Austin, Texas

The city of Austin is the capital of the state of Texas and the county seat of Travis County. It's located on the banks of the Colorado River, approximately 80 miles (129 kilometers) northeast of San Antonio, 163 miles (262 kilometers) northwest of Houston, and about 190 miles (306 kilometers) southwest of Dallas-Fort Worth.

Austinites and take pride in their city, which can boast a high-tech economy, a rich cultural scene, and abundant green space. Famous Austinites include Lance Armstrong, Andy Roddick, Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey, and Willie Nelson!

Austin lies at the center of a high-tech region known as Silicon Hills. Key offices of corporations such as Dell Computer, IBM, AMD, and Samsung are located in the city. The University of Texas at Austin, a major research university for science and engineering, is also located in the city.

In addition to its wired economic base, Austin has a vibrant cultural scene. Austin, which is known as the Live Music Capital of the World, hosts the annual South by Southwest Music and Media Conference (SXSW) every spring. The festival brings musicians from around the world to perform at more than 50 venues located throughout the city, and also includes a film festival.

Throughout the year, Austin residents can enjoy the symphony, chamber ensemble, opera, or ballet, or take in performances by any of a number of theater companies located in the city. The local music scene is incredibly diverse and made up of jazz, blues, country, rock, hip-hop, beat, progressive, metal, and punk bands. The nightclubs on Austin's 6th street are popular venues for these bands.

Austin's charm also derives from its abundant green space. There are three man-made lakes within Austin's city limits and the city maintains more than 16,814 acres (6,804 hectares) of parkland, which includes 208 parks, 14 preserves, and 3,394 acres (1,373 hectares) of creeks and canyon, and more than 74 miles (119 kilometers) of hike-and-bike trails! And the city is located in the foothills of the Texas Hill County, which is known for its green rolling hills and its sparkling rivers.

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