Austin is the capital of Texas, but it has never quite behaved like one. It is a state capital with a pink granite dome, a university town, a music city and home to the largest urban bat colony in North America. Here are the facts and stories behind it.
10 fun facts about Austin
- Named after the Father of Texas: the city was chosen as capital of the Republic of Texas in 1839 and named after Stephen F. Austin, who had led the first American settlers into Texas. Before that, the site was a small village called Waterloo.
- A capitol taller than Washington's: the Texas State Capitol, completed in 1888, is slightly taller than the US Capitol. It was built of local red granite and paid for with about three million acres of land in the Texas Panhandle.
- A million and a half bats: from spring to autumn, up to 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats live under the Congress Avenue Bridge, the largest urban bat colony in North America. At dusk they fly out in long dark ribbons to hunt insects.
- Street lights that look like the moon: in 1894 and 1895 Austin put up 31 moonlight towers, iron towers about 50 metres tall that lit whole neighbourhoods. Austin is the last city in the world that still has them, and 15 are still standing.
- The Live Music Capital of the World: Austin adopted the slogan in 1991, and on any night you can hear bands in dozens of bars and clubs.
- The longest-running music show on TV: Austin City Limits began with a pilot starring Willie Nelson, recorded in October 1974, and is still on air today.
- Keep Austin Weird: the city's unofficial motto started in 2000 as a slogan to support local independent businesses against big chains.
- A spring-fed pool in the city: Barton Springs Pool in Zilker Park is fed by underground springs and stays at about 20 °C (68 °F) all year.
- A lake named after a first lady: Lady Bird Lake, the stretch of the Colorado River through downtown, was renamed in 2007 after Lady Bird Johnson, who championed the hike-and-bike trail along its banks.
- A university landmark: the University of Texas at Austin opened in 1883, and its Main Building tower is a landmark visible from much of the city.
The Archive War of 1842
In 1842, with Mexican troops raiding Texas, President Sam Houston, who never liked Austin, wanted the government and its archives moved to Houston. Austin's residents feared that if the archives left, the capital would never come back. When Houston sent men to take the papers secretly by wagon, a boarding-house keeper named Angelina Eberly spotted them and fired a cannon to raise the alarm. Armed locals chased the wagons and brought the archives back. A bronze statue of Eberly with her cannon now stands on Congress Avenue at Sixth Street, and Austin has remained the capital ever since.
Congress Avenue and Sixth Street, explained
Congress Avenue runs in a straight line from the Capitol down to the river and is the city's main street, lined with historic buildings, theatres and the Paramount, a vaudeville house from 1915. Sixth Street crosses it a few blocks south of the Capitol. Its eastern section is famous for bars and live music, while the stretch west of Congress is quieter with restaurants. Across the river, South Congress Avenue, often called SoCo, is known for vintage shops, food trucks and a clear view back up to the Capitol dome.
What to eat in Austin
- Breakfast tacos: soft flour tortillas filled with egg, potato, bacon or chorizo and cheese, eaten all morning and well beyond.
- Brisket: beef smoked low and slow for many hours in the Central Texas style, often sold by weight. The best-known barbecue places have long queues, so go early.
- Queso: a bowl of hot, melted cheese dip with chillies, served with tortilla chips at almost every Tex-Mex restaurant.
- Migas: scrambled eggs cooked with strips of fried tortilla, peppers and cheese, a classic Tex-Mex breakfast.
- Kolaches: soft sweet buns brought to Texas by Czech immigrants, filled with fruit or cream cheese, found in bakeries across the city.
Good to know before you go
- Austin summers are very hot, often above 35 °C (95 °F). Plan outdoor walks for the morning or evening and carry water.
- The bats are usually under the Congress Avenue Bridge from about March to October. Watch from the bridge or the lakeside trail around sunset.
- The Texas State Capitol is free to visit, and you can walk in to see the rotunda and dome from below.
- Some popular natural swimming spots around Austin need a reservation or close at times, so check before you drive out.
Explore Austin with World City Trail
Our Austin scavenger hunt turns these sights into a game you play on your phone. The route takes around three hours, with about 37 minutes of walking, and leads you through the main sights of downtown.
At each stop you solve a puzzle and hear a short story, at your own pace. You can start whenever you like and play in English, German or Spanish.
Play the Austin scavenger hunt →
Facts checked in October 2026.