Travis County
Travis County, Texas
Travis County, Texas
Travis County is in Central Texas, 150 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico. Austin, the state capital and county seat, is at the intersection of Interstate Highway 35 and U.S. highways 183 and 290, 100 miles southwest of Waco and seventy-five miles northeast of San Antonio. The geographical center of the county lies two miles northwest of downtown Austin at 30°18' north latitude and 97°45' west longitude. Travis County comprises 989 square miles on the eastern edge of the Edwards Plateau and is divided by the Balcones Escarpment. The land west of the escarpment is more arid than that to the east, and the vegetation varies accordingly, ranging from juniper, mesquite, and scrub brush to oak, cottonwood, redbud, and pecan trees. Elevations in Travis County range from 400 to 1,300 feet above sea level. Between 21 and 30 percent of the land is considered prime farmland. The Colorado River, which bisects the county from northwest to southeast, flows from the Hill Country onto the Coastal Plain and provides drainage for the entire area. Wildlife in the area includes deer, coyote, bobcat, squirrel, beaver, opossum, ring-tailed cat, badger, fox, raccoon, and skunk, as well as a variety of birds, fish, and reptiles. Among the county's mineral resources are dolomite, limestone, industrial sand, gravel, oil, and gas. The climate is subtropical, with an average low temperature in January of 38° F and an average high in July of 96°. The average yearly rainfall is thirty-two inches, and the growing season is 270 days.
Fossilized remains of fish and aquatic plant life indicate that the Central Texas region, including Travis County, was once the floor of a shallow sea. Remnants of an extinct volcano (see PILOT KNOB) stand testament to a violent geological past. Archeological evidence dating from the Archaic Period suggests that hunting and gathering peoples established themselves in the region as early as 10,000 years ago. The Tonkawa and the Lipan Apache Indians were well established in Central Texas by the fourteenth century, and Comanche and Kiowa tribes arrived in the area by the eighteenth century. The first European known to have crossed the region was Domingo Terán de los Ríos, who made an inspection tour to East Texas in 1691. When the Spanish moved their missions out of East Texas in 1730, they relocated the missions of San Francisco de los Neches, Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de los Hasinai, and San José de los Nazonis near Barton Springs. In 1827 the Mexican government granted Stephen F. Austin his third, or "Little Colony," which was located east of the Colorado River and north and west of the Old San Antonio Road. Mina (Bastrop) became the headquarters of the colony, and Travis County developed as an offshoot of Mina. Settlers moving into the area in the early 1830s included Josiah and Mathias Wilbarger, Reuben Hornsby, Jacob M. Harrell, and John F. Webber. The onset of the Texas Revolution delayed further settlement activity, and the news of the fall of the Alamo prompted those settlers already in residence to flee.
Vivian Elizabeth Smyrl | © TSHA
Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.
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Currently Exists
Yes
Place type
Travis County is classified as a County
Altitude Range
400 ft – 1421 ft
Size
Land area does not include water surface area, whereas total area does
- Land Area: 990.2 mi²
- Total Area: 1,023.0 mi²
Temperature
January mean minimum:
36.3°F
July mean maximum:
95.2°F
Rainfall, 2019
34.3 inches
Population Count, 2019
1,273,954
Civilian Labor Count, 2019
729,182
Unemployment, 2019
7.6%
Property Values, 2019
$223,070,105,103 USD
Per-Capita Income, 2019
$67,504 USD
Retail Sales, 2019
$21,341,265,622 USD
Wages, 2019
$14,558,766,887 USD
County Map of Texas
Travis County
- Travis County
Places of Travis County
Place | Type | Population (Year/Source) | Currently Exists |
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Town | – | Yes | |
Town | 964,177 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 3,183 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 9,028 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 2,133 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 20 (2009) | Yes | |
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Town | 78,693 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 20 (2009) | Yes | |
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Town | 50 (2009) | Yes | |
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Town | 452 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 500 (2009) | Yes | |
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Town | 80 (2009) | Yes | |
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Town | 125 (2009) | Yes | |
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Town | 2,932 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 9,866 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 3,035 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 18,409 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 2,456 (2021) | Yes | |
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Lake | – | Yes | |
Town | 9,348 (2021) | Yes | |
Lake | – | Yes | |
Lake | – | Yes | |
Lake | – | Yes | |
Town | 19,300 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | 67,124 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 35 (2009) | Yes | |
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Town | 1,157 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 200 (2009) | Yes | |
Town | 1,685 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 18,285 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 25 (2009) | Yes | |
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Town | 966 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 60 (2009) | Yes | |
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Town | 66,884 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 500 (2009) | Yes | |
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Town | 1,267 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 1,440 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 59 (2009) | Yes | |
Town | 123,876 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 514 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 4,587 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 18,189 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 656 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 2,535 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 90 (2009) | Yes | |
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Town | 542 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 416 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 13,837 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 3,322 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 1,184 (2021) | Yes |
Photos Nearby:
Austin, Texas
Shot of Austin's Capital. Austin is the seat of Travis County, Texas. Photo by Juan Nino on Unsplash.
Lady Bird Lake, in downtown Austin, is a popular spot for recreation
Photo by Daderot, Public Domain
A View of Lake Travis
Lake Travis is a popular weekend destination. Photo by Beckybot, CC by SA 4.0
Soldiers Landing on Lake Walter E. Long
U.S. Soldiers practice various airborne and water rescue operations in a joint endeavor between the Texas Military Forces, Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers on Lake Walter E. Long. Photo by SGT Jeremy Spires (Public Domain)
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