Llano
was
founded in 1855
on the
Llano River
and is the county seat of Llano County.
The city retains a significant portion
of its western roots and historical
flavor.
New projects
already begun in the city are building
toward an enhanced quality of life and
contributing to an outstanding future.
Situated in the heart of the Texas Hill
Country,
Llano,
elevation 1,040 ft., has a mild climate
with relatively few winter days in which
the temperature reaches below freezing.
It almost never snows in winter; it's
too sunny! Llano is a city of
beautiful clear blue skies, clean air,
and clean spring-fed water from the
Llano River. In Llano at night ... the
stars are truly big and bright!
The abundance of springs, and diversity of plants and wildlife have attracted humans to this area for some 12,000 years. The first inhabitants survived by hunting the prehistoric mammoth and mastodon. Later, large herds of buffalo, deer and antelope provided sustenance for the American Indians. It wasn't until the mid-1800's that settlers found the area. The first European residents were brought here by the Adelsverein, a group of German nobleman organized to aid emigration to Texas. In 1845 the manager, John O. Meusebach, made a treaty with the Comanche which opened this area for settlement.
"Llano" in Spanish means plain, a name hardly fitting this spectacular piece of Hill Country. Originally, the river was named by Spanish explorers "Rio do los Chanas" or River of the Chanas -- the Chanas being a band of the Tonkawa Indians. Over the centuries the phonetic similarity between "Chanas" and "Llano" led to confusion and gradually the latter name replaced the original.
Llano's friendly, small-town atmosphere offers the ideal change of pace from the chaotic bustle of big city life. For decades the clock on the courthouse square has chimed the hours and is unifying in the heartbeat of Llano.
Having made the journey to Llano you'll be delighted to find some of the best restaurants in the state, featuring world-class BBQ, Mexican food, seafood, pizza, tea rooms, down home country cooking and Texas cuisine. If you come with a camper, RV or wanting to camp, Robinson City Park, the American Legion and the County RV park provide suitable sites. However, if your idea of being away includes a different class of amenities Llano's Bed & Breakfast and hotel/motel accommodations are ideal.
