Comanche and Tonkawa peoples lived across this stretch of Central Texas long before any town. In the late 1830s a small settlement on the Colorado River called Waterloo caught the eye of the young Republic of Texas, and in 1839 it was renamed Austin — for Stephen F. Austin, the "Father of Texas" — and chosen as the capital of the independent republic. Surveyors laid a grid above the river, its streets named for Texas rivers and trees, and a frontier village became the seat of a nation.
In 1845 Texas left the republic behind and joined the Union as the Lone Star State, and Austin stayed its capital. The Texas State Capitol that crowns Congress Avenue was completed in 1888, built of "sunset red" Texas granite and rising taller than the United States Capitol in Washington — the signature landmark of the capital city. Around it the original 1839 town has grown into a metropolis, but the river, the springs, and the Hill Country still set the city's rhythm.
Why People Visit Austin
Austin balances Texas-capital history with easygoing Hill Country life — spring-fed swimming, river trails, big landmarks, and a deep live-music heritage. It's a relaxed, walkable base for Central Texas and the Hill Country.
