Waco, The Heart Of Texas

Waco Quick Facts Founded: 1849 Population: 113,726 Metro Population: 213,000 Elevation: 427 feet Annual Rainfall: 33.33 inches Avg. Temperatures: Yearly mean 67.2 Summer high 96.4 Winter low 38.7 Relative humidity 68% Rivers: The Brazos, North Bosque, Middle Bosque & South Bosque all flow through Waco Lakes: Lake Waco (7,000 acres & 60 miles of shoreline) Parks: 35 Including 416-acre Cameron Park Museums: Texas Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, Dr Pepper Museum & Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum Institutes of higher education: Baylor University, McLennan Community College & Texas State Technical College

With a population of 213,000, the Waco metropolitan area is located in the heart of Central Texas and within driving distance of most major urban centers in the state -- approximately 100 miles from Dallas and Austin and 180 miles from Houston and San Antonio. Airline service to Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston is available through the expanded and renovated Waco Regional Airport.

The climate of Central Texas is mild year-round. High temperatures range from the upper 90s at the peak of the summer to the 30s and 40s in the winter. Housing is affordable, and part-time jobs are easy to find.

Outdoor recreational opportunities in the Waco area include 7,000-acre Lake Waco and the 416-acre Cameron Park, one of the state's largest municipal parks which offers hiking and mountain biking trails, a championship disc golf course and the natural habitat Cameron Park Zoo. There are a total of 35 parks in the city.

Annual events include Baylor Homecoming, the Heart O' Texas Fair and Rodeo and outdoor concerts held along the banks of the Brazos River.

A city of museums and galleries, Waco's local offerings include the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the Art Center, the Dr Pepper Museum and a number of sites on the Baylor University campus, including two art galleries, Armstrong Browning Library, the Mayborn Museum Complex and the Governor Bill and Vara Daniel Historic Village.

Waco is home to a variety of fine restaurants, many located in the city's revitalized warehouse district downtown. The area features an eclectic mix of restaurants, specialty shops and loft and office space.

Waco History

Waco is named after the Waco Indians, the first inhabitants of the area surrounding a natural spring on the Brazos River. The tribe lived in beehive-shaped huts and had hundreds of acres of land planted with corn, beans and other vegetables. The tribe was generally considered a peaceful one, but occasionally, when threatened, the Wacos became protective of their territory. Part of their village was located on the banks of the Brazos where the Suspension Bridge was later built.

In 1837, the Texas Rangers arrived intending to build a fort -- Fort Fisher -- at the Waco village, but the expedition was short-lived and plans for the outpost were canceled. A trading post was established near Waco Village in 1844, and a year later a rugged Scot named Neil McLennan established the first frontier settlement in the area. In 1848, three years after Texas became a state, the Mexican land grant surrounding the old Waco Village site was sold to a group of businessmen from Galveston. In 1849, surveyor George Erath laid out the first streets of Waco, and lots were sold for $5 each. The City of Waco was incorporated on Aug. 29, 1856, and serves as the county seat of McLennan County.

In 1870, the 475-foot Suspension Bridge opened as the first pedestrian/wagon bridge across the Brazos River, providing easier access for numerous travelers as well as cattle herds being driven along the Chisholm Trail. The Waco and Northwestern Railroad reached Waco in 1871, and the city was soon a hub of commerce for Central Texas.