Leander, Texas

Leander (/liˈændər/ lee-AN-dər) is a city in Williamson and Travis counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 26,521 at the 2010 census,[5] and 62,608 at the 2019 census estimate.[6] A suburb just north of Austin,[7][8] and part of the Greater Austin metropolitan area, it is the fourth-fastest-growing city in the state of Texas.

Leander, Texas
City
Location of Leander, Texas
Coordinates: 30°34′44″N 97°51′11″W[1]
Country	United States
State	Texas
Counties	Williamson, Travis
Area [2]
• Total	37.70 sq mi (97.65 km^2)
• Land	37.50 sq mi (97.13 km^2)
• Water	0.20 sq mi (0.52 km^2)
Elevation [1]	978 ft (298 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	26,521
• Estimate  (2019)[3]	62,608
• Density	1,669.41/sq mi (644.56/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	78641, 78646
Area code(s)	512 & 737
FIPS code	48-42016[4]
Website	http://www.leandertx.gov/

History

Leander was established in 1882 on land sold by the Austin and Northwestern Railroad Co. to prospective citizens.[9] The town was named in honor of Leander "Catfish" Brown, one of the railroad officials responsible for the completion of the line.[9][10]

In 1836, a company of Texas Rangers, including John J. Tumlinson Jr. established Tumlinson Fort, the first Anglo-American post in Williamson County. The post was located on Brushy Creek, four miles south of present-day Leander, and was established to protect settlers from Indian attacks. The company abandoned the post to fight in the Texas Revolution, and a few years later it was discovered, burned down by Indians.[11]

It was near Leander that the Leanderthal Lady, a skeleton dating back 10,000 to 13,000 years, was discovered; the site was one of the earliest intact burials found in the United States.[12]

In August and September 2011, destructive wildfires swept through two central Leander neighborhoods, burning a total of 330 acres (130 ha) and destroying 26 homes.

Geography

Leander is located at the intersection of Ranch to Market Road 2243 and US Route 183 about 22 miles northwest of Austin. Georgetown lies 5 miles to the east on Route 2243.[13]

According to the City of Leander, the city has a total area of 34.08 square miles (88.3 km²). None of the area is covered with water.

Transportation

Leander is a jurisdiction member of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro). The northern terminus for the Capital MetroRail Red Line is located at Leander Station and Park & Ride designed by McKinney York Architects, located on U.S. Highway 183 north of Ranch to Market Road 2243. Leander Station also has access to several express bus lines, and includes a park and ride facility with 600 parking spaces.[14]

Education

Leander is the center of the Leander Independent School District. Schools in the district include Leander High School, Vista Ridge High School, Cedar Park High School, Charles Rouse High School, Vandegrift High School, Tom Glenn High School, Wiley Middle School (Bernice Knox Wiley Middle School), Leander Middle School, Henry Middle School, Running Brushy Middle School, Cedar Park Middle School, Canyon Ridge Middle school, Parkside Elementary School, Pleasant Hill Elementary School, Rutledge Elementary School, Whitestone Elementary School, Jim Plain Elementary School, and Block House Creek Elementary School, Winkley Elementary School, Reed Elementary School, Camacho Elementary (S.T.E.M.) school, Bagdad Elementary School and Monta Akin Elementary School.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1980	2,179		—
1990	3,398		55.9%
2000	7,596		123.5%
2010	26,521		249.1%
Est. 2019	62,608	[3]	136.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[15]

As of the census of 2000,[4] there were 7,596 people, 2,522 households, and 2,042 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,016.2 people per square mile (392.6/km²). There were 2,612 housing units at an average density of 349.4 per square mile (135.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.22% White, 2.91% African American, 0.92% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 6.94% from other races, and 2.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.94% of the population.

51.7% of households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.5% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.0% were non-families. 14.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.01 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 33.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 38.6% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64, and 4.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $53,504, and the median income for a family was $55,051. 1986 homes had a pet in the household Males had a median income of $36,021 versus $27,413 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,263. About 2.5% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Leanderthal Lady "Leanne" (9000 B.C.): Recovery of an early human burial, one of the oldest and most complete in North America. The individual—a young female—was somewhere between 18 and 25 years old at time of death. Archeologists nicknamed her Leanne (or the "Leanderthal Lady"), in reference to the nearby town of Leander, Texas.
• Paul Thompson: Former starting quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners. He led the Sooners in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl in a 42–43 losing effort against Boise State.
• Nate Champion Johnson County Wars Nate Champion was born in Leander in September 29, 1857. Champion was a key figure in the Johnson County Wars, and performed some truly heroic feats.

• Dan Janjigian Former Bobsled Olympian for Armenia, now author and management consultant, lives in Leander

References

2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
3. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
4. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
5. "Population and Housing Unit Counts,1996 homes have a pet in the household 2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). Texas: 2010. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
6. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved May 21, 2020.
7. "Growth in Leander is Booming". HomeCity.com. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
8. Real Estate/Property Information for Leander
9. "Leander Texas history and historical marker-- Williamson County". Williamson-County-Historical-Commission.org. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
10. "The History of the City of Leander". LeanderTx.gov. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
11. Karen R. Thompson (June 15, 2010). "TUMLINSON FORT". tshaonline.org. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
12. Texas Historical Commission. "Leanderthal Lady - Texas Historical Marker". StoppingPoints.
13. Texas Atlas & Gazetteer, DeLorme, 4th ed. 2001, p.69
14. "MetroRail Stations - Capital Metro - Austin Public Transit". CapMetro.org. Archived from the original on October 15, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
15. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.

External links

• City of Leander
• Leander Chamber of Commerce
• Leander from the Handbook of Texas Online