BASTROP, Texas — One Texas city is the lone town representing the Lone Star State on a list of the best small downtowns in America.
Bastrop was featured on HGTV’s 40 Most Charming Small Downtowns in America—the only Texas town to make the list.
According to HGTV, Bastrop is known as “the most historic small town in Texas.” The town was established in 1832 and is located approximately 40 minutes east of Austin.
“This charming Texas town exudes history, as evidenced by the hundreds of sites, buildings and structures that have been named to the National Register of Historic Places,” HGTV said. “Plan a half-day or more to explore the historic downtown and the burgeoning arts and music scene.”
The city has seen unprecedented growth in recent years, especially after Elon Musk moved the headquarters of social media platform X from San Francisco to Bastrop. Musk is also planning to expand the SpaceX facility in Bastrop by 1 million square feet over the next three years. Bastrop County is also home to Musk’s Starlink and The Boring Company.
Over the past five years, Bastrop’s population has increased by more than 30%, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
