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65-553: West Lake Hills (locally referred to as "Westlake") is a city in Travis County, Texas , United States. The population was 3,444 at the 2020 census . The city was established and incorporated in 1953 and developed rapidly in the 1970s and 1980s, especially on the south side of the Colorado River . It is a suburb of Austin , located just west of central Austin. West Lake Hills was founded by Emmett Shelton in 1953. Shelton played

130-631: A hospital district , was established in 2004. Brackenridge Hospital was originally built as the City-County Hospital in 1884 but Travis County ended its share of the ownership in 1907. In 2017 Brackenridge was replaced by the Dell Seton Medical Center . 30°20′N 97°47′W  /  30.33°N 97.78°W  / 30.33; -97.78 Blackland Prairie The Texas Blackland Prairies ecoregion covers an area of 50,300 km (19,400 sq mi), consisting of

195-615: A median household income of $ 68,350 per year, and a per capita income of $ 38,820 per year. 13.9% of the population lived below the poverty level . The county's largest employers are governments (the State of Texas, the US Federal Government, Travis County and the City of Austin) and public education bodies. Other major employers are concentrated in industries relating to semiconductors , software engineering and healthcare . Travis County

260-482: A crew of 12 federal field agents conducted a 17-year (1889–1905), statewide survey of the natural history of Texas. The survey collected detailed data on the topography , land use, climate , as well as plant, bird, and mammal specimens, and extensive photographs of the landscape. However, because the natural state of the Blackland Prairie region was so altered, even at that time, that little wildlife remained and

325-607: A few of the smaller species include threadfin shad ( Dorosoma petenense ), red shiner ( Cyprinella lutrensis ), blacktail shiner ( Cyprinella venusta ), shoal chub ( Macrhybopsis hyostoma ), ghost shiner ( Notropis buchanani ), pugnose minnow ( Opsopoeodus emiliae ), fathead minnow ( Pimephales promelas ), bullhead minnow ( Pimephales vigilax ), river carpsucker ( Carpiodes carpio ), blackstripe topminnow ( Fundulus notatus ), slough darter ( Etheostoma gracile ), bigscale logperch ( Percina macrolepida ), and dusky darter ( Percina sciera ) and many others. Because of

390-578: A main belt of 43,000 km (17,000 sq mi) and two islands of tallgrass prairie grasslands southeast of the main Blackland Prairie belt; both the main belt and the islands extend northeast–southwest. The main belt consists of oaklands and savannas and runs from just south of the Red River on the Texas- Oklahoma border through the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area and southward to

455-458: A new Republic of Texas. After Texas Vice President Mirabeau B. Lamar visited central Texas during a buffalo -hunting expedition between 1837 and 1838, he proposed that the republic's capital (then located in Houston ) be relocated to a site on the north bank of the Colorado River . In 1839 the site was officially chosen as the republic's new capital and given the name Waterloo ; shortly thereafter

520-400: A significant increase in pasture for livestock production, ca. 25% tame pasture and 25% rangeland. "As a result of cultivation, overgrazing , and other imprudent land-use practices, there are few if any remnants of climax vegetation in the region." The Blackland Prairie was a disturbance maintained ecosystem prior to the arrival of Europeans. Fires ignited by lightning occasionally swept

585-476: A significant role as a land planner for the city. The Emmett Shelton Bridge, named in his honor, is an important infrastructure that connects West Lake Hills with Austin. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.6 km), all land. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 3,444 people, 1,193 households, and 1,002 families residing in

650-529: A site by the Colorado River near Barton Springs . The friars found conditions undesirable and relocated to the San Antonio River within a year of their arrival. In 1821 Mexico won its independence from Spain, and the new government enacted laws encouraging colonists to settle the Texas frontier by granting them land and reduced taxation. Over the next decade, thousands of foreign immigrants (primarily from

715-527: A variety of nomadic Native American tribes inhabited the area. These indigenous peoples fished and hunted along the creeks, including present-day Barton Springs , which proved to be a reliable campsite. At the time of the first permanent settlement of the area, the Tonkawa tribe was the most common, with the Comanches and Lipan Apaches also frequenting the area. The region (along with all of modern Texas)

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780-871: A variety of wildflowers including gayfeathers , asters , Maximilian sunflower , wild indigos and compass plant . Mammals: Some species found in the region include Virginia opossum ( Didelphis virginiana ), nine-banded armadillo ( Dasypus novemcinctus ), Eastern red bat ( Lasiurus borealis ), Brazilian free-tailed bat ( Tadarida brasiliensis ), fulvous harvest mouse ( Reithrodontomys fulvescens ), white-footed mouse ( Peromyscus leucopus ), hispid cotton rat ( Sigmodon hispidus ) ), eastern fox squirrel ( Sciurus niger ), American beaver ( Castor canadensis ), white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ), northern raccoon ( Procyon lotor ), striped skunk ( Mephitis mephitis ), bobcat ( Lynx rufus ), gray fox ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus ), and coyotes ( Canis latrans ). The large, keystone species that once inhabited

845-409: Is also elected at-large for a four-year term. The Heman Marion Sweatt Travis County Courthouse is located in downtown Austin . The county courthouse holds civil and criminal trial courts and other functions of county government. As of 2017 , the county's probate courts are in the process of being moved from the county courthouse into Austin's 1936 United States Courthouse , which was acquired by

910-648: Is located in Central Texas . As of the 2020 census , the population was 1,290,188. It is the fifth-most populous county in Texas . Its county seat and most populous city is Austin , the state's capital. The county was established in 1840 and is named in honor of William Barret Travis , the commander of the Republic of Texas forces at the Battle of the Alamo . Travis County is part of

975-546: Is one of the most consistently Democratic counties in Texas, having voted for the Democratic presidential nominee all but five times since 1932. The only exceptions have been the Republican landslide years of 1952, 1956, 1972 and 1984, when Dwight Eisenhower , Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan each won over 400 electoral votes, and 2000, when the Republican nominee was incumbent Texas Governor George W. Bush . In 2005 Travis County

1040-749: Is served by a number of public school districts; the largest is Austin Independent School District , serving most of Austin. Other districts wholly or mainly located in Travis County include Eanes ISD , Lake Travis ISD , Lago Vista ISD , Leander ISD , Del Valle ISD , Manor ISD , and Pflugerville ISD . Parts of Elgin ISD , Coupland ISD , Hutto ISD , Round Rock ISD , Marble Falls ISD , Johnson City ISD , Dripping Springs ISD and Hays Consolidated ISD also cross into Travis County. State-operated schools include: Texas Blind, Deaf, and Orphan School

1105-486: Is the only city completely within the Eanes Independent School District . Residents are zoned to Eanes Elementary School, Bridge Point Elementary School, Barton Creek Elementary School, Cedar Creek Elementary School, Forest Trail Elementary School, Valley View Elementary School, Hill Country Middle School, West Ridge Middle School, and Westlake High School . Travis County, Texas Travis County

1170-799: The Balcones Fault , the boundary between the Edwards Plateau to the west and the Texas Coastal Plain to the east. The western part of the county is characterized by the karst topography of the Texas Hill Country , while the eastern part exhibits the fertile plains and farmlands of the Blackland Prairie . The Colorado River meanders through the county from west to east, forming a series of man-made lakes ( Lake Travis , Lake Austin , and Lady Bird Lake ). The limestone karst geology of

1235-546: The Caddo National Grassland (17,784 acres (71.97 km )) under the multiple-use concept, balancing resource extraction, preservation, and recreation. The State of Texas administers a number of state parks and wildlife management areas in the region, however they are mostly located around human-made lakes and riparian zones of rivers and creeks, focusing on recreation, fishing, and hunting, and not prairie conservation. Many of these areas are leased, not owned, by

1300-548: The Democratic Party. *appointed to fill a vacancy **court created in 2023 The board governing the Austin Community College district , which Travis County is a part of alongside Hays , Caldwell , and Blanco counties, as well as portions of Williamson , Bastrop , Guadalupe , Lee , and Fayette counties. Members are elected in nonpartisan elections and serve six year terms. As of 2017, Travis County had

1365-484: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 1,023 square miles (2,650 km ), of which 990 square miles (2,600 km ) is land and 33 square miles (85 km ) (3.2% of the territory) is water. Travis County is located in the southern part of central Texas , between San Antonio and Dallas–Fort Worth . The county's geographical center lies two miles northwest of downtown Austin at 30°18' north latitude and 97°45' west longitude. Travis County straddles

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1430-569: The American alligator ( Alligator mississippiensis ) ranges into the Blackland Prairies. The ubiquitous red-eared slider ( Trachemys scripta ) is found throughout the region, the river cooter ( Pseudemys concinna ) in the northeast, the Texas cooter ( Pseudemys texana ) in the southwest, the Mississippi map turtle ( Graptemys pseudogeographica ) in the larger rivers, and several records of

1495-733: The Austin– Round Rock – Georgetown Metropolitan Statistical Area . It is located along the Balcones Fault , the boundary between the Edwards Plateau to the west and the Blackland Prairie to the east. Evidence of habitation of the Balcones Escarpment region of Texas can be traced to at least 11,000 years ago. Two of the oldest Paleolithic archeological sites in Texas, the Levi Rock Shelter and Smith Rock Shelter , are in southwest and southeast Travis County, respectively. Several hundred years before European settlers arrived,

1560-737: The Blackland Prairie. Salamanders include the small-mouthed salamander ( Ambystoma texanum ), central newt ( Notophthalmus viridescens ), and western lesser siren ( Siren intermedia ). Fish: Among the many fish of the region are spotted bass ( Micropterus punctulatus ), white bass ( Morone chrysops ), black crappie ( Pomoxis nigromaculatus ), white crappie ( Pomoxis annularis ), black bullhead ( Ameiurus melas ), blue catfish ( Ictalurus furcatus ), flathead catfish ( Pylodictis olivaris ), freckled madtom ( Noturus nocturnus ), warmouth ( Lepomis gulosus ), orangespotted sundfish ( Lepomis humilis ), longear sunfish ( Lepomis megalotis ), freshwater drum ( Aplodinotus grunniens ). Just

1625-472: The Blackland Prairies, before the arrival of Europeans and the destruction of the tallgrass ecosystem, are now extirpated , including American bison ( Bos bison ), gray wolf ( Canis lupus ), red wolf ( Canis rufus ), mountain lion ( Puma concolor ), black bear ( Ursus americanus ), and pronghorn ( Antilocapra americana ) which once ranged into the western areas, and even jaguar ( Panthera onca ) and ocelot ( Leopardus pardalis ) that once occurred in

1690-473: The United States) moved into Texas; in particular, American empresario Stephen F. Austin established one of his colonies near what is now Bastrop, Texas (in future Travis County) in 1827. Josiah and Mathias Wilbarger, Reuben Hornsby, Jacob M. Harrell, and John F. Webber were early settlers who moved into the area in the early 1830s. In 1836 Texas declared and won its independence from Mexico, forming

1755-494: The age of 18 living with them, 42.60% were married couples living together, 10.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.70% were non-families. 30.10% of all households were composed of individuals, and 4.40% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.15. 12.0% were of German , 7.7% English , 6.6% Irish and 5.5% American ancestry according to Census 2000 The population's age distribution

1820-427: The area quickly led to widespread habitat loss. Early Czechoslovakian and German immigrants arrived in the region around 1825 to 1845 and found the rich black soil excellent for farming. By the end of the 19th century 98% of the blackland prairies were cultivated and it was the leading cotton region of the state, also producing sorghum, corn, wheat, and hay. The land was so valuable, crops were planted abruptly up to

1885-403: The area, clearing or reducing the encroachment of trees and shrubs on the prairie, while stimulating the native herbaceous prairie species of forbs and grasses which are pyrophytic , adapted and resistant to wildfires. The exact frequency of fires is unknown but estimated to have occurred at intervals of 5 to 10 years. Herds of bison , and to a lesser extent pronghorn and deer, grazed on

1950-423: The average family size was 3.10. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 35.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males. The median income for a household in the city of West Lake Hills

2015-436: The biological survey crew spent little time there, ca. 4% of the total fieldwork. The human population of Texas in 1900 was less than 3,000,000 (ca. 11 people per square mile), in 2001 it was over 20,000,000 (ca. 78 people per square mile), in 2019 it was nearly 29,000,000 (96 people per square mile). Although 98% of the land was cultivated around 1900, after 1950 a shift in land use occurred, with about 50% in cultivation and

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2080-422: The budgets for county officials and agencies. The judge and commissioners are elected for four-year terms (the judge at-large, and the commissioners from geographic precincts). The other major county-wide official is the county clerk , who maintains the county's records, administers elections , and oversees legal documentation (such as property deeds , marriage licenses and assumed name certificates ). The clerk

2145-519: The city's name was changed to Austin in honor of Stephen F. Austin . A new county was also established the following year, of which Austin would be the seat; the county was named Travis County , after William B. Travis . Though the Republic's capital moved briefly back to Houston during the events surrounding the Texas Archive War , by 1845 Austin was again the capital, and it became the capital of

2210-509: The city. As of the census of 2000, there were 3,116 people, 1,143 households, and 873 families residing in the city. The population density was 835.7 inhabitants per square mile (322.7/km). There were 1,185 housing units at an average density of 317.8 per square mile (122.7/km). The racial makeup of the city was 95.60% White , 0.29% African American , 0.29% Native American , 1.28% Asian , 0.71% from other races , and 1.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.85% of

2275-520: The clay, which can cause damage to buildings and infrastructure. Soil management problems also include water erosion, cotton root rot, soil tilth , and brush control. The rich black 'waxland' soil of these prairies is almost proof against burrowing rodents, which penetrate the region only along some sandy stream bottoms, while the open country tempts jack rabbits, coyotes, and other plains species eastward slightly beyond their usual bounds. Few, if any, species are restricted to these prairie, however, and

2340-802: The copperhead ( Agkistrodon contortrix ), cottonmouth ( Agkistrodon piscivorus ), timber rattlesnake ( Crotalus horridus ), and the Texas coralsnake ( Micrurus tener ). Amphibians: Frogs and toads in the region include the American bullfrog ( Lithobates catesbeianus ), southern leopard frog ( Lithobates sphenocephalus ), Woodhouse's toad ( Anaxyrus woodhousii ), Hurter's spadefoot toad ( Scaphiopus hurterii ), Great Plains narrow-mouthed toad ( Gastrophryne olivacea ), Blanchard's cricket frog ( Acris blanchardi ), Cope's gray treefrog ( Hyla chrysoscelis ), green treefrog ( Hyla cinerea ), spotted chorus frog ( Pseudacris clarkii ), Strecker's chorus frog ( Pseudacris streckeri ), and another ten species recorded from limited areas or marginal counties of

2405-619: The county in 2016. The Travis County Jail and the Travis County Criminal Justice Center are located in Downtown Austin. The Travis County Correctional Complex is located in an unincorporated area in Travis County, next to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport . The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the Travis County State Jail, a state jail for men, in eastern Austin . Travis County

2470-425: The county include Texas Highway Loop 1 (the "Mopac Expressway"), which runs from north to south through the center of the county, and Texas Highway 45 , which forms parts of an incomplete highway loop around Austin. Texas Highway 130 (constructed as an alternative to IH-35 for long-distance traffic wishing to avoid Austin and San Antonio) also runs from north to south through the sparsely populated eastern part of

2535-610: The county. Amtrak 's Austin station is located in downtown Austin and is served by the Texas Eagle which runs daily between Chicago and San Antonio , continuing on to Los Angeles several times a week. Travis County is served by the Union Pacific Railroad and the Austin Western Railroad . According to the census of 2010, there were 1,024,266 people, 320,766 households, and 183,798 families residing in

2600-407: The county. The population density was 1,034 persons per square mile (399 persons/km ). There were 335,881 housing units at an average density of 340 units per square mile (130 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 68.21% White, 9.26% Black or African American, 0.58% Native American, 4.47% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 14.56% other races, and 2.85% from two or more races. 28.20% of

2665-422: The district vote for justices. Justices serve six year terms in at-large seats with no term limits, besides a mandatory retirement age of 75 years old. Following the 2018 midterm elections, Democrats held a majority on the 3rd Court of Appeals. Since 2022, Democrats have held all six seats. Judges serve a 4-year term, with no term limits . As of March 2024, all county elected officials are members of

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2730-810: The effect on distribution is mainly negative." The negative effect on distribution is evident in the Texas distribution of many wide-ranging species of both eastern and western North American fauna reaching their respective distributional limits in the region of the Texas Blackland Prairies and East Central Texas forests [e.g. eastern: American alligator ( Alligator mississippiensis ), eastern gray squirrel ( Sciurus carolinensis ), southern flying squirrel ( Glaucomys volans ),; western: American badger ( Taxidea taxus ), western diamondback rattlesnake ( Crotalus atrox ); and other fauna listed below]. Important prairie plants included little bluestem , yellow indiangrass , big bluestem , tall dropseed , and

2795-463: The end of the Civil War to the early twenty-first century, Travis County has experienced steady, rapid population growth (averaging more than a 36% increase every decade from 1870 to 2010), driven largely by the growth of Austin and its suburbs; it is now the fifth most populous county in Texas, after Harris (Houston), Dallas , Tarrant ( Fort Worth ) and Bexar ( San Antonio ) counties. According to

2860-709: The grasses and trampled and fertilized the soil, stimulating the growth of the tallgrass ecosystem. Bison were extirpated from the area by the 1850s. The soil of the Blackland Prairies, from which the "blackland" gets its name, contains black or dark-gray, alkaline clay in both upland and bottomland areas. Some western areas have shallow soils over chalk, while some soils in eastern areas are slightly acidic to neutral, grayish clays and loams over mottled clay subsoils (occasionally referred to as graylands). "Black gumbo" and "black velvet" are local names for this soil. The soils have vertisols properties, shrinking and swelling with moisture content. In dry weather, deep cracks form in

2925-874: The main belt by the oak woodlands of the East Central Texas forests , which surround the islands on all sides but the northeast, where the Fayette Prairie meets the East Texas Piney Woods . Texas counties that once supported blackland prairies include all or most of Collin , Dallas , Delta , Ellis , Hunt , Kaufman , Navarro , and Rockwall counties, as well as portions of Bastrop , Bell , Bexar , Caldwell , Denton , Falls , Fannin , Franklin , Freestone , Grayson , Guadalupe , Henderson , Hill , Hopkins , Johnson , Lamar , Limestone , McLennan , Milam , Rains , Red River , Tarrant , Titus , Travis , Van Zandt , and Williamson counties, all in

2990-475: The maintenance of the prairie through controlled burns to make more land suitable for hunting bison and other game. Hunter-gatherers continually inhabited the prairie since pre-Clovis times over 15,000 years ago. In historic times, they included the Wichita , Waco , Tonkawa , and Comanche , each of whom were gradually replaced by settled agrarian society. The advent of large-scale irrigated farming and ranching in

3055-742: The most diverse group of reptiles in the region, species include the North American racer ( Coluber constrictor ), eastern hog-nosed snake ( Heterodon platirhinos ), prairie kingsnake ( Lampropeltis calligaster ), speckled kingsnake ( Lampropeltis holbrooki ), coachwhip ( Masticophis flagellum ), yellow-bellied watersnake ( Nerodia erythrogaster ), diamond-backed watersnake ( Nerodia rhombifer ), rough greensnake ( Opheodrys aestivus ), western ratsnake ( Pantherophis obsoletus ), Graham's crayfishsnake ( Regina grahamii ), flat-headed snake ( Tantilla gracilis ), western ribbonsnake ( Thamnophis proximus ), and several others. Venomous species include

3120-681: The new State of Texas when Texas was annexed by the United States later that year. In 1861 Travis County was one of the few Texas counties to vote against secession from the Union. Since the majority of the state did favor secession, Travis County then became a part of the Confederacy for the duration of the Civil War . After the Confederacy's defeat, Texas was fully readmitted to the Union in 1870. From

3185-423: The northwestern band of the region. The smaller southeastern band includes much of Grimes and Washington counties as well as portions of Austin , Colorado , Fayette , and the northwestern half of Lavaca county. Sources and maps vary on the exact boundaries of the Blackland Prairie, and some may include or exclude different portions of peripheral counties. Native American hunter-gatherers contributed to

3250-466: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. English is the sole language spoken at home by 71.42% of the population age 5 or over, while 22.35% speak Spanish , and a Chinese language (including Mandarin , Taiwanese , and Cantonese ) is spoken by 1.05%. As of the 2010 census, there were about 11.1 same-sex couples per 1,000 households in the county. According to the census of 2000, there were 812,280 people, of which 29.30% had children under

3315-407: The population. There were 1,143 households, out of which 40.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.0% were married couples living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and

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3380-753: The presidential level, as all of the county-level officials are Democrats. In addition, the majority of the county is represented by Democrats in the US Congress , Texas Senate , and Texas House . State Senators serve four year terms with no term limits. State Representatives serve two year terms with no term limits. In addition to Travis, the 3rd Court of Appeals hears cases from 23 other counties across Central Texas: Bastrop , Bell , Blanco , Burnet , Caldwell , Coke , Comal , Concho , Fayette , Hays , Irion , Lampasas , Lee , Llano , McColluch , Milam , Mills , Runnels , San Saba , Schleicher , Sterling , Tom Green , and Williamson . All 24 counties in

3445-768: The rare chicken turtle ( Deirochelys reticularia ). Others include eastern snapping turtle ( Chelydra serpentina ), three-toed box turtle ( Terrapene triunguis ), ornate box turtle ( Terrapene ornata ), Mississippi mud turtle ( Kinosternon subrubrum ), eastern musk turtle ( Sternotherus odoratus ), spiny softshellturtle ( Apalone spinifera ). Lizards include Green Anole ( Anolis carolinensis ), Six-lined Racerunner ( Aspidoscelis sexlineatus ), Prairie Lizard ( Sceloporus conssbrinus ), Western Slender Glass Lizard ( Ophisaurus attenuatus ), Five-lined Skink ( Plestiodon fasciatus ), Broad-headed Skink ( Plestiodon laticeps ), Prairie Skink ( Plestiodon septentrionalis ), and Ground Skink ( Scincella lateralis ). Snakes are

3510-790: The region. Various seasonal and migratory species appearing in the region include Bufflehead ( Bucephala albeola ), Hooded Merganser ( Lophodytes cucullatus ), Little Blue Heron ( Egretta caerulea ), Yellow-crowned Night Heron ( Nyctanassa violacea ), Northern Harrier ( Circus hudsonius ), Inca Dove ( Columbina inca ), Yellow-billed Cuckoo ( Coccyzus americanus ), Ruby-throated Hummingbird ( Archilochus colubris ), Scissor-tailed Flycatcher ( Tyrannus forficatus ), American Pipit ( Anthus rubescens ), Orange-crowned Warbler ( Leiothlypis celata ), Blue Grosbeak ( Passerina caerulea ), Indigo Bunting ( Passerina cyanea ), Painted Bunting ( Passerina ciris ), Harris's Sparrow ( Zonotrichia querula ), and Dickcissel ( Spiza americana ). A few of

3575-548: The roadsides, seldom fenced, and riparian areas were cleared right to the creek banks. Several of the larger cities in the state, such as Austin , Dallas , Fort Worth , San Antonio , Temple , and Waco , are located in the region and the agricultural activity in the area was a significant factor in their growth in the 19th century. The U. S. Bureau of Biological Survey [now the United States Fish and Wildlife Service ], led by chief field naturalist Vernon Bailey with

3640-445: The soil and climate, this ecoregion is ideally suited to crop agriculture. This has led to most of the Blackland Prairie ecosystem being converted to crop production, leaving less than one percent remaining. Some groups estimate that less than 0.1% of the area is remaining. Small remnants are conserved at sites such as The Nature Conservancy 's 1,400-acre Clymer Meadow Preserve near Celeste, TX . The U.S. Forest Service manages

3705-462: The southern regions. Invasive species include nutria or coypu ( Myocastor coypus ), house mouse ( Mus musculus ), roof rat ( Rattus rattus ), and Norway rat ( Rattus norvegicus ). Feral house cats ( Felis catus ) and feral pigs ( Sus scrofa ), are of conservation concerns and pose serious threats to native fauna. Birds: With spring and fall migrants, wintering species, breading and summer species, well over 325 species of birds occur in

3770-628: The vicinity of San Antonio , Bexar County . The central forest-grasslands transition lies to the north and northwest, and the Edwards Plateau savanna and the Tamaulipan mezquital lie to the southwest. The larger of the two islands is the Fayette Prairie , encompassing 17,000 km (6,600 sq mi), and the smaller is the San Antonio Prairie , with an area of 7,000 km (2,700 sq mi). The two islands are separated from

3835-731: The western and southwestern parts of Travis County gives rise to numerous caverns and springs , some of which have provided shelter and water for humans in the region for thousands of years. Notable springs in the county include Barton Springs , Deep Eddy and Hamilton Pool . Travis County is crossed by Interstate Highway 35 , US Highways 183 and 290 , and Texas Highway 71 . IH-35 leads northward to Waco and Dallas–Fort Worth and southward to San Antonio . US-183 leads northward through Cedar Park to Lampasas and southward to Lockhart . US-290 leads westward to Fredericksburg and eastward to Houston . TX-71 leads westward to Marble Falls and eastward to Bastrop . Other major highways within

3900-978: The year round resident species include wood duck ( Aix sponsa ), blue-winged teal ( Anas discors ), black vulture ( Coragyps atratus ), cooper's hawk ( Accipiter cooperii ), red-shouldered hawk ( Buteo lineatus ), American kestrel ( Falco sparverius ), great horned owl ( Bubo virginianus ), barred owl ( Strix varia ), greater roadrunner ( Geococcyx californianus ), belted kingfisher ( Megaceryle alcyon ), red-bellied woodpecker ( Melanerpes carolinus ), hairy woodpecker ( Leuconotopicus villosus ), loggerhead shrike ( Lanius ludovicianus ), red-winged blackbird ( Agelaius phoeniceus ), eastern meadowlark ( Sturnella magna ), eastern bluebird ( Sialia sialis ), tufted titmouse ( Baeolophus bicolor ), Carolina wren ( Thryothorus ludovicianus ), chipping sparrow ( Spizella passerina ), lark sparrow ( Chondestes grammacus ), and grasshopper sparrow ( Ammodramus savannarum ). Reptiles: Although not particularly abundant,

3965-401: Was $ 116,905, and the median income for a family was $ 232,913. Males had a median income of $ 116,371 versus $ 43,969 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 55,651. About 0.6% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line , including 1.8% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over. In June 2010, the average home price was $ 1,225,697. West Lake Hills

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4030-462: Was 23.80% under the age of 18, 14.70% from 18 to 24, 36.50% from 25 to 44, 18.20% from 45 to 64, and 6.70% age 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.50 males. Like other Texas counties, Travis County is governed by a Commissioners' Court composed of the county judge and four county commissioners. The court levies county taxes and sets

4095-614: Was claimed by the Spanish Empire in the 1600s, but at the time no attempt was made to settle the area (or even to explore it fully). In 1691 Domingo Terán de los Ríos made an inspection tour through East Texas that likely took him through Travis Country. The first European settlers in the area were a group of Spanish friars who arrived from East Texas in July 1730. They established three temporary missions , La Purísima Concepción , San Francisco de los Neches , and San José de los Nazonis , on

4160-669: Was formerly in operation for black students pre-desegregation. The largest university in Travis County is the University of Texas at Austin . Other universities include St. Edward's University , Huston–Tillotson University , and Concordia University Texas . Under Texas law Austin Community College District (ACC) is the designated community college for most of the county. However, areas in Marble Falls ISD are zoned to Central Texas College District . Central Health ,

4225-465: Was the only county in Texas to vote against the Proposition 2 state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, with slightly under 60% of voters being against it. In 2020, Travis County backed Democrat Joe Biden with nearly 72% of the vote, his strongest showing in the state and the best showing for any presidential candidate in the county since 1948. The county's Democratic bent is not limited to

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