New Braunfels occupies a distinctive position in the Texas Hill Country, straddling the Balcones Escarpment where the Edwards Plateau gives way to the Blackland Prairie. Located along Interstate 35 roughly 30 miles northeast of downtown San Antonio and 50 miles southwest of Austin, the city serves as the county seat of Comal County — one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States over the past decade. Founded on Good Friday, March 21, 1845, by a group of German colonists organized by the Adelsverein, or Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, New Braunfels was named after Braunfels, Germany, the hometown of Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, who led the colonization effort. The German settlers brought with them building traditions — notably fachwerk, a timber-frame construction technique infilled with stone and plaster — that still define the architectural character of the city's historic core. The Central New Braunfels Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, preserves one of the largest collections of mid-19th-century German-Texan structures in the state. The city's geography is defined by water. The spring-fed Comal River originates within city limits at Comal Springs in Landa Park and flows just 2.5 miles before joining the Guadalupe River, earning it the distinction of being the shortest navigable river in Texas. The Guadalupe River, which forms the city's southern boundary, runs through Gruene — a former cotton-ginning community turned historic district that now houses Gruene Hall, the oldest continually operating dance hall in Texas. Together, the two rivers anchor a recreation economy centered on tubing, rafting, and fishing, supplemented by Schlitterbahn Waterpark, a nationally recognized destination that has been ranked among the top water parks in the world. Culturally, New Braunfels wears its German heritage openly. Wurstfest, a ten-day salute to sausage, has drawn visitors annually since 1961, filling Landa Park with polka music, beer halls, and traditional foods each November. Downtown New Braunfels features an eclectic mix of antique shops, biergartens, and bakeries alongside a growing number of craft breweries and modern eateries. The Sophienburg Museum and Archives preserves the story of the city's German founders. New Braunfels has grown rapidly, with the population rising from roughly 58,000 in 2010 to more than 100,000 today, making it one of the larger cities along the I-35 corridor between San Antonio and Austin. Much of that growth has pushed outward from the historic core into master-planned communities such as Vintage Oaks and River Chase, which offer Hill Country acreage and community amenities. The city is served by two public school districts — Comal ISD, which covers 589 square miles across five counties, and New Braunfels ISD — and offers convenient commuting access to both San Antonio and Austin for those who work in the larger metros but prefer a smaller-city home base.