Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country
Travis County, Texas
A local guide to the county: the stories that give it a shape, practical checks, and a few things worth knowing before they surprise you. Every note points to its source.
23 stories · 35 practical · 7 good to know
The practical part
Travis County offices and deadlines
Appraisal district & tax office →
The Comptroller's official directory for Travis County: who sets your value and who sends the bill.
Homestead exemption →
File Form 50-114 with the appraisal district. It is free. The regular deadline is April 30, and late filing is allowed for up to two years.
Protest your appraisal →
The usual deadline is May 15, or 30 days after your notice arrives, whichever is later.
Estimate a tax bill →
Model a bill from local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
Start here
A little of what makes this place itself
Travis County · Lake Austin park
Commons Ford Ranch keeps Lake Austin's ranch history visible
Commons Ford Ranch is a west Austin park on Lake Austin where old Resaca Ranch buildings still stand.
Travis County · East Austin lake
Lake Walter E. Long is east Austin's big city lake park
Lake Walter E. Long is a 1,200-acre city lake park in east Austin, but the boat ramp is closed for dam repairs into 2027.
Travis County · Lake Travis park
Pace Bend Park shows the cliff side of Lake Travis
Pace Bend is a 1,368-acre county park with more than nine miles of Lake Travis shoreline, limestone cliffs, and cliff-top camping.
Practical Public Boat Ramps and Access Points on Lake Travis Ramps circle Lake Travis, but the useful choice changes with water level, flood operations, and park access. Practical Barton Springs Is Austin's Cold-Water Swimming Hole A three-acre spring-fed pool in Zilker Park holds near 68 to 70 degrees and shares its water with rare salamanders. Good to know How Mansfield Dam Made Lake Travis Built from 1937 to 1942, Mansfield Dam tied Austin's water supply to a lake designed with room for Colorado River floods.
All 65 local notes
The full county shelf is mixed so stories and useful checks travel together. Use the filters when you need one kind.
Showing all 65 notes.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Commons Ford Ranch keeps Lake Austin's ranch history visible Commons Ford Ranch is a west Austin park on Lake Austin where old Resaca Ranch buildings still stand.
- Practical Outdoors Public Boat Ramps and Access Points on Lake Travis Ramps circle Lake Travis, but the useful choice changes with water level, flood operations, and park access.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Lake Walter E. Long is east Austin's big city lake park Lake Walter E. Long is a 1,200-acre city lake park in east Austin, but the boat ramp is closed for dam repairs into 2027.
- Practical Outdoors Barton Springs Is Austin's Cold-Water Swimming Hole A three-acre spring-fed pool in Zilker Park holds near 68 to 70 degrees and shares its water with rare salamanders.
- Good to know History & Culture How Mansfield Dam Made Lake Travis Built from 1937 to 1942, Mansfield Dam tied Austin's water supply to a lake designed with room for Colorado River floods.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Pace Bend Park shows the cliff side of Lake Travis Pace Bend is a 1,368-acre county park with more than nine miles of Lake Travis shoreline, limestone cliffs, and cliff-top camping.
- Practical Outdoors Flash Floods Move Fast in Travis County Central Texas sits in 'Flash Flood Alley.' Water can rise faster than expected, and low-water crossings are deadly.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Reimers Ranch brings the Pedernales River into Travis County life Milton Reimers Ranch Park is the county's largest park, with nearly three miles of Pedernales River frontage, big climbing and biking, and a dark-sky observatory.
- Practical Money & Taxes Ag Valuation: Lower Taxes for Working Land in Travis County Travis County ag valuation depends on real production, the state open-space application, and TCAD's local intensity standards.
- Good to know Outdoors Lake Travis and the Highland Lakes: Flood Control and Water Supply Lake Travis is managed by the LCRA for both water supply and flood control — water levels can change dramatically.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Southeast Metropolitan Park gives Del Valle a big everyday park Southeast Metropolitan Park near Del Valle is a large county park for ball games, trails, playgrounds, and fishing off Highway 71.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Alcohol Permits in Austin Start With TABC, Then City Signoff Austin businesses applying for a liquor license or beer permit through TABC must also get the Austin City Clerk's signature on the TABC form.
- Stories & local character Outdoors The Butler Trail makes Lady Bird Lake part of daily Austin The roughly 10-mile Ann and Roy Butler Trail loops Lady Bird Lake through the heart of Austin and draws millions of walkers, runners, and riders a year.
- Practical Home & Property Building in Unincorporated Travis County: Chapter 482 Rules Chapter 482 governs plats and development permits outside full-purpose city limits, but the exact review lane depends on jurisdiction.
- Good to know Outdoors Onion Creek: Flash Flood Risk in Southeast Travis County Onion Creek can rise fast through southeast Austin, so mapped risk and live road conditions both belong in a property or travel check.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park is a north Austin trail anchor Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park gives north Austin a large city park with shared-use hike-and-bike trails off North Lamar.
- Practical Home & Property City Limits vs. ETJ vs. Unincorporated Travis County Where your property sits (inside city limits, in an ETJ, or in unincorporated county land) determines which rules apply.
- Stories & local character Outdoors McKinney Falls Puts Limestone Waterfalls Inside Austin Thirteen miles from the Capitol, Onion Creek drops over limestone shelves beside trails, campsites, and old Hill Country remains.
- Practical Money & Taxes Converting Ag Land to a Homestead: Watch for Rollback Taxes If you buy ag-valued land and change its use, you may owe back taxes going three years, but there is an exception for personal homesteads.
- Good to know Outdoors Wildfire Risk in Travis County: Homes Near the Wildland Edge More than half of Austin falls inside a wildland-urban interface zone where fire risk is high and building rules are stricter.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Balcones Canyonlands Preserve shapes the west side of Travis County The Balcones Canyonlands Preserve is a 33,000-plus-acre habitat system, not a regular park, spread across more than 140 western Travis County tracts.
- Practical Cars & Driving Disabled parking placards use the Travis tax office Travis County issues permanent and temporary disabled parking placards through the tax office, using TxDMV Form VTR-214.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Barton Creek Greenbelt gives Austin its creek-and-limestone feel Austin's Barton Creek Greenbelt threads more than seven miles of limestone canyon, swimming holes, and biking trail through the southwest side of the city.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Filing a DBA in Travis County Sole proprietors and partnerships register a business name with the County Clerk; LLCs and corporations file with the state instead.
- Good to know Home & Property Drought and Water Supply in Travis County Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan are the main water reserves for the region, and their levels can drop sharply during drought.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Hamilton Pool is a natural landmark with reservation reality Hamilton Pool Preserve is a collapsed-grotto swimming hole in western Travis County that requires a reservation every day, and even then swimming is not guaranteed.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Food Businesses Need Austin Public Health Permits Austin Public Health requires food businesses in its jurisdiction to get a permit, pass inspections, and renew the operational permit each year.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Travis County The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in southwest Austin is operated by UT Austin and focuses on native Texas plants.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Hunting and Fishing Licenses in Travis County Texas requires a hunting or fishing license for most people, but you can fish free from the bank inside any Texas state park.
- Good to know Home & Property What the LCRA Does for Travis County Residents The Lower Colorado River Authority manages water, power, and flood control across the Colorado River basin, including Lake Travis.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Congress Avenue and the Texas State Capitol Congress Avenue was the main street in Austin's original 1839 city plan, running from the Colorado River to the Capitol.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Large Travis County Events May Need Fire Marshal Permits The Travis County Fire Marshal handles special event and mass gathering permits, including event safety plans and related fire permits.
- Stories & local character History & Culture How Austin Became a Tech Hub IBM's arrival in 1967 launched a tech economy in Austin that grew into one of the largest in the country.
- Practical Home & Property Mineral Rights in Travis County: What Landowners Should Know Mineral rights in Texas can be owned separately from surface rights, and buyers should check whether those rights are included in a sale.
- Good to know History & Culture Travis County's Landscape: East Flat, West Hill Country The Balcones Escarpment splits Travis County into two distinct landscapes: flat east and hilly west.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Why Austin Became the Capital of Texas Austin became the Texas capital in 1839 after Republic President Lamar picked a site on the Colorado River.
- Practical Home & Property Septic Systems in Travis County: What You Need to Know Before planning a septic system, find the permitting authority for the parcel and confirm whether sewer service is available.
- Stories & local character History & Culture How Travis County Was Founded and Named Travis County was created on January 25, 1840 and named for William Barret Travis, the Alamo commander.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Short-Term Rentals Inside Austin City Limits Austin rentals shorter than 30 days need a city license, plus a reachable local contact and current platform listing details.
- Stories & local character History & Culture The Archives War: Austin Fights to Stay the Capital In 1842, Austin residents blocked President Sam Houston from moving the republic's government records to Houston.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Some Austin Venues Need Fire Permits Before Opening Austin Fire and the Office of the Fire Marshal issue permits for public assemblies, hazardous materials, fire protection systems, and prescribed burns.
- Stories & local character History & Culture The LBJ Library and Lady Bird Johnson's Legacy in Travis County The Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library opened in Austin in 1971 and sits on the UT campus.
- Practical Home & Property Utility work in Travis County right-of-way has its own permit Travis County requires right-of-way review for utility installation work such as water, sewer, electrical, and gas lines.
- Stories & local character History & Culture The Railroad Changed Austin's Economy in the 1870s The Houston and Texas Central Railway reached Austin in 1871 and doubled the city's population within five years.
- Practical Home & Property A driveway onto a Travis County road may need a permit Travis County has a driveway permit process for building access on a maintained county right-of-way.
- Stories & local character History & Culture The University of Texas at Austin: A County Anchor Since 1881 Austin won a statewide competition to host the University of Texas in 1881, and it has shaped the county ever since.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Austin Right-of-Way Work Needs a ROW Permit Work in Austin's public right-of-way, or work that uses part of it, requires a City of Austin right-of-way permit.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Travis County Once Covered 40,000 Square Miles Travis County started huge, nearly the size of Kentucky, and was later carved into more than a dozen other counties.
- Practical Cars & Driving Austin-area toll roads are a normal part of Travis driving TxDOT lists the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority as the operator for several Austin-area toll facilities.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Travis County's Population and Diversity Travis County grew from a small farming region to a metro area of over a million people, with significant Hispanic, Black, and Anglo populations.
- Practical Money & Taxes Extra Property Tax Help for Seniors and Disabled Homeowners These exemptions can add tax relief and a school-tax ceiling, but they do not freeze the whole property-tax bill.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Travis County's Roots in Stephen F. Austin's Colony The land that became Travis County was part of Stephen F. Austin's third land grant from the Mexican government in 1827.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Getting a Marriage License in Travis County Both people apply together at the County Clerk's office downtown, then wait three days before the ceremony.
- Practical Home & Property Groundwater Rules for New Travis County Subdivisions Chapter 482 ties lot size and water-supply proof to new subdivisions that plan to rely on groundwater.
- Practical Money & Taxes How to Get Your Homestead Exemption in Travis County A residence homestead exemption lowers taxable value, and TCAD handles the free application for Travis County homes.
- Practical Home & Property Municipal Utility Districts: What They Mean for Your Home Many homes in unincorporated Travis County are in a MUD, which provides water and sewer — and adds an extra tax rate.
- Practical Cars & Driving New Travis County residents handle vehicles at the tax office Travis County lists the proof of ownership, insurance, inspection, and Form 130-U steps for new Texas residents.
- Practical Cars & Driving Private-sale title transfers go through the Travis tax office TxDMV says a vehicle bought in a private sale should be titled in the buyer's name within 30 days.
- Practical Money & Taxes Property Tax Exemptions for Veterans in Travis County Texas has separate partial and total exemptions for disabled veterans, and the property rules are not the same.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Temporary Food Events Need a Permit in Austin-Travis County Austin Public Health requires a temporary food event permit when food or drinks are offered to the public at an event.
- Practical Money & Taxes The 20% Circuit Breaker Is Not a Home Cap For 2026, a temporary 20% limit applies to certain non-homestead real property, not residence homesteads.
- Practical Money & Taxes Travis Central Appraisal District: What It Does TCAD values property and handles protests, while taxing units set rates and the Travis County Tax Office handles bills.
- Practical Cars & Driving Vehicle Registration in Travis County: Two Steps, One Sticker Travis County uses the Two Steps, One Sticker system, combining your vehicle inspection and registration renewal.
- Practical Money & Taxes When Travis County Property Taxes Are Due January 31 is the ordinary penalty-free deadline, but late bills and weekends can move the date.
- Practical Money & Taxes Travis County Has Over 180 Taxing Entities Your property tax bill in Travis County is the sum of rates from many different taxing units, not just one.
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