Jonestown is a city in Travis County, Texas, United States on the north shore of Lake Travis. The population was 2,365 at the 2020 census.

History

Jonestown was developed by brothers Warren and Emmet A. Jones in the 1930s when they recognized the opportunity presented by the upcoming Mansfield Dam on the Colorado River. Once the dam was complete, Jonestown would become waterfront property along the Sandy Creek Arm and Big Devil's Hollow of the newly formed Lake Travis. The Jones brothers initially sold waterfront lots for $50 in 1939, raising the price to $100 and offering financing after complaints the original cost was too high.

The city officially incorporated in 1985, with city leaders encouraging growth in an attempt to leave the settlement's less savory history behind.

In 1996, Jonestown increased its borders by annexing a large parcel which had recently been bought by a real-estate development group. By 1999, the city had 1,500 residents and the Lake North area of Travis County, which includes Jonestown, had seen a 62% rise in median home prices from to in the five-year period from 1994 to 1999. These changes, along with a corresponding increase in its tax base, were welcomed by some residents as a way to increase city services. Others were unhappy with the changes feeling the population was growing too quickly.

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2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Jonestown had a population of 2,365, the median age was 49.5 years, 17.2% of residents were under the age of 18, and 19.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 107.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 105.3 males age 18 and over.

57.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 43.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,013 households in Jonestown, of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 55.8% were married-couple households, 20.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 18.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

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| White || 1,934 || 81.8%

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| Black or African American || 23 || 1.0%

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| American Indian and Alaska Native || 8 || 0.3%

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| Asian || 55 || 2.3%

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| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 2 || 0.1%

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| Some other race || 77 || 3.3%

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| Two or more races || 266 || 11.2%

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| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 286 || 12.1%

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2000 census

As of the census

Amenities

thumb|right|Veterans Memorial Park in September 2021

There are a number of developed and undeveloped city parks in Jonestown. The developed parks include:

  • Jones Brothers Park, a 32-acre lakeshore park along the Sandy Creek Arm of Lake Travis just south of the center of the city. The park is the most developed of the city's parks containing recreational amenities and the city's three public boat ramps.
  • Canyonlands Trail Park which contains a half-mile nature trail connecting Jones Brothers Park with Fireman's Park
  • Fireman's Park and Shady Park, two small parks near the center of the city connected to each other by a footpath. Fireman's Park is adjacent to the city's only public transportation, a CapMetro Bus park-and-ride stop.
  • Veterans Park, a small park near the city center containing the city's veterans memorial. It is the only developed park north of RM 1431.
  • Pecan Park, a small park along Big Sandy Creek also known as Pecan Bottom. It was officially turned into a public park after locals constantly maintained a rock dam in the creek.

The city also manages several undeveloped parks within city limits: David Reed Park, Laura Reed Park, and unnamed Parks 1 and 7. In the spring of 2008, FM 1431 had major re-engineering to straighten and widen the highway to support rapid growth along the North Shore of Lake Travis which RM 1431 serves.

Austin-area CapMetro's CapMetro Bus route 214 - Northwest Feeder has one park-and-ride and two other stops in Jonestown. The route runs from neighboring Lago Vista, west of Jonestown, to Lakeline station, a transit center east of Jonestown in Northwest Austin.

Education

The City of Jonestown is served by the Leander Independent School District and the Lago Vista Independent School District.

Notable person

  • Travis Parker, professional snowboarder originally from Jonestown

See also

References

  • Google Earth map pins for Jonestown
  • "Jonestown becomes Texas’s ninth International Dark Sky Community" by Drew Reagan of DarkSky International (January 8, 2024)