Round Rock

History

As the area developed into a rural Anglo community, some of the modern paved roads followed the original Native-American pathways. One famous immigration route passed through Round Rock and is called the "Double File Trail" because the path was wide enough for two horsemen to ride side-by-side. It is part of a longer trail from North Texas that crossed the San Gabriel River in Georgetown, Brushy Creek in Round Rock, and the Colorado River in Austin. In 1851, a small community was formed on the banks of Brushy Creek, near a large round and anvil-shaped rock in the middle of the creek. This round rock marked a convenient low-water crossing for wagons, horses, and cattle. The first postmaster called the community "Brushy", and the creek was called "Brushy Creek", but in 1854, at the suggestion of the postmaster, the small settlement was renamed Round Rock in honor of this now famous rock. After the Civil War, Jesse Chisholm began moving cattle from South Texas through Round Rock on the way to Abilene, Kansas. The route he established, which crossed Brushy Creek at the round rock, became known as the Chisholm Trail. Most of the old buildings, including the old Saint Charles Hotel, have been preserved. This historic area is now called "Old Town". Downtown Round Rock was the site of a historic gunfight and subsequent capture (and death) of the 19th-century American train robber Sam Bass, by the Texas Ranger Division on July 19, 1878. The Rangers followed Bass and his gang after they robbed the Fort Worth-to-Cleburne train. Bass was tracked to Round Rock, and as he attempted to flee, Bass was shot and killed in a gun battle by Ranger George Herold and Ranger Sergeant Richard Ware. Sheriff's Deputy A.W. Grimes was killed in the shootout. Near Ware was Soapy Smith, a noted…

Geography

Round Rock is north of downtown Austin, and south of Georgetown. Its elevation is . According to the US Census Bureau, the city has an area of , of which are land and (0.50%) is covered by water. Prior to the 2010 census, the city annexed part of the Brushy Creek CDP, increasing its area to , of which of it is land and is water. The climate in this area is characterized by generally hot, humid summers and mild, cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Round Rock has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps. The city was heavily damaged by a high-end EF2 tornado on March 21, 2022. The tornado continued well northeast of the city afterwards, causing additional damage before dissipating. Sixteen people were injured.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• ROUND ROCK H S
  High · ROUND ROCK · 3,773 students · 17.1:1 ratio
• WESTWOOD H S
  High · AUSTIN · 2,820 students · 16.8:1 ratio
• CEDAR RIDGE H S
  High · ROUND ROCK · 2,698 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• VISTA RIDGE H S
  High · CEDAR PARK · 2,646 students · 16:1 ratio
• STONY POINT H S
  High · ROUND ROCK · 2,570 students · 17:1 ratio
• EAST VIEW H S
  High · GEORGETOWN · 2,075 students · 15.5:1 ratio
• GEORGETOWN H S
  High · GEORGETOWN · 2,013 students · 15.4:1 ratio
• HUTTO H S
  High · HUTTO · 2,010 students · 17.2:1 ratio