Leander (Texas)

Leander is a city in Williamson and Travis counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 26,521 at the 2010 census. The population was 37,889 at the 2016 census estimate It is the fourth fastest-growing city in the state of Texas, a suburb just north of Austin, and is part of the metropolitan area.HistoryLeander was established in 1882 on land sold by the Austin and Northwestern Railroad Co. to prospective citizens. The town was named in honor of Leander "Catfish" Brown, one of the railroad officials responsible for the completion of the line.It was near Leander that the Leanderthal Lady, a skeleton dating back 10,000 to 13,000 years, was discovered; the site was one of the earliest intact burials found in the United States.In August and September 2011, destructive wildfires swept through two central Leander neighborhoods, burning a total of 330acres and destroying 26 homes.GeographyLeander is located at, about 22 miles northwest of Austin.According to the City of Leander, the city has a total area of 34.08 square miles . None of the area is covered with water.TransportationLeander is a jurisdiction member of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro). The northern terminus for the Capital MetroRail Red Line is located at Leander Station and Park & Ride designed by McKinney York Architects, located on U.S. Highway 183 north of Ranch to Market Road 2243. Leander Station also has access to several express bus lines, and includes a park and ride facility with 600 parking spaces.