses the world's largest urban population of Mexican Free-tailed Bats. Starting in late February, up to 1.5 million bats take up residence inside the bridge's expansion and contraction zones, an ideally suited environment for raising their young. Every evening around sunset, the bats emerge in search of insects and more than 100,000 people watch the emergences every year. The bats migrate to Mexico each winter. The Mexican Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) is a medium sized bat. ...

The iconic Pennybacker Bridge, also known as the "360 Bridge," crosses Lake Austin to connect north and south Loop 360. The Pennybacker Bridge in Austin, Texas bridges Lake Austin to connect north and south Loop 360 highway, also known as the Capital of Texas Highway. ... Loop 360 is a scenic highway winding through the hills of West Austin. ...

At night, parts of Austin are lit with "artificial moonlight." Several moonlight towers, built in the late 19th century and recognized as historic landmarks, illuminate the central part of the city. The towers were prominently featured in the film Dazed and Confused. The "Zilker Tree" is a Christmas "tree" made of large lights strung from the top of the Moonlight Tower that stands in Zilker Park. The Zilker Tree is lit in early December along with the "Trail of Lights," an Austin Christmas tradition. Moonlight tower in Austin, TX Photo by Andy Mattern Moonlight towers are lighting structures designed to illuminate large areas of a city at night. ... Dazed and Confused movie poster Dazed and Confused is a 1993 American movie written and directed by Richard Linklater. ... Christmas is a Christian holiday held on December 25 which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. ... Zilker Metropolitan Park is a recreational area in western Austin, Texas (near Rollingwood), which comprises over 350 acres (1. ...

Transportation

Interchange of Interstate 35 and State Highway 45.

Austin is served by these major highways: Interstate 35; U.S. Highways 183 and 290; Texas State Highways 45, 71, 130, Loop 1/MoPac, and Loop 360. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x582, 169 KB) Summary Description: The interchange of IH-35 and Texas State Highway 45 under construction Source: Image taken by Larry D. Moore (User:Nv8200p) Date: October, 2005 Location: 30. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x582, 169 KB) Summary Description: The interchange of IH-35 and Texas State Highway 45 under construction Source: Image taken by Larry D. Moore (User:Nv8200p) Date: October, 2005 Location: 30. ... Interstate 35 (abbreviated I-35) is an interstate highway running north-south in the central United States. ... Junction Location Legend < SH 44 SH 46 > Texas State Highways Current - Deleted State Highway 45 is an under construction tollway loop around the city of Austin. ... Interstate 35 (abbreviated I-35) is an interstate highway running north-south in the central United States. ... United States Highway 183 is a north-south United States highway. ... U.S. Highway 290 (or US-290) is an east-west highway entirely in Texas. ... Junction Location Legend < SH 44 SH 46 > Texas State Highways Current - Deleted Texas State Highway 45 is an under construction tollway loop around the city of Austin. ... Texas State Highway 130, also known as Texas 130 and SH 130, is a new tollway under construction in a 89-mile corridor east of Austin, Texas. ... Texas State Highway Loop 1 is a controlled-access highway which provides access to the west side of Austin, Texas. ... Loop 360 is a scenic highway winding through the hills of West Austin. ...

Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro) provides public transportation to the city, primarily by bus. Capital Metro is building a commuter rail system that is scheduled for completion in 2008. The system will be built on pre-existing freight rail lines and will serve Downtown Austin, East Austin, Northwest Austin and Leander in its first phase. An Amtrak Texas Eagle station is located west of Downtown. Segments of the Amtrak route between Austin and San Antonio are being evaluated for a future passenger rail corridor as an alternative to the traffic congestion of Interstate-35. Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or Capital Metro, provides public transportation to the city of Austin, Texas, primarily by bus. ... A Connex commuter train stands by the platform in Melbourne, Australia Regional rail systems, or commuter rail systems, usually provide a rail service through a central business district area into suburbs or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a daily basis. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Amtrak train in downtown Orlando, Florida Amtrak’s high-speed Acela Express at Penn Station New York, NY For other uses, see Amtrak (disambiguation). ... The Texas Eagle is a 1306-mile (2102 km) passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the central and western United States. ...

Austin's airport is Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, located 5 miles (8 km) southeast of the city. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (IATA: AUS, ICAO: KAUS) is a mixed-use commercial airport located 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Austin, in Travis County, Texas. ...

Education

The University of Texas at Austin.

Austin is home to The University of Texas at Austin, one of the largest universities in the country and is the flagship institution of The University of Texas System—the largest state system of higher education in Texas. Other institutions of higher learning include Austin Community College, Concordia University, Huston-Tillotson University and St. Edward's University. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2057 KB)An unedited version of a picture taken in the University of Texas at Austin campus (26th St. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2057 KB)An unedited version of a picture taken in the University of Texas at Austin campus (26th St. ... The University of Texas at Austin, often called UT or Texas, is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. ... The University of Texas at Austin, often called UT or Texas, is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. ... Seal of the University of Texas System The University of Texas System comprises fifteen educational institutions in Texas, of which nine are general academic universities, and six are health institutions. ... Austin Community College is a community college system consisting of seven campuses serving the central Texas city of Austin and counties of Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Caldwell, Blanco and Gillespie. ... Concordia University at Austin is an institution of higher education located in Austin, Texas affiliated with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. ... Huston-Tillotson University is a historically black university in Austin, Texas. ... This article is about the university in Texas. ...

Most of the city is covered by the Austin Independent School District. Parts of Austin are served by other districts, including Round Rock Independent School District, Pflugerville Independent School District, Leander Independent School District, and Eanes Independent School District. Austin Independent School District is a school district that is based in the city of Austin, Texas, United States. ... Round Rock Independent School District is a school district in Austin, Texas. ... Pflugerville Independent School District (PISD) is a school district near Austin, Texas in the city of Pflugerville, Texas. ... Leander Independent School District is a school district based in Leander, Texas and covering Leander, Cedar Park, Jonestown and Northwest Austin. ... Eanes Independent School District (EISD) (pronounced EEN-ss) is a school district in West Lake Hills, Texas. ...

Researchers at Central Connecticut State University ranked Austin the 16th most literate city in America for 2005.[2] Central Connecticut State University is a state university in New Britain, Connecticut. ...

Sports

Austin is, as of 2006, the largest U.S. city by population not to have a team in one of the big four professional leagues (NHL, NBA, NFL, MLB). The major professional sports leagues are those professional sports leagues with the largest fan bases and television audiences (and therefore, the largest revenues and player salaries). ... The modernized NHL shield logo debuted in 2005, replacing the orange and black shield, which had been used since the leagues inception. ... NBA logo, depicting former star Jerry West Location of NBA teams, conferences and divisions NBA redirects here. ... The National Football League (NFL) is the largest professional American football league, consisting of thirty-two teams from American cities and regions. ... Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in professional baseball in the world. ...

Among the professional sports teams in Austin are the Austin Ice Bats of the Central Hockey League, the Austin Wranglers of the Arena Football League, and the Austin Toros of the NBDL. The Round Rock Express, affiliated with the Houston Astros, are located in nearby Round Rock, Texas and play Triple-A baseball in the Pacific Coast League. Austin is also home to the University of Texas Longhorns who recently won the 2005 College World Series (baseball) and 2005 National Championship in the Rose Bowl (football). Austin Ice Bats The Austin Ice Bats are a minor-league ice hockey team based in Austin, Texas. ... The Central Hockey League (CHL) is a mid-level professional hockey league. ... Conference National Division Southern Year founded 2004 Home arena Frank Erwin Center City, State Austin, Texas Wild card titles 1 (2006) Division titles none Conference titles none ArenaBowl championships none The Austin Wranglers are an American football team from Austin, Texas in the Arena Football League. ... The Arena Football League (AFL) was founded in 1987 as an American football indoor league. ... The Austin Toros is the name of a NBDL minor league basketball team based in Austin, Texas. ... The National Basketball Development League is the NBAs officially sponsored and operated developmental basketball organization. ... The Round Rock Express is a minor league baseball franchise based in the Austin, Texas suburb of Round Rock. ... Major league affiliations National League (1962-present) Central Division (1994-present) West Division (1969-1993) Major league titles World Series titles (0) None NL Pennants (1) 2005 Central Division titles (4) 2001 â€¢ 1999 â€¢ 1998 â€¢ 1997 West Division titles (2) [1][2] 1986 â€¢ 1980 Wild card berths (2) 2005 â€¢ 2004 [1... The Round Rock Round Rock is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within the Austin–Round Rock metropolitan area and Williamson County. ... For the high school sports league of this name, see Pacific Coast League (California). ... Hook em Horns, the UT hand symbol and slogan The UT Tower lit in a special configuration in honor of the 2005 National Championship football team Texas Longhorn Athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of University of Texas at Austin. ... The College World Series is the tournament which determines the NCAA Division I collegiate baseball champion. ... UTs Bevo with the BCS Division I-A National Championship trophy The NCAA Division I-A national football championship is the only Division I-A NCAA-sponsored sport without an organized tournament to determine its champion. ... The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football game, usually played on January 1 (New Years Day) at the stadium of the same name in Pasadena, California. ...

In addition to team sports, the combined draws of the bicycle-friendly Texas Hill Country that begins in Northwest Austin, the centrally-located Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail, and local pools like Barton Springs make Austin the home of several endurance and multisport races and communities. The venerable Capitol 10,000 is the largest 10 K race in Texas, and approximately fifth largest in the nation. The Austin-founded American Swimming Association hosts the Capitol 2K and other closed-course, open water, and cable swim races around town. Austin is also the hometown of the several cycling groups and the outrageously famous Lance Armstrong. Combining these three disciplines is a growing crop of triathlons, including the Capital of Texas Triathlon held every Memorial Day on and around Town Lake, Auditorium Shores, and downtown Austin, even crossing 6th Street on several legs of the race. The Texas Hill Country, as seen from near Interstate 10. ... The Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail is the longest trail designed for non-motorized traffic maintained by the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department. ... The Barton Springs are four natural springs located on the grounds of Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. ... Lance Armstrong (born on September 18, 1971 in Plano, Texas) is a retired American professional road racing cyclist. ... Austin skyline with Town Lake in foreground. ... 6th Street is a street in Austin, Texas. ...

Sister cities

• Adelaide, Australia - since 1983
• Koblenz, Germany
• Lima, Peru
• Maseru, Lesotho
• Oita, Japan
• Saltillo, Mexico
• Taichung, Taiwan
• Edmonton, Canada
• Old Orlu, Nigeria
• Kwangmyong, South Korea

Image File history File links Flag_of_Australia. ... Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia, with a population of over 1. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Koblenz (also Coblenz in pre-1926 German spellings; French Coblence; from ) is situated on the left bank of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck (German Corner) and its monument are situated. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Peru. ... Lima is the capital and largest city in Peru, as well as the capital of Lima Province. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Lesotho. ... Maseru (also Masero) is the capital of Lesotho. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan_(bordered). ... ŌOita (大分市; -shi) is the capital city of Oita Prefecture on the Kyushu island of Japan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mexico. ... Saltillo is a city in northeast Mexico, located at 25°42′ N 101°00′ W. It is the current capital of the state of Coahuila. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Republic_of_China. ... Taichung (Chinese: 臺中市 or 台中市; Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Tai-chung; POJ: Tâi-tiong) is a city located in west-central Taiwan with a population of just over one million people, making it the third largest city on the island, after Taipei and Kaohsiung. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada. ... Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta, situated in the north central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farm land on the prairies. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Nigeria. ... Orlu is the third largest town in Southeast Nigerias Imo State. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Korea_(bordered). ... Gwangmyeong is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Category:Austin, Texas

Texas Portal

• City of Austin

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Wikimedia Commons logo by Reid Beels The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... Image File history File links This image, including all photography and graphics used in it, was taken and created by myself, Shem Daimwood. ...

Media and entertainment

• Austin American-Statesman
• Austin Business Journal
• Austin Chronicle (weekly)
• AustinSings.com - Central Texas Karaoke
• UT's The Daily Texan
• 107.1 KGSR (Focused on Austin's unique musical mix)
• KMFA Classical 89.5FM (listener-supported, non-commercial, all-classical radio)
• KOOP 91.7FM Community Radio for Austin
• KUT 90.5FM (Eclectic music and NPR News)
• KVR News 9, UT's Broadcast News Show
• KVRX UT Student Radio
• News 8 Austin (24-hour local cable news channel)
• Austin Independent Media Center
• Burnt Orange Report (blog)
• The Texas Travesty (bi-monthly)
• KLRU (PBS member TV station)
• List of radio stations in Austin

NPR logo NPR redirects here. ... The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service with 349 member TV stations in the United States. ... This is a list of radio stations in Texas. ...

Nature and environment

• Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory
• Bat Conservation International page on the Congress Avenue Bats
• Austin chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas
• Austin's Humanitarian-Charitable-Environmental Web Portal

• Maps and aerial photos · Coordinates: 30.300474° -97.747247°
  • Street map from Google Maps or Yahoo! Maps
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
  • Satellite image from Google Maps or Windows Live Local
• The Austin Map Project
• Current Austin weather from weather.com

Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically); large version (pdf) The geographic (earth-mapping) coordinate system expresses every horizontal position on Earth by two of the three coordinates of a spherical coordinate system which is aligned with the spin axis of the Earth. ...

Resources

• University of Texas at Austin
• Austin TX at About.com - Living in, Moving to, Visiting the City of Austin. Retrieved 16 May 2006
• Austin Independent Business Alliance- Network of locally-owned, independent businesses in Austin.
• Austin History Center. Retrieved 16 May 2006
• AustinPostcards.com - Postcards, photographs and ephemera of historic significance to Austin. Retrieved 16 May 2006
• Memoirs of old Austin - From MemoryWiki. Retrieved 16 May 2006
• Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau. Retrieved 16 May 2006
• Austin Area Parks. Retrieved 16 May 2006
• Capital Metro - Public transportation in Austin. Retrieved 16 May 2006
• Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 16 May 2006
• KLRU: Brief History of Austin. Retrieved 16 May 2006
• Austin House Statistics. Retrieved 16 May 2006
• Austin - Best Place to Live - How Austin Ranks Among US Cities. Retrieved 16 May 2006
• Urban Austin - Information about architecture and urban design in Austin
• Entry for Austin from the Handbook of Texas Online

  The Handbook of Texas (ISBN 0-87611-151-7) is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published jointly by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) and the General Libraries at the University of Texas at Austin. ...

	v·d·e State of Texas Texas Topics | History | Republic of Texas | Government | Politics | Texans
Capital	Austin
Regions	Arklatex | Big Bend | Brazos Valley | Central Texas | Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex | Deep East Texas | East Texas | Edwards Plateau | Galveston Bay | Golden Triangle | Greater Houston | North Texas | Northeast Texas | Permian Basin | Piney Woods | Rio Grande Valley | Texas Hill Country | Texas Panhandle | Llano Estacado | Southeast Texas | South Texas | West Texas
Metropolitan areas	Abilene | Amarillo | Austin–Round Rock | Beaumont–Port Arthur | Brownsville–Harlingen | Bryan–College Station | Corpus Christi | Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington | El Paso | Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown | Killeen–Temple | Laredo | Longview–Marshall | Lubbock | McAllen–Edinburg–Mission | Midland–Odessa | San Angelo | San Antonio | Sherman–Denison | Texarkana | Tyler | Victoria | Waco | Wichita Falls See also: List of Texas counties