Lago Vista, Texas

Lago Vista is on the north shore of Lake Travis, just under 20 miles (32 km) northwest of downtown Austin, Texas.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.52 sq mi (40.2 km²) of which 14.6 sq mi (38 km²) is land and 0.6 sq mi (1.6 km²) (3.95%) is water. The peninsular city has an elevation of 774 feet (236 m) above sea level.

Lago Vista's location within Travis County falls near the Balcones Fault, the boundary between the Edwards Plateau to the west and the Texas Coastal Plain to the east. The western part of the county where the city is located is characterized by the karst topography of the Texas Hill Country. The Colorado River meanders through Travis County from west to east, running adjacent to Lago Vista before continuing on towards downtown Austin.

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 4,507 people, 1,944 households, and 1,364 families residing in the city. The population density was 517.3 people per square mile (199.8/km²). There were 2,155 housing units at an average density of 247.4/sq mi (95.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.01% White, 0.84% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 2.44% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.88% of the population.

There were 1,944 households, out of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.6% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.73.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $79,658, and the median income for a family was $72,114. Males had a median income of $56,550 versus $44,929 for females. The per capita income for the city was $75,438. About 2.1% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 1.1% of those age 65 or over.

Lago Vista was incorporated in 1984 with a council-manager system of local government. The seven members serve two-year terms. The mayor and council members one, three, and five are elected in odd years. Members two, four, and six are elected in even years. Tracie Hlavinka is the current city manager.[6] The immediate past City Manager, Josh Ray, resigned in January 2020.

Lago Vista is served by the Lago Vista Independent School District. Schools in this school district include Lago Vista Elementary School, Lago Vista Intermediate School, Lago Vista Middle School, and Lago Vista High School. The district serves all of Lago Vista, Point Venture, as well as part of nearby Jonestown, Texas.

FM 1431 is the main artery road providing access into Lago Vista. FM 1431 is an east–west route connecting Marble Falls (30 mi (48 km) west) and Cedar Park (11 mi (18 km) east). In Cedar Park, the roadway intersects with toll road 183A which provides access into neighboring Austin and Leander. Continuing past Cedar Park, the road heads east into Round Rock, Texas, where it reaches its eastern terminus at Interstate 35's Exit #256.

The CapMetro Transportation Authority is a transportation provider based in Austin, Texas that operates local bus services between Lago Vista and varying transfer points across the greater Austin area. Route 214 operates between Lago Vista and Lakeline Station in northwestern Austin (local fares apply). Capital Metro also offers an on-demand public transportation rideshare service in Lago Vista called Pickup powered by Via.

Rusty Allen Airport (RYW) is a municipal single runway airport on the northern edge of the city. The area is also served by Austin–Bergstrom International Airport located in neighboring Austin, Texas. In September 2005, Rusty Allen Airport served as a center of operations for relief flights for victims of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi. Small planes from across the United States and Mexico landed at the airport to pick up essential supplies, which were directed to outlying communities not initially being served by government agency relief efforts. Lago Vista was the only General Aviation Center (GAC) airport in the country to support such flights.

Snap Original Docuseries, 'Lago Vista', filmed in Lago Vista, Texas

Lago Vista has experienced tremendous population and economic growth as a result of the ongoing increase in net in-migration into Travis County and the Greater Austin metropolitan statistical area. The region is considered a major center for high tech and is host to hundreds of offices and headquarters for technology companies. Additionally, Lago Vista is officially recognized by the Texas Film Commission as a certified city under the commission's Film Friendly Texas (FFTX) program. The city has been host to numerous film projects for movies and television shows. Lago Vista's filmography includes: Fear the Walking Dead, Pool Kings, The 5 Year, Vacation Home Equation, House Hunters International, Hot Air, Tryst of Fate, and God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen. Recently, the city served as the backdrop for a recent Snap Original docuseries entitled 'Lago Vista' which followed 7 Lago Vistan teenagers as they navigated life in the Texas Hill Country city.

Locally, major employers in the area include:

• Lago Vista Independent School District
• City of Lago Vista
• Lantz's Lakeside Plumbing
• Specialty Machine
• Lowe's Market
• Vistago Print
• Specialty Risk Management
• Sonic Drive-In
• Lago Vista Property Owners' Association
• Anodamine
• Lago Vista Animal Clinic
• Starbucks
• CVS

An arrest made in 1997 by a Lago Vista Police Department officer was at the center of a 2001 Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decision, Atwater v City of Lago Vista, which held that a person's Fourth Amendment rights are not violated when the subject is arrested for driving without a seatbelt. The court ruled that such an arrest for a misdemeanor that is punishable only by a fine does not constitute an unreasonable seizure under the Fourth Amendment.

• March: La Primavera Bike Race
• March: Lago Vista Players[10]
• April: Hill Country Singers[11]
• April: Balcones Songbird Festival[12]
• April/May: LAGO FEST Texas[13]
• July: Fourth of July Parade and Fireworks[14]
• October: National Night Out and Trunk-or-Treat[15]
• November: Hill Country Singers[11]
• First Monday in December: Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration and Trail of Lights[16]

• Lago Vista, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Lago Vista Area Chamber of Commerce
• City of Lago Vista
• Lago Vista Public Library
• Rusty Allen Airport (RYW)
• Travis County Emergency Service District #1 County Fire/Ambulance
• Travis County Commissioner Precinct Three, Ann Howard
• Capitol Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG)