Austin was Founded: 1839

Austin SMA population: 1.15 million

Total Texas population: 20 million

Total Austin metro area: 4,226 sq. miles

Elevation: 425 to 1,000 feet above sea level

Average temperature: 70º F (about 300 days of sunshine per year)

Forbes Magazine ranks Austin number one as a place to do business and advance a career. Fortune ranks Austin number three on its list of Best Cities for Business in North America.

Between 500 and 600 high-tech firms operate in Austin, from IBM and AMD to the latest startups. And 44 percent of Austin households (twice the national figure)­ have a personal computer.

You don't have to be smart to live here, but it helps. St. Stephen's is recognized as the top prep school in a city with a national reputation for educational excellence. Austin has been touted by Fortune as one of the country's top five intellectual capitals. The city has one of the highest books sales per household ratios in the nation.

The Austin American Statesman
http://www.statesman.com

Austin, Texas .org
http://www.austintexas.org

www.austin360.com
http://www.austin360.com

The Austin Chronicle
http://www.auschron.com