Greater Austin
The Austin–Round Rock–San Marcos metropolitan statistical area, or Greater Austin, is a five-county metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Texas, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget.[4] The metropolitan area is situated in Central Texas on the western edge of the American South and on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, and borders Greater San Antonio to the south.
Greater Austin
As of the 2020 U.S. census, the Austin–Round Rock–Georgetown MSA is the 28th-largest metropolitan area in the United States, with a total population of 2,352,426.[1] The metropolitan area contains the City of Austin—the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 10th-largest city in the United States with a population of 974,447 people.[5] Austin's largest suburbs are Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, San Marcos, Leander, and Pflugerville.
Culture and recreation[edit]
Annual events and festivals[edit]
The communities in Greater Austin hold many annual events. In Austin two of the most well known festivals are the South by Southwest Music and Film Festival and the Austin City Limits Music Festival, which draw artists and spectators from around the world. Many other Austin festivals take place including the Old Pecan Street Festival, Blues on the Green, and the Laguna Gloria Art Museum Fiesta.[57] The Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival is centered in Austin but takes place at restaurants and venues in multiple communities.[58]
Outside of Austin many communities host local events of their own. Marble Falls hosts the Bluebonnet Blues and Fine Arts Festival, an event that attracts artists and performers from around the state to the community's downtown. Burnet hosts the Spring Bluebonnet Festival, which features a golf tournament, car shows, vintage airplane shows, and other activities.[59] The Old Settler's Music Festival in Driftwood features live outdoor performances ranging from folk music to bluegrass and jazz.[60] Some area communities host civic heritage festivals including the Cedar Park Heritage Festival and the Chisolm Trail Round Up in Lockhart.[61][62] The Oktoberfest celebration in Fredericksburg is one of the largest and most traditional in Texas.[63]
Rodeo fairs occur annually including the Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo and the Burnet Rodeo.
Arts and music[edit]
Austin has adopted the nickname "Live Music Capital of the World" based on its claim of having the highest percentage of music performers of any other major city.[64] The city has a variety of venues for live music performance of popular and country music including famous clubs such as Antone's and Emo's. The long-running television program Austin City Limits has for decades showcased the city's music scene, as has the South by Southwest festival and other events in the city. Apart from these the city hosts major classical music performances via the Austin Lyric Opera and the Austin Symphony Orchestra.
Other communities in the Austin Area host their own music venues and organizations as well. The Williamson County Symphony Orchestra, founded in 2002, offers performances at locations throughout the county.[65] The Starlight Symphony, a community orchestra, offers performances at various venues within the southwestern areas of Greater Austin including San Marcos, Dripping Springs, and Johnson City.[66] The Round Rock Symphony, a recently established organization, offers performances within Round Rock.[67]
Transportation[edit]
Highways[edit]
The principal highways in the metropolitan area are Interstate 35 and the MoPac Expressway (State Highway Loop 1), both of which are the primary north–south roadways. Other important arteries in the city and its immediate vicinity are U.S. Highway 183 (also known as "Research Blvd."), and U.S. Highway 290 which provide East/West thoroughfares. Other important highways include State Highway 71 (also known as "Ben White Blvd.") which connects Austin with Houston to the south, and to Marble Falls and the Highland Lakes chain to the west. And State Highway Loop 360 is a scenic highway which runs to the north–south on the west side of Austin but curves westward into the hills. Loop 360 carries special scenic zoning as well preventing billboards and minimizing views of the surrounding buildings. Austin's new toll roads include State Highway 130, U.S. Highway 183-A, and State Highway 45 discussed below. Interstate 10 also runs through the extreme southern portion of Caldwell County.