Cedar Park is a city in Williamson County in the State of Texas. A small portion of the city extends into neighboring Travis County. According to the 2013 Census Estimate, the population is 61,238. The city is a major suburb of Austin, the center of which is approximately 16 miles (26 km) to the southeast.
Cedar Park 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.
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, locals, being both hard to spell and pronounce, generally disliked the name. 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. 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
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 Wal-Mart opened. Additional large retailers now include Super Target, multiple HEB grocery stores, Academy Sports and Outdoors, and Costco. 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.
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.
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.
Cedar Park is home to two top-level minor league professional teams. The Texas Stars began American Hockey League play in October 2009 at the Cedar Park Center. The arena is also home to the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League.
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.