Visiting Austin

City of Austin Sykline Located on the beautiful Colorado River, downtown Austin's skyline seems to be constantly changing, with many new high-rise office and residentlial buildings appearing since this photo was taken in June of 2008.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons.

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering (CAEE) at The University of Texas at Austin (UT) is just one reason to visit Austin! There are countless others, such as the taping of PBS's "Austin City Limits" and the annual South by Southwest film and music festivals, which have helped earn Austin the monicker "Live Music Capital of the World."

Austin is the official governmental capital of Texas and the county seat of Travis County. Frequently ranked near the top of best places to live lists, some 750,000 people call the city limits home, with nearly another million people living in the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area. Thus, Austin is the fourth-largest city in the state of Texas and the sixteenth-largest city in the United States. As a center for technology and business, Austin has been nick-named "Silicon Hills."

Austin-ites enjoy the culture and athletic events connected to the University, and year-round they also take advantage of unique outdoor-recreation opportunities such as Barton Springs Pool and the City's Hike and Bike trails, thanks in part to a climate that most days is at least partially sunny and warm (see the National Weather Service weather summary here). There are several semi-pro sports teams in the metropolitan area, and the city also boasts other venues for theatre and nightlife, including the popular Sixth Street and wharehouse districts downtown. For anyone interested in Texas history, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum with its multi-media presentation of the "Star of Destiny" is a must-see.

By vehicle, you will find Austin right off of Interstate 35, which runs from the U.S. border with Mexico north to the U.S. border with Canada. Austin is north of I-10 (which runs from Los Angeles, California, east to Jacksonville, Florida) and south of I-20 (which runs from west Texas east to Florence, South Carolina). Most major airlines fly into or otherwise connect with Austin Bergstrom International Airport, and Austin is also home to an Amtrak rail station.

In addition to the links at left, the following links may be relevant to your visit.

Whatever you do, come on down to where “the stars at night are big and bright – deep in the heart of Texas."