Travis Heights sits on the south shore of Lady Bird Lake, across from downtown, between South Congress Avenue and Interstate 35 and north of Oltorf Street. Development began in 1913, and the Travis Heights-Fairview Park Historic District was added to the National Register in 2021. Homes include Victorian houses, Craftsman-influenced bungalows and Prairie School-influenced designs on grid and curving streets.
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Travis Heights at a glance | |
|---|---|
Location | Lady Bird Lake (north), I-35 (east, with part of the neighborhood east of it), Congress Avenue (west) and Oltorf Street (south) |
City or jurisdiction | City of Austin; Council District 9 north of Oltorf, District 3 south of it |
School district | Austin ISD |
HOA or association | South River City Citizens (neighborhood association, founded 1972) |
Special district or tax | Travis Heights-Fairview Park Historic District (National Register, 2021); South Congress Parking and Transportation Management District |
The Swisher Addition was platted in 1877, and Charles Newning planned Fairview Park on about 200 acres in 1878 (it was not fully built out until the 1940s). The concrete Congress Avenue Bridge, completed in 1910, brought streetcars and automobiles south.
In 1913 Gen. William Harwood Stacy and his sons began developing Travis Heights. Stacy ran streetcars of prospective buyers to the area and gave away Ford Touring cars as promotions. By his death in 1928, 600 lots had been sold and more than 160 homes built, and his sons carried on.
The original plan mixed lot sizes, grid and curving streets, and both "modest bungalows" and "grand home sites with commanding vistas." Stacy dedicated land along Blunn Creek and the bluff above the lake as parks, and Stacy Park now separates Travis Heights from Fairview Park and Swisher.
South River City Citizens (SRCC), founded in 1972, is the neighborhood association. Travis Heights has no known mandatory HOA; confirm for a specific lot through the title commitment.
Travis Heights-Fairview Park is a National Register district, not one of the City's eight local historic districts. In National Register districts, the Historic Landmark Commission reviews exterior building, demolition and relocation permits but can only recommend protective steps, not require them.
The Greater South River City Neighborhood Plan was adopted September 29, 2005. South Congress paid parking runs under a Parking and Transportation Management District. City tree rules require a permit to remove a protected tree (19 inches and larger) and a variance for heritage trees (24 inches and larger of listed species).
Albert's Take
Standout: Big Stacy, a free outdoor pool kept near 80 degrees year-round by a geothermal well, has been here since 1937.
Nearby: Lady Bird Lake is the northern edge and South Congress the western one, with MetroRapid 801 running on Congress.
Setting: Curving streets, bluff and creek parkland along Blunn Creek, and home sites first sold "with commanding vistas."
Homes: Victorian houses, Craftsman-influenced bungalows and Prairie School-influenced designs inside a National Register district.
Selling here: Before you list, pull your City permit history and know whether any exterior work went through Historic Landmark Commission review, since buyers planning changes will ask.
South Congress Avenue (SoCo) forms the western edge, shared with Bouldin Creek, and is the neighborhood's main dining and shopping street. Fourths, serving burgers with a beverage garden at 3842 S. Congress, opened July 10, 2026, just south of Oltorf.
At 1612 S. Congress, the former Vespaio site (it closed February 28, 2026), the redeveloped building will house a Wrangler U.S. flagship, Alberta Boot Co., Cody & Sioux and Astrid & Miyu, with opening reported for fall 2026 to early 2027.
Travis Heights is in Austin ISD. Travis Heights Elementary and Sarah Lively Middle School (formerly Fulmore Middle, renamed in 2018) are the neighborhood's schools.
On AISD's 2026-27 feeder chart, Travis Heights Elementary feeds Lively Middle School, which feeds Travis Early College High School (Lively also feeds Eastside Early College High School). In the 2025-26 decisions, neither Travis Heights Elementary nor Lively was on the closure list, and the closed Martin Middle School sent 26% of its students to Lively.
A Phase 1 boundary vote was expected in September 2026, with changes effective 2027-28, and Phase 2 districtwide changes are planned for fall 2028. Confirm zoning for the exact address with the district before you buy.
South Congress, I-35, Riverside Drive and Oltorf Street are the main roads, and MetroRapid 801 stops at SoCo and Oltorf.
Light rail Phase 1 is planned to run south on South Congress to Oltorf, and South Congress merchants have warned of "years of disruption." On I-35, the Woodland Ave. underpass is permanently closed, with a pedestrian-only bridge planned there, and Riverside Drive bridge reconstruction has begun.
If you already own here, pull your City of Austin permit history, check your address on ATXFloodPro and have an arborist note any protected or heritage trees.
Current Travis Heights homes for sale appear below.
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Albert Allen is an Austin native and Luxury Real Estate Advisor with Compass, with more than a decade of experience helping clients buy and sell across Austin.
Albert represents buyers and sellers in Travis Heights and throughout South Central Austin. Schedule a Walk & Talk, request a home valuation or ask about private listings.
Just south of Lady Bird Lake, across from downtown, between South Congress Avenue and I-35, with Oltorf Street to the south.
Austin ISD. Travis Heights Elementary and Lively Middle School are the neighborhood's schools, and you should confirm zoning with the district for the exact address.
There is no known mandatory HOA, so there are no HOA dues to report. South River City Citizens, founded in 1972, is the neighborhood association.
Big Stacy Pool, free and geothermally heated since 1937, plus parkland along Blunn Creek and the lake bluff, with South Congress on one edge and Lady Bird Lake on another.
Pull your permit history, check ATXFloodPro and note protected trees. Buyers will ask about historic review, which in this National Register district can recommend but not require protective steps.
Sources: City of Austin, Historic Travis Heights, Austin ISD, KUT, Community Impact, Austin Chronicle, Austin Monitor, Axios Austin, KEDT, CultureMap Austin, Spectrum News, Nature Rocks Austin, Wikipedia. Albert Allen, REALTOR®, Compass RE Texas, LLC. Information is believed reliable but not guaranteed.
6,596 people live in Travis Heights, where the median age is 37 and the average individual income is $106,177. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.
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There's plenty to do around Travis Heights, including shopping, dining, nightlife, parks, and more. Data provided by Walk Score and Yelp.
Explore popular things to do in the area, including Tashabstylin.
Travis Heights has 3,707 households, with an average household size of 2. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. Here’s what the people living in Travis Heights do for work — and how long it takes them to get there. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. 6,596 people call Travis Heights home. The population density is 6,174 and the largest age group is Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.
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