Hutto is a city in Williamson County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,250 at the 2000 census; it had
grown to 7,401 in the 2005 census estimate[1].
Geography
Hutto is located at 30°32′40″N, 97°32′43″W (30.544517,
-97.545198)1, about seven miles east of
Round Rock and 22 miles northeast of Austin.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 2.5 km² (1.0 mi²), all land.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 1,250 people, 398 households, and 318 families residing in
the city. The population density was 502.7/km² (1,297.8/mi²). There were 424 housing
units at an average density of 170.5/km² (440.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.48% White, 5.36% African American, 0.72% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 15.52% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.72% of the population.
There were 398 households out of which 52.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.8% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.1% were
non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 3.14 and the average family size was 3.48.
In the city the population was spread out with 35.0% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 37.0% from 25 to 44, 13.6% from
45 to 64, and 7.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $53,295, and the median income for a family was $55,769. Males had a median
income of $33,125 versus $28,125 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$20,113. About 3.8% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.
Hutto is one of the fastest growing small cities in America. Recent City information has it as the second fastest growing
small city in Texas, at a rate of approximately 880% for a span of 5 years (2000-2005.) In 1980 the City of Hutto was 545 people
with in its limits, in 1990 that number was only 630, in 2000 Hutto was 1250 people, and in August 2004 the population was
calculated at 5,568 to allow the City of Hutto to go to a home rule charter type of government. In 2006, the City of Hutto
population was approximately 14,000. This is just the population within the city limits, within the school district there are
also approximately 17,000 more people. Within the general metro area there are many additional people that live closer to Hutto
than their own communities of Pflugerville, Round Rock and Taylor. A new State Highway 130 is pushing
growth at an aggressive level. This SH130 toll road project is the largest transportation project currently underway in the
United States and is the current Trans-Texas Corridor. Currently, Hutto's population is about 20,000 people. With a healthy
continuing economy by the census in 2010, the population of the City of Hutto should far exceed 30,000; by 2020 that number
should be 75,000 and by 2030 our population and growth area should be built out at approximately 125,000 people.
Hutto History
Historically, Hutto Texas was not really established until 1876 when the International-Great Northern Railroad passed through land owned by one James Emory
Hutto and the fledgling town was named for him. The railroad officials designated the stop Hutto Station and the town of Hutto
was born. James Hutto was born in Alabama on June 8, 1824; he came to Texas in 1847 and moved his family into Williamson County
in 1855. A slave, Adam Orgain, was actually the first person to live in the immediate Hutto vicinity having been placed out on
the black land prairie by his owner to watch after the cattle and livestock holdings. It was in 1876 that James Hutto sold fifty
acres to the Texas Land Company of New York for a town site and railroad right of way. Hutto had become a wealthy cattleman in
Williamson County; however, in 1885 he left Hutto and moved to Waco and entered the hardware business. Other early settlers in
the area were the Carpenter, Davis, Evans, Farley, Goodwin, Highsmith, Johnson, Magle, Payne, Saul, Weight, Womack, and Wright
families. Other people living in Hutto during the 1890s included the Armstrong’s, the Dahlberg’s, M.B. Kennedy, the Hugh Kimbro
family, William McCutcheon, Green Randolph, J.B. Ross, and the Tisdale's. Soon a great many more people, primarily Swedish and
German immigrants came to this area to farm and ranch and begin their new lives in America.
According to local legend, it was in 1915 that a circus train stopped in Hutto Texas at the depot to take on passengers, pick
up and deliver mail and possibly take on water and fuel for the steam locomotive. The circus train workers also would have taken
this opportunity to care for their animals. At some point during this historic layover, a hippopotamus got out of the railcar and made its way to the nearby Cottonwood Creek. This caused much
consternation for the circus workers. Local farmers and merchants watched the commotion in amusement and with interest as
unsuccessful efforts were made to extricate the hippopotamus from the muddy waters of Cottonwood Creek. It is said that the Depot
Agent, who at that time would have been Hal Farley, Jr., telegraphed the communities of Taylor and Round Rock that were eight
miles to the east and west of Hutto to the effect of: “STOP TRAINS, HIPPO LOOSE IN HUTTO”. After much effort the hippo was
prodded from the mud and water that resembled its natural habitat and was reloaded back onto the train car. Soon afterward the
Hutto School adopted the hippopotamus as its mascot and as early as 1923 the hippo appeared on official Hutto High School
graduation announcements.
There are several alternate stories about the beginnings of the unique Hutto mascot. According to one, the big Swedish and
German boys of Hutto were playing their smaller foes in football, and the visiting coach exclaimed “We can’t beat those boys,
they’re big as hippos!” Another story, also based on gridiron lore, is that the Hutto football team in the early twenties had no
real jerseys and used feed sacks as their uniforms. The opposing coach allegedly said that the football team looked like a bunch
of hippos in their makeshift outfits.
Hutto Downtown Before Cars
Downtown 2006
External links
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