The Hays County Courthouse
San Marcos is a city in Texas, USA. The
population was 34,733 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hays County.6
Texas State University-San Marcos (formerly Southwest Texas State
University) is located in the city.
San Marcos is the only habitat for the endangered Texas Blind Salamander
(Eurycea rathbuni). The Aquarena Springs ecological education center is located in San
Marcos.
History
A small group of Mexican families settled in the area where the El Camino Real crossed the San Marcos River in April
1808, calling their settlement Villa de San Marcos de Neve. The settlers were plagued by
floods and Indian raids, and the
settlement was abandoned in 1812.
In November 1846 the first Anglos settled in the vicinity of the
San Marcos Springs. The Texas Legislature organized Hays County on March 1, 1848, and designated San Marcos as the county seat. In 1851 the town center was laid out. The town became a center for ginning and
milling local agricultural products.
In the decade following the arrival of the International-Great
Northern Railroad in 1881, cattle and cotton provided the basis for the growth of San Marcos as a center for commerce and transportation.
In 1899, Southwest Texas State Normal School was established as a teacher's college to meet
demand for public school teachers in Texas. It has since changed its name several times and is now Texas State University-San Marcos.
In the 1960s, with the emergence of Aquarena Springs and Wonder World as attractions, the tourist industry became a growing part of the economy.
The expansion of Texas State and establishment of the Gary
Job Corps Training Center in 1965 made education the single
largest employer in the city.
San Marcos was affected by the severe flooding in
1998.
Geography
Distant view of the Texas State campus
San Marcos is located at 29°52′46″N, 97°56′20″W (29.879387,
-97.938829)1 in an area locally referred to
as Central Texas. This is 29 miles southwest of Austin and 47 miles northeast of San Antonio. Interstate 35 is the main highway through the town and the spring-fed San Marcos River is a notable water feature. The city is also situated on the Balcones Fault. The eastern part of the city is flat while the western part consists of rolling
hills.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 47.4 km² (18.3 mi²). Land constitutes 47.2 km²
(18.2 mi²), and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.60%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 34,733 people, 12,660 households, and 5,380 families
residing in the city. The population density was 736.4/km² (1,907.5/mi²). There were
13,340 housing units at an average density of 282.8/km² (732.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.55% White, 5.53% African American, 0.65% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 17.03% from other races, and 2.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 36.50% of the population.
There were 12,660 households out of which 19.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.9% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 57.5% were
non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city the population was spread out with 15.4% under the age of 18, 41.9% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 10.7% from
45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,809, and the median income for a family was $37,113. Males had a median
income of $25,400 versus $22,953 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$13,468. About 13.8% of families and 28.5% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 22.1% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.
The Springs and Parks
San Marcos was founded on the site of the San Marcos Springs, which produce the
San Marcos River. Even today, San Marcans of all ages enjoy swimming in the cool spring water. Several parks surround the river
as it bubbles up from the ground and winds its way through the city.
- Spring Lake was created by a small dam near the spring. It is home of the Aquarena Springs Center and other
educational-centered parks.
- Sewell Park, operated by Texas State University, is a little further downstream. It is packed with university students when
the sun is out and is the focal point of the university.
- The City of San Marcos Parks and Recreation department operates several other parks downstream, including San Marcos Plaza
and Lions' Park.
Tube and canoe rental are available at Lions' Park and Sewell Park. A pedestrian and bike bridge crosses the San Marcos River
between San Marcos Plaza and Lions' Park.
Culture
San Marcos Activity Center
The pace of San Marcos is affected by the come-and-go of the students of Texas State University, which sits on the hill
overlooking the town square. During summertime and spring and winter breaks the traffic is calmer, the restaurants less crowded,
and the streets of the square quieter. While there has been a historic 'divide' between the students 'up there' on the hill and
the year-long residents 'down there' in the town, there have been recent moves, on behalf of the student body and the general
public, to engage each other in moving the city forward and planning together. Recent city bonds and initiatives have partly been
aimed at physically connecting the university better to the town. Plans are in the works to landscape LBJ Drive leading from the
town square to the university hill. The recent election, in 2005, of Chris Jones, a
university student, to the city council was also the work of students and residents working together.
First United Methodist Church
From 1970 to 2002, San Marcos had an annual chili cookoff, the Chilympiad.
Every year, residents march in the Just For Fun Parade.
San Marcos is a popular outlet mall destination for San Antonians and Austinites. There are two outlet malls in the city that
are popular with residents of the two larger cities. San Marcos is a convenient place to put these malls since it is roughly
halfway between San Antonio and Austin.
- See also: List of churches in
San Marcos, Texas
Education
The City of San Marcos is served by the San Marcos
Consolidated Independent School District. San Marcos is also home to the San
Marcos Baptist Academy, a Baptist boarding college-preparatory military academy. San Marcos is also home of
Texas State University, San Marcos.
Transportation
Notable Texans and San Marcos
External links
Coordinates:
29.879387° N 97.938829°
W
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