Community Profile – City of Junction, Texas
The City of Junction is located at the confluence of the North and South Llano Rivers, and serves as the county seat of Kimble County. Known as the “Land of Living Waters” due to the fact that it hosts more spring-fed creeks and rivers than any other county in Texas, the economic base of Junction and Kimble County has seen a steady growth in ecotourism in recent years, alongside increasing popularity as a retirement or second-home destination.
Located on the western edge of the beautiful Texas Hill Country, Junction and the surrounding area are an increasingly popular getaway for residents from large cities. With its easy access, reasonable cost of living, beautiful rural scenery, and abundance of wildlife, Junction has become a place where many individuals take their vacations or maintain second homes. Hunting in the Junction area is excellent, and deer hunters have long been major contributors to the area’s economy. Fishing is also excellent, enhanced in recent years in the Llano River watershed thanks to the Texas Parks & Wildlife’s Guadalupe Bass Restoration Initiative.
Junction is served by Interstate Highway 10 and US Highways 83 and 377, and US Highway 290, which crosses I-10 just a few miles east of town. The cities of Fredericksburg and Kerrville are 60 miles and 50 miles away, respectively, with Austin 140 miles to the east and San Antonio 120 miles to the southeast. San Angelo, gateway to the West Texas “oil patch,” is 90 miles to the northwest. The Kimble County Airport offers a 5000-ft. runway and fuel and serves local pilots, visitors, and cross-country fliers of small aircraft.
The majority of the area’s employees are concentrated in public administration, education, health care, light manufacturing, agriculture, retail, banking, and professional services. Pedernales Electric Cooperative maintains an office in Junction to serve its members in Kimble and surrounding counties.
Texas Tech University has a learning center and field station in Junction. The 400-acre Tech campus provides a natural landscape for academic learning and research, and regularly hosts meetings, classes, and activities that are open to all interested members of the community.
The Junction Independent School District campus serves children in the city and surrounding county, and includes an elementary, middle, and high school with a total enrollment of around 750 students. A nearby Head Start campus serves the needs of families who qualify for that program. The Kimble County Library is very active in serving the needs of both adults and children, with a variety of programs and activities throughout the year.
An elected mayor and 5-member city council administer the City of Junction, which is a “Type A General Law Municipality” under Texas law. The community is also served by a city police force, county Sheriff’s department, volunteer fire department, and ambulance and rescue services. The Kimble County Ranch Fire Association also has firefighting personnel and equipment to serve the special needs of more remote areas.
Junction’s 2018 tax structure per $100 property valuation is as follows:
| Kimble County | $0.0400 |
| Junction Independent School District | $1.0333 |
| City of Junction | $0.4682 |
| Kimble Hospital | $0.3630 |
| Hickory Water District | $0.3050 |
| Kimble County Groundwater Conservation District | $0.0100 |
Retail sales tax is set at the following rates:
| State | 6.25% |
| City | 1.5% |
| County | 0.5% |
| Total | 8.25% |
Junction is served by I-10, US 83 and 377, and County Roads 2169 and 1674. Greyhound provides twice-daily intracontinental bus service, and overnight courier service is provided by FedEx, UPS, and the US Postal Service.
The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) and AEP/WTU provide wholesale power to the region. The distributor for electric power in Kimble and surrounding counties is the Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC), and city residents and businesses are served by a variety of retail electricity providers. Natural gas is supplied by West Texas Gas, and liquid propane is distributed by locally owned businesses.
Cell phone, landline, and television services are available from a variety of providers depending on specific location in Kimble County. Fiber optic broadband capacity has recently become available in the City of Junction through HCTC. See the Business Directory for a list of providers and their contact details.
Junction and environs provide an outstanding quality of life for residents and visitors, with ample opportunities for outdoor recreation including hunting, fishing, hiking, bicycling, astronomy, and bird watching. Kimble County has more miles of running water than any other county in Texas.
Residents and visitors can enjoy any of three parks – the 13-acre city park, which hosts numerous family-friendly events throughout the year, the nearby 34-acre county park, and the outstanding 2,630-acre South Llano River State Park, which has recently been designated as an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association and hosts an annual Birdwatching Festival along with a regular schedule of outdoor activities for children and adults.
The Kimble Hospital, a Medicare-designated Critical Access Hospital, and its associated Clinic serve the needs of residents and visitors alike. Banking services are available from Junction National Bank, First State Bank, both locally owned and operated. A branch of the Kerr County Federal Credit Union is also located in Junction.
There are houses of worship representing many denominations. Local news is covered by the Junction Eagle, a weekly newspaper, and a local radio station (KMBL) offers both AM and FM programming with music and news.
