Kyle

Kyle, Texas
—  City  —
Location of Kyle, Texas
Coordinates: 29°59′21″N 97°52′33″W / 29.98917°N 97.87583°W / 29.98917; -97.87583Coordinates: 29°59′21″N 97°52′33″W / 29.98917°N 97.87583°W / 29.98917; -97.87583
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Hays
Area
- Total	6.0 sq mi (15.5 km2)
- Land	5.9 sq mi (15.3 km2)
- Water	0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation	728 ft (222 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	5,314
- Density	899.0/sq mi (347.1/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	78640
Area code(s)	512
FIPS code	48-39952[1]
GNIS feature ID	1339257[2]

Kyle is a city in Hays County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,314 at the 2000 census; it was 26,103 in the 2008 census estimate, making it one of the fastest growing cities in Texas.^[3]

Geography

Kyle is located at 29°59′21″N 97°52′33″W / 29.989080°N 97.875947°W / 29.989080; -97.875947 (29.989080, -97.875947).^[4] This is 21 miles southwest of Austin and 53 miles northeast of San Antonio.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.0 square miles (15.5 km²), of which, 5.9 square miles (15.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (1.34%) is water.

History

Kyle was founded in 1881 by Captain Fergus Kyle. The site was chosen due to it's proximity to the International – Great Northern Railroad line.

From 1892 to 1901 Kyle was home to the Pulitzer Prize winning author, Katherine Anne Porter. Many of her most famous short stories such as Noon Wine are set in locations in and around Kyle. Her former home there is now a writer's residence open to the public by appointment. The Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center hosts readings by visiting writers. Upcoming visitors include U.S. Poet Laureate Charles Simic, National Book Award Winner Tim O'Brien, Pulitzer Prize Winner Robert Stone, and celebrated short-story author Mary Gaitskill.

Kyle was the only Texas town to have an all-woman government in the early 1940s.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 5,314 people, 1,491 households, and 1,209 families residing in the city. The population density was 899.0 people per square mile (347.2/km²). There were 1,560 housing units at an average density of 263.9/sq mi (101.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 63.29% White, 8.30% African American, 0.64% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 23.45% from other races, and 3.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 52.31% of the population. As of May, 2007 the Kyle City Council set the population at just over 25,000. Kyle is the fifth fastest growing city in the state of Texas.

There were 1,491 households out of which 50.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.5% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.9% were non-families. 13.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.22 and the average family size was 3.58.

In the city the population was spread out with 31.2% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 39.3% from 25 to 44, 13.1% from 45 to 64, and 5.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 118.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 124.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $47,534, and the median income for a family was $50,197. Males had a median income of $30,956 versus $26,868 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,252. About 4.8% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 14.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The City of Kyle is served by the Hays Consolidated Independent School District.

Notable residents

• Fitzhugh Andrews — composer
• John Wheeler Bunton — San Jacinto hero
• Benjamin Brubaker — Local Adventurer, Oddball
• Joseph Fenity — freelance journalist & former talk show host
• C. C. "Tex" Hughson — American League baseball pitcher
• Lena Elithe Hamilton Kirkland — author
• Captain Fergus Kyle — state legislator; founder of Kyle, TX
• Edwin Jackson Kyle — U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala (1945-48); namesake of Kyle Field
• Helen Michaelis — renowned expert on Quarter Horses; first woman inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame
• Max G. Michaelis Sr. — 19th century rancher and entrepreneur; breeder of horses and donkeys, introduced the first Charolais cattle into the United States
• Milton Nance — historian
• Katherine Anne Porter — author
• Terrell Sledge — Rhodes scholar
• Lou Mendez — Entrepreneur and President of Kaizen Institute.

Bibliography

• Strom, Ann (1981). The Prairie City: A History of Kyle, Texas, 1880-1980. Nortex Press. ISBN 978-0890153130. 

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kyle, Texas

• The Official Kyle Web Site
• The Kyle Texas tourism relocation business Web Site
• Kyle from the Handbook of Texas Online
• HaysWeb - Kyle and Northern Hays County Information
• Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center
• Michaelis Ranch History - Early history of Kyle, and one of the oldest surviving ranches in the area
• ERA Millennium Realty Tamara Robertson GRI
• Great Locations Realty Team - Central Texas Real Estate Experts

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Hays County, Texas County seat: San Marcos Cities Austin‡ | Buda | Dripping Springs | Hays | Kyle | Mountain City | San Marcos‡ | Uhland‡ | Wimberley | Woodcreek Town Niederwald‡ Village Bear Creek Unincorporated community Driftwood Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties