Situated on the Interstate 35 corridor 95 miles south of Dallas and 100 miles north of Austin along the shores of both the Brazos and Bosque Rivers, Waco is brimming with Texas history, economic opportunity, and a rich variety of cultural experiences. It is home to Baylor University, Magnolia Market at the Silos, the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame & Museum, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and the Waco Mammoth National Monument. It is also the birthplace of Dr Pepper and boasts one of the largest and best municipal parks in Texas – Cameron Park and the adjacent Cameron Park Zoo. Waco’s population sits at approximately 136,700 people for 2018.

Baylor University is one of the biggest draws for the city. In fact, the university is the top employer for Waco with 3,064 employees. Chartered in a1845, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in the state. Approximately 17,200 students choose from more than 250 total areas of study in their pursuit of undergraduate, masters, and doctoral-level degrees. Baylor University is known for being the home of the first Habitat for Humanity chapter, its educational prowess, and its athletics department. The university competes in the NCAA Division I’s Big XII Conference in 19 varsity sports. Magnolia Market at the Silos, owned by Chip and Joanna Gaines of “Fixer Upper” fame, is one of Waco’s hottest attractions and sells items in the style Joanna has made famous. Their most recent historic Cottonwood Castle, will undergo extensive purchase, the renovation in the near future. Other important attractions include The Texas Sports Hall of Fame, dedicated to representing outstanding Texas athletes and preserve the history of Texas sports for current and future generations as well as Waco’s Dr Pepper Museum, which was opened in 1989 and added the Free Enterprise Institute in 1997; the museum includes the original bottling plant from 1906.

Waco is also home to numerous parks and golf courses. Among the most notable is the 416-acre Cameron Park, situated adjacent to downtown along the Brazos and Bosque rivers, a National Recreation Trail system, and a zoo. Cameron Park even includes a 23-hole disc golf course which and weekly tournaments. In addition, Waco maintains more than 30 parks and recreation facilities including the Brazos Park East, Brazos River and Paddling Trails, and the Jimmy Bryant Horseshoe Complex.