Georgetown is the seat of Williamson County, Texas, and sits at the point where the North and South forks of the San Gabriel River come together, roughly 25 miles north of Austin. Founded in 1848 and named for George Washington Glasscock, one of the partners who donated the original townsite, the city developed as an agricultural and county-seat center on the edge of the Hill Country. Today it is among the larger cities of the Austin region's northern corridor, with a population that has grown well past 100,000 residents as the metro has expanded outward. The city's defining feature is its historic core. Georgetown's downtown holds a nationally recognized collection of late-Victorian commercial architecture, arranged around the 1911 Williamson County Courthouse, and the city maintains three National Register Historic Districts with more than 180 historic buildings and homes. Long celebrated as the "Most Beautiful Town Square in Texas," the square anchors civic life, and its restored storefronts house shops, restaurants, and public buildings that keep the district active. Around that historic center, Georgetown has absorbed substantial residential growth, much of it in master-planned communities. Sun City, one of the largest active-adult communities in Texas, covers more than 5,000 acres and has made Georgetown a notable retirement destination, while family-oriented developments such as Wolf Ranch and Berry Creek Highlands serve younger households. This mix gives the city a broad demographic range, from longtime Williamson County families to newcomers drawn by Austin-area employment. Education is a central part of Georgetown's identity. Southwestern University, established in 1840 and considered the oldest university in Texas, sits just south of downtown, and Georgetown ISD operates a full K-12 system across the city. The presence of the university and the historic square give Georgetown a cultural life that many suburbs its size lack, while its location between the Blackland Prairie and the Balcones Escarpment offers a blend of flat farmland and Hill Country terrain. Georgetown suits households looking for a historic, walkable downtown and strong recreation options — the San Gabriel River and Blue Hole Park are defining amenities — within commuting range of Austin. Its combination of preserved 19th-century architecture, a large retirement community, and new family subdivisions makes it one of the more distinctive cities along the I-35 corridor.