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Round Rock, Texas

Round Rock is a city located in Travis and Williamson counties in the state of Texas in the United States. A part of the Austin•Round Rock[3] metropolitan area,[4] its population was 79,136 as of the 2000 census. The 2008 census estimates placed the population at 104,446.[5]

In August 2008, Money Magazine named Round Rock as the seventh-best American small city in which to live.[6] Money based this ranking on an estimated annual income of $85,809 per household, and job growth of 45.15% from 2000•2007 (well above the 18.6% national average). Round Rock was the only Texas city to make the Top 10. In a CNN article dated July 1, 2009, Round Rock was listed as the second-fastest growing city in the country, with a population growth of 8.2% in the preceding year.[7]

According to the 2008 ratings from the Texas Education Agency the Round Rock Independent School District ranks[citation needed] among the best in the state. Of 42 schools within RRISD, 12 were rated exemplary and 11 are recognized. No RRISD schools received an academically unacceptable rating.

Round Rock is located on the prairie east of the Balcones Escarpment, and about a 20-minute drive north of Austin, or 45-minute drive during rush hour.[citation needed] Several toll roads [citation needed]now connect it with the greater Austin area, somewhat easing the traffic congestion.

Round Rock has been represented in the Texas House of Representatives since 2009 by Diana Maldonado (D),a former Round Rock ISD school board member, serving in House District 52. And in the Texas Senate by Senator Steve Odgen (R) in Senate District 5. In the US Congress Round Rock is represented by Congressman John R. Carter (R), Congressional District 31; and by Congressman Michael McCaul(R), Congressional district 10.[8]

Contents

History

The Round Rock, from which the city takes its name, marked a low water wagon crossing in Brushy Creek. One hundred year old wagon ruts are still visible in the creek bottom.

In 1851 a small community was formed on the banks of Brushy Creek, near a large round rock located in the middle of the creek. This round rock marked a convenient low-water crossing for wagons, horses and cattle.[citation needed] The first postmaster called the community Brushy Creek,[citation needed] but in 1854 the small settlement was renamed Round Rock in honor of this now famous rock. The "round rock" is located near Chisholm Trail Street in the middle of Brushy Creek. After the Civil War, Jesse Chisholm began to move cattle from South Texas through Round Rock, on the way to Abilene, Kansas. The route he established, which crossed Brushy Creek at the round rock became known as the Chisholm Trail.[citation needed] Most of the old buildings, including the old Saint Charles Hotel are still there today. This historic area is now called "Old Town."[9]

Downtown Round Rock is the site of the gunfight and subsequent capture (then death) of the nineteenth-century American train robber, Sam Bass, by the Texas Ranger Division on July 19, 1878.[citation needed] The event is known locally as the "Sam Bass Shootout." This shootout is re-created each year at the July 4th Frontier Days Celebration in Old Settlers Park. Bass is buried in Round Rock Cemetery, located northwest of "Old Town" on Sam Bass Road. His original headstone can be found on display at the Round Rock Public Library.[10]

Con man Soapy Smith lived in Round Rock and claimed to have witnessed the Sam Bass shootout.[citation needed] Soapy started his criminal career in Round Rock.

Scenes from Disney's The Rookie were shot here.

Sports

Round Rock is home to the Class AAA Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team Round Rock Express,[11] which is owned by RSR Sports (Nolan Ryan, Don Sanders, Reid Ryan) and was founded by Reid Ryan, son of Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. Games are played at the Dell Diamond.

Round Rock opened a free public skate park in 2007. The 14,000-square-foot (1,300 m2) park is located behind the Clay Madsen Recreation Center[citation needed] on Gattis School Road. The grand opening ceremonies were postponed three times due to vandalism, inclement weather and construction delays, but were finally held on July 20, 2007. The ribbon cutting ceremony was followed-up with trick competitions, giveaways by Mustache Skateboards, and music from Infinity Audio-Mobile DJs.[12]

Round Rock is the self-proclaimed Sports Capital of Texas.[13] The City's Old Settlers Park offers a professionally designed disc golf course, cricket, 20-field baseball complex, five-field softball complex, and seven soccer facilities in addition to the Rockin' River Family Aquatic Center.[citation needed]

Geography

Round Rock is located at 30°30′54″N 97°40′21″W / 30.514865°N 97.672561°W (30.514865, −97.672561)[14], 17 miles (27 km) north of Austin, and 10 miles (16 km) south of Georgetown. Elevation 709 ft (216 m)

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.3 square miles (68.0 km2), of which 26.1 square miles (67.7 km2) are land and 0.1 square mile (0.3 km2) (0.50%) is water.[15]

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 61,136 people, 21,076 households, and 15,933 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,339.1 people per square mile (903.0/km2). There were 21,766 housing units at an average density of 832.8/sq mi (321.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 76.76% White, 7.72% African American, 0.50% Native American, 2.89% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 9.47% from other races, and 2.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22.10% of the population.

There were 21,076 households out of which 47.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.5% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.29. The median price for a house in Round Rock in 2006 was $150,322.

In the city the population was spread out with 31.9% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 38.8% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 4.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.3 males.

Round Rock is generally considered to be culturally conservative[citation needed]; and is seen as an alternative living choice to Austin[citation needed].

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $67,492, and the median income for a family was $76,062.[16] Males had a median income of $41,971 versus $30,807 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,911. About 2.8% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

Soapy Smith in 1898
  • Colleen LaRose, also known as JihadJane and Fatima LaRose, is an American citizen charged with terrorism-related crimes, including conspiracy to commit murder and providing material support to terrorists.[17] for trying to recruit Islamic terrorists to wage jihad. She was taken into custody in October 2009, and her arrest was made public on March 9, 2010, when seven of her co-conspirators were arrested in Ireland (five were later released by the Irish authorities).).[18]
  • Soapy Smith Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith II (November 2, 1860 • July 8, 1898).[19] was an American con artist and gangster who had a major hand in the organized criminal from 1879 to 1898. As young Round Rock youth he witnessed the shooting of the outlaw Sam Bass. He was killed in the famed Shootout on Juneau (Alaska) Wharf. He is perhaps the most famous confidence man of the old west. ".[20][21]

Business and economic development

Dell headquarters

The corporate headquarters for Dell, Inc. is located in Round Rock. Round Rock has more than twenty major employers[22] including: Toppan Photomasks, Sears Customer Care, Ikea, Round Rock Premium Outlets, KoMiCo Technology Inc., Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corp (TGSL), Cintas, and TECO/Westinghouse.

Dell was originally based in Austin Texas after being founded by UT college student, Michael Dell, as a company originally known as PC's Limited. As the company greatly expanded and was looking for a place to relocate and build an international headquarters, the City of Round Rock stepped up to offer Dell a "Chapter 380" agreement by offering to split sales tax revenue from in-state sales 50/50 between Dell and the City. A "Chapter 380" agreement is named after the chapter in the tax code in Vernon's Statutes that permits tax revenue sharing for economic development purposes. The City of Austin was not happy that Round Rock had "recruited" an Austin-based business to a neighboring town using tax incentives. Today the company is one of the largest technological corporations in the world, employing more than 96,000 people worldwide.[23] Dell is listed at #38 on the Fortune 500 (2010). Fortune also lists Dell as the #5 most admired company in its industry.

Round Rock's largest commercial and office multi-use business center is at the NE corner of SH 45 and IH-35. The project includes Williamson County's only full-service hotel (Marriott),[24] the headquarters of Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corp,[25] urban-density apartments, and the commercial portion of the project will exceed 5 million s.f. at buildout. The project also has approximately 950,000 s.f. of retail,[26] making it the second largest outdoor commercial project in the Austin - Round Rock Metro area.[27]

In 2006 a another retail hub opened in Round Rock at the corner of IH-35 and Highway 1431 (now re-named "University Blvd"), The major retailer center is the Premium Outlets Mall (by Simon Property Group) and the large retail anchor is IKEA[28] as well as numerous other retail stores and restaurants. Scott & White Hospital and Seton Hospital are both located further east on University Blvd, as well as the Round Rock campus of Texas State University and Austin Community College[29]. This area is now known as the "Higher Education District" of Round Rock.

Education

Most of the city is within the Round Rock Independent School District, with small portions being served by the Leander, Hutto and Pflugerville school districts. Round Rock is also served by the Round Rock Higher Education Center which combines the efforts of Texas State University-San Marcos, Austin Community College, and Temple College at Taylor to offer educational opportunities in North Austin and Williamson County.[citation needed] The city is also home to Texas A&M Health Science Center-Round Rock.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ "Bureau of Labor Statistics for Austin-Round Rock,Texas Metopolitan Area". http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_12420.htm.
  4. ^ "Austin-Round Rock, Texas MSA"". http://bestcities.milkeninstitute.org/bestcities2009.taf?rankyear=2009&type=rank200&ID=1601.
  5. ^ http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2005-04-48.xls
  6. ^ "Best places to live 2008 • Top 100 City details: Round Rock, TX • from MONEY Magazine". Money.cnn.com. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2008/snapshots/PL4863500.html. Retrieved 2010-03-19.
  7. ^ By Les Christie, CNNMoney.com staff writer (2009-07-01). "The fastest growing cities in the United States • July 1, 2009". Money.cnn.com. http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/01/news/economy/fastest_growing_cities/index.htm. Retrieved 2010-03-19.
  8. ^ "Texas Tribune Directory". http://www.texastribune.org/directory/.
  9. ^ "City of Round Rock • History". Roundrocktexas.gov. http://www.roundrocktexas.gov/home/index.asp?page=952. Retrieved 2010-03-19.
  10. ^ "City of Round Rock • Sam Bass". Roundrocktexas.gov. http://www.roundrocktexas.gov/home/index.asp?page=953. Retrieved 2010-03-19.
  11. ^ [[cite web|url= http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=t102 |title=Official Site of Minor League Baseball and the Round Rock Express| Date retrieved July 5, 2010}}
  12. ^ Round Rock Skate Park. Retrieved August 11, 2007.
  13. ^ "Sports Capital of Texas". Sports Capital of Texas. http://www.sportscapitaloftexas.com. Retrieved 2010-03-19.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ "Round Rock (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau". Quickfacts.census.gov. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/4863500.html. Retrieved 2010-03-19.
  16. ^ "Round Rock city, Texas • Fact Sheet • American FactFinder". Factfinder.census.gov. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=16000US4861796&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US48%7C16000US4861796&_street=&_county=round+rock&_cityTown=round+rock&_state=04000US48&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=160&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2006_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=. Retrieved 2010-03-19.
  17. ^ (AFP) • Mar 9, 2010 (March 9, 2010). "AFP: US 'JihadJane' recruited for Europe, SAsia attacks: charges". Google.com. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gPbyNjzLn1OE8bAMSa6Bsh7o9gPQ. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
  18. ^ "Indictment, U.S. v. LaRose". U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. March 4, 2010. http://media.nbcphiladelphia.com/documents/JihadJane.pdf. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  19. ^ Smith, Jeff (2009). Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel, Klondike Research. p. 22. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9
  20. ^ Robertson, Frank C.; Harris, Beth Kay (1961). Soapy Smith: King of the Frontier Con Men. New York City: Hastings House. ISBN 9780803866614.
  21. ^ Jeff Smith. ""Alias Soapy Smith: King of the Frontier Con Man"". Klondike Publishing. http://www.soapysmith.net/index.html.
  22. ^ "Round Rock Chamber of Commerce: Major Employers". Roundrockchamber.org. http://www.roundrockchamber.org/Major-Employers.83.0.html. Retrieved 2010-03-19.
  23. ^ "Form 10-K". Dell Inc., United States Securities and Exchange Commission. 2008-03-31. http://finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=Dell&annual. Retrieved 2008-07-01. "For the fiscal year ended: Jan 1, 2009"
  24. ^ [ http://www.austinmarriottnorth.com/] Austin North Marriott
  25. ^ [ http://www.tgslc.org/] (TGSL)
  26. ^ [1]"La Frontera Village for sale" Austin Business Journal 06-10-2010 Retrieved 2010-05-30
  27. ^ Novak, Shonda (30 August 2007). "Deal is milestone for La Frontera". Austin American-Statesman (Austin, TX): p. D1. Retrieved 2010-05-30
  28. ^ "Amid much fanfare, IKEA opens to mass crowd on first day", Austin Business Journal, Austin, Texas, 16 November 2006. Retrieved on 2010-7-7.
  29. ^ "Plans revealed for Austin Community College." Austin Business Journal, Austin, Texas, 3 September 2008. Retrieved 2010-7-7

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