Round Top, Small Town America!

 Any Texan worth their boots will tell you that bigger is better—and then proudly declare that the Lone Star State sits smack dab at the intersection of the two. Where else could you find a 100,000-square-foot honky tonk? Do a little exploring, though, and you’ll find that there are plenty of small towns around the state that seem to sprout up in contradiction, packing Texas-sized amounts of swagger into petite locales. Round Top is one of them. 

Situated on the southeast crescent of the land of Bigger and Better, about halfway between Houston and Austin, the tiny town (population 90) makes a fine case for the old adage that good things come in small packages. 

Incorporated in 1870 (just 25 years after Texas made the transition from independent country to a state), Round Top has carefully protected its history. The town’s historic buildings are so well preserved that it’s easy to convince yourself that the entire place is something of a fiction, like a perfectly curated theme park or movie set. But the historic structures in this one-square-mile town are 100% genuine, as real as the leather on those cowboy boots.

But even as these century-and-then-some-old buildings offer a step back in time, Round Top brims with forward-thinking entrepreneurs, hoteliers, and restaurateurs, who aim to hold on to its tiny-town charms while welcoming outsiders to discover its Hill Country magic. Here’s how to pass the time while you’re in Round Top, Texas—the South’s Best Tiny Town for 2023. Click here for info on the famous Original Round Top Antique Fair!