Jazz, blues, country or rock music is just the tip of the iceberg. Austin is the Music Capital of the World! When you live in Austin, a stroll along historic 6th Street is music to your ears.

Fine arts abound - theater, ballet and the renown Austin Symphony Orchestra.  Austin is home to the University of Texas. Football is king!  We do boast the  Round Rock Express, a minor-league baseball team. For you hockey buffs, the Ice Bats, satisfy your craving.There is a yearly rodeo. Lakeway offers moonlight sailing for many months of the year. Lake Travis has many scuba diving schools. The Austin Audubon bird-watching group is delighted by the vast array of birds year round.  Astronomy devotees have plenty to shout about. UT is a leader in star gazing.

There is good reason  Austin and its surrounding areas have become known around the world as "Silicon Hills." The excellent quality of life, great business climate and booming technology industry add up to numerous, high potential job opportunities. Although the high-tech industry is the fastest growing and most visible part of the economy, Austin is well diversified with a strong government, education and financial base. In fact, Austin has been named one of the best cities in the United States for business by Forbes and FORTUNE Magazine.

The influx of high-tech professionals into Austin from all over the world makes the city a challenging, exciting and diverse business environment. With more than a million residents in the greater metropolitan area, Austin is the second fastest growing city in the United States and is now the country's 16th largest city overall.

Progressive local government, no state and local personal income tax, and a competitive cost of living makes Austin an ideal place to get the most from your earnings. And, although people in Austin work hard, they know how to have fun, too. "Austin has become one of the few places in the country where people come to live by choice, for all it has to offer," says Austin-based economist Angelos Angelou.

Austin holds the title of "The Live Music Capital of the World" with perhaps more musicians per capita than any other city. Austin also has an up-and-coming film industry encouraged by creative people, great weather, scenic hills, and new movie and television production facilities.

Before becoming a technology leader, Austin was a college town. These roots still run deep, providing a huge benefit to the area. Today, Austin offers a broad range of world-class educational institutions, public and private, elementary through graduate level. There are ample opportunities for continuing education, and parents can be secure in knowing their children will receive an excellent education. Local school districts feature a multitude of honors and gifted programs, magnet schools and enrichment opportunities. In addition to excellent public schools, Austin is home to more than 25 private schools.

More than 100,000 students attend the area's seven colleges and universities. These institutions are listed below and are ranked according to their size.

The University of Texas at Austin is one of the largest public universities in the United States and is recognized for some of the top-ranked academic programs in the country. These include UT's Schools for Law, Computer Sciences, Education, Business, Engineering and Public Affairs.

Austin Community College has built a reputation for working with many Austin high-tech firms to provide training and placement for the local work force. Multiple campuses are available around the city.

Texas State University in San Marcos is 30 miles south of Austin. This state university offers a broad curriculum and is best known for its School of Education.

St. Edward's University is a private Catholic liberal arts university, conveniently located in South Austin.

Southwestern University is located in Georgetown, just north of Austin. This is the oldest university in Texas with one of the best liberal arts programs in the region.

Concordia  a private Lutheran university located in downtown Austin, offers a broad range of academic programs.

Houston-Tillotson College is Austin's oldest institution of higher learning. This liberal arts college has a proud tradition of multicultural education.

With a mean temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit and an average 300 days of sunshine per year, the weather in Austin encourages you to spend lots of time outdoors. Summers are hot and usually dry, while winters are mild, with temperatures typically ranging from the high 30s to the low 60s. Snow is rare and Austin has never experienced a White Christmas.