Timeline of Austin, Texas facts for kids

The city of Austin, Texas has a rich and exciting past! From its early days as the capital of the Republic of Texas to becoming a bustling modern city, Austin has seen many changes. This timeline will take you through some of the most important moments in Austin's history, showing how it grew and developed over the years.

Austin's Early Days: The 1800s

An 1873 map showing what Austin looked like back then.

The Goddess of Liberty statue before it was placed on top of the Texas State Capitol.

• 1839
  • Austin was chosen to be the capital city of the Republic of Texas.
  • On December 27, Austin officially became a city.
• 1840
  • Edwin Waller became Austin's very first mayor.
  • The city's population was 856 people.
• 1841
  • A coach service started, connecting Austin to Houston.
  • The French Legation, a building for French diplomats, was built.
• 1842 - The Texas government moved its offices from Austin to Houston for a short time.
• 1845 - Austin became part of the new U.S. state of Texas.
• 1846 - The Texas government moved back to Austin from Houston.
• 1850 - The population grew to 3,841 people.
• 1855
  • The first Texas State Capitol building was constructed.
  • St. David's Episcopal Church was officially opened.
• 1857 - The General Land Office Building was constructed.
• 1860 - Wharton College opened its doors.
• 1871
  • The Houston and Texas Central Railroad started operating, bringing trains to Austin.
  • The Democratic Statesman newspaper began publishing.
• 1872 - The Connectional High School and Institute was founded.
• 1875 - The Austin City Railroad, a local train system, began operating.
• 1876 - The International–Great Northern Railroad also started service.
• 1877 - Tillotson College was officially started.
• 1878 - St. Edward's University was founded.
• 1881
  • On November 9, the State Capitol building burned down.
  • The University of Texas at Austin was established.
  • Austin High School opened.
• 1884
  • The Congregation Beth Israel synagogue was established.
  • A series of unsolved crimes began, causing concern in the city.
• 1886 - The Driskill Hotel, a famous Austin landmark, opened for business.
• 1888 - The Texas State Capitol building was rebuilt, grander than before.
• 1895 - Unique Moonlight towers were installed around the city to provide street lighting.

Austin in the 1900s

Early 1900s: Growth and Change

The Austin Dam after it broke.

• 1900
  • In April, the Austin Dam failure occurred, a significant event for the city.
  • Samuel Huston College opened.
• 1902 - The Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary was established.
• 1910 - The Congress Avenue Bridge was rebuilt.
• 1911 - The Texas Fine Arts Association was established.
• 1917 - The University of Texas opened its School for Military Aeronautics.
• 1921 - The Austin Civic Theatre was founded.
• 1926 - Austin adopted a new council-manager form of government.
• 1930
  • The Municipal Airport opened.
  • The population reached 53,120 people.
• 1933 - The Austin Public Library's main building opened.

The iconic Main Building (UT Tower) at the University of Texas at Austin.

• 1934 - The O. Henry House museum opened.
• 1935 - A major flood hit Austin.
• 1937
  • The famous UT Tower was built.
  • Lyndon B. Johnson became a U.S. representative for Texas.
• 1938 - The Montopolis Bridge was built.
• 1942
  • Bergstrom Army Air Field was established.
  • The Lamar Boulevard Bridge was built.
• 1947 - The Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin was established.

Mid to Late 1900s: Modern Austin Emerges

The Armadillo World Headquarters, a famous music venue.

The Pennybacker Bridge, a well-known Austin landmark.

• 1950 – The population grew to 132,459.
• 1956 - Ballet Academy was founded.
• 1959 - Palmer Auditorium opened, a place for performances.
• 1960 – The population reached 186,545.
• 1962 - The Austin Aqua Festival began, a popular event.
• 1965 - On August 1, a tragic shooting incident occurred at the University of Texas tower.
• 1967 - The Vulcan Gas Company music venue became active, a place for live music.
• 1968
  • Crockett High School opened.
  • Austin established a sister city relationship with Saltillo, Mexico.
• 1970
  • The Armadillo World Headquarters music venue became active, a legendary spot for music.
  • The University of Texas' LBJ School of Public Affairs was established.
  • The population reached 251,808.
• 1971 - The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum was dedicated.
• 1973 - Austin Community College was established.
• 1976 - Austin City Limits, a famous television music program, began broadcasting nationally.
• 1978 - Austin established a sister city relationship with Maseru, Lesotho.
• 1979 - The Austin Public Library's new main branch building opened.
• 1980
  • Whole Foods Market started its business in Austin.
  • The population reached 345,496.
• 1981
  • The Austin Chronicle newspaper began publication.
  • Austin established a sister city relationship with Lima, Peru.
• 1982
  • The National Wildflower Research Center was founded.
  • The iconic Pennybacker Bridge opened.
• 1983
  • The Austin History Center became active.
  • The Austin Children's Museum was established.
  • Austin established a sister city relationship with Adelaide, Australia.
• 1985 - The Austin Film Society was organized.
• 1986 - The Austin Lyric Opera was founded.
• 1987 - The South by Southwest music festival began, which is now a huge event.
• 1988 - Dell Computer Corporation started its business.
• 1990
  • Austin established a sister city relationship with Ōita City, Japan.
  • The population reached 465,622.
• 1991 - Austin established a sister city relationship with Koblenz, Germany.
• 1992 - The Austin Convention Center opened.
• 1994 - The Um-Al-Mumeneen-Sayeda-Khadija Mosque was built.
• 1995 - The city's official website went online.
• 1997 - Austin established a sister city relationship with Xishuangbanna, China.
• 1999 - The Austin–Bergstrom International Airport opened.

Austin in the 21st Century

The Frost Bank Tower, a distinctive building in Austin's skyline.

• 2001 – Austin established a sister city relationship with Gwangmyeong, South Korea.
• 2002 - The first Austin City Limits Music Festival was held in Zilker Park.
• 2003
  • The Texas Rollergirls were founded.
  • The Frost Bank Tower was built, changing the city's skyline.
• 2009 - The Texas Tribune newspaper established its headquarters in Austin.
• 2010
  • The Capital MetroRail train service began operating.
  • The city's area was 297.90 square miles.
  • The city population was 790,390.
• 2011 – Austin established a sister city relationship with Angers, France.
• 2013 – The population reached 885,400.
• 2014 - In November, an incident involving a shooter occurred, targeting several government buildings.
• 2018 – In March, a series of explosions occurred in Austin, causing harm to several people.
• 2020 – The population reached 963,121.
• 2021 – Austin FC of Major League Soccer played their first game at Q2 Stadium.