What is Round Rock?
With a population of more than 120,000, Round Rock is one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. Located 15 miles north of Austin, it's Texas' 31st largest and best-managed city focused on quality of life, economic development and thoughtful land use planning.
The city's original community was developed in 1851 near a creek where a large, round rock was perched. Off the banks of Brushy Creek, it marked a convenient low-water crossing path for wagons, horses and foot travel. It wasn't until 1854 that the community officially changed its name to Round Rock, after the infamous rock that established its founding.
The city is synonymous not only because of the stone but because it became an essential channel for moving cattle from South Texas to Kansas. Between 1867 and 1884, traders like Jesse Chisholm sold cattle for higher prices in eastern markets; the route established by Chisholm has been recognized as a trail and named in his honor. The initial settlement continued to prosper, despite floods, until the progress of the 1876 International and Great Northern Railroad.
Since then, the community has been dramatically restored, with businesses and historical sites.
Everything is Bigger in Round Rock, Texas
Along with its accessibility to an essential path for travel, the area was primed with clean and plentiful drinking water. Today, Water Tower Park memorializes this period in the city's history. Drilled in 1896, it was the city's first well, allowing residents to move away from their previous reliance on privately owned water wagons hauling in water from Brushy Creek. However, home to many problems, including flooding the streets, it was capped in 1931. While no longer operational, the Public Works Administration completed the tower's redevelopment in 1935.
The city's park system's crown jewel is Settlers Park. Its sprawling 645 acres are reserved for the state's tourism campaign, the Sports Capital of Texas tournament. One weekend per month, over 100 baseball, softball and cricket teams battle it out.
If your team is lucky enough to win, celebrate with a 2-pound Texas-sized donut at Round Rock Donuts. Established in 1926, Reinhold R. Moehring considered producing a specialty product that he believed would stand out in the small town. By the 1940s, he had perfected a recipe of yeast-risen donuts, hand-rolled, cut, fried and iced, never machine-made. He was right! Round Rock Doughnuts can sell over 500 dozen donuts on an especially busy day.
Lastly, you will want to pay homage to the spot where it all started, Brushy Creek. Located in Memorial Park, east of the Chisholm Trail Road, you may see lasting imprints of the horse-drawn wagon era.
Round Rock's Popularity
As the go-to guide to introducing popular venues, restaurants and attractions across Austin, Texas, the NMC Realty team surveys how to become part of the community. Ranked the third best place to raise a family, 1,947 single-family homes sold in 2022. The median price of these homes was $499K, but you might want to move fast. In January, a home stayed on the market for an average of 59 days. So, if you're interested in living in the fifth safest city in the nation, contact NMC and we'll find you the home of your dreams.