Established Community / Hutto Economic Development

The City of Hutto has a long history of being a unique community with an authentic small-town charm. First settled in the early 1830s and officially incorporated in 1911, Hutto has roots as a rural, agricultural center but has now grown to incorporate a rapidly expanding technology and light-industrial scene.

Unique and Charming

With its unique aesthetic and charming 19th Century architecture, Historic Downtown Hutto provides a one-of-a-kind shopping and dining experience and boasts an array of locally-owned shops. Just west of the historic downtown is the evolving Hutto Co-Op District, home to Hutto City Hall and serving as a reminder of the City’s agriculturally-focused past. The cotton gin building at The Co-Op was also restored and converted into an open-air event venue. The Gin at the Co-Op District marked the first step in the re-development of the 25-acre mixed-use property.

Home of the Hippos

Hutto is most widely known for its community mascot: the hippo.

According to one popular local legend, in 1915, a circus train stopped at the Hutto depot to restock on supplies. During the stop, a hippopotamus escaped its car and made its way a creek near the rail line. Since the hippo showed no inclination to remove itself back to the train, residents turned out to help circus workers coax the reluctant hippo out of the muddy water. The depot agent telegraphed the neighboring communities: “Stop trains! Hippo loose in Hutto!”

Soon after the train departed with the hippo back aboard, the local high school adopted the hippopotamus as its mascot. Hutto is the only community in the United States with the hippo as its mascot.

Today, the hippo is more prominent than ever throughout Hutto. Businesses and homeowners proudly display “hippo spirit” with several thousand colorfully painted concrete hippos placed throughout the community.