Wimberley, Texas is a small city in Hays County located 45 miles southwest of Austin and 15 miles northwest of San Marcos. Founded as a trading post at the confluence of Cypress Creek and the Blanco River, the small Hill Country town has a population of 2,626 residents, according to the 2014 census. No major highways run through the tiny town, which is largely removed from the hustle and bustle of Austin and San Antonio. However, it’s still less than an hour’s drive from both cities, making it a popular local tourist destination. The city’s population swells on summer weekends when Austinites head to Wimberley’s many bed-and-breakfasts and river cabins to escape the tripe-digit heat.
Wimberley’s quiet, tight-knit community caters largely to tourists who visit for weekend Hill Country getaways and is considered to be the “crown jewel” of Hill Country. Farmers and artisans have called Wimberley home for generations, selling their produce and crafts at farmers’ markets in Austin and San Marcos. Families and empty nesters seeking a quiet Hill Country escape will find that in Wimberley real estate.
Wimberley has long been a small, quiet Hill Country community of farmers and artisans catering primarily to weekend tourists. The city gained national attention in 2015 after historic river flooding ripped through the Wimberley Valley over Memorial Day weekend, and severe floods struck a second time less than six months later. The Blanco River in Wimberley rose from nearly 5 feet at 9PM to 41 feet by 1AM. Normally, the Blanco River Bridge rests more than 30 feet above the river; on the morning of the floods, the waters rose more than 10 feet above the pavement. More than 70 homes were completely wiped away and swept from their foundations.
The quaint country town – a longtime beloved travel destination for Texans seeking an escape from summer heat – is quickly healing and very much “open for business” today. Wimberley’s downtown, the popular tourist destination of Wimberley Square, remained largely unaffected by the flooding. And when the call for help went out immediately after the floods, many of the volunteers were tourists themselves who had planned Memorial Day Weekend getaways. The community’s resilience and strength in the face of these devastating floods is an important reminder why Wimberley’s full-time residents consider the town to be “a little bit of heaven.”
Wimberley real estate encompasses a range of properties, from multi-million dollar Hill Country estates to smaller river cabins to older single-family homes. Expect to pay upwards of $1 million dollars for the larger, gated estates, some of which include expansive outdoor entertaining options and pools. Some estates also include barns and stables for horses. Homeowners willing to manage a renovation can still find great deals in the older, single-family homes that are closer to the Blanco River Parks. While Austinites seeking a suburban lifestyle will find better deals on newer builds in Round Rock and San Marcos, Wimberley homes do offer unparalleled access to Hill Country.
For shopping and dining, residents and tourists alike head straight to Wimberley Square, the town’s commercial heart beat. Wimberley Square offers a unique mix of eclectic. More than 40 shops sell everything from kitchen supplies, jewelry, wine, and art to coffee, home furnishings, fudge, and Blue Bell ice cream. Rancho Deluxe sells eclectic Western-style furniture. Popular boutiques include the Cedar Chest, Boot Whisperer, and Wall Street Western. Art galleries showcasing local fine arts, pottery, photography, and sculpture abound in Wimberley, with the largest concentration located in the town’s square.
Just off Wimberley Square is “The Quarter”, a second commercial district with a collection of quirky shops. The Lumberyard lies just down Old Kyle Road. This beautiful shopping complex was built around the town’s former lumberyard. For even more shopping opportunities and art galleries, just follow Ranch Road 12 out of Wimberley towards San Marcos. Just don’t expect to find standard suburban amenities like Starbucks or Target. In Wimberley, local artisans and purveyors reign!
Many of Wimberley’s residents are farmers or artisans who have relocated to the tiny town to enjoy its relaxed pace of living, warm and welcoming community, and unparalleled Hill Country beauty. Young families are less common as Wimberley’s school district is very small. There is only one elementary school, junior high school, and high school. Due to the small school district, Wimberley is not a big draw for young families seeking to put down roots. The community is more popular as a weekend home getaway or as a retirement destination for empty nesters enjoying a spacious Hill Country retreat.
Despite the devastating Memorial Day Weekend floods of 2015, the community has bounced back and is very much open for business. The floods, a confluence of unusual weather events including an exceptionally wet Texas spring, are unlikely to strike with such devastating force again in the near future. Walking around Wimberley Square, it’s easy to fall in love with the small town’s quaint charm and quieter pace of life.
