Cedar Park, Texas - Cedar Park Tx

Cedar Park is a city in Williamson County in the State of Texas. The population was 48937 at the 2010 census. According to the 2016 Census Estimate, the population is 70,614. A small portion of the city extends into neighboring Travis County. The city is a major suburb of Austin, the center of which is approximately 16 miles (26 km) to the southeast.

Geography

Cedar Park is located at 30°30′24″N 97°49′49″W (30.506620, -97.830317). It lies mostly in Williamson County, although a small amount extends into Travis County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.6 sq mi (66 km²), of which, 25.3 sq mi (66 km²) of it is land and .3 sq mi (0.78 km²) of it (0.88%) is water.

Cedar Park is generally bisected north to south by U.S. Route 183. A bypass route, the 183A toll road, also runs through Cedar Park and opened to traffic on March 15, 2007. Major east-west routes include RM-1431/Whitestone Boulevard and Cypress Creek/Brushy Creek Road.

Government

Cedar Park was incorporated in 1973 with a council-manager system of local government. As of September 1, 2015, Cedar Park City Councilmembers are as follows:

• Mayor: Matt Powell
• Place 1: Stephen Thomas
• Place 2: Corbin Vanarsdale
• Place 3: Lyle Grimes
• Place 4: Lowell Moore
• Place 5: Jon Lux
• Place 6: Kristyne Bollier

The seven members serve two year terms. The mayor and councilmembers place two, place four and place six are elected in even years. Councilmembers place one, place three and place five are elected in odd years.

Cedar Park is represented in Texas House of Representatives by former Cedar Park Councilmember Republican Tony Dale. In the State Senate, Cedar Park is represented by Republican Charles Schwertner.

Sports

Cedar Park is home to two top-level minor league professional teams. The Texas Stars of the American Hockey League and the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League both play home games at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park.

A major public skate park facility opened in Cedar Park in July 2010. The 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m²) facility features a large bowl, mini bowl, and modern street course.

Institutions and schools

Cedar Park is served primarily by the Leander Independent School District, and is home to the Cedar Park High School Timberwolves and the Vista Ridge High School Rangers. Cedar Park won its first football state championship on December 21, 2012. The Timberwolves defeated Lancaster 17-7 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, winning the Class 4A, Division II state title. In 2015, the Timberwolves won both state titles in Band and Football with the latter beating Frisco Lone Star for the Class 5a, Division II state championship. Cedar Park High school is the only Texas high school to win UIL state titles in both band and football in the same year.

Neighborhoods in the southern and easternmost areas of the city are wholly or partially served by the Round Rock Independent School District.

The city is home to the Cypress Creek campus of Austin Community College, which was significantly expanded in 2008 to accommodate the area's growing population.

The Texas Psychological Association is located in the city.

H-E-B Center at Cedar Park

The H-E-B Center at Cedar Park (formerly known as Cedar Park Center) was completed in 2009 and hosts a wide array of live entertainment events. George Strait opened the Cedar Park Center as the first event at the Center on September 25, 2009. The H-E-B Center is also home of the Texas Stars, the AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars, and the Austin Spurs, the D-league affiliate of the San Antonio Spurs. The Center is located at the corner of New Hope Drive and 183A Toll Road.

History

Before the arrival of European settlers in the 19th century, the Cedar Park area was inhabited by various Native American tribes including the Tonkawa, the Lipan Apache, and the Comanche. A paleo-American archaeological site (named the Wilson-Leonard site) was discovered in Cedar Park in 1983 that showed evidence of continual habitation of the area since circa 5000 BC.

In the mid-19th century the community was known as Running Brushy, named after a spring that formed the headwaters of a creek of the same name. In 1873 George and Harriet Cluck, after having run cattle up the Chisholm Trail for many years, bought 329 acres (1.33 km²) of land that included the Running Brushy spring. Their ranch formed the core of the community that would one day become Cedar Park.

Ten years later, the railroad came through. The Austin and Northwestern Railroad, which connected the state capitol with the cities of Burnet and Lampasas to the north, was finished in 1882 and passed through Running Brushy and the Cluck ranch. The community was at this point renamed Bruggerhoff, after a railroad company official. However, the name was generally disliked by locals, being both hard to spell and pronounce. In 1887, Emmett Cluck (son of George and Harriet) changed the community name to Cedar Park. In 1892, a "strolling park" of 0.5 acres (2,000 m²) was built near the train depot. Austinites would ride the train to Cedar Park for day trips to the park.

Cedar Park changed little until the 1950s and 1960s when housing subdivisions began to be built, spurred by the growth of nearby Austin. On February 24, 1973, the citizens of Cedar Park voted to incorporate. The estimated population was 1,765. A library followed in 1978.

On May 27, 1997, a strong and destructive F3 tornado struck the town. The tornado was one of 20 confirmed tornadoes that occurred during the 1997 Central Texas Tornado outbreak. It devastated the downtown area of the city, killing one person and nearly destroying the Albertson's grocery store.

Major retailers began finding their way to the city in 2002 as Walmart opened. Additional large retailers now include Super Target, multiple HEB grocery stores, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Whole Foods, Randalls, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Costco. The major shopping centers include 1890's Ranch, Cedar Park Town Center, The Parke, and the Cypress Creek Shopping Center. In December 2007, Cedar Park Regional Medical Center opened becoming the first major medical center in Cedar Park.

In 2013, the US Census Bureau named Cedar Park the 4th fastest growing city in the United States, with a population of 57,957.

On April 4, 2016 the city announced it was collecting submissions for designs for an official city flag. Residents had until April 30 to submit proposed designs.

Historical Markers Heritage Oak Tree - a 400-year-old majestic live oak tree that is decorated with over 30,000 lights each year in December. It is fifty-seven feet tall with a spread of eighty feet. The tree is located in the median on Quest Blvd in Cedar Park.

On December the 9th 2016, Cedar Park unveiled the flag design that won the contest made by the City Council in the spring of that same year to adopt a new city flag.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 48,937 people, 8,621 households, and 7,155 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,141.9 people per square mile (592.7/km²). There were 8,914 housing units at an average density of 525.3 per square mile (202.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.4% White, 4.3% African American, 0.5% Native American, 5.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.10% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19% of the population.

There were 8,621 households out of which 52.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.3% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.0% were non-families. 12.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.29.

In the city the population was spread out with 33.5% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 40.3% from 25 to 44, 15.9% from 45 to 64, and 4.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $67,527, and the median income for a family was $70,587. Males had a median income of $49,657 versus $32,039 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,767. About 3.0% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

In December 9th 2016, Cedar Park revealed the city flag design that had won the contest made by the City Council in the spring

Religion

Cedar Park is served by a number of Christian churches, including Northpoint Church, New Hope First Baptist Church, The Sanctuary, Highpoint Fellowship, Christ Episcopal Church, Cedar Park United Methodist Church, Saint Margaret Mary Catholic Church, Lakehills Free Will Baptist Church, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Cedar Park Church of Christ, Trinity Tabernacle, Rockbridge Church, Cypress Creek Community Church, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Fellowship Bible Church, Church of the Savior, Whitestone Assembly of God, and the Shenandoah Baptist Church, among many others.

Congregation Shir Ami is a Reform Jewish synagogue in Cedar Park, founded in 2002, and led by Rabbi Cantor Marie Betcher.

Cedar Park is also home to the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of the Hindu faith to cater to the growing Hindu community in Cedar Park and in the Greater Austin area, and the Islamic Center of Brushy Creek.