Hillsboro is a city in and the county seat of Hill County, Texas, United States. It is located between

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

Fort Worth Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...

and Waco, directly on

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 North Central Texas. Hillsboro draws trade from throughout the county, and from Interstate 35 travelers between Dallas, Fort Worth, and Waco. Hillsboro is the gateway to Lake Whitney, Lake Whitney State Park, and nearby Lake Aquilla - all within a 15 minute drive from Hillsboro, Texas.

History

In 1853, the Texas Legislature carved Hill County out of Navarro County. Named for physician and Republic of Texas Secretary of War Dr. George Washington Hill, the new county had only recently attracted Anglo settlement, following the establishment in 1848 of Fort Graham. County commissioners selected Hillsboro, originally spelled Hillsborough, as county seat. They established the town on land donated by Thomas Steiner, John Caruthers and Jonathan Newby, and the community soon had a school and post office, as well as a wood-frame courthouse. Cotton became the mainstay of Hillsboro’s late 19th-century economy. The city experienced rapid growth after the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad and other lines came to the town in the early 1880s. In addition to bringing new settlers and giving access to shipping and transportation, railroads provided many new jobs. The city continued to grow and incorporated in 1881. The cotton industry produced a building boom between 1890 and 1910, as evidenced by the numerous Queen Anne homes still intact today, as well as the noted 1890 Hill County Courthouse. In 1923, the community established the Hillsboro Junior College, which over the years has become Hill College.

Education

The city of Hillsboro is served by the Hillsboro Independent School District. Hill College, located in Hillsboro, provides educational programs to enrolled students, the community, local workforce and area businesses and adult learners. Hillsboro has private Christian academies and home school groups, in addition to the school district and college.

Media

Locally, Hillsboro is served by KHBR Radio - 1560 AM and ''The Reporter'' newspaper. Hillsboro is also served by the Waco/ Killeen/

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

TV market and the Waco radio market. Additionally, most radio stations from the

Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, officially designated Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States, ...

can be heard in Hillsboro.

Culture

Hillsboro is a rural city located directly on Interstate 35 between Dallas-Fort Worth and Waco. Hillsboro's location offers residents and business significant advantages, and as the seat of Hill County attracts trade from a 30+ mile radius of county cities, and a significant portion Interstate travelers. With an active and close knit community, Hillsboro's culture includes numerous events and programs continuously through the year for both residents and visitors. Large annual events in Hillsboro include: * January - Hill County Fair/Livestock Show * February - Fire & Ice Dinner at the Rusted Chandelier * March - Hill College Rodeo * April - Starlight Bar Night in downtown Hillsboro * May - Churrofest Annual Festival with Concerts & Margarita Walk * May to October - The Hillsboro Farmers Market at the Courthouse Square * May, June, Sept, Oct - Free Saturday Night Summer Concert Series, Weekly from 8 to 11 pm * June - The Bond's Alley Art Festival * July - 4th of July Late Bloomers Parade in the Historic Residential District * October - Autumnfest Annual Festival * December - Christmas Under the Stars Parade & Tree Lighting

Geography

Hillsboro is located near the geographic center of Hill County.

passes through the eastern side of the city, with access from Exits 364 through 370. The I-35E/I-35W split is just north of the city limits. Hillsboro is south of

, southwest of

, and north of Waco. Texas State Highway 22 runs through the center of Hillsboro on West Elm Street, South Waco Street, and Corsicana Highway. It leads west to Lake Whitney and east to Corsicana. Texas State Highway 171 passes through Hillsboro with Highway 22, but leads northwest to Cleburne and southeast to Hubbard.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,221 people, 2,925 households, and 2,024 families residing in the boundaries of Hillsboro Texas, however the population is thought to be far greater than the census numbers for the city reflect.

National Register of Historic Places

* Farmers National Bank 68 W. Elm St. * Gebhardt Bakery 119 E. Franklin St. * Grimes Garage 110 N. Waco St. * Grimes House Country Club Rd. and Corporation St. * Hill County Courthouse Courthouse Sq. * Hill County Jail N. Waco St. * Hillsboro Cotton Mills 220 N. Houston St. * Hillsboro Residential Historic District Roughly bounded by Country Club Rd., Thompson, Corsicana, Pleasant, Franklin, and Elm Streets. * McKenzie Site Address Restricted * Missouri-Kansas-Texas Company Railroad Station Covington St. * Old Rock Saloon 58 W. Elm St. * Sturgis National Bank S. Waco and W. Elm Sts. * Tarleton Building 110 E. Franklin St. * U.S. Post Office 118 S. Waco St. * Western Union Building 107 S. Covington St.

Notable people

* Jerry Allison, drummer for The Crickets * Madge Bellamy, film actress of the 1920s and '30s, best known for the horror classic ''White Zombie'' * Bob Bullock, former Texas lieutenant governor,

comptroller A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accountancy, accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior- ...

, secretary of state, and state representative * Richard H. Carmichael, United States Army general * Vara Martin Daniel - American educator and First Lady of Guam. * Troy Dungan, WFAA-TV chief weather forecaster * Roger Edens, Hollywood producer, composer, and vocal arranger * Mike Harris, basketball player * Rafer Johnson, the 1960 Olympic

decathlon The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of 10 track and field events. The word "decathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "pentathlon", from Greek δέκα (''déka'', meaning "ten") and ἄθλος (''áthlos'', or ἄ ...

gold medalist * Bob Johnston, record producer, songwriter, and musician * Maggie Jones, blues singer and pianist * Crawford Martin, former Attorney General of Texas, Texas Secretary of State, Texas State Senator, and mayor of Hillsboro * Dr. J. Vernon McGee, Theologian, Bible teacher, pastor, radio broadcaster * Billy Patterson, former NFL football player * Mary Ellen Rudin, American mathematician; professor Emerita at the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

. * Drew Nellins Smith, author * Derel Walker, CFL football player

Gallery

File:+ Hill County Courthouse Best.jpg, alt=Hill County Courthouse in Hillsboro, night view through the side alley, 2023 File:Hill County Courthouse - Willie Mural and Dinosaur Museum - Hillsboro, Texas.jpg File:April 8th 2024 Eclipse watching in downtown Hillsboro.jpg File:Brin House Hillsboro Wiki (1 of 1).jpg File:Hillsboro City Park Bridge.jpg File:Brin House Hillsboro Wiki (1 of 1).jpg File:Event Venue Hillsboro, Texas - The Rusted Chandelier.jpg File:Hillsboro, Texas Courthouse and Willie Nelson Mural.jpg File:The YARD - Hillsboro, Texas outdoor concerts.jpg File:Autumnfest Celebration Hillsboro, Texas.jpg File:City Park Hillsboro Texas.jpg, City Park in Hillsboro, Texas File:Venue - The Rusted Chandelier 2.jpg File:Venue - The Eagle Historic Warehouse.jpg File:Scenes - The Red Chair at the Chamber (1).jpg File:Museum - Texas Through Time Museum 3.jpg File:Autumnfest Festival in Hillsboro, Texas.jpg File:Retail - Finished Seams Boutique (1).jpg File:Venue - The Eagle Historic Warehouse 2.jpg

References

External links

City of Hillsboro official website

Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce
* https://www.explorehillsborotexas.com/ * https://www.hillsboromainstreet.org/
Hillsboro Economic Development Website - Hillsboro, Texas
{{authority control Cities in Hill County, Texas Cities in Texas County seats in Texas