Burnet ( ) is a city in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Burnet County, Texas, United States.
Its population was 6,436 at the
2020 census.
Both the city and the county were named for
David Gouverneur Burnet, the first (provisional) president of the
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas (), or simply Texas, was a country in North America that existed for close to 10 years, from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846. Texas shared borders with Centralist Republic of Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande, an ...
. He also served as vice president during the administration of
Mirabeau B. Lamar.
Geography
Burnet is located one mile west of the divide between the
Brazos and
Colorado River
The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...
watersheds near the center of Burnet County. It is northwest of the state capital,
Austin
Austin refers to:
Common meanings
* Austin, Texas, United States, a city
* Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters
* Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...
—roughly a 60- to 90-minute drive via
U.S. Highway 183 and
State Highway 29. It is west of
Georgetown and
Interstate Highway 35 via State Highway 29, and north of
San Antonio
San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...
on
U.S. Highway 281.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, Burnet has a total area of , of which , or 0.32%, is covered by water.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
, Burnet has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
, ''Cfa'' on climate maps.
Some temperatures at or above have been observed in every month of the year.
History
In December 1847, a company of the
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, also known as the Texas Rangers and nicknamed the , is an State bureau of investigation, investigative law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in the U.S. state of Texas, based in the capital city Austin, Te ...
commanded by
Henry E. McCulloch established a station at the site of present-day Burnet for the protection of frontier settlers from Indian raids. In March 1849, the station was chosen as a federal fort and named
Fort Croghan.
A town was founded next to Fort Croghan in 1852, when Burnet County was established. The town was originally named Hamilton after John Hamilton, who owned a
league and
labor
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
of land nearby. In August 1852, a post office was established in Hamilton and named Burnet Courthouse. In 1857, 35 residents of the town petitioned the state legislature to change the name of the town to Burnet since another town in Texas was named
Hamilton
Hamilton may refer to:
* Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
* ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda
** ''Hamilton'' (al ...
; the name was changed in 1858. Major growth occurred with the arrival of the
Austin and Northwestern Railroad in April 1882, when Burnet became the railhead for the area to the west. After the railroad was extended to
Llano in 1892, Burnet declined as a supply point and became a farming and livestock center. The City of Burnet was incorporated in 1883.
The ''Burnet Bulletin'' newspaper has served the community since 1873 and is the official paper of record for the city and Burnet County.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census, 6,436 people, 2,142 households, and 1,363 families resided in the city. The population density was . The 1,813 housing units had an average density of 265.4/sq mi (102.5/km
2). Of the 1,661 households, 31.7% had children under 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were not families. About 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.46, and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city, the age distribution of the population was 23.9% under 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 37 years.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,093, and for a family was $37,604. Males had a median income of $25,663 versus $17,163 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $13,749. About 11.8% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 18.1% of those under 18 and 15.2% of those 65 or over.
Economy
Major employers in Burnet include the
Burnet Consolidated Independent School District (285 employees), Entegris
anufacturer of materials for semiconductor and flat panel industry(180),
Burnet County government (140), Seton Highland Lakes Hospital (120), Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice substance abuse facility (120), City of Burnet government (120), H.E.B. grocery store (100), Sure Cast (92), Hoover Companies (90), Southwestern Graphite Co. (45), Whataburger (40), Bilbrough Marble Co. (25), Lone Star Industries (25), and Dash Covers, Inc. (25).
Education
Burnet is served by
Burnet Consolidated Independent School District and home to the
Burnet High School Bulldogs.
Located outside of Burnet is a
summer camp
A summer camp, also known as a sleepaway camp or residential camp, is a supervised overnight program for children conducted during the summer vacation from school in many countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer residential camps ...
called Camp Longhorn that has three branches (Inks Lake, Indian Springs, and C3).
Transportation
Burnet is served by two primary highways:
*
U.S. Highway 281 – a north–south route connecting Burnet with the towns of
Lampasas
Lampasas ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lampasas County, Texas, United States. Its population was 7,291 at the 2020 census.
Lampasas is part of the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood metropolitan statistical area.
History
For his ...
(22 mi north) and
Marble Falls (13 mi south).
San Antonio
San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...
is 100 miles south.
*
State Highway 29 – an east–west route connecting Burnet with
Llano (30 mi west) and
Georgetown (36 mi east). State Highway 29 intersects with
Interstate 35
Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican bo ...
in Georgetown.
Rail service is provided by the ''Hill Country Flyer'' steam train from
Cedar Park. The ''Hill Country Flyer'' is operated every Saturday in January and February, most Saturdays and Sundays March–May, and most Saturdays in October and November.
Burnet Municipal Airport, also known as Kate Craddock Field (ICAO Code KBMQ), is a general-aviation airport located about a mile south of State Highway 29 on U.S. Highway 281. It has a lighted runway with a full-length taxiway, which can accommodate aircraft with up to per wheel. The airport is home to the Highland Lakes Squadron of the
Commemorative Air Force
The Commemorative Air Force (CAF), formerly known as the Confederate Air Force, is an American non-profit organization based in Dallas, Texas, that preserves and shows historical aircraft at Air show, airshows, primarily in the U.S. and Canada.
...
.
Tourist attractions
Attractions in the Burnet area include the Highland Lakes,
Longhorn Cavern,
Inks Lake State Park, the Historic Burnet Square, the Highland Lakes Air Museum
Hill Country Motorheads Vintage Motorcycle MuseumFort Croghan Museum and Grounds
the Vanishing Texas River Cruise, Hamilton Creek Park, Spider Mountain Bike Park, Galloway Hammond Recreation Center, Delaware Springs Golf Course, and the Austin Steam Train Association's ''Hill Country Flyer''.
The Historic Square features buildings from as early as the 1880s, which offer a variety of unique shops and eateries.
Notable people
*
Doak Field, a professional American football player
*
Stephen McGee, football player for
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...
and the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
*
Andrew Moses, a native of Burnet, was a career officer in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
*
Jordan Shipley, wide receiver of
The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 students as of fall 2 ...
and the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
*
Logan Vandeveer was a Texas soldier, ranger, cattleman, and civic leader.
Gallery
File:Clock at Burnet County, TX, Courthouse IMG_1986.JPG, Clock at Burnet County Courthouse
Image:First State Bank of Burnet, TX IMG 1996.JPG, First State Bank of Burnet
Image:Downtown Burnet, TX IMG 1997.JPG, Businesses in downtown Burnet.
Image:Burnet Chamber of Commerce office, Burnet, TX IMG 1988.JPG, The Burnet Chamber of Commerce office is located downtown across from the courthouse.
Image:First Baptist Church, Burnet, TX IMG 1994.JPG, First Baptist
Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
Church in Burnet
Image:Hamilton Creek Park in Burnet, TX IMG 2001.JPG, Hamilton Creek Park off U.S. Route 281 in Burnet
References
External links
*
*
Burnet Chamber of Commerce*
''Burnet Bulletin'' newspaper
{{authority control
Cities in Texas
Cities in Burnet County, Texas
County seats in Texas
Populated places established in 1852
1852 establishments in Texas