Waco | |
---|---|
![]() From left to right, top to bottom: Downtown, McLennan County Courthouse, Waco Suspension Bridge, Dr. Pepper Museum, Waco Mammoth National Monument, Baylor University, Waco Hippodrome, Cameron Park, Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, and Austin Avenue in Downtown | |
Nickname(s): "Heart of Texas" "Buckle of the Bible Belt"[1] | |
![]() Location within McLennan County and Texas | |
Coordinates: 31°33′5″N 97°9′21″W / 31.55139°N 97.15583°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Texas |
County | McLennan |
Named for | The Waco people |
Government | |
• Type | Council–manager |
• Mayor | Dillon Meek |
• City council | Council members
|
• City manager | Bradley Ford |
Area | |
• City | 101.15 sq mi (261.98 km2) |
• Land | 88.73 sq mi (229.82 km2) |
• Water | 12.42 sq mi (32.16 km2) 11.85% |
Elevation | 470 ft (143.3 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• City | 138,486 |
• Estimate (2023)[3] | 144,816 |
• Density | 1,569.16/sq mi (605.86/km2) |
• Urban | 192,844 (US: 201st) |
• Urban density | 2,145.6/sq mi (828.4/km2) |
• Metro | 304,865 (US: 168th) |
Demonym | Wacoan |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (Central) |
ZIP Codes | 76701-76708, 76710-76712, 76714-76716, 76797-76799 |
Area code | 254 |
FIPS code | 48-76000[5] |
GNIS feature ID | 1370701[6] |
Website | Waco-Texas.com |
Waco (/ˈweɪkoʊ/ WAY-koh) is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States.[7] It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a U.S. census estimated 2023 population of 144,816, making it the 24th-most populous city in the state.[8][9] The Waco metropolitan statistical area consists of McLennan, Falls and Bosque counties, which had a 2020 population of 295,782.[10] Bosque County was added to the Waco MSA in 2023. The 2023 U.S. census population estimate for the Waco metropolitan area was 304,865 residents.[11]