Johnson City has long been known as the birthplace of 36th U.S. president Lyndon Johnson and the gateway to the Texas Hill Country Wine Trail on Highway 290, but this small-town charmer has been gaining popularity as its own destination for visitors and retirees.
Despite a population of just over 2,000 and less than two square miles, Johnson City has enough to see, eat, drink, and do for weekend getaways and more.
The headlines in just the past year tell the tale of Johnson City’s rise with the Houston Chronicle in November 2023 writing: Why Johnson City in Texas Hill Country is the New, Cooler Fredericksburg.
Others agree.
“Just an hour west of Austin in the Texas Hill Country is Johnson City, Texas, known as the hometown of President Lyndon Johnson,” says Southern Living. “Of course, the small town is steeped in history, but stay for a bit and you'll find yourself in awe over the area's natural beauty, impressive wineries, and wide open spaces. Here, it's easy to escape the big-city crowds and find a bit of solitude mixed in with a good dose of local charm.”
Some visitors are choosing to stay and make Johnson City home with Yahoo! Finance reporting that the area is among the safest places to retire in Texas.
"The area is also renowned for wineries, shopping, and outdoor recreation. The natural beauty and safety make Johnson City ideal for retirees," says the report.
Some are not even making it to the wineries on 290 with a growing list of places to visit between Dripping Springs and Johnson City.
“Sure, we all love Fredericksburg, but in the last couple of years, a lesser-known stretch of the Texas Hill Country has flourished. The 25 miles between Johnson City and Dripping Springs offer dozens of wineries, not to mention craft breweries and distilleries, chef-driven restaurants, and endless green grass dotted with hay bales and bluebonnets. For the hikers and bikers, you’ll be a stone’s throw from Pedernales State Park, and for the city lovers, these towns sit smack in between Austin and San Antonio,” gushes the publication Paper City.
For those who visit this month, will be treated to the Johnson City free Christmas/Holiday Lights display with more than two million Christmas lights in the historic square off Main Street, Memorial Park, the PEC headquarters, and just about every business in town.
It’s not just a coincidence that LBJ was born and raised in a town called Johnson City because the town was founded and named for 19th-century relatives of his family.
“It’s easy to make the assumption that Johnson City changed its name after its hometown boy became famous; however, that isn’t the case. It has always been Johnson City. Founded in the mid-1870s by settler James Polk Johnson, who favored its location near the Pedernales River, the village was named in his honor in 1879,” explains Back Roads Texas. “So, if you thought it was named after LBJ, well, you aren’t entirely incorrect; right family, wrong generation. The future president was a direct descendant of James P. Johnson (he was LBJ’s father’s cousin).”
Despite becoming the Blanco County seat in 1890, the town grew slowly, not gaining modern utilities until the 1930s.
It helped that one of its small-town boys was growing into one of the most powerful politicians in the country.
“After Johnson became a United States senator and began his climb to the presidency, telephone service rapidly progressed from the old magnetic box phones to dial service and then to worldwide service. In addition, when he returned from the White House, Johnson made the United States a gift of his lands, now the Lyndon Baines Johnson National Historical Park,” says the Texas State Historical Association. “Johnson City, for many years mainly a ranch trade center, had a steady tourist business from its origins.”
Even with its claim to the birthplace of a U.S. president, Johnson City boasted less than 1,000 residents in 1990 and has seen its population more than double in the last 35 years.
There is now enough to do in Johnson City to fill a month of weekends, but here is a list to get you started on your next getaway to Hill Country: