Cedar Park, Texas
Cedar Park is a city that lies primarily in Williamson County (and, to a lesser extent, Travis County) in the U.S. state of Texas. From a population of 5,161 in 1990, Cedar Park has grown to approximately 62,308 as of the 2009 U.S. Census Estimate. The city is a major suburb of Austin, the center of which is approximately 16 miles to the southeast, although Austin directly borders Cedar Park at the latter's southern extent.
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History
Before the arrival of European settlers in the 1800s, the Cedar Park area was inhabited by various Native American tribes including the Tonkawa, the Lipan Apache, and the Comanche. A paleo-American archaeological site (named the Wilson-Leonard site) was discovered in Cedar Park in 1983 that showed evidence of continual habitation of the area since circa 5000 BC.
In the mid-1800s the community was known as Running Brushy, named after a spring that formed the headwaters of a creek of the same name. In 1873 George and Harriet Cluck, after having run cattle up the Chisholm Trail for many years, bought 329 acres of land that included the Running Brushy spring. Their ranch formed the core of the community that would one day become Cedar Park.[3]
Ten years later, the railroad came through. The Austin & Northwest Railroad, which connected the state capitol with the cities of Burnet and Lampasas to the north, was finished in 1882 and passed through Running Brushy and the Cluck ranch. The community was at this point renamed Bruggerhoff, after a railroad company official. However, the name was generally disliked by locals, being both hard to spell and pronounce. In 1887, Emmett Cluck (son of George and Harriet) changed the community name to Cedar Park. In 1892, a half-acre "strolling park" was built near the train depot. Austinites would ride the train to Cedar Park for day trips to the park.[4]
Cedar Park changed little until the 1950s and 1960s when housing subdivisions began to be built, spurred by the growth of nearby Austin. On February 24, 1973, the citizens of Cedar Park voted to incorporate.
Geography
Cedar Park is located at 30°30′24″N 97°49′49″W / 30.50667°N 97.83028°W (30.506620, -97.830317)[5]. It lies mostly in Williamson County, although a small amount extends into Travis County.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.1 square miles (44.3 km²), of which, 17.0 square miles (44.0 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (0.88%) is water.
Cedar Park is generally bisected north to south by U.S. Route 183. A bypass route, the 183A toll road, opened to traffic on March 15, 2007.
Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 26,049 people, 8,621 households, and 7,155 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,535.0 people per square mile (592.7/km²). There were 8,914 housing units at an average density of 525.3/sq mi (202.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.41% White, 3.32% African American, 0.34% Native American, 2.61% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 5.10% from other races, and 2.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.50% of the population.
There were 8,621 households out of which 52.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.3% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.0% were non-families. 12.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.5% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 40.3% from 25 to 44, 15.9% from 45 to 64, and 4.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $67,527, and the median income for a family was $70,587. Males had a median income of $49,657 versus $32,039 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,767. About 3.0% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
As of July 2006 the Census Bureau estimated the population of Cedar Park to be 52,058, representing a 99.9% increase from the 2000 census.[6]
Government
Cedar Park was incorporated in 1973 with a council-manager system of local government. As of June 17, 2010, Cedar Park City Council members are as follows:[7]
- Mayor: Robert S. Lemon
- Place 1: Matt Powell
- Place 2: Mitch Fuller (Mayor Pro Tem)
- Place 3: Scott Mitchell
- Place 4: Lowell Moore
- Place 5: Tony Dale
- Place 6: Don Tracy
The seven members serve two year terms. The mayor and council members place two, place four and place six are elected on even years. Council members place one, place three and place five are elected on odd years.
The City of Cedar Park website can be found here.
Retail
Fumée, a cigar media and online retailer, has its headquarters in Cedar Park.[8]
Sports
The Texas Stars began American Hockey League play in October 2009 at the Cedar Park Center.[9]
Phase one of the Brushy Creek Skate Park was completed on March 19, 2010. When completed, the 15,000 square foot facility will feature a large bowl, mini bowl and modern street course.
Institutions and Schools
Cedar Park is served primarily by the Leander Independent School District, and is home to the Cedar Park High School Timberwolves and the Vista Ridge High School Rangers.
One neighborhood, Riviera Springs, feeds into the Round Rock Independent School District.
The city is home to the Cypress Creek campus of Austin Community College, which was significantly expanded in 2008 to accommodate the area's growing population.[10]
The Texas Psychological Association is located in the city.[11]
There has been talk in early 2010 of the proposed construction of a science center in Cedar Park.[citation needed]
Entertainment
The Cedar Park Center was completed in 2009, and now serves as the home of the Texas Stars ice hockey team. The center can also accommodate concerts and other events.
The city has been designated for the fifth installment of the popular Schlitterbahn waterparks. The 95-acre Schlitterbahn Cedar Park is set to be completed by the Summer of 2012, and will include not only a waterpark, but also a boutique hotel, conference center, retail space and restaurants. This new site will utilize the latest in water recycling technology, and is expected to create up to 1,000 new jobs in the area.[12]
Religion
Cedar Park is served by a number of Christian churches, including Christ Episcopal Church, Cedar Park United Methodist Church, Saint Margaret Mary Catholic Church, Lakehills Free Will Baptist Church, among many others.
Congregation Shir Ami is a Reform Jewish synagogue in Cedar Park, founded in 2002, and led by Cantor Marie Betcher.[13][14][15]
References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Cedar Park from the Handbook of Texas Online
- ^ "History of Cedar Park-Leander". http://www.cedarpark360.com/historyofcedarparkleander.html. Retrieved 2008-12-03.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ United States Census Bureau. "Cedar Park QuickFacts". http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/4813552.html. Retrieved 2008-12-03.
- ^ "City of Cedar Park - Council". http://www.cedarparktx.us/cp/council.aspx. Retrieved 2009-05-30.
- ^ Home page. Fumée. Retrieved on May 6, 2010.
- ^ News 8 Austin (2008-10-09). "Stars will be shining soon in Cedar Park". http://news8austin.com/content/sports/sports_headlines/?SecID=30&ArID=221656. Retrieved 2008-12-03.
- ^ "Cypress Creek Campus Expansion". http://www.austincc.edu/faoadmin/cyp_expansion.php. Retrieved 2009-07-06.
- ^ "The official website of the Texas Psychological Association". The Texas Psychological Association. http://www.texaspsyc.org/index.cfm. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
- ^ "Schlitterbahn Wiki". http://en.wikipedia.org/Encyclopedia/Schlitterbahn. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
- ^ http://www.hillcountrynews.com/articles/2008/05/16/news/business/business47.txt
- ^ http://shir-ami.net
- ^ http://www.thejewishoutlook.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=51&Itemid=53
External links
| Austin portal |
- City of Cedar Park website
- Williamson County Historical Commission: Cedar Park
- Cedar Park Life - local news and information blog
- CedarPark360 Local Guide and Directory
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Categories: Cities in Texas | Travis County, Texas | Williamson County, Texas | Austin • Round Rock metropolitan area
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