Austin is a city of about 1,054,000 (2026) surpassing Fort Worth to become the 4th most populous city in Texas. It is on the southeast edge of the Hill Country region of Texas, making it the fourth-largest city in the state and the 11th-largest in the country. It is the capital of Texas and a college town, and also a center of an alternative culture away from the major cities on the US coasts, though the city is rapidly gentrifying with its rising popularity.
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1 Austin Visitor Center, 602 East 4th Street, ☏ +1-866 GO-AUSTIN (46-287846). Daily 8:30AM–5:30PM. Austin weather is generally nice most of the year; activities are generally not limited by season. However, as Austin lies within Central Texas, be prepared to deal with the long, hot summers if you are visiting between May and September. It is not uncommon for daily high temperatures to be between 90 and 100 °F (32-38 °C) during this time — in fact, a day in the 80s is rare, and several days may even reach triple digits (90 days in 2011).
Generally, the feasibility of seeing Austin by foot depends largely on the weather For those content to see only downtown Austin and who are in good shape, exploring most of the downtown area on foot is possible. There are many attractions within a 1- to 2-mile walk from most downtown hotels. Be prepared for potentially oppressive heat during the summer months. The University of Texas area, just north of downtown, is also very pedestrian friendly, and in fact can be a difficult place to get around by car (very hard to find a parking spot). Though there are some exceptions, most of downtown Austin is reasonably bike friendly.
Take a beautiful stroll around The University of Texas at Austin. While there you might want to visit the Blanton Museum of Art, the Harry Ransom Center, Texas Memorial Museum of Science and History, or view the public art around campus. The famous UT tower may or may not be open; inquire at the university. If it is, it is worth a look for the breathtaking views and history lesson. It is a tour though so you need to make reservations (see the previous link). The theater and music departments are both well regarded and have performances throughout the school year. If you visit during football season, you can see the Texas Longhorn football team play at Darrell K.
Access ATX Tours, ☏ +1 512 999-8687, questions@accessatx.com. Access ATX Tours offers private Austin city tours and day trips to the Texas Hill Country and San Antonio. Also offers Austin food tours, Texas BBQ Trail Tours, and Wine Tasting/Distillery/Brewery Tours. Twisted Texas Tour, 602 E. 4th Street, ☏ +1 512 999-8687, hello@twistedtexastour.com. every weekend. Austin's wildest ride with a live band on board the bus. Twisted Texas offers Brunch/Food Tours and Brewery Tours with live music, starting at $64 per person. Tours depart on weekends. $64-69. Segway Tours. Austin Segway Tours enable you to tour downtown Austin on the Segway.
When you visit Austin, or if you decide to live here, you'll have no shortage of interesting and satisfying places to eat. Austin's restaurants are a feast for the mind and the palate. The listings below are only a sampling of the diverse and plentiful Austin restaurant scene. Austin has many high-end, destination restaurants, but it also has many high-quality, unique, and inexpensive restaurants where the locals eat, drink, and socialize every day (all day). It's a town built for living in, and the affordable, excellent restaurants show it.
Austin is coffee mad. The coffeehouse culture is strong and growing here in Austin, and you can hear poetry and live music at quite a few of these places, as well as getting light eats. Coffeehouses are where the liberal heart of Austin beats for all to see. Free wireless Internet connections are very common (and available at many other businesses as well). There are a number of local chains including Caffe Medici. Most gay and lesbian bars and night clubs are downtown with the highest concentration in the Warehouse district. For alcohol Austin's main strip is on 6th Street downtown. But like most entertainment districts that get raves in the media, it's a little overhyped.
Austin is one of the safest major cities in the US. However, this does not mean that there is no crime. As with most American cities, credit cards are accepted nearly universally, especially for nightlife. Therefore, for convenience and safety, it's inadvisable to carry large amounts of cash. The number for police, fire, and medical services is 911. In many parts of Austin, there are beggars on the street corners, particularly off of the freeways, who will hold signs asking for money (panhandling). Consider donating instead to a legitimate charity, like Meals on Wheels, the Salvation Army or Austin Atheists Helping the Homeless. There is a district around 6th St.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Austin typically sees ~33°C daytime highs and 13 rainy days.
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