| Official Name: | Dripping Springs, Texas |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Motto: | "Gateway to the Hill Country"[1] |
| Image Map1: | Hays County DrippingSprings.svg |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Texas |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Hays |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [2] |
| Area Total Km2: | 22.78 |
| Area Land Km2: | 22.78 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.00 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 8.80 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 8.80 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.00 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 4650 |
| Population Density Km2: | 204.1 |
| Timezone: | Central (CST) |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Elevation M: | 350 |
| Elevation Ft: | 1148 |
| Coordinates: | 30.1919°N -98.0853°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP Code |
| Postal Code: | 78620 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 48-21424[3] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 1334617[4] |
Dripping Springs is a city in Hays County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,650 at the 2020 census.[5] Dripping Springs is a primarily rural town.
Dripping Springs is in northern Hays County at (30.191998, –98.085382).[6] It is on U.S. Route 290, which leads east to Austin and west to Johnson City.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10sqkm, all land.[7] Most of the city drains southwest to Onion Creek, an east-flowing tributary of the Colorado River.
The town bills itself as the "Gateway to the Hill Country," referring to the 25-county region known as the Texas Hill Country.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Dripping Springs has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.[8]
| White (NH) | 3,346 | 71.96% | |
| Black or African American (NH) | 47 | 1.01% | |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 20 | 0.43% | |
| Asian (NH) | 54 | 1.16% | |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 4 | 0.09% | |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 10 | 0.22% | |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 180 | 3.87% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 989 | 21.27% | |
| Total | 4,650 |
As of the census[10] of 2010, 1,788 people, 662 households, and 455 families resided in the town. The population density was 468.7sp=usNaNsp=us. The 723 housing units averaged 176.8 per square mile (68.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 81.50% White, 0.90% African American, 1.30% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 16.2% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 29.10% of the population.
Of the 662 households, 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were not families. About 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69, and the medium family size was 3.23.
In the town, the population was distributed as 30.3% under the age of 19, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $55,288, and the median income for a family was $61,875. Males had a median income of $51,307 versus $39,798 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,482. About 5.7% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.
Dripping Springs is part of the Sustainable Places Project, an initiative to help Dripping Springs and other Central Texas cities create livable places that reflect community goals[11] as the cities grow.[12]
An HEB grocery store and Home Depot are located near the junction of U.S. Highway 290 and RR 12.[13] Dripping Springs is also the wedding capital of Texas[14] and a tourist spot.[15] The town and surrounding area is recognized[16] as a brewery, distillery, and winery destination.
In 2014, Dripping Springs began to attract a new breed of tourists when it was named a Dark Sky Community, the first in Texas. The International Dark-Sky Association made the designation in recognition of the town's 2011 lighting ordinance that reduced outdoor lighting to a minimum. On the last weekend of March, Dripping Springs now hosts annual Dark Sky festivals drawing thousands of Astro-tourists.[17]
The city is served by the Dripping Springs Independent School District.[18] [19] The city has one high school, two middle schools, and five elementary schools. The district was reclassified as 6A in 2022. Private schools include Appamada School (K-12), Acton Academy (K-5), and AESA Prep Academy (K-12). The area is also served by the Pinnacle Campus of Austin Community College.[20]
A fictionalized version of Dripping Springs, TX is the home of DC Comics' character Jinny Hex from the superhero team Young Justice.[28] [29]