Just a 40-minute drive from
Austin, San Marcos offers all of the amenities of a college town without the crowds. Established in 1851, this small town has grown quite a bit to accommodate all of the newcomers. In 2001 they celebrated the city’s 150th birthday with all kinds of commemorations, special events and publications throughout the year. They continue to grow as the college expands and people move in and make San Marcos their new home.
Texas State University (previously known as Southwest Texas State) has grown to be the fifth largest university in Texas and brings in a large portion of the 20-something-year-old population. The 38,000 students making up the 10 colleges and 50 departments help keep the town lively, despite the small town feel it achieves with the downtown square.
The region is also nearby popular natural attractions like Canyon Lake, Jacob’s Well and the San Marcos River, just to name a few. Locals love to float down the scenic river in tubes for hours during the spring and summer months. This river stems from the Edwards Aquifer through 200 spring openings from Spring Lake. It’s not only great for tubing but canoeing, swimming and riding a glass bottom boat, too! You can check out the springs at the Meadows Center and you might even encounter one of eight endangered species along the way. The Edwards Aquifer Conservation Plan protects the endangered and threatened aquatic species in addition to providing needs for agriculture and industry for the surrounding cities.
Enjoy shopping at one of the largest malls in the state, the San Marcos Premium Outlets. This shopping mecca hosts some of the most popular name brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, Armani Exchange, Bose, Calvin Klein, Fossil, Gucci and Nike along with a food court to satiate your hunger.
School-age children attend San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District across Hays County. They aim to have all students perform at or above grade level, establish a rigorous academic culture, hold high expectations for performance, eliminate achievement gaps and create meaningful partnerships within the San Marcos community.
