Waco, Texas
Waco | |
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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 | |
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Flag Seal | |
| Nicknames: "Heart of Texas" "Buckle of the Bible Belt" | |
Location within McLennan County and Texas | |
Waco Location of Waco in the state of Texas Waco Location of Waco in the United States Waco Location of Waco in North America | |
| Coordinates: 31°32′57″N 97°08′50″W / 31.5492°N 97.1472°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | McLennan |
| Established | 1856 |
| Named after | The Waco people |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| 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 | 522 ft (159 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• City | 138,486 |
• Estimate (2024) | 146,608 |
| • Density | 1,569.2/sq mi (605.86/km2) |
| • Urban | 192,844 (US: 201st) |
| • Urban density | 2,145.6/sq mi (828.4/km2) |
| • Metro | 307,123 (US: 168th) |
| Demonym | Wacoan |
| GDP | |
| • Metro | $27.539 billion (2022) |
| 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 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412162 |
| Website | Waco-Texas.com |
Waco (/ˈweɪkoʊ/ WAY-koh) is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a U.S. census estimated 2024 population of 146,608, making it the 24th-most populous city in the state. The Waco metropolitan statistical area consists of McLennan, Falls, and Bosque Counties, which had a 2020 population of 295,782. Bosque County was added to the Waco MSA in 2023. The 2024 U.S. census population estimate for the Waco metropolitan area was 307,123 residents.