The county seat of Williamson County, bustling Georgetown is located just about due north of Austin, around 30 miles away. Plenty of Texans are deciding to make Georgetown home with the population rising from about 47,000 to over 70,000 in a little over seven years (2010-2017). The trend continues, and since 2019, Georgetown is the 7th-fastest growing city in the U.S.A.

What makes this place so great? Take your pick. It’s historic: home to Southwestern University, the oldest university in Texas (est. 1840). It’s beautiful: home to a large amount of Victorian architecture, both for businesses and homes. And it’s social: like when 30,000 visitors head into town every year for the annual Red Poppy Festival.

The Festival, held in Georgetown’s historic square each April, is named after the red poppy, or Papaver rhoeas if we are to get all professorial about it, which is blooming all over the city. In fact, the poppies are so plentiful they have earned Georgetown the nickname The Red Poppy Capital of Texas. Mix in all of those colorful flowers with all of that amazing Victorian architecture and it’s easy to see why Georgetown is such a beautiful place to live, work, and play.

The good news for architecture lovers is that the look and feel of the town should remain untouched for all times, and it’s official: the Williamson County Courthouse Historical District was named to the prestigious National Register of Historic Places, with nearly 50 structures being included in the honor.