Lockhart, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lockhart, Texas
City
Caldwell County Courthouse
Nickname(s):  Barbecue Capital of Texas
Location of Lockhart, Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Caldwell
Incorporated	1852
Government Home rule city
• Type	Council – Manager
Area
• Total	15.64 sq mi (40.50 km2)
• Land	15.61 sq mi (40.44 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2)
Elevation	541 ft (165 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	14,379
• Density	905.15/sq mi (349.49/km2)
Demonym(s)	Lockhartisan or Lockhartizen
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	78644
Area code(s)	512 & 737
FIPS code	48-43240
GNIS feature ID	2410853

A view of downtown Lockhart

First Lockhart National Bank building across from the county courthouse

Lockhart is a city in Texas, United States. It is the main city and county seat of Caldwell County. In 2020, about 14,379 people lived there. Lockhart is often called the "Barbecue Capital of Texas" because of its famous barbecue restaurants.

History of Lockhart

Another view of downtown Lockhart

Lockhart got its name from Byrd Lockhart. He was one of the first Anglo-Americans to explore Caldwell County. The area was first called "Plum Creek." This was after a battle in 1840 where Texans won against the Comanche people. Later, the name was changed to Lockhart.

The town started to grow a lot when the railroad arrived in the late 1800s. Lockhart became a key place for shipping local cotton. Many new people moved to Lockhart after the railroad came. They opened different businesses, helping the town grow even more.

Lockhart is famous for a few things. In 1999, the state of Texas officially named it the "Barbecue Capital of Texas." This is because it has four very popular barbecue restaurants. The Dr. Eugene Clark Library in Lockhart is also special. It is the oldest public library in Texas that is still open in its original building.

Lockhart is a small, charming town. It is located about 30 miles south of Austin. Because of its look, many movies have been filmed here. For example, parts of the comedy film Waiting for Guffman (1996) and the drama What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) were filmed in Lockhart. The city's Walmart store was even shown in the 2000 movie Where the Heart Is.

On July 30, 2016, a hot air balloon had an accident near the community of Maxwell. It struck a power line and caught on fire.

Geography and Climate

Lockhart is located in central Texas. It is about 30 miles south of downtown Austin. You can find it on U.S. Highway 183. The city is also about 70 miles northeast of San Antonio. It is 156 miles west of Houston.

The city covers a total area of about 15.6 square miles (40.4 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. Only a very small part, about 0.1 square kilometers, is water.

Climate in Lockhart

Lockhart has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has warm temperatures. It also gets rain spread out fairly evenly throughout the year.

People of Lockhart (Demographics)

In 2020, Lockhart had 14,379 people. There were 4,503 households in the city. About 2,944 of these were families.

In 2000, the city had 11,615 people. The population density was about 1,032 people per square mile. About 38% of households had children under 18. Also, 52% were married couples living together.

The average household size was 2.81 people. The average family size was 3.28 people. The median age in the city was 34 years old.

Culture and Education

Lockhart is famous for its barbecue. It is known as the "barbecue capital" of Texas. Some well-known local barbecue restaurants include Barbs B Q.

Students in Lockhart go to schools in the Lockhart Independent School District. The high school is called Lockhart High School. Their sports teams are called the Lions.

The city also has a museum. It is called the Southwest Museum of Clocks and Watches.

Movies Filmed in Lockhart

Many movies and TV shows have been filmed in Lockhart. Here are some of them:

Historic Buildings

• Dr. Eugene Clark Library: This library is known as the "oldest continuously operating library in the state that’s housed in its original building."
• Caldwell County Courthouse: A historic building in the city.

Notable People

Some well-known people are from Lockhart:

• Scott H. Biram, a musician
• Lily Cahill, an actress
• John Cyrier, a state representative
• Willie Ellison, a professional football player
• James McMurtry, a musician
• Robert Schwarz Strauss, a politician and diplomat

Images for kids

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  Emmanuel Episcopal Church, completed in 1856, is the oldest known unaltered church building in use by Protestants in Texas.

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  First Christian Church, c. 1898

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  St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Lockhart

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  First United Methodist Church of Lockhart

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  Entrance to Southwest Museum of Clocks and Watches in downtown Lockhart

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  Dr. Eugene Clark Library, c. 1899

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  Interior of the Dr. Eugene Clark Library

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  United States Post Office in Lockhart, constructed in 1936

See also

In Spanish: Lockhart (Texas) para niños