Georgetown, TX

Georgetown, Texas: A Town Built Around Its Square

If you’ve ever wondered why Georgetown feels so inviting on foot, you can thank a decision made more than 150 years ago.

When Williamson County was established in 1848, Georgetown was chosen as the county seat because of its central location. Like many Texas towns of the era, everything was designed around a public courthouse square—a place where government, commerce, and community life naturally came together. While countless Texas towns have since seen their historic downtowns bypassed by highways and modern development, Georgetown’s square has remained remarkably intact.

The centerpiece is the magnificent Williamson County Courthouse, completed in 1911. Built in the Beaux-Arts style with its distinctive pink granite exterior and soaring clock tower, it has become one of the most photographed courthouses in Texas. More importantly, it still serves as the heart of the community. Walk in any direction from the courthouse and you’ll discover locally owned cafés, bookstores, boutiques, restaurants, and wine tasting rooms that continue the tradition of making the square a gathering place.

Just a few blocks away, the San Gabriel River winds through town, offering shaded walking trails, limestone bluffs, and the inviting waters of Blue Hole Park. It’s a reminder that Georgetown isn’t just a historic downtown, it also embraces the natural beauty that first attracted settlers to the area.

Georgetown is also known as the “Red Poppy Capital of Texas.” Every spring, thousands of brilliant red poppies bloom throughout downtown, a tradition that began almost by accident when a local resident began scattering seeds decades ago. Today, the annual Red Poppy Festival transforms the courthouse square into one of the most colorful celebrations in the state.

Our walk begins with coffee near the square, wanders through one of Texas’s best-preserved historic downtowns, travels north to the peaceful San Gabriel River, and returns to the courthouse for a well-earned glass of wine. More than a century after its courthouse was completed, the square is still doing exactly what it was designed to do: it brings people together.