Pflugerville, Texas
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Pflugerville ( ) is a city in
Travis County, Texas Travis County is located in Central Texas. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 1,290,188. It is the List of counties in Texas, fifth-most populous county in Texas. Its county seat and most populous city is Austi ...
, United States, with a small portion in Williamson County. The population was 65,191 at the 2020 census. Pflugerville is a suburb of
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 ...
and part of the Austin–Round Rock– Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was named after the original German settlers who farmed the area starting in 1849. The city was first incorporated in July 1965. The vast majority of the city lies within Travis County, but small parts of it extend into Williamson County.


History


Pfluger homestead

The area was initially settled by German immigrant Henry Pfluger Sr. (1803–1867) and members of his family from late 1849 into early 1850. Pfluger had been a wealthy farmer in Germany, but lost all of his property during the
revolutions of 1848 The revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the springtime of the peoples or the springtime of nations, were a series of revolutions throughout Europe over the course of more than one year, from 1848 to 1849. It remains the most widespre ...
. He arrived in the country with $1,600 and purchased of land east of Austin from John Liese, a brother-in-law who had immigrated before him. In 1853, Pfluger paid Liese $960 for a tract of land in an area known as Brushy Knob. There, the family lived in a five-room log cabin and raised corn, wheat, rye, beans, sweet potatoes, and sugar cane. The Pfluger family also owned several slaves, some of whom were fluent in German.


Community development

The beginnings of a community did not develop until after the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
. During the 1870s, a school and Lutheran church were established at the settlement. The first commercial business in the community was a general store built by Louis Bohls in 1890. Two local organizations, the German-American Mutual Assistance Foundation, to insure residents against natural disasters; and "Pflugerville Schuetzen und Kegel Verein," a shooting and bowling club, were started. Pflugerville's post office opened in 1893, with Louis Bohls serving as its first postmaster. The population reached approximately 250 during the mid-1890s, and a small downtown developed, although most residents did their banking and shipping in Round Rock, to the northwest. Wooden buildings were erected on Main Street and Pecan Street, many by Conrad Pfluger, one of Henry Pfluger Sr.'s eight sons. In 1904, the
Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad was a Class I railroad company in the United States, with its last headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Established in 1865 under the name Union Pacific Railroad (UP), Southern Branch, it came to serve an exten ...
(MKT) completed its track between Georgetown and Austin, passing just outside Pflugerville. Its close proximity to the line caused the community to grow rapidly. On February 19, 1904, the town site of Pflugerville was platted by George Pfluger and his son, Albert, dedicating streets and alleys for the town from the Alexander Walter and C. S. Parrish Surveys in Travis County. The plat consisted of sixteen blocks, rights-of-way, and the depot grounds to the MKT. The first addition to the town was the six-block Wuthrich Addition, platted on November 22, 1904. The first cotton gin was built by Otto Pfluger in 1904. It was destroyed by fire in 1931 and a new one was built at the same location. On June 8, 1906, the Farmers State Bank of Pflugerville opened with William Pfluger as its president and A.W. Pfluger as cashier. The first issues of the ''Pflugerville Press'', a weekly newspaper, began publishing on August 7, 1907, and operated through October 29, 1942. In 1910, black workers who worked in the Pflugerville cotton industry were not allowed to move into the town. Farmer La Rue Norton, who owned of land west of Pflugerville, set aside an acre and sold lots to the workers at $50 each. County records listed the settlement as Pflugerville's Colored Addition in April 1910. The first German Day celebration in Pflugerville took place on May 29, 1910. In 1913, H.S. Pfluger built the Sky Dome Theater, which showed motion pictures to the accompaniment of a player piano on Friday and Saturday nights. It closed in 1928. In the early 1920s, Pflugerville was home to an estimated 500 residents. During that period, several area school districts consolidated with Pflugerville High School.


1930 to 1964

Around 580 people lived in the community in 1930. The arrival of the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
halted what had been a lengthy period of growth in Pflugerville. The population fell slightly to 500 in 1940. In the years immediately after
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the community lost around a quarter of its population as citizens moved to Austin and other larger cities with greater employment opportunities. Despite the challenges of population loss and limited economic development, Pflugerville managed to survive. The community gained national attention when the Pflugerville Panthers won 55 consecutive football games from 1958 to 1962.


Incorporation and growth

Efforts to incorporate Pflugerville culminated in an election on July 24, 1965. A total of 102 votes were cast, with 60 (58.8%) supporting the proposition and 42 (41.2%) opposed. The town was incorporated under a commission form of government. On April 4, 1970, an election was held that changed the form of government from commissioner to aldermanic, providing for an elected mayor and five aldermen. Pflugerville's population began to rebound after its incorporation, and by the 1970 census, it stood at 549. That figure had risen to 745 by 1980. A weekly newspaper, the ''Pflugerville Pflag,'' began publication in 1980. During most of the 1980s, new development made Pflugerville one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas. Estimates from the late 1980s were as high as 3,900. Although a statewide recession slowed the boom, Pflugerville's population grew to 4,444 in 1990.


1990 to 2000s

Throughout the 1990s, the city of Austin experienced a rapid rise in its population. This was also the case in suburban areas surrounding the city. Pflugerville more than doubled in size by the next census in 2000. Since then, Pflugerville has grown by approximately 20,000, with the total number of residents approaching 40,000 as of 2008. The 2010 Census placed Pflugerville's population at 46,936, but with annexations since the 2010 census, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates it to be 59,245 as of July 1, 2016. According to data from 2000, 2010, and 2017 population estimates compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau, Pflugerville has the largest percentage black population out of all suburban cities in the Austin metro. Pflugerville elected its first Hispanic Mayor, Victor Gonzales, in 2016.


2000 to 2023

As of 2021, the population of Pflugerville continues to grow rapidly, reaching a total of 66,884.


Geography

Pflugerville is northeast of downtown
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 ...
along FM 1825 (Pecan Street) in northern Travis County. It is northeast of the
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 ...
. According to the 2010
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 ...
, the city has a total land area of 22.32 square miles. It has 40.39 square miles in the extraterritorial jurisdiction. The city has one body of water, Lake Pflugerville, created in 2005 to serve as a water reservoir and recreation area, and two creeks, Gilleland Creek and Wilbarger Creek. A local school group, Wilbarger Water Watchers, in association with the LCRA, monitors the waters of Wilbarger Creek to ensure it meets the
United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it began operation on De ...
's national standard.


Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 65,191 people, 22,210 households, and 16,615 families residing in the city.


2010 Census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 46,936 people, 15,789 households, and 12,260 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 16,418 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 64.1%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 15.5%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.6% Native American, 7.4% Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 8.6% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino people of any race were 27.7% of the population. There were 15,789 households, out of which 45.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.4% were non-families. Of all households 17.0% were made up of individuals, and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.35. In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.6% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 6.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2008-2012 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, the median income for a household in the city was $75,119, and the median income for a family was $84,449. Males had a median income of $53,670 versus $46,451 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 $29,995. About 6.6% of families and 9.0% 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 12.5% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.


2000 Census

By comparison, the census of 2000 reported 16,335 people, 5,146 households, and 4,425 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,239 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 77.18% White, 9.46% African American, 0.24% Native American, 4.31% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 5.99% from other races, and 2.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 16.69% of the population. There were 5,146 households, out of which 56.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.4% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.0% were non-families. Of all households 10.1% were made up of individuals, and 1.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.15 and the average family size was 3.39. In the city, the population was spread out, with 34.6% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 38.8% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 3.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $71,985, and the median income for a family was $73,629. Males had a median income of $49,989 versus $32,188 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,226. About 1.7% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.


Economy and transportation

In response to a recent influx of higher sales tax revenue, the City Council lowered the property tax rate annually from 2003 to 2014. In 2015 an increase in the property tax rate was announced for the first time in more than a decade, to pay for $53 million in transportation and park bond projects approved by voters in a 2014 bond election. While a mile-long stretch of
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 ...
is often said by local media and residents to be in Pflugerville, the city of
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 ...
actually controls this land, either as part of the city or through its
extraterritorial jurisdiction Extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) is the legal ability of a government to exercise authority beyond its normal boundaries. Any authority can claim ETJ over any external territory they wish. However, for the claim to be effective in the external ...
. In November 2006, the first parts of a central Texas tollway system opened, including State Highway 130 and State Highway 45, increasing accessibility to Pflugerville. Approximately three miles of 130 run through Pflugerville, including the intersection of 45 and 130. One such development, Stone Hill Town Center, has opened, and includes retailers, a movie theater and a St. David's HealthCare 24-hour emergency care facility.2009 Annual Regional Report
, accessed January 25, 2009
NewQuest Properties Property Lines, Fall 2009
, accessed November 2, 2009

accessed June 9, 2011
St. David's HealthCare To Open Freestanding Emergency Department in Pflugerville, September 8, 2010
, accessed June 9, 2011
With its close proximity to the Austin Executive Airport and SH 130, the connectivity of the area is attracting businesses and bringing jobs to Pflugerville. Before the Stone Hill development and the nearby Pfluger Crossing (a development that includes a Walmart Supercenter) opened their first stores in 2007, the city's two largest retailers were an
Albertsons Albertsons Companies, Inc. is an American grocery company founded and headquartered in Boise, Idaho. With 2,253 stores as of the third quarter of fiscal year 2020 and 270,000 employees as of fiscal year 2019, the company is the second-large ...
grocery store (which operated from 1996 to 2006) near Pflugerville High School and an
H-E-B H-E-B Grocery Company, LP, is an American privately held company, privately held supermarket chain based in San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, with more than 435 stores throughout Texas and Mexico. The company also operates Central Market (Texas) ...
grocery store (operating since 2000) east of downtown.


Pflugerville Community Development Corporation

The Pflugerville Community Development Corporation (PCDC) has overseen economic development for the city since late 2009 as a Texas 4B Economic Development Corporation that collects a one-half cent sales tax on taxable goods purchased in the City of Pflugerville for the purpose of promoting economic development. The PCDC is a separate entity that reports to City Council. In 2010, RRE Austin Solar broke ground on what will be one of the nation's largest solar farms, the 60 MW Pflugerville Solar Farm, but as of July 2013 no significant construction had begun. PCDC has helped to develop the 130 Commerce Center, at the corner of State Highway 130 and Pecan (FM 1825), an office park with
FedEx FedEx Corporation, originally known as Federal Express Corporation, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate holding company specializing in Package delivery, transportation, e-commerce, and ...
, TrackingPoint, Community Impact Newspaper, and D-bats, as well as two hotels and a conference center anticipated in 2016. EOS and Medway Plastics are planned tenants. On August 6, 2013, the city agreed on a development deal with Harvest Family Entertainment to build the sixth and largest Hawaiian Falls water park just south of the intersection of State Highway 130 and State Highway 45 across from Stone Hill Town Center. The proposed $21 million endeavor would consist of a 15-acre water park along with a 5-acre adventure park that would become the largest water park in the company. Hawaiian Falls Pflugerville opened in June 2014. The operator of Hawaiian Falls water and adventure parks defaulted on the October 2015 payment for Hawaiian Falls Pflugerville, and requested a deferment. The operator caught up with payments by December 18, 2015, but again defaulted on lease payments beginning in September 2016. The city began negotiations with Typhoon Texas to take over the water park lease. In 2020,
Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...
began construction on a distribution center in Pflugerville. The distribution center has been reported to bring 1,000 full-time jobs and be one of the largest distribution centers in the state. In partnership, the City Council signed an agreement in which Amazon agrees to invest $250M and create 1,000 fulltime jobs and the Pflugerville Community Development Corporation will use money earmarked for economic development to make additional roadway and intersection improvements along FM 1825/Pecan St to support the project. Curative, Inc. opened a lab in Pflugerville in 2020 bringing hundreds of jobs. The company processes COVID-19 testing results.


Parks and recreation

There are 28 developed parks, over of trails, of parks and 528 acres of open space within Pflugerville's city limits. Many of the parks offer a full range of amenities from pavilions, gazebos and playgrounds to pools and picnic areas. Pfluger Park is along Gilleland Creek and is the site of the city's annual German festival, the Deutschen Pfest, held the third weekend in October. The park includes the Fallen Warrior Memorial, trails, a grove, playground, volleyball courts, basketball court, picnic areas and large shade trees. Pfluger Park is also used for music events and festivals. Lake Pflugerville is a reservoir built to provide the citizens of Pflugerville with drinking water. It is open for fishing, swimming, jogging, canoes, kayaks and wind surfing. Lake Pflugerville Park includes a three-mile walking/jogging trail, playground, boat launch, pavilion and beach area. The Northeast Metro Skate/BMX Park opened on September 18, 2012, near Pflugerville. The Northeast Metropolitan Park is a multiple-use recreational area with soccer fields, multi-use fields, baseball fields, a cricket field, basketball court, tennis court, and a skate park. Amenities include restrooms, playgrounds, group shelters, picnic tables with grills, concession building for rent, and a water play area. Hawaiian Falls opened a
water park A water park (also waterpark, water world, or aquapark) is an amusement park that features water play areas such as swimming pools, water slides, splash pads, water playgrounds, and lazy rivers, as well as areas for floating, bathing, swimming ...
and adventure park in Pflugerville on Memorial Day weekend, 2014. The water park is now known as Typhoon Texas. Typhoon Texas has celebrated more than 3 seasons in Pflugerville and recently opened a new restaurant, The Patio entertainment venue. In 2015, the city purchased a tract of land for a community park with a new sports complex and nature areas for $4.276 million. The first phase opened of 1849 Park with soccer fields for local league play and soccer fields. In 2023, the city announced itself as the Trail Capital of Texas and is working toward the official designation. Based on the Parks and Open Space Master Plan, the emerged theme was trails as a true amenity in the city.


Education

Public education in Pflugerville in the vast majority of the city is provided by the Pflugerville Independent School District (PfISD).
List
/ref> The district encompasses all or part of six municipalities, including Pflugerville, Austin, Coupland, Hutto, Manor and Round Rock. As of the 2017–2018 school year, PfISD has an enrollment of approximately 25,300 students and operates four high schools ( Pflugerville, Connally, Hendrickson, and Weiss), six middle schools, 20 elementary schools, and two alternative campuses. Small parts of Pflugerville lie within the Round Rock Independent School District and the Manor Independent School District.


Notable people

* Michael Johnson, a former American football safety who won a Super Bowl with the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
in 2008, attended Pflugerville High School where he played both football and basketball * Alex Okafor, an American football player for the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
of the National Football League, attended Pflugerville High School and in November 2020 announced a sponsorship with the PfISD education program * Samaje Perine, an American football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL), attended Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville * Eugene Lee Yang, Korean-American filmmaker, actor, and
internet celebrity An Internet celebrity, also referred to as an Internet personality, is an individual who has acquired or developed their fame and notability on the Internet. The growing popularity of social media provides a means for people to reach a large ...
, best known for his work with
BuzzFeed BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet mass media, media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John Seward Johnson III, John S. Johnson III to ...
(2013–2018) and The Try Guys (2018–2024)


In popular culture

* '' Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation'' was filmed at an abandoned farmhouse in Pflugerville. * Transformers: Age of Extinction had scenes filmed in one of Pflugerville's 100-year-old houses in 2013 *The BBQ scene in the comedy film
Office Space ''Office Space'' is a 1999 American satirical black comedy film written and directed by Mike Judge. It satirizes the office work life of a typical 1990s software company, focusing on a handful of individuals weary of their jobs. It stars Ron ...
was shot at a house in Pflugerville


Notes


External links


City of Pflugerville home page

Greater Pflugerville Chamber of Commerce (GPCC)
* {{authority control Cities in Greater Austin Cities in Texas Cities in Travis County, Texas Cities in Williamson County, Texas