Buildings that make up most of Austin's skyline are modest in height
and somewhat spread out. The latter characteristic is partly due to a
restriction that preserves the view of the
Texas State Capitol building from various locations around Austin (known as the Capitol View Corridor).
[62]
However, many new high-rise towers have been constructed and the
downtown area is looking more modern and dense. The city's tallest
building,
The Austonian, was topped out on September 17, 2009.
[63]
Austin is currently undergoing a skyscraper boom, which includes recent
construction on the now complete 360 Condominiums at 563 feet (172 m),
Spring (condominiums), the Austonian at 683 feet (208 m), and several
others that are mainly for residential use.
At night, parts of Austin are lit by "artificial moonlight" from
Moonlight Towers[64]
built to illuminate the central part of the city. The 165-foot (50 m)
moonlight towers were built in the late 19th century and are now
recognized as historic landmarks. Only 15 of the 31 original innovative
towers remain standing in Austin, and none remain in any of the other
cities where they were installed. The towers are featured in the 1993
film
Dazed and Confused.
Downtown
The central business district of Austin is home to the tallest condo
towers in the state, with the under construction Independent (58 stories
and 690 feet (210 metres). tall) and
The Austonian
(topping out at 56 floors and 685 feet (209 metres). tall). The
Independent will supplant The Austonian as the tallest all-residential
building in the U.S. west of the Mississippi River when completed in
2018.
Former Mayor Will Wynn set out a goal for having up to 25,000 people
living Downtown by 2015, and the city provided incentives for building
residential units in the urban core.
[65]
Because of this, the city has been driven to increase density in
Austin's urban core. The skyline has drastically changed in recent
years, and the residential real estate market has remained relatively
strong. As of December 2016, there are 31 high-rise projects either
under construction, approved or planned to be completed in Austin's
downtown core between 2017 and 2020. Sixteen of those are set to rise
above 400 feet (120 metres). tall, including four above 600', and eight
above 500'. An additional 15 towers are slated to stand between 300' and
399' tall.
Downtown growth has been aided by the presence of a popular live
music and nightlife scene, museums, restaurants, and Lady Bird Lake,
considered one of the city's best recreational spots. The 2nd Street
District consists of several new residential projects, restaurants,
upscale boutiques and other entertainment venues, as well as Austin's
City Hall. Across 2nd Street from Austin's City Hall is the new ACL Live
@ the Moody Theatre where the long-running PBS program
Austin City Limits,
[66] is filmed. It is located at the base of the new 478 feet (146 m)
W Hotel.
[67] The
South by Southwest
is a music, film and interactive festival which occurs over five days
each March in downtown Austin, and includes one of the world's largest
music festivals; with more than 3,000 acts playing in more than 100
venues.
[citation needed]
Climate
| Austin |
| Climate chart (explanation) |
| J |
F |
M |
A |
M |
J |
J |
A |
S |
O |
N |
D |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Average max. and min. temperatures in °F |
| Precipitation totals in inches |
|
|
|
Under the
Köppen climate classification, Austin has a
humid subtropical climate.
This climate is typified by very long, hot summers; warm transitional
seasons; and short, mild winters. Austin averages 34.32 inches (872 mm)
of annual rainfall and it is distributed mostly evenly throughout the
year, though May and June are generally the wettest months. Sunshine is
abundant during all seasons, with nearly 2,650 hours, or 60.3% of the
possible total, of bright sunshine per year.
[68]
Summers in Austin are very hot. Average July and August highs
frequently reach the high-90s °F (34–36 °C), and triple digits are
common. Highs reach 90 °F (32 °C) on 116 days per year, and 100 °F
(38 °C) on 18 days per year.
[69] The highest ever recorded temperature was 112 °F (44 °C) occurring on September 5, 2000, and August 28, 2011.
[70][71][72]
Summer humidity is inconsistent and is highly dependent on the shifting
patterns of air flow and wind direction. Humidity rises when the air
drifts inland from the
Gulf of Mexico, but decreases significantly when the air is channeled through the
Chihuahuan Desert of
West Texas.
[69]
Winters in Austin are mild. Daytime highs in December and January
average 63 °F (17 °C) and 62 °F (17 °C), respectively, and the overnight
low reaches or exceeds freezing only 19 times per year.
[69]
The temperature falls below 45 °F (7 °C) during 88 evenings per year,
including most nights between mid-December and mid-February. The lowest
ever recorded temperature was −2 °F (−19 °C) on January 31, 1949.
[73] Roughly every two years Austin experiences an
ice storm that freezes roads over and cripples travel in the city for 24 to 48 hours.
[73] When Austin received 0.04 inches (1 mm) of ice on January 24, 2014, there were 278 vehicular collisions.
[74] Similarly, snowfall is exceptionally rare in Austin.
[75] A snow event of 0.9 inches (2 cm) on February 4, 2011, caused more than 300 car crashes.
[76] A 13-inch (33 cm) snowstorm brought the city to a near standstill in 1985.
[77]
2011 drought
The 2011 Texas drought dried up much of Central Texas water ways. This
boat was left to sit in the middle of what is normally a branch of
Lake Travis, part of the
Colorado River.
From October 2010 through September 2011, both major reporting
stations in Austin, Camp Mabry and Bergstrom Int'l, had the least
rainfall of a
water year on record, receiving less than a third of normal precipitation.
[69] This was a result of
La Niña
conditions in the eastern Pacific Ocean where water was significantly
cooler than normal. David Brown, a regional official with the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has explained that "these kinds
of droughts will have effects that are even more extreme in the future,
given a warming and drying regional climate."
[81]
Demographics
| Historical population |
| Census |
Pop. |
|
%± |
| 1850 |
629 |
|
— |
| 1860 |
3,494 |
|
455.5% |
| 1870 |
4,428 |
|
26.7% |
| 1880 |
11,013 |
|
148.7% |
| 1890 |
14,575 |
|
32.3% |
| 1900 |
22,258 |
|
52.7% |
| 1910 |
29,860 |
|
34.2% |
| 1920 |
34,876 |
|
16.8% |
| 1930 |
53,120 |
|
52.3% |
| 1940 |
87,930 |
|
65.5% |
| 1950 |
132,459 |
|
50.6% |
| 1960 |
186,545 |
|
40.8% |
| 1970 |
253,539 |
|
35.9% |
| 1980 |
345,890 |
|
36.4% |
| 1990 |
465,622 |
|
34.6% |
| 2000 |
656,562 |
|
41.0% |
| 2010 |
790,390 |
|
20.4% |
| Est. 2015 |
931,830 |
[82] |
17.9% |
|
U.S. Decennial Census[83]
|
| White |
68.3% |
70.6% |
87.2% |
86.6% |
| —Non-Hispanic |
48.7% |
61.7% |
73.4%[85] |
n/a |
| Black or African American |
8.1% |
12.4% |
11.8% |
13.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) |
35.1% |
23.0% |
14.5%[85] |
n/a |
| Asian |
6.3% |
3.0% |
0.2% |
0.1% |
According to the
2010 United States Census,
[86] the racial composition of Austin is:
Austin's racial and ethnic geography - Red is Non-Hispanic White, Blue
is African-American, Green is Asian-American, Orange is Hispanic/Latino,
Gray is Other. Each dot represents 25 people.
At the
2000 United States Census,
[2]
there were 656,562 people, 265,649 households, and 141,590 families
residing in the city (roughly comparable in size to San Francisco,
Leeds, UK; and
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada). The population density was 2,610.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,007.9/km
2). There were 276,842 housing units at an average density of 1,100.7 per square mile (425.0/km
2).
There were 265,648 households out of which 26.8% had children under the
age of 18 living with them, 38.1% were married couples living together,
10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.7% were
non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and
4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The
average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city, the population was spread out with 22.5% under the age
of 18, 16.6% from 18 to 24, 37.1% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64,
and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years.
For every 100 females there were 105.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was
US$42,689,
and the median income for a family was $54,091. Males had a median
income of $35,545 vs. $30,046 for females. The per capita income for the
city was $24,163. About 9.1% of families and 14.4% of the population
were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and
8.7% of those age 65 or over. The median house price was $185,906 in
2009, and it has increased every year since 2004.
[needs update][87]
The median value of a house in which the owner occupies it was $227,800
in 2014, which is higher than the average American home value of
$175,700.
[Census]
A 2014 University of Texas study stated that Austin was the only U.S.
city with a fast growth rate between 2000 and 2010 with a net loss in
African-Americans. As of 2014, Austin's African-American and
Non-Hispanic White
share of the total population is declining despite the absolute number
of both ethnic groups increasing. Austin's Non-Hispanic White population
first dropped below 50% in 2005. The rapid growth of the Hispanic and
Asian population has outpaced all other ethnic groups in the city.
[88][89]
According to one survey completed in 2014, it is estimated that at least 5.3% (48,000+) of Austin's residents identify as
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender.
[90] Austin had the third highest rate in the nation.
[91]
