Georgetown, Texas

Georgetown is a city located in Williamson County, Texas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 28,339. It is the county seat of Williamson County Template:GR. Southwestern University is located in Georgetown. Inner Space Cavern is a cave that is located here. Georgetown has one high school, Georgetown High School, though there are currently plans to build another.

Geography

Georgetown is located at 30°39'4" North, 97°40'53" West (30.651187, -97.681333)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 64.6 km² (24.9 mi²). 59.1 km² (22.8 mi²) of it is land and 5.4 km² (2.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 8.42% water.

Demographics

As of the census Template:GR of 2000, there are 28,339 people, 10,393 households, and 7,711 families residing in the city. The population density is 479.3/km² (1,241.3/mi²). There are 10,902 housing units at an average density of 184.4/km² (477.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 85.39% White, 3.39% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 8.31% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. 18.07% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 10,393 households out of which 31.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.6% are married couples living together, 9.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% are non-families. 21.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.52 and the average family size is 2.92.

In the city the population is spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $54,098, and the median income for a family is $63,338. Males have a median income of $40,541 versus $27,082 for females. The per capita income for the city is $24,287. 7.2% of the population and 4.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.3% of those under the age of 18 and 3.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

History

Georgetown, the county seat of Williamson County, was founded in 1848 at the fork of the San Gabriel River. The town was named for George Washington Glasscock who donated the land for the new town. Early pioneers were attracted to the area's abundance of timber and good, clear water, just as the Tonkawa Indians, who thrived in the area for many years. In addition, the land was inexpensive and extremely fertile.

Georgetown remained an agrarian community for most of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The establishment of Southwestern University in 1873 and construction of a railroad in 1878 contributed to the town's growth and importance. A stable economy was based largely on agriculture, mainly cotton. The Chisholm Trail, a cattle trail that led from Texas to the railcenters in Kansas and Missouri crossed through the heart of Georgetown.

Cotton production became dominant in the area from the 1880s through the 1920s. The Georgetown and Granger Railroad (GGR) was completed to Austin in 1904. Extensive loss from a 1921 flood led Georgetown to seek flood control, an effort that culminated in the building of a dam to impound Lake Georgetown, which opened officially on October 5, 1979. An unlicensed radio station appeared briefly in the 1930s, and Radio Station KGTN opened in 1962.

Population growth and industrial expansion continued modestly in the twentieth century until about 1960, when residential, commercial, and industrial development greatly accelerated. Since then adaptive restoration has been widely practiced, with special emphasis on a Main Street program and private restoration of older homes. Today, Georgetown is home to one of the best preserved Victorian and Pre-WW1 downtown historic districts, with The Beaux-Arts Williamson County Courthouse (1911) as its centerpiece. Due to its successful preservation efforts, Georgetown was named a national Main Street City in 1997, the first Texas city so designated. In 1998, the city celebrated its 150th birthday with numerous community activies and parties. By 2000, Georgetown and Williamson County experienced tremedous growth doubling the population. As of 2005, Georgetown's population is an estimated 28,000.