City of San Marcos
—  City  —
Looking North toward Lake San Marcos
Nickname(s): SM, The Valley of Discovery
Location in San Diego County and the state of California
Coordinates: 33°8′31″N 117°10′13″W / 33.14194°N 117.17028°W / 33.14194; -117.17028Coordinates: 33°8′31″N 117°10′13″W / 33.14194°N 117.17028°W / 33.14194; -117.17028
Country	United States
State	California
County	San Diego
Founded
Incorporated	April 22, 1840
Area[1]
• Total	24.390 sq mi (63.169 km2)
• Land	24.370 sq mi (63.117 km2)
• Water	0.020 sq mi (0.053 km2)  0.08%
Population (2010)
• Total	83,781
• Density	3,400/sq mi (1,300/km2)
Time zone	PST (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP code	92069, 92078, 92079, 92096
Area code(s)	760, 442
FIPS code	06-68196
GNIS feature ID	1661388
Website	http://www.ci.san-marcos.ca.us/

San Marcos is a suburb of San Diego in the North County section of San Diego County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 83,781. Outside the San Diego region, it is best known as the home of California State University, San Marcos. The city is bordered by Escondido to the east, Encinitas to the Southwest, Carlsbad to the west, and Vista to the northwest.

History[link]

According to historical legends, the San Luis Rey Mission flocks were robbed by a small band of Indians in the late 18th century. Fleeing the Spanish troops, the Indians escaped to the hills. While pursuing the Indians, the Spaniards came upon a fertile valley in 1797 which was named Los Vallecitos de San Marcos (Little Valleys of Saint Mark) to honor the day of discovery: April 25, “St. Mark’s Day”. On April 22, 1840, Governor Juan B. Alvarado granted Rancho Vallecitos de San Marcos to his relative, Jose María Alvarado. Jose Alvarado was killed at the Pauma Massacre in 1846, and the land was left to his wife; she then sold the land to Lorenzo Soto. In the late 1850s, Soto sold part of his land to Cave Couts and his family was soon raising livestock. Although Cave Couts owned the land, Major Gustavus French Merriam from Topeka, Kansas made the first permanent settlement. Merriam homesteaded 160 acres (0.65 km²) in the north Twin Oaks Valley and began wine and honey production.

After Major Merriam’s settlement, German and Dutch immigrants began moving into the area in the early 1880s. Then in 1883 a few miles south of the settlement, John H. Barham founded the first town in the area. By 1884, the town of Barham had a post office, blacksmith, feed store and a weekly newspaper. In 1887 the San Marcos Land Company bought almost all of the San Marcos land formerly owned by the Couts family and promptly divided the land into tracts. Soon the beautiful hills began attracting home-seekers.

The original town of San Marcos was at the intersection of what is now Grand Avenue and Rancho Santa Fe Road. In 1887 the Santa Fe Railroad announced that it was going to lay tracks going through the valley, but to the disappointment of the citizens, the tracks were laid one mile (1.6 km) away from the center of the town. By 1896, San Marcos was a community with its own stores, post office, blacksmith and railroad depot. In 1903, the town appeared to be going downhill so the people of San Marcos picked up their homes and moved along the railroad tracks to what now are Mission Road and Pico Avenue. In 1905, the town had every convenience, including rural mail delivery and telephone service. The first school in the area, which had started in Barham in 1880, was moved in 1889 to San Marcos. Later that same year, the Richland School was built, being the second school in San Marcos. The main business in San Marcos in the 19th and early 20th centuries was farming. Then in the mid-20th century, dairies and poultry production became a big part of the business in the town.

San Marcos experienced a period of growth from 1956 onward, when the first water from the Colorado River arrived. Several small businesses were founded and the population rapidly increased to 2,500. San Marcos became an incorporated city on January 28, 1963. In the 1970s, San Marcos was flourishing as the third fastest-growing city in the state with a population of 17,479 by 1980. The population continued to boom over the next two decades, reaching 33,800 in 1990 and 82,743 in 2000.

Geography[link]

Lake San Marcos

San Marcos is located at 33°8′31″N 117°10′13″W / 33.14194°N 117.17028°W / 33.14194; -117.17028 (33.142077, -117.170233).^[2]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.4 square miles (63 km²). 24.4 square miles (63 km²) of it is land and 0.02 square miles (0.052 km²) of it (0.08%) is water.

Economy[link]

Top employers[link]

According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[3] the top employers in the city are:

Education[link]

San Marcos is quickly becoming known as the educational hub of San Diego North with its award-winning school district, Palomar Community College and California State University San Marcos. Easy commutes are also available to other nearby colleges/universities as well as several employee skills training opportunities.

San Marcos Unified School District[link]

San Marcos Unified School District is arguably one of the best school districts in San Diego County and even in the state of California. It is apparent, that students enrolled in SMUSD schools tend to score higher on California State Tests than their peers. The similar schools ranking of the CA API scores is the best indicator of how students perform when compared to other schools with similar demographics, socioeconomic status, etc. For the 2008 CA state test, SMUSD schools received an average similar schools ranking of 8.875, the highest average of any K-12 district in San Diego County. In addition, Caucasian, Filipino, and African American students enrolled within SMUSD have the highest API scores for their ethnicity among all K-12 districts.

The San Marcos Unified School District is one of the largest school districts in San Diego County and includes 19 schools with diverse educational programs for kindergarten through adult education students. SMUSD has 11 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, 2 comprehensive high schools, 1 charter high school,1 independent study high school and 1 continuation school. SMUSD serves more than 17,851 students in San Marcos, as well as sections of Vista, Escondido, Carlsbad, and some unincorporated areas of the County.

High Tech High & Middle, North County[link]

High Tech High and Middle are both charter schools located in San Marcos. High Tech High, which started with a single school in 2000, is known for its small-school settings, where students learn through projects, internships and interaction with professionals.

Palomar College[link]

"P" on hillside above Palomar College

The main 200-acre (0.81 km²) campus of Palomar College is located in northern San Marcos. It is a public two-year community college and is a member of the California Community Colleges system. Palomar enrolls approximately 30,000 full-time and part-time students. Palomar offers more than 250 associate degree and certificate programs, and residents of California are charged $26 per unit.

A giant letter P (for "Palomar") on the hillside above the campus is a ubiquitous landmark for San Marcos, visible miles away.^[4]

CSU San Marcos[link]

Craven Hall (CSUSM)

CSU San Marcos is a smaller campus in the California State University system. It was founded in 1989 and built on a 304-acre (1.23 km²) hillside in northern San Marcos. It enrolls about 9,000 students and offers 44 undergraduate programs, 10 graduate programs and 1 Doctorate in Education in three colleges and one nursing school.

Efforts by community and political leaders to attract a state university to North County date back to 1968. In 1978, state legislator William A. Craven (1921–1999) won state funding for a North County satellite campus of San Diego State University. In 1989, Gov. George Deukmejian signed another Craven bill which established a CSU campus in San Marcos.

The state purchased land in San Marcos, including the former Prohoroff Poultry Farms chicken ranch. The hillside site lies approximately 8 miles (13 km) due east of the Pacific Ocean and 35 miles (56 km) due north of downtown San Diego. Today the campus comprises 304 acres (123 ha).

Bill Stacy was appointed president in June 1989. During the 1989-1990 academic year, Stacy hired 12 "Founding Faculty," who played an important role in the university's early years and today are memorialized in Founders Plaza.

CSUSM admitted upper division students and held classes from September 1990 through August 1992 in rented facilities in a San Marcos business park, alongside the North County campus of San Diego State University. Groundbreaking for the permanent campus occurred on February 23, 1990. Classes began at the current campus in August 1992. Craven Hall was the third instructional building opened in December 1992, and the largest building up to that time at 155,000 square feet (14,400 m²).

Since 1992, the campus has been growing steadily. Major additions over the subsequent decade include the Foundation Classroom Buildings (December 1996), University Hall (1998), a second Science building (August 2002) and the Arts building (August 2002). The largest building to date is Kellogg Library, opened January 2004 with nearly 200,000 square feet (19,000 m²). Markstein Hall, home of the College of Business Administration was completed in January 2006. A six story parking structure on the northeast side of the campus was also completed in July 2010.

University of St. Augustine[link]

The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences is a Physical and Occupational Therapy graduate institution. The university's mission is the professional development of health care providers through innovative and individualized education. They offer a unique, hands-on curriculum which provides students with the tools it takes to become skilled clinicians.

Government[link]

San Marcos is governed by a council-manager system. The city council consists of a mayor and four City Council Members, who are elected at-large to alternating four-year terms. The current mayor is Jim Desmond. The current Vice Mayor is Hal Martin. Current City Council Members are Rebecca Jones, Chris Orlando, and Kristal Jabara. The current City Manager is Paul Malone.

Demographics[link]

San Marcos Civic Center is also home to City Hall and the Library

2010[link]

The 2010 United States Census^[5] reported that San Marcos had a population of 83,781. The population density was 3,435.1 people per square mile (1,326.3/km²). The racial makeup of San Marcos was 53,235 (63.5%) White, 1,967 (2.3%) African American, 591 (0.7%) Native American, 7,518 (9.0%) Asian, 322 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 15,853 (18.9%) from other races, and 4,295 (5.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 30,697 persons (36.6%).

The Census reported that 82,937 people (99.0% of the population) lived in households, 736 (0.9%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 108 (0.1%) were institutionalized.

There were 27,202 households, out of which 11,724 (43.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 15,242 (56.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 3,056 (11.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,513 (5.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,372 (5.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 186 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 5,168 households (19.0%) were made up of individuals and 2,370 (8.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05. There were 19,811 families (72.8% of all households); the average family size was 3.49.

The population was spread out with 23,287 people (27.8%) under the age of 18, 9,215 people (11.0%) aged 18 to 24, 25,237 people (30.1%) aged 25 to 44, 17,515 people (20.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 8,527 people (10.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.9 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

There were 28,641 housing units at an average density of 1,174.3 per square mile (453.4/km²), of which 17,094 (62.8%) were owner-occupied, and 10,108 (37.2%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.7%. 50,570 people (60.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 32,367 people (38.6%) lived in rental housing units.

2000[link]

As of the census^[6] of 2000, there are 54,977 people, 18,111 households, and 13,221 families residing in the city. The population density is 893.4/km² (2,314.3/mi²). There are 18,862 housing units at an average density of 306.5/km² (794.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 67.39% White, 2.00% African American, 0.82% Native American, 4.67% Asian, 0.24% Pacific Islander, 20.39% from other races, and 4.48% from two or more races. 36.87% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 18,111 households out of which 39.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% are married couples living together, 9.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% are non-families. 20.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.03 and the average family size is 3.46.

In the city the population is spread out with 29.1% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 95.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $45,908, and the median income for a family is $51,292. Males have a median income of $36,297 versus $27,015 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,657. 12.0% of the population and 7.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 14.5% of those under the age of 18 and 7.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Neighborhoods[link]

• Buenavida
• Coronado Hills
• Creek District
• Discovery Hills
• Grandon Estates
• Lake San Marcos
• Old Creek Ranch
• Rancho Coronado
• Richmar
• San Elijo Hills
• Santa Fe Hills
• Stone Canyon
• Twin Oaks Valley
• University District
• Rock Springs/Bennett District
• Sage Canyon

Attractions[link]

Old California Restaurant Row

San Marcos is known for having some of the best restaurants in North County. Old California Restaurant Row features a large concentration of restaurants offering a variety of cuisines. San Marcos is also known for its very popular chain restaurants throughout the city. Notable Restaurants and Restaurant Chains Include:

• Applebees
• Panera Bread
• Chins Schezwan
• Mr. Taco
• Cold Stone
• Boudin San Francisco (one of three locations in SoCal)
• Elephant Bar (one of 2 SD locations)
• Sammy's Woodfired Pizza
• Phil's BBQ (one of 2 locations in SD county)
• Broken Yolk Cafe (one of 5 in the county)
• Chick-fil-A (one of 5 in the county)
• In N Out
• Churchills Pub & Grille (50 Craft Beers on Draft)
• Dalton's Roadhouse

San Marcos is also known for the abundance of shopping as well:

• Nordstrom Rack
• Ulta
• Costco
• Frys Electronics
• Sprouts Market
• Best Buy
• Lowes
• Home Depot
• Sports Chalet
• Harley Davidson

San Marcos features several golf courses, notably Lake San Marcos, which itself is a recreational venue. Recently, the growth of Cal State San Marcos has led to great opportunities for youth (such as the high-tech sector) are increasingly setting up workshop in the city's robust economy. There are many fine hotels in the city including a Residence Inn, Hampton Inn, Ramada Inn, and First Choice Executive Suites.

San Marcos is has also become known for its abundance of open space and parks in recent years. Miles of trails have been planned and constructed to facilitate biking throughout the city. A popular destination is the top of Double Peak Park, which features a panorama of northern San Diego County from the highest coastal peak in the county. On a clear day one can see the San Bernardino Mountains in Los Angeles and the skyscrapers of downtown San Diego.

A lighted cross, which stands on a hill above Lake San Marcos and is visible at night from many parts of the city, has been a community landmark for decades.^[7]

References[link]

1. ^ U.S. Census
2. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
3. ^ City of San Marcos CAFR
4. ^ http://wikimapia.org/676190/The-Palomar-College-P - Palomar Letter P
5. ^ All data are derived from the United States Census Bureau reports from the 2010 United States Census, and are accessible on-line here. The data on unmarried partnerships and same-sex married couples are from the Census report DEC_10_SF1_PCT15. All other housing and population data are from Census report DEC_10_DP_DPDP1. Both reports are viewable online or downloadable in a zip file containing a comma-delimited data file. The area data, from which densities are calculated, are available on-line here. Percentage totals may not add to 100% due to rounding. The Census Bureau defines families as a household containing one or more people related to the householder by birth, opposite-sex marriage, or adoption. People living in group quarters are tabulated by the Census Bureau as neither owners nor renters. For further details, see the text files accompanying the data files containing the Census reports mentioned above.
6. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
7. ^ Sterrett, David. Lights on cross above Lake San Marcos back on. North County Times. January 14, 2006. Accessed March 8, 2010.

External links[link]

San Diego County portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: San Marcos, California

• San Marcos (California) travel guide from Wikitravel
• Official City of San Marcos Site
• San Marcos Chamber of Commerce

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City of San Marcos
—  City  —
The Hays County Courthouse in San Marcos
Official seal of City of San Marcos Seal
Nickname(s): San Marvelous
Coordinates: 29°52′46″N 97°56′20″W / 29.87944°N 97.93889°W / 29.87944; -97.93889Coordinates: 29°52′46″N 97°56′20″W / 29.87944°N 97.93889°W / 29.87944; -97.93889
Country	United States
State	Texas
Counties	Caldwell, Guadalupe, Hays
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
• City Council	Mayor Daniel Guerrero[1] Kim Porterfield Jude Prather Fred Terry Chris Jones Ryan Thomason Shane Scott
• City Manager	Jim Nuse
Area
• Total	18.2 sq mi (47.4 km2)
• Land	18.2 sq mi (47.2 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
Elevation	617 ft (188 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	44,894
• Density	1,907.5/sq mi (736.4/km2)
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	78666-78667
Area code(s)	512
FIPS code	48-65600[2]
GNIS feature ID	1375971[3]
Website	ci.san-marcos.tx.us

San Marcos is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, and is the seat of Hays County. Located within the Austin–Round Rock–San Marcos metropolitan area, the city is located on the Interstate 35 corridor—between Austin and San Antonio.^[4]

Founded on the banks of the San Marcos River, the area is considered to be among the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the Northern Hemisphere.^[5] San Marcos is home to Texas State University–San Marcos, and the Aquarena Center.^[6] The population was 50,371 in 2008.^[7] San Marcos was listed in the 2010 Business Week's fourth annual survey of the "Best Places to Raise your Kids."^[8]

History[link]

Archeologists have found evidence at the San Marcos River associated with the Clovis culture, which suggests that the river has been the site of human habitation for more than 10,000 years. The headwaters of the cool, clear river are the San Marcos Springs, fed by the Edwards Aquifer. The San Marcos Springs are the thirty largest collection of springs in Texas. Never in recorded history has the river run dry.

In 1689, Spaniard Alonso de Leon led an expedition from Mexico to explore Texas and establish missions and presidios in the region. De Leon's party helped blaze the El Camino Real (later known as the Old San Antonio Road), which followed present-day Hunter Road, Hopkins Street, and Aquarena Springs Drive (the route later shifted four miles to the south; it is now followed by County Road 266, known locally as Old Bastrop Highway). De Leon's party reached the river on April 25, the feast day of St. Mark the Evangelist; the river was thus named the San Marcos.^[5][9]

In 1755, San Francisco Xavier de Gigedo presidio and the missions San Francisco Xavier de Horcasitas, Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, and San Ildefonso were relocated from present-day Milam County to the San Marcos River at Mission San Francisco Xavier de los Dolores. Historians still debate whether the Spanish settlements were located at the San Marcos Springs or another location. In April 1808, a small group of Mexican families settled at the Old Bastrop Highway crossing of the river, and named the settlement Villa de San Marcos de Neve. The settlers were plagued by floods and Indian raids, and the settlement was abandoned in 1812.^[10]

In November 1846 the first Anglos settled in the vicinity of the San Marcos Springs. The Texas Legislature organized Hays County on March 1, 1848, and designated San Marcos as the county seat. In 1851 a town center was laid out about a mile southwest of the headwaters of the river. The town became a center for ginning and milling local agricultural products. The town's most notable founder and early settler was Gen. Edward Burleson, a hero of the Texas Revolution and former vice president of the Republic of Texas. Burleson built a dam on the upper reaches of the river in 1849. The dam powered several mills, including one within present-day Sewell Park.

San Marcos in 1881

In the decade following the arrival of the International-Great Northern Railroad in 1881, cattle and cotton provided the basis for the growth of San Marcos as a center for commerce and transportation.

The Old Main academic building at Texas State University in San Marcos.

In 1899, Southwest Texas State Normal School (now known as Texas State University-San Marcos) was established as a teacher's college to meet demand for public school teachers in Texas. In 1907 the private San Marcos Baptist Academy was established,^[11] furthering education as an important industry for the town. The demands of World War II forced the town's industry to diversify, and with the emergence of a manufacturing and light industrial sector the town began to experience growth.

In the late 1940s, former Hollywood director Shadrack Graham produced a documentary about daily life in San Marcos as part of his “Our Home Town” series of films that encouraged commerce and civic activity in small communities. The film highlights several local businesses from the era, including Smith's Flowers, Waldrin's Cleaners, Lack's Furniture, and the Palace Movie Theater.^[12]

In the 1960s, with the establishment of Aquarena Springs^[13] and Wonder World^[14] as attractions, the tourist industry became a growing part of the city's economy. By the 1960s what was then named Southwest Texas State University had grown into an important regional institution,^[15] and when coupled with the creation of Gary Job Corps Training Center in 1965,^[16] education became the largest industry in San Marcos.^[17] The remarkable growth explosion of Austin further allowed San Marcos to prosper.

By 1973, San Marcos and Hays County had joined the Austin Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area.^[18] By that year the city's population had grown to 25,000 citizens, along with an additional Southwest Texas State University student body of 20,000.

By 1990, the city's population had grown to 28,743 and by 2000 it reached 34,733, and by 2008 the city's population had grown to 50,371, and the university now known as Texas State University, boasted a student body of 28,121.^[19]

Geography[link]

San Marcos is located at 29°52′46″N 97°56′20″W / 29.879387°N 97.938829°W / 29.879387; -97.938829 (29.879387, -97.938829)^[20] in an area locally referred to as Central Texas. This is 29 miles southwest of Austin and 47 miles northeast of San Antonio. Interstate 35 is the main highway through the city. The city is situated on the Balcones Fault, the boundary between the Hill Country and the Coastal Plains. Along the fault, many springs have popped up, such as the source of the San Marcos River, a notable water feature. The eastern part of the city is blackland prairie suitable for farming; the western part consists of grassy rolling hills often marked with cacti.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.3 square miles (47.4 km²).Land constitutes 18.2 square miles (47.2 km²), and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.60%) is water.

The San Marcos River area is considered by many archaeologists to be the oldest, continuously inhabited area in the Northern Hemisphere.^[5]

Demographics[link]

As of the census^[2] of 2010, the population was 44,894 people in the city. In the year 2000 there were 34,733 people, 12,660 households, and 5,380 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,907.5 people per square mile, (736.4/km²) in 2000. There were 13,340 housing units at an average density of 732.6 per square mile (282.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.55% White, 5.53% African American, 0.65% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 17.03% from other races, and 2.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 36.50% of the population.

There were 12,660 households out of which 19.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.9% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 57.5% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city the population was spread out with 15.4% under the age of 18, 41.9% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 10.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,809, and the median income for a family was $37,113. Males had a median income of $25,400 versus $22,953 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,468. About 13.8% of families and 28.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.

The San Marcos River[link]

Downstream from the headwaters of the San Marcos Springs, Aquarena Springs, and Spring Lake.

The San Marcos River rises from the San Marcos Springs. The springs are home to several threatened or endangered species, including the Texas Blind Salamander, Fountain Darter, and Texas Wild Rice. The river is a popular recreational area, and is frequented for tubing, canoeing, swimming, and fishing.

The river begins at San Marcos Springs, rising from the Edwards Aquifer into Spring Lake. Access to much of the headwaters is restricted due to the delicate ecosystem and numerous rare species. The upper river flows through Texas State University and San Marcos, and is a popular recreational area. It is joined by the Blanco River after four miles, passes through Luling and near Gonzales flows into the Guadalupe River after a total of 75 miles (121 km). This course is the first section of the Texas Water Safari.

Culture[link]

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Glass-bottom boat at the Aquarena Center.

The city hosts many annual events, such as the annual VIVA! Cinco de Mayo Celebration, the Texas Natural & Western Swing Festival, Juneteenth celebrations, and the Sights and Sounds of Christmas.

San Marcos benefits greatly by the presence of Texas State University and its large student population. The influx of youth contributes toward keeping the city vibrant, as exemplified by a thriving music scene. In addition, the university and local school district provide many opportunities for entertainment through the various student artistic productions, and athletic events.

Those in San Marcos enjoy a life centered greatly around nature. The presence of the pristine San Marcos River and an ample city park system provide plentiful outdoor opportunities. The admiration for nature lends to a city pride in its scenic natural beauty, and the unique and endangered species which also call San Marcos home.

The Square[link]

San Marcos's town center was laid out in 1851. The square was recently the focus of a multi-million dollar restoration project. It is also one of the primary sources of entertainment for Texas State students.

Education[link]

In addition to Texas State University and the San Marcos Baptist Academy, San Marcos is served by the San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District. Gary Job Corps Center is located a few miles east of the center of town.

Media[link]

• The San Marcos Mercury - San Marcos Newspaper
• San Marcos Record

Transportation[link]

• Capital Area Rural Transportation System
• San Marcos Municipal Airport
• San Marcos Station

Notable Texans and San Marcos[link]

• Lyndon Baines Johnson was educated at Texas State University, then called the Southwest Texas State Teachers College.^[21][22] Many landmarks on campus and around town are named for him, including a main thoroughfare, a student center, a statue, and a museum.^{[22][23][24][25]}
• Jazz music great Eddie Durham (1906–1987), contributing composer to Glen Miller's classic, "In The Mood," was from San Marcos where an annual jazz festival is held in his honor.^[26][27]
• The popular rock band Blue October is from San Marcos.
• The Traits/aka Roy Head and The Traits were originally six San Marcos High School students who would later become a Rockabilly Hall of Fame band by writing and recording several hit songs in the country-rock and rhythm and blues genres during the late 1950s through the mid 1960s, including their 1959 cover song "One More Time" and the #2 nationally ranked song in 1965, Treat Her Right (song). The Traits were originally composed of Roy Head (SMHS 1959), Tommy Bolton (SMHS 1959, 1941–2003), Gerry Gibson (SMHS 1959), Dan Buie (SMHS 1960), Clyde Causey (SMHS 1958) and Bill Pennington (SMHS 1960).^[28]
• Country music star George Strait graduated from Southwest Texas State University in 1979.^[21] A club (George's) located in the basement of the LBJ Student Center is named in his honor.^[29]
• Grammy Award-winning folk singer-songwriter Terri Hendrix is based in San Marcos.
• Roger Boylan, novelist and critic, lives in San Marcos.
• Tino Villanueva, distinguished poet, editor, critic, university professor and Chicano painter was born in San Marcos.
• Ty Detmer, a Heisman-winning quarterback from Brigham Young University was born in San Marcos.
• Horror author Scott A. Johnson received his Bachelors Degree from Texas State University, then called Southwest Texas State University, in 2002.
• San Marcos police officer and rescue-recovery diver Daniel Misiaszek ^[30] founded the San Marcos Area Recovery Team (SMART) [2] in 1988 and set a World Record for the longest scuba dive in open water of 60 hours and 24 minutes on September 3, 2001. Misiaszek authored "Hardened Hearts" detailing 30 years of public safety service.
• San Marcos native Taryn Davis,^[31] founded "The American Widow Project", after husband CPL Michael Davis was killed in action in the Iraq War on 21 May 2007. The group is dedicated to preserving the memories of soldiers through military widows & widowers in sharing tears, laughter, and memories of their loved ones.
• Post-rock band This Will Destroy You is based in San Marcos.
• Noted Chicago-based improvisational comedian Cameron Goldapp was born and raised in San Marcos, TX.
• Actor Powers Boothe is also a Graduate of Texas State University. (Then southwest Texas State University)
• True Women character Martha Benny Lawshe lived in San Marcos and was an active member of First Baptist Church (NBC).^[32]
• Texas Country singers Randy Rogers, Ryan Beaver, and Paul Eason all attended Texas State University
• Charles Barsotti cartoonist for The New Yorker was born in San Marcos and is a graduate of Texas State University
• Ray William Johnson, a YouTube comedian. Raised in San Marcos, TX.

Gallery[link]

• 

  Distant view of the Texas State University campus.

• 

  First United Methodist Church.

• 

  Johnson House

• 

  The old San Marcos Telephone Company building.

• 

  Centerpoint Station.

• 

  The Outlet Mall

• 

  The Rio Vista dam.

Footnotes[link]

External links[link]

Austin portal

Find more about San Marcos, Texas on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Definitions and translations from Wiktionary
	Images and media from Commons
	Learning resources from Wikiversity
	News stories from Wikinews
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Textbooks from Wikibooks

• City of San Marcos
• http://www.ci.san-marcos.tx.us/departments/library/index.html/ San Marcos Public Library
• Welcome to San Marcos - A Visitor's Guide
• Economic Development San Marcos
• San Marcos from the Handbook of Texas Online
• San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce
• Texas State University - San Marcos
• San Marcos Convention and Visitor Bureau
• 78666.com - Guide to San Marcos, Texas
• Visit San Marcos - The San Marcos Hospitality Association
• San Marcos, Texas: Home of Southwest Texas State University, Katherine Ann Porter Childhood home
• Hays County... San Marcos, TEXAS
• Summer in San Marcos - About.com
• San Marcos Historical Preservation

v t e City of San Marcos Government City Hall Hays County Courthouse Fire Library Police Transportation Airport CARTS Interstate 35 San Marcos Station Education Hays CISD San Marcos Baptist Academy San Marcos CISD Texas State University Companies C-FAN Grande Communications McCoys Wide-Lite Parks and Recreation Aquarena Springs Activity Center Bobcat Stadium City Park Conference Center Dunbar Park Lucio Park Playscape Quail Creek Country Club Rio Vista Park San Marcos River Sewell Park Strahan Coliseum Other Austin Edwards Aquifer Freeman Ranch Gary Job Corps Hill Country Lyndon Baines Johnson Outlet Malls San Antonio San Marcos Springs Wimberley Wonder Cave Wonder World

v t e Municipalities and communities of Caldwell County, Texas, United States County seat: Lockhart Cities Lockhart Luling Martindale Mustang Ridge‡ San Marcos‡ Uhland‡ Town Niederwald‡ Unincorporated communities Dale Fentress Lytton Springs Maxwell Prairie Lea Pettytown‡ Saint Johns Colony Stairtown Ghost town(s) Polonia Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

v t e Municipalities and communities of Guadalupe County, Texas, United States County seat: Seguin Cities Cibolo‡ Marion New Berlin New Braunfels‡ San Marcos‡ Santa Clara Schertz‡ Selma‡ Seguin Staples Universal City‡ CDPs Geronimo Kingsbury McQueeney Redwood Zuehl Ghost towns Concrete Guadalupe City Sullivan Zorn Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

v t e Municipalities and communities of Hays County, Texas, United States County seat: San Marcos Cities Austin‡ Buda Dripping Springs Hays Kyle Mountain City San Marcos‡ Uhland‡ Wimberley Woodcreek Town Niederwald‡ Village Bear Creek Unincorporated community Driftwood Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties