Round Rock, Texas

Round Rock is a city located in Williamson and Travis counties in the U.S. state of Texas. According to the 2020 census, the city had a population of 119,468 people. It is part of the larger Greater Austin area.

The city sits on the Balcones Escarpment, a natural line that separates two very different landscapes. East of I-35, the land is flat with rich, black soil from the Blackland Prairie. West of the Escarpment lies the hilly and rocky terrain of the Texas Hill Country.

Round Rock is about 20 miles north of Austin and shares a border with the city near State Highway 45. One of the most well-known companies in the area is Dell, which has its international headquarters in Round Rock and employs around 16,000 people there. Shoppers can visit places like IKEA, Premium Outlets, and the La Frontera center.

History

As the area developed, some modern paved roads followed old paths used by Native Americans. One famous route through Round Rock was called the "Double File Trail" because it was wide enough for two riders side by side. It was part of a longer trail from North Texas that crossed rivers near Georgetown, Round Rock, and Austin.

In 1851, a small community formed near Brushy Creek around a large round rock that made a good crossing for wagons and cattle. The settlement was first called "Brushy" but was renamed Round Rock in 1854 after this rock. After the Civil War, cattle driver Jesse Chisholm used this spot as he moved cattle from South Texas to Kansas on what became known as the Chisholm Trail.

The "round rock" of Round Rock, Texas, in Brushy Creek along the historic Chisholm Trail

In the early 1900s, cotton farming brought wealth to the area. Cotton, along with other crops and cattle, were important to the local economy. Round Rock's location on rich soil made it perfect for farming.

A park now stands to honor the Chisholm Trail crossing, with statues showing scenes from that time. The Old Settlers Association began holding yearly meetings for descendants of early residents, sharing stories and preserving history.

In the 1950s, Interstate 35 was built through Round Rock instead of nearby Taylor, bringing growth and new jobs to the city. By the 1990s, Round Rock became a suburb where many people worked in nearby Austin. The arrival of Dell Corporation in the late 1990s brought thousands of new jobs to the area.

Geography

Further information: Cambria Cavern

Round Rock is 17 miles (27 kilometers) north of downtown Austin, and 10 mi (16 km) south of Georgetown. The city sits at an elevation of 709 ft (216 m). According to the US Census Bureau, Round Rock covers an area of 26.3 square miles (68 km²), most of which is land with a small portion covered by water.

The area has hot, humid summers and mild, cool winters. It has a humid subtropical climate, which is shown as Cfa on climate maps.

Demographics

Round Rock is a city in Texas with more than 130,000 people. It is located 15 miles north of Austin in the Central Texas Hill Country and is the 28th most populous city in Texas.

As of the 2020 census, Round Rock had a population of 119,468. The median age was 35 years. About 26% of residents were children under the age of 18, and 10% were adults aged 65 or older. Most people lived in urban areas, with very few living in rural areas.

There were many households in Round Rock, with about 39% having children under 18 living in them. Around 50% were families living together, while others were single-parent households or individuals living alone. There were also many housing units, some of which were empty.

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	628	—
1890	1,438	129.0%
1900	1,138	−20.9%
1910	1,245	9.4%
1920	900	−27.7%
1930	1,005	11.7%
1940	1,173	16.7%
1950	1,683	43.5%
1960	2,458	46.0%
1970	2,811	14.4%
1980	12,740	353.2%
1990	30,923	142.7%
2000	61,136	97.7%
2010	99,887	63.4%
2020	119,468	19.6%
2022 (est.)	126,697	6.1%

**Round Rock city, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	40,113	53,924	56,027	65.61%	53.99%	46.90%
Black or African American alone (NH)	4,560	9,254	11,552	7.46%	9.26%	9.67%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	210	288	312	0.34%	0.29%	0.26%
Asian alone (NH)	1,727	5,056	9,668	2.82%	5.06%	8.09%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	5	105	177	0.09%	0.11%	0.15%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	69	167	714	0.11%	0.17%	0.60%
Mixed race or multiracial (NH)	891	2,135	5,274	1.46%	2.14%	4.41%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	13,511	28,958	35,744	22.10%	28.99%	29.92%
Total	61,136	99,887	119,468	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

Racial composition as of the 2020 census
Race	Number	Percent
White	64,290	53.8%
Black or African American	12,145	10.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native	1,014	0.8%
Asian	9,814	8.2%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	206	0.2%
Some other race	11,512	9.6%
Two or more races	20,487	17.1%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	35,744	29.9%

Economy

Dell headquarters in Round Rock

Round Rock is a growing city in Texas, known for its strong economy. It has many jobs in areas like clean energy, making advanced products, life sciences, and computer technology.

The city has over 20 big companies, such as Cerilliant Corporation, Cintas, Dell, Dresser, Emerson Process Management, Hospira, IKEA, and Round Rock Premium Outlets.

Dell’s main office is in Round Rock. This big technology company makes and sells computers and helps people with technology. Dell started in nearby Austin and moved to Round Rock when it got bigger. Today, Dell is one of the world’s largest technology companies.

Sports

A view of the third-base stands of the Dell Diamond, home of the Round Rock Express

Round Rock is home to the Round Rock Express, a Minor League Baseball team. They play their home games at the Dell Diamond.

The city has many places for people to play sports, including a skate park, a disc golf course, baseball and softball fields, and soccer facilities. In 2018, Round Rock hosted the US Quidditch Cup tournament.

Government

The city of Round Rock uses a council-manager system for its government. The city council has six members and a mayor, all elected by the whole city. They choose a mayor pro tem each year and hire a city manager to handle daily tasks. Council meetings happen twice a month at 221 E. Main Street.

Williamson County governs using a Commissioners Court with five members, including a county judge. Round Rock mainly lies in Precinct 1, but all precincts include parts of the city.

Round Rock is represented in the Texas House of Representatives by Caroline Harris, in the Texas Senate by Charles Schwertner, and in the US Congress by John R. Carter and Michael McCaul.

Special districts called Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) offer services like water and roads. Ten MUDs exist in Round Rock, with Brushy Creek being the largest. These districts are run by boards elected by local residents.

Education

Public education in Round Rock is managed by the Round Rock Independent School District. This district covers parts of southern Williamson County and northwest Travis County, as well as some areas of Austin and Cedar Park.

Round Rock has many elementary schools, including Berkman Arts Integration Academy, Blackland Prairie Leadership Academy, and several others. The area also has numerous middle and high schools, such as C.D. Fulkes Middle School, Cedar Ridge High School, and Round Rock High School.

Round Rock's main public library branch on Main Street in the city's historic downtown area

For higher education, Round Rock is home to the Texas State University Round Rock Campus, which offers training programs for local companies like Dell. Additional educational institutions include a campus of Texas A&M Health Science Center and a location of Austin Community College, both opening in 2010. The School of Nursing at Texas State University in Round Rock provides programs in health information management, health services research, and physical therapy.

Media

Filming location

Two famous movies were filmed in Round Rock. The 1974 horror movie The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was mostly shot at two houses there, and you can take tours to see these spots. Another movie, The Rookie from 2002, was mainly filmed at and around the Dell Diamond, which is a minor-league baseball stadium in Round Rock.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Major highways

Round Rock has several important roads that help people get around. These include:

The interchange of Interstate 35 and State Highway 45 under construction in 2004

I-35
US 79 (the southern terminus)
State Highway 45
State Highway 45 Toll Rd
State Highway 130 Toll Rd

Health care

Round Rock has hospitals and health care services for the city and nearby areas. Some of these include:

Saint David's Round Rock Medical Center, opened in 1984.
Scott & White Memorial Hospital, opened in 2007.
Ascension Seton Williamson, opened in 2009, next to the Texas State University campus.

Notable people

Round Rock, Texas, has been home to many interesting people. Some are known for their work in sports, like professional baseball player Ryan Goins, football players Donnie Little and James Lynch, basketball player Jarrett Allen, and baseball player Mason Thompson. Others have made their mark in politics, such as U.S. representative John Carter and politician James Talarico. There are also artists and activists, like rapper Anike, formerly known as Wande, and civil rights activist Juanita Craft.