South Congress

South Congress
SoCo
South Congress Avenue leads directly into downtown Austin.
South Congress Avenue leads directly into downtown Austin.
Map
Neighborhood Boundaries
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CityAustin
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes
78704
Area code(s)512, 737

South Congress (abbreviated SoCo) is a neighborhood located on South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas, United States. It is also a nationally known shopping and cultural district known for its many eclectic small retailers, restaurants, music and art venues and, more recently, food trucks.[1]

South Congress begins at the Colorado River and Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge and runs due south towards Ben White Boulevard/TX-71. The area is bordered by two historic South Austin neighborhoods: Travis Heights to the east and Bouldin Creek to the west.[2]

Since its humble beginnings in the 1850s, South Congress Avenue has been transformed from a rural country road to the capital city gateway and, finally, to the shopping district that it is today. Some Austinites attribute its enduring popularity to the unobstructed view of the Texas State Capitol.[3]

  1. ^ "South Congress Avenue Shopping". Austin City Guide. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
  2. ^ "South Congress Avenue & SoCo Neighborhood". Small Planet Guide. 2009. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
  3. ^ Patoski, Joe Nick (July–August 2010). "It's Just Different Here". Preservation. Retrieved October 31, 2011.