Waco is located about 100 miles south of
Dallas on the Brazos River. It lies along I-35, near Lake Waco and the Bosque River.
Waco is named after the Waco Indians, first inhabitants of the area. The settlement was established in 1849 on the site of a former Waco agrarian village.
The 2000 Census pegs Waco at 113,726 residents. Minority groups comprised 48.9 percent of the population. Major industries include Caterpillar, Sherwin Williams and Cargill, among many others. Waco boasts two industrial parks and a foreign trade zone. The total workforce is 101,200-strong. The minimum temperature average in January is 35.5 degrees and the maximum average in August is 97.2. The annual rainfall average is about 33 inches. The city the seat of McLennan County, and is home to Texas State Technical College, Baylor University and the county Community College.
Waco is part of the Waco, Texas metro area.
