Leander, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leander, Texas
City
Leander city limit
Location of Leander, Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
Counties	Williamson, Travis
Incorporated	January 21, 1978
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
Area
• Total	37.70 sq mi (97.65 km2)
• Land	37.50 sq mi (97.13 km2)
• Water	0.20 sq mi (0.52 km2)
Elevation	1,017 ft (310 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	59,202
• Estimate  (2023)	81,371
• Density	1,160.6/sq mi (448.11/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	78641, 78646
Area code(s)	512 & 737
FIPS code	48-42016
GNIS feature ID	2410812
Website	http://www.leandertx.gov/

Leander (pronounced lee-AN-der) is a city in Williamson County and Travis County, Texas, United States. It's a suburb located just north of Austin. Leander is part of the larger Greater Austin metropolitan area.

In 2020, about 59,202 people lived in Leander. By 2022, this number grew to an estimated 74,375. Between 2018 and 2019, Leander was actually the fastest-growing city in the entire United States!

History of Leander

Leander Presbyterian Church (built 1884)

Leander was officially started in 1882. The land for the town was sold by the Austin and Northwestern Railroad Company to people who wanted to live there. The town was named after Leander "Catfish" Brown. He was one of the railroad officials who helped finish the railway line.

Early Settlements and Events

The very first settlement by European Americans in Williamson County was Tumlinson Fort. It was built in early January 1836 near Brushy Creek, about four miles south of where Leander is today. This fort was meant to protect settlers from attacks. Texas Rangers stayed there for a short time. However, they had to leave when the invasion of Santa Anna began, and the fort was later burned.

Another event, called the Webster Massacre, happened near Leander in August 1839. A group of about 30 settlers traveling west were attacked. Most of them did not survive.

An amazing discovery was made near Leander: the Leanderthal Lady. This is a skeleton that is between 10,000 and 13,000 years old! It was one of the oldest complete burial sites ever found in the United States.

In 2011, some large wildfires affected two neighborhoods in Leander. These fires burned about 330 acres and destroyed 26 homes.

Geography of Leander

Leander is located where two main roads meet: Ranch to Market Road 2243 and U.S. Route 183. It's about 22 miles northwest of Downtown Austin. The city of Georgetown is also nearby, about five miles to the east on Route 2243.

The City of Leander covers a total area of about 34.08 square miles (88.27 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Population and People

Leander has grown a lot over the years. In 1980, there were just over 2,000 people. By 2020, the population had jumped to over 59,000! This shows how quickly the city is expanding.

In 2020, there were 59,202 people living in Leander. There were also 18,505 households and 15,118 families. The average household had about 3 people living in it.

Many families with children live in Leander. About 51.7% of households had children under 18. The city's population is quite young, with 33.5% of people being under 18 years old. The average age in Leander was 30 years old.

In 2019, the average income for a household in Leander was about $101,872. This shows that many people in Leander have good jobs. Only a small percentage of people, about 4.2%, lived in poverty.

Education in Leander

Leander Public Library

Leander is home to the Leander Independent School District. This school district serves many students in the area.

Schools in Leander ISD

The district includes several high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools:

• High Schools:

* Leander High School * Vista Ridge High School * Cedar Park High School * Charles Rouse High School * Vandegrift High School * Tom Glenn High School

• Middle Schools:

* Wiley Middle School (Bernice Knox Wiley Middle School) * Stiles Middle School (Florence W. Stiles Middle School) * Leander Middle School * Danielson Middle School * Henry Middle School * Running Brushy Middle School * Cedar Park Middle School * Canyon Ridge Middle School

• Elementary Schools:

* Parkside Elementary School * Pleasant Hill Elementary School * Rutledge Elementary School * Whitestone Elementary School * Jim Plain Elementary School * Block House Creek Elementary School * Winkley Elementary School * Reed Elementary School * Camacho Elementary (S.T.E.M.) School * Bagdad Elementary School * Monta Akin Elementary School

Transportation and Infrastructure

Leander is part of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, also known as Capital Metro. This means Leander has public transportation options.

Public Transport Options

The Capital MetroRail Red Line has its northern end in Leander. The Leander Station and Park & Ride is located on U.S. Highway 183. This station is a great place for people to park their cars and then take the train into Austin.

Leander Station also offers several express bus lines. The park and ride facility has 600 parking spaces, making it easy for commuters to use public transport.

Notable People from Leander

Many interesting people have connections to Leander, including:

• Logan Bearden, a racing driver
• Nate Champion, known for his role in the Johnson County War
• Dan Janjigian, an Olympian, author, and business consultant
• Khiry Shelton, a professional soccer player
• Ramesh Srivastava, the lead singer of the band Voxtrot
• Paul Thompson, a football player

See also

In Spanish: Leander (Texas) para niños