Austin is the county seat of Travis County. The population hit 681,804 in 2004.

Founded in 1835, it was initially named Waterloo. In 1838, the city was renamed in honor of Stephen F. Austin who spearheaded the Anglo-American colonization of the region.

In 1835, the University of Texas at Austin was established. It is the largest university in Texas. Its presence helped Austin and its outlying areas to attract and expand high-tech research and development firms. Within the university is The Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum, the most frequently visited of U.S. presidential libraries.

In the 1970s, country and western musicians, “refugees” from the excess of the more corporate Nashville trooped to Austin. From this batch emerged Willie Nelson who became an icon of the genre. Austin’s numerous bars, especially those along 6th Street thrill music lovers nightly. In fact, the longest-running concert on American TV is Austin City Limits. A long line-up of local as well as touring blues, country and rock ‘n roll bands make Austin’s music scene hard to pin down.

In the 1990s, Austin’s economy experienced an overwhelming boom with the buildup of high-tech companies such as IBM, Dell, Apple, AMD, Vignette, Intel, Samsung and National Instruments. This earned the city another nickname, “The Silicon Hills”. Other industries that advance Austin’s economy are ranching, cotton, dairy, poultry, grain, medical equipment, consumer goods, electronics, and wood products.

In 2000, Austin became the focus of media attention as presidential candidate and Texas Governor George W. Bush created his headquarters there.

The eastern part of Austin is flat. The western part and suburbs are characterized by rolling hills on the edge of Texas Hill County. Boosted by a moderate year-round climate, Austin is a great city for outdoorsy types. Nature trails, parks and wilderness hideaways provide a break from the frenzy of the city.

A crowd-drawer in Austin is Mount Bonnell—a natural limestone foundation that stands at 780 feet above sea level. It overlooks Lake Austin on the Colorado River nearly 200 feet below its summit. Nighttime is when the Austin scenery takes on a new splendor with several “moonlight towers” illuminating the central part. The iconic towers were played up in the film Dazed and Confused.

Austinites include a motley group of educators, students, politicians, lobbyists, musicians, and businessmen. The racial makeup of the city is 65% White, 10% Black, 0.59% Native American, 30%, Hispanic or Latino, 4% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, and 16% from other races.

Some famous Austin denizens include businessman Michael Dell, cyclist Lance Armstrong, tennis star Andy Roddick, Hollywood A-listers Sandra Bullock and Matthew McConaughey, and acclaimed directors Robert Rodriguez (Once Upon A Time in Mexico, Spy Kids) and Richard Linklater (Before Sunrise, School of Rock).

• The Austin Chronicle
• GACC|The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce

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