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KYLE, Texas
Pronounced: "KILE"
"A Simply Charming Place To . ."
Population (2008): 26103COL Index (2008): 80.0
Elevation: 728 ft
Area: 6 smCounty: Hays
Zip Code: 78640
Area Code: 512Time Zone: CST
Coordinates: 29° 59' 21" N, 97° 52' 33" W
Location: NE Hays County, I-35, 21 mi SW of Austin, 53 mi NE of San Antonio;
10 mi N San Marcos; 8 mi SW of Buda
Highways: IH-35, FM 150, CR 136
Creeks: PlumRivers: BlancoLakes: Lake Kyle
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
CITY:CITY OF KYLE: 512-262-1010; 877-262-5953
100 W Center St, Kyle, TX 78640
Web: www.cityofkyle.com
CHAMBER and TOURISM:
KYLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: 512-268-4220
POB 900, 100 N Front St, Kyle, TX 78640
Web: www.kylechamber.org; Email: info@kylechamber.org
KYLE VISITOR CENTER: 100 North Front Street, Kyle, in the historic old train depot. Open Mon-Fri 9a-4p
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES:
CITY OF KYLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
512-262-3926, Diana Blank
POB 40, Kyle, TX 78640
Web: www.kyleed.com
SMALLER NEIGHBORING TOWNS: Mountain City
PRINCIPAL BUSINESS: Bedroom community for Austin commuters; tourism. The fifth fastest growing city in Texas.
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS:
HISTORIC DOWNTOWN DISTRICT (aka OLD TOWN KYLE): Shops, restaurants, historic buildings
HISTORIC TRAIN DEPOT: 100 N Front St, Kyle. Missouri-Pacific RR. Now home to Kyle Visitor Center.
KYLE AUCTION OAK: Sledge Street, 2 blocks S of Center Street. When Kyle was founded along the railroad line in 1880, this oak was the site of a public auction of town lots. The railway was given 200 acres of land.
KYLE HANGING TREE: 10 mi S of Kyle on Old Post Rd (CR 136). Cowboys found a dead man hanging here and buried him not far from the trunk of this Live Oak. This grave for the mystery cowboy became the Kyle Cemetery. The tree is near the entrance of the cemetery and is easily recognizable by its shape and its solitary location.
KATHERINE ANNE PORTER MUSEUM: This quaint museum is located in the house where Katherine Anne Porter spent some 10 years of her childhood. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author is probably best known for her novel, "Ship of Fools", published in 1962 and later made into a movie. Museum contains Porter memorabilia and that of other Southwest writers, artists, and poets. See full details in Directory below.
CLAIBORNE KYLE LOG HOUSE: In 1850 Claiborne and Lucy Bugg Kyle built this massive log house on a bluff overlooking the Blanco River where they, their 8 children and one adopted son lived. Built of huge cedar logs, the four-pen, linear dog-trot house has four rooms, each about 16-feet square lined up, two on either side of the dog trot. Restored and furnished by the Kyle Log House Commission. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Open first Sun, Apr-Aug, 2-5p. See full details in Directory below.
PLUM CREEK GOLF COURSE: Public, 18 holes. www.plumcreekgolf.com. See full details in Directory below.
Note, the OLD KYLE CITY JAIL: No longer located in Kyle, was moved years ago to Aquarena Springs, San Marcos, and reportedly is not available for touring because of its condition.
NEARBY & HILL COUNTRY-WIDE ATTRACTIONS: See Attractions.
Some of the very nearby attractions include:
AUSTIN: STATE CAPITOL; GOLF, MUSEUMS, PARKS, WORLD-CLASS ATTRACTIONS
BUDA: HISTORIC DOWNTONW DISTRICT; CABELA'S; JARDINE'S
DRIFTWOOD: SALT LICK BBQ (world renowned for its barbecue, cole slaw and cobbler) DRIFTWOOD VINEYARDS; MANDOLA ESTATE WINERY; WIMBERLEY VALLEY WINERY
SAN MARCOS: AQUARENA SPRINGS; BELVIN STREET DISTRICT; HISTORIC CITY HALL AND FIRE
WIMBERLEY: BELLA VISTA OLIVE RANCH; CORRAL THEATRE; EMILY ANN THEATRE; HUNTERS CHASE FARMS; JACOB'S WELL; CENTRAL TEXAS BONSAI EXHIBIT/JADE GARDENS; OLD BALDY; GOLF; WIMBERLEY GLASS WORKS; LAVENDER FARMS; WIMBERLEY PLAYERS; WIMBERLEY ZIPLINE ADVENTURES
PARKS: There are many parks in the greater area as profiled on the Parks page. These nearby parks include:
CANYON LAKE AREA: CANYON PARK; CANYON BEACH PARK; COMAL PARK; CRANES MILL PARK; GUADALUPE PARK; NORTH PARK; OVERLOOK PARK; POTTERS CREEK PARK; JACOB'S PARK
Local city parks include:
STEEPLECHASE PARK: 295 Hallie Dr; playscape, pavilion, disc golf, beach volley ball, trails, sport fields; city owned.
WATERLEAF PARK: 600 Abundace Ln; sport fields, playground, disc golf, waterleaf, 92 acres; city owned.
GREGG-CLARKE PARK: 1300 W Center St; 32 acres, sport fields courts, playscape, pavilion, pool; city owned.
CITY SQUARE PARK: 101 S Burleson St, Downtown; 1 acre, gazebo, old city hall building/hall, water fountain; city owned.
EVENT CALENDAR: For full details on each event see Chamber web site and
Festivals & Events
January: Polar Bear Splash (New Years Day)
March: Easter Egg-Stravaganza
April: Annual Kyle Earth Day Share Fair; Pitch-Hit-Run Competition; Outdoor Family Campout
May: Plum Creek Front Porch Days
July: 4th Celebration
September: Movies-In-The-Park; Chamber Classic Golf Tournament; St. Anthony's Annual Fiesta; Claiborne Kyle Log House Chicken Dinner (4th Sat)
October: Fair & Music Festival (3rd WE); Kyle-O-Meter 5K (3rd WE); Halloween Carnival
November: Dia De Los Muertos Festival (1st WE); Family Fun Bike Ride
December: Santa's Arrival & Tree Lighting
On-Going Events: For full details on each event see Hill Country Market Days, Trade Days, Farmers Markets:
KYLE MARKET DAYS & FARMERS MARKET: Chamber: 512-268-4220; 1st Sat, 9a-2p, Apr-Nov, at historic City Square Park, downtown. Shaddy trees and pavilion. Live local music while you shop. Artists, craftsmen, farmers booths. Profile
WEATHER: Weather Underground
MEDIA COVERAGE:
ON-LINE NEWS: TOPIX NEWS; SAN MARCOS MERCURY; KYLE-BUDA EAGLE (serves Buda, Kyle)
NEWSPAPER: HAYS FREE PRESS: 512-268-7862; 109 W. Center Street, Kyle, TX 78640. www.haysfreepress.com (serves Buda, Kyle, N Hays County)
MAPS: Google; GeoHack
HISTORY: Handbook of Texas Online: "At its site the Balcones Escarpment meets the blackland prairie; to the east there is farming and to the west, ranching. The town was established on July 24, 1880, when David E. Moore and Fergus Kyle (for whom the town was named) deeded 200 acres for a townsite to the International-Great Northern Railroad. The new town drew residents and businesses from Mountain City, three miles west, and Blanco, four miles west. Tom Martin operated the first business in Kyle. The community's population exceeded 500 by 1882 but later declined. Kyle was incorporated in 1928 as a general-law city with a mayor and five council members. In 1937 Mary Kyle Hartson, daughter of Fergus Kyle, was elected mayor by a write-in vote. In the early 1940s Kyle was noted as the only Texas town with an all-woman government. In the 1980s the community was served by the Hays Consolidated Independent School District. The Mary Lee Foundation School, at a seventy-three-acre site north of Kyle, educated multi-handicapped students. Kyle, located in the developing region between Austin and San Antonio, opened five new residential subdivisions in 1984-85, though three of these went bankrupt during the economic slump of the late 1980s. In 1989 a prerelease prison facility, classified as "minimal to medium" security, opened in Kyle; it housed prisoners in the last two years of incarceration who were being prepared for reentry into society. In the early 1990s Kyle reported a population of 2,256, with seventy-nine businesses. In 1992 the town had a library, a post office, a newspaper, a medical clinic, a strip shopping center, two banks, three grocery stores, and four churches. The town has been home to San Jacinto hero John Wheeler Bunton, Ambassador Edwin J. Kyle, Rhodes scholar Terrell Sledge, American League baseball pitcher C. C. "Tex" Hughson, historian Milton Nance, and authors Katherine Anne Porter and Lena Elithe Hamilton Kirkland."
PRIOR NAMES: None
NATIONAL REGISTRY SITES: Claiborne Kyle Log House; The Cora Jackman Donalson House (at 200 S Sledge, listed by National Register of Historic Places and by the Texas Historical Commission as a Texas Historical Landmark with a Texas Historical Marker. Built in 1913, restored, though not open to the public at this time.)
CEMETERIES: Kyle (1853)
AVAILABLE SERVICES: Gas: yes; Convenience Stores: yes; Restaurants: yes; Lodging: yes; Grocery Stores: yes; Banks: yes; Vehicle Repair: yes; Hospital: yes; Med Clinic: yes; Post Office: yes; Public Schools: yes; Cemetery: yes
OTHER PROFILES: Wikipedia; ePodunk; City Data; Texas Escapes; Travel Texas
NOTES:
We welcome submission of updates, additions, corrections & digital photos, without compensation.
BUSINESS & ORGANIZATION DIRECTORY
TRULY TEXAN: 512-268-3093; Kyle, TX 78640. www.trulytexan.comJuried directory of creative Texas artists, artisans, craftsmen, jewelry designers & companies
EMERGENCIES (Police, Fire, EMS/Medical) Dial 911 |  |
SAN MARCOS/HAYS COUNTY EMS: 512-353-5115; 1305 IH-35 N, San Marcos, TX 78667. http://www.smhcems.com. Serves San Marcos, Kyle, Mountain City, Hays, Dripping Springs, Henly, Driftwood, Uhland and Niederwald, most of Hays County and portions of Guadalupe County.
PLUM CREEK GOLF COURSE: 512-262-5555; 750 Kohlers Crossing Rd, Kyle, TX 78640. www.plumcreekgolf.com. Public, 18 holes, 7132 yds, par 72
GOVERNMENT SERVICES
LOCAL CITY GOVERNMENT:
KYLE, CITY OF: 512-262-1010; 877-262-5953; 100 W Center St, Kyle, TX 78640. www.cityofkyle.com
CITY OF KYLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: 512-262-3926, Diana Blank. POB 40, Kyle, TX 78640. www.kyleed.com
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS): Emergencies: Dial 911; Kyle, TX 78640
KYLE COMMUNITY LIBRARY: 512-268-7411; 409 W Blanco St, Kyle, TX 78640. www.kylelibrary.com
KYLE FIRE DEPARTMENT: Non-Emergency: 512-268-3131; 512-268-6339; 210 W Moore St, Kyle, TX 78640. www.kylefire.com
KYLE PARKS/POOL: 512-262-3939 Kyle, TX 78640
KYLE POLICE DEPARTMENT: Kyle, TX 78640. Kyle Police Department512-268-3232
LOCAL COUNTY GOVERNMENT: See: Hays County Government Offices
HAYS COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT: 512-268-2522; Kyle, TX 78640. Web
STATE & FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: For offices that represent the Hill Country,
see: Texas & Federal Government Offices
CRISIS HOTLINES: click Hotlines-Emergencies |
DAY & SEASON HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES:
See full list of leases for this town at: Hunting & Fishing.
(THE) INN ABOVE ONION CREEK: 512-268-1617; 4444 W FM 150, Kyle, TX 78640. www.innaboveonioncreek.com. 12 guest rooms on 88 scenic acres, the rooms are large, luxurious and comfortable, and the views are spectacular. Perfect getaway for both pleasure travelers and small corporate retreats.
LA QUINTA INN & SUITES-KYLE: 512-295-5599; 18869 IH 35 N, Kyle, TX 78640
(THE) PLANT AT KYLE: 512-689-6777; Kyle, TX 78640. http://theplantatkyle.com.
(THE) WINFIELD INN: 512-268-1420; 900 Scott St, Kyle, TX 78640
MEDICAL SERVICES
AUSTIN EAR, NOSE & THROAT CLINIC: 512-212-4150; 211 Elmhurst, Ste E, Kyle, TX 78640
HAYS HEALTH CLINIC: 512-268-1270; Kyle, TX 78640. Web
HEALTH CARE: 512-268-1270; Kyle, TX 78640
SETON MEDICAL CENTER-HAYS: 512-504-5000; 6001 Kyle Parkway, Kyle, TX 78640. Web
MISCELLANEOUS GOODS & SERVICES
CHERRY BLOSSOM MASSAGE THERAPY CENTER: 830-330-0778; 575 E FM 150, Ste J, I-35 S at Kyle Pkwy, Kyle, TX 78640. www.cowboypolarisaustin.com
COWBOY POLARIS OF KYLE: 512-268-6999; 5 Brent Blvd, Ste 150, Kyle, TX 78640
CTMC: Kyle, TX 78640. Web
DMC PHOTOGRAPHY: 512-787-1938; PO BOX 1653, Kyle, TX 78640. www.dmcimages.com
ELITE BODYWORKS: 512-850-8453; 4100 Everett St, Ste 200, Kyle, TX 78640. www.elitemedfit.com
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH: 866-693-3927; 430 Indian Hills Trail, Kyle, TX 78640. www.kylespa.com. Day Spa.
HEB PLUS!: Kyle, TX 78640. www.heb.com
(THE) HOME DEPOT: 512-295-8170; 3730 Dry Hole Dr, CR 210, Kyle, TX 78640. www.homedepot.com
HOPE & LOVE 4 KIDS: 512-585-1726; Kyle, TX 78640
(THE) JUMPY PLACE: 512-262-1600; 241 Weldon Johnston Way, Kyle, TX 78640. www.thejumpyplacetx.com. Children's activity place
K & J WOODWORKS: Kyle, TX 78640. www.kjwoodworks.com
KENT POWERSPORTS OF AUSTIN: 512-268-6999; 5 Brent Blvd, Ste 150, Kyle, Tx 78640. http://www.polarisindustries.com/en-us/Victory-Motorcycles
ON TRACK XPERIENCE: 512-828-6478; 24801 IH 35, Kyle, TX 78640. http://www.ontrackxperience.com. At Thunderhill Raceway. Xperience real side-by-side oval racing using their race prepared Honda-powered karts known at Naskarts. Competitive leagues.
OPTIMUM STEEL FABRICATORS: Kyle, TX 78640. www.optimumsteel.com
PLANT ODYSSEY: 512-398-2714; 7101 Niederwald Strasse, Kyle, TX 78640. Plant nursery.
RSI: www.rsi-cri.com
RUSTY WALLACE RACING EXPERIENCE: 855-22-RUSTY; 24801 IH-35, Kyle, TX 78640. www.racewithrusty.com. At Thunderhill Raceway. Rusty Wallace Racing Experience provides fans and racing enthusiasts with an authentic NASCAR racing experience. Drive a real, current stock car with a real NASCAR champion.
TEXAS LANDSCAPING: 512-845-9902; 140 Krikhams Cr, Kyle, TX 78640. texaslandscaping@hotmail.com.
TEXAS OLD TOWN: 512-396-1800; 1205 Roland Ln, Kyle, TX 78640. Weddings, receptions, corporate events, retreats. www.TexasOldTown.com
UNIVERSAL FOREST PRODUCTS: Kyle, TX 78640. www.ufpi.com
KATHERINE ANNE PORTER MUSEUM: 512-268-6637; 508 W Center St, Kyle, TX 78640. This quaint museum is located in the house where Katherine Anne Porter spent some 10 years of her childhood. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author is probably best known for her novel, "Ship of Fools", published in 1962 and later made into a movie. Museum contains Porter memorabilia and that of other Southwest writers, artists, and poets. Open Tue-Fri 1-6p, Sat 9a-5p. www.english.txstate.edu/KAP
NON-PROFIT & PUBLIC SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS
BOY SCOUTS: www.scouting.org. A non-profit organization that provides a program for young people that builds character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness. BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS: 512-805-3000; Kyle, TX 78640; KYLE BOY SCOUTS: 512-944-7697; Kyle, TX 78640
CLAIBORNE KYLE LOG HOUSE: 512-268-9981; 2400 S Old Stagecoach Rd, on CR 136, SW of Kyle. In 1850 Claiborne and Lucy Bugg Kyle built this massive log house on a bluff overlooking the Blanco River where they, their 8 children and one adopted son lived. Built of huge cedar logs, the four-pen, linear dog-trot house has four rooms, each about 16-feet square lined up, two on either side of the dog trot. Restored and furnished by the Kyle Log House Commission. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Open first Sun, Apr-Aug, 2-5p.
GARDEN CLUB: 512-405-0172; Kyle, TX 78640
GIRL SCOUTS: 512-268-6381; Kyle, TX 78640
HAYS YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS: 512-312-0756; Kyle, TX 78640
KYLE AREA SENIORS ZONE: 512-268-1631; Kyle, TX 78640
KYLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: 512-268-4220; POB 900, 100 N Front St, Kyle, TX 78640. www.kylechamber.org
KYLE QUILTERS: 512-449-6565; Kyle, TX 78640
KYLE VISITOR CENTER: 100 N Front St, Kyle, TX 78640. In the historic old train depot. Open Mon-Fri 9a-4p
LIONS CLUB: A volunteer-based, non-profit, community service organization that aggressively works to donate back to the community to support local, regional, national and international needs. Their mission is to empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding through Lions clubs. www.lionsclubs.org. Local: Lions: 512-268-2021; Kyle, TX 78640
MASONIC LODGE: A fraternal organization that promotes Freemasonry, which includes charitable work within a local or wider community, moral uprightness, and friendship. Local: 512-392-2120; Kyle, TX 78640
PAWS ANIMAL SHELTER: 512-268-1611; Kyle, TX 78640. http://pawsshelter.org
PLUM CREEK HOA: Kyle, TX 78640. Web
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS (VFW): www.vfw.org. A congressionally chartered organization that works on behalf of American veterans by lobbying Congress for better veterans' health care and benefits; and maintains a nationwide organization of employees and volunteers to assist veterans with their VA disability claims; and donates millions of dollars and hours for community service. Local Post #12058: 512-351-4786; 103 Front St, Kyle, TX 78640. www.vfw12058.com
ERA MILLENNIUM REALTY: 512-262-1549; 505 W Center St, Kyle, TX 78640
GREAT LOCATIONS REALTY: 512-535-4483; 150 Rebel Dr, Kyle, TX 78640
ON CENTER STREET OF EXECUTIVE: 512-262-4297; 309 Center St, Kyle, TX 78640
RESTAURANTS-DINING-BEVERAGES-ENTERTAINMENT
BORDEAUX'S: 512-268-3463; 108 Center St, Kyle, TX 78640. www.bordeauxs.net
(THE) MOTLEY MENAGERIE: 512-268-4188; 602 W Center St, Kyle, TX 78640. www.themotleymenagerie.com.
NEW WORLD BAKERY: Kyle, TX 78640. http://thenewworldbakery.com
PAPA MURPHY'S PIZZA: 512-268-1682; 5401 S FM 1626, Kyle, TX 78640. www.papamurphys.com
SCHOOLS
HAYS CISD: 512-268-2141; Kyle, TX 78640. www.hayscisd.net
· Hays High School: Web
· Lehman High School: Web
ROCKING HORSE ACADEMY: www.rockinghorseacademy.com
SANTA CRUZ CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: www.santacruzcc.org/school
TEXAS PREPARATORY CHARTER SCHOOL: www.bgca.us
 CALL or e-Locate BEFORE YOU DIG!Free Texas 811 Locator 1-800-344-8377 www.texas811.com |
LOCAL UTILITY PROVIDERS:
CENTER POINT ENERGY (NATURAL GAS): 512-392-6672; Kyle, TX 78640. www.centerpointenergy.com
KYLE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT: Kyle, TX 78640. www.cityofkyle.com/waterservice.php
PEDERNALES ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE (HQ): 1-888-554-4732 for connections & service. www.pec.coop. Local office: 512-262-2161; 1810 FM 150 W, Kyle, TX 78640-0100.
TIME WARNER CABLE: 512-485-5555; Kyle, TX 78640. www.timewarnercable.com
HILL COUNTRY-WIDE UTILITY PROVIDERS:
For Hill Country area utility service providers (electric, gas, water, sewer, trash),
telecom providers (land lines, cellular service, TV, internet), and related services (package delivery, newspaper, etc.), click: Utilities & Telecom
SANDY ROAD GUEST HAUS:
An upscale Western-style Guest House Bed & Breakfast
in a Beautiful Ranch Setting in the Gorgeous Texas Hill Country
B&B Reservations & Information: 281-300-7177
9242 RR 1320 (Sandy Road), Johnson City, TX 78636
Web: www.SandyRoadGuestHaus.com Email: info@SandyRoadGuestHaus.com
Come Relax & Enjoy!
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