POPULATION  1.5 Million in the metropolitan area; 795,390 within city limits.  14th largest city in America.

 

AREA  Austin envelopes a 2,705-square-mile metro area, 232 miles within the city limits.

 

ELEVATION  Austin sits 425-1,000 feet above sea level. The highest point is Mount Barker at 840 sq ft.

 

WEATHER  300 days of sunshine annually, with an average year-round tempeture of 70 degrees. 32" annual rain fall.

 

HISTORY  Founded as "Waterloo" in 1839 by Jaccob Harrell, the city was renamed by Texas colonist Stephen F. Austin. 

 

TAXES  8.25% sales tax; 15% hotel tax (9% city tax, 6% sales state tax)

 

COST OF LIVING  U.S. Index: 96.5 Median household income: $59,221; median home price in 2013 is $283.959.

 

AIRPORT  Austin-Bergstrom Internation Airport is 7.5 miles from downtown.

 

STATE CAPITOL  Built from 1882-1888 out of "Sunset Red" granite and measuring 302 feet high, the Texas State Capitol is 14 feet higher than the nation's capitol in Washington D.C.  Legislators meet everyother year. 

 

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS  Located just North of downtown, UT is one of American's largest public universities with nearly 50,000 students. Hook'em horns!

 

FILM CAPITOL  Austin is the top location for filmmaking in Texas, and is home to directors Robert Rodriguez, Mike Judge and Richard Linklater.   Recent area productions include Friday Night Lights (NBC Show) and True Grit. 

 

A LITTLE BATTY  Austin is home to American's largest urban bat population, with up to 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats roosting under the Congress Avenue Bridge from April to October.

 

OUTDOORS  251 Parks, including 360-acre Zilker Park. Hike & Bike trails follow the edge of Lady Bird Lake (Town Lake) for 10.1 miles.  Barton Springs Pools welcomes swimmer to 68-degree, spring-fed water year round.

 

EAST AUSTIN  The hip, up-and-coming area is home to restaurant row on Manor Road, featuring Mexican Cuisine at Vivo, homemade pies at Red House Pizzeria and organic greens at Eastside Cafe', as well as the ultra hip Progress Coffee and The Good Knight.

 

LIVE MUSIC CAPITOL OF THE WORLD

 

Live music plays at nearly 200 venues throughout Austin.  The city is also home to 1,900 recording artists including such famed personalities as Willie Nelson, Asleep at the Wheel,  Los Lonely Boys, Bob Schneider, Ghostland Observatory and more. 

 

ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS  Sixth Street, South Congress Avenue (SOCO), the Warehouse, Second Street, Red River and Rainey Street entertainment districts are among the "hot spots" for listening to live music, dining and taking in the nightlife scene. 

 

FINANCIAL IMPACT  Live music  contributes to tourism's annual economic impact of $2.8 billion.  Music supports more than 5,500 jobs in Austin.

 

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS LIVE, the longest running music show on television, spawned the Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival, which takes place each fall and generates an economic impact of around $75 million.

 

SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST Music, Film and Interactive Conferences and Festivals (SXSW) is one of Austin's largest convensions, bringing 286,000 professionals and fans from around the world and generates more than $167 million for the city.