Hutto, Texas has grown in size from under 1,000 people to 17,000 in under two decades, and it’s easy to see why people are flocking to live there.  Hutto embodies the image of small town life that people envision when looking for a home in the Central Texas area.  At the rate it’s growing, it’s expected to reach 30,000 residents in the next decade. 

Hutto is a 30 minute drive from Austin, but it’s only 10 minutes from Round Rock, Texas, which is accessible on Highway 79.  Round Rock’s explosive growth in the tech industry helped bring the jobs to this Central Texas region that have helped the communities in the area develop so quickly.  Many residents of Hutto commute to Round Rock or Austin to work and enjoy the more traditional small town life at home.  Located in the Central Texas Blackland Prairie, Hutto enjoys the same warm winters and hot but not scorching summers enjoyed by the residents of the Hill Country. 

Residents of Hutto are quite proud of having an unusual town and school mascot in the Hutto Hippo.  Local legend has it that a hippo escaped from the circus train in Hutto in 1915 and made its home in the local Cottonwood Creek.  Local authorities and farmers, with the help of citizens of the nearby towns of Taylor and Round Rock, put forth a legendary amount of effort in extracting the stubborn beast from the creek, and the hippo has been a local hero ever since, even having a 7-ton hippo statue placed on East Street in its honor. Local residents also enjoy putting smaller hippo statues in front of their homes and offices. The affection for the Hutto Hippo is just a taste of the wry Texas humor that permeates the region.  It also demonstrates that the citizens of Hutto retain a strong sense of community and character in the face of rapid population growth.  

Ranch lands and golf courses pepper the region and provide opportunities for fun outdoors.  The city has the annual Hippo Golf Open for fans of the sport, and the annual Old Tyme Days festival for those who enjoy nostalgic small town events. In the tradition of strong Texas pride, the town also has an anti-littering annual event called the “Don’t Mess With Texas” Trash-Off.

Overall, the main attraction for living in Hutto is the chance to live the friendly, small town lifestyle.  The schools have kept up with the rapid growth and exceeded expectations, earning gold star recognition from the State of Texas.  The streets are quiet and safe, and the enthusiasm for continuing the sense of community in the town make it an ideal place to raise a family or retire from the rat race.