Just a few Austin facts

Austin is sometimes called the "Live Music Capital of the World" because we have so many various artist and events for music lovers all around town.   Austin has many  other attractions and we encourage you to visit our beautiful city.  Here are just a few facts about Austin:

• 16TH Largest City in the Country

• POPULATION 1.3 million in metropolitan area; 690,000 within city limits.

• AREA 2,705 sq. mi. metro area; 232 sq. mi. in city limits.

• ELEVATION 425 - 1,000 ft. above sea level. The highest point is Mt. Barker at 840 Ft.

• WEATHER 300 days of sunshine annually; 68.5 degrees F. average year-round temperature; 32” annual rainfall.

• HISTORY Founded in 1838 by Jacob Harrell along the Lower Colorado River; town platted by Edwin Waller and lots sold

• in 1839. Named for Texas colonist Stephen F. Austin.

• TAXES 8.25% sales tax; 15% hotel-motel tax; no state income tax.

• LIVING IN AUSTIN The median family annual income is $63,000; average price of a family home is $203,000.

• SMOKE-FREE Austin bans smoking in all public places, including the airport, municipal and other government offices, as

• well as private office buildings. Smoking is prohibited in most restaurants, bars and music venues.

• AIRPORT A $15 taxi and $10 Super Shuttle ride take you the quick 7.5 miles from the Austin-Bergstrom International
  Airport to downtown.

• STATE CAPITAL The seat of government for the Lone Star State, Austin is home to the State Capitol of Texas, built 1882-88 of “Sunset Red” granite and measuring 302 feet high—14 feet higher than the nation’s capitol in Washington, D.C.

• LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD On any given night, live music plays at any of nearly 200 venues throughout the city. Also home to Grammy Award winning musicians The Dixie Chicks, Shawn Colvin, Willie Nelson, Asleep at the Wheel and the late Stevie Ray Vaughan.

• UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS Located just north of downtown, UT is one of the largest public universities in the U.S. with nearly 50,000 students. Hook ‘em Horns!

• SILICON HILLS One of the country’s top technology cities, Austin is headquarters for Dell Computer Corporation and major operations for IBM, Samsung, Freescale and Advanced Micro Devices.

• FILM CAPITAL Austin is the top location for moviemaking in Texas. The Alamo, Spy Kids 3D, Sin City, The Rookie and Second Hand Lions and MTV’s Real World were filmed in and around Austin.

• A LITTLE BATTY Home to North America’s largest urban bat population, with up to 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats roosting under the Congress Avenue Bridge from March through October.

• ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS Sixth Street, the Warehouse and Red River Entertainment Districts are the three “hot spots” for listening to live music, dining and taking in the bar scene.

• BARTON SPRINGS A spring-fed swimming hole where constant 68-degree waters provide a place for swimming year-round.

• OUTDOORS Recreational opportunities abound with 220 parks, including 360-acre Zilker Park and a 10.1 mile hike-and bike trail around Town Lake.

• LAKES Total water surface area of the Highland Lakes comprised of Lake Travis, Lake Austin and Town Lake is 20,693 acres; combined shoreline for the three is 405 miles.

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