Austin, the capitol of Texas is the fourth largest city in the state and the 16th largest in the United States. The city is the cultural and economic center of the greater Austin metropolitan area with a population of more than 1.5 million people. In 2006 Money magazine selected Austin as the No. 1 big city in “Best Places to Live.” CNN Headline News and Travel and Leisure ranked Austin #2 in a list of cities with the best people referring to the personalities and attributes of the citizens. Austin has been given nicknames such as “Silicon Hills” for it major technology corporations and “The Live Music Capital of the World” for being the home to many musicians and music venues including ACL festival and SXSW.
Austin is located approximately 541 feet above see level and is situated on the Colorado River with three man made lakes within city limits: Lady Bird Lake, Lake Austin, and Lake Walter E. Long. The city is also located on the Balcones Fault providing scenic rolling hills and beautiful Texas Hill Country.