Economic Development in Smithville
Smithville is Ready for Your Business!
Smithville is a small, rural Texas town, and a great place to do business. Smithvillians are friendly, creative, and inventive; and its history, charm, amenities, and terrific school district provide everything needed for a high quality of life. "Everything is possible in Smithville!" (Richard D. Latham, past Chair of the Smithville Area Chamber of Commerce).
Smithville is the "Heart of the Megapolis"! Located in Central Texas on Highway 71, Smithville is 35 to 45 minutes from AUS-Austin, one hour from San Marcos, 90 minutes from San Antonio, two hours from Houston, and 3-1/2 hours from Dallas/Ft. Worth by highway. I-10 is about 25 minutes south of Smithville, and I-35 is about 40 minutes west.
Despite its small size, Smithville boasts several important amenities that even larger communities lack:
- Smithville supports Career Tracks, a regional workforce training center, and the soon-to-be-completed Innovation Center designed for entrepreneurs to get the resources they need to thrive.
- Smithville has been a Gigabit City since 2013.
- Smithville is the location of the only full-service hospital and municipal airport in Bastrop County.
- Smithville was the first "Film Friendly" city (designated by the Texas Film Commission in 2008), it was designated a Cultural District in 2013 (Texas Commission on the Arts), and it was designated a "Music Friendly" community in 2025 (Texas Music Office).
- Smithville constructed the first Recreation Center in the area, which also serves as an emergency shelter.
For more information, see the Smithville Economic Development Community Resiliency Strategic Plan (2020-2025).
Information about where Smithville stands related to the Goals of this plan are available in this Plan Update (August 2025).
A summary is also available in this Smithville Economic Development Presentation (2025).
Major Amenities
Airport
The Smithville Crawford Municipal Airport, the only airport in the County, is located at the intersection of HWY 71 and SH 95.
Industrial Park
The Domain Industrial Park is currently under development directly across from the Airport, adjacent to these two major highways.
Medical Complex
- Ascension Seton Smithville Regional Hospital
- Towers Nursing Home/Rehabilitation Center
- Smithville Community Clinic (Free and Charitable)
- Dentists, Pharmacies, Dermatological, etc.
Recreation, Arts, and Culture
- Smithville Recreation Center, a 30,000-square-foot multi-purpose facility
- First Texas Film Commission designated "Film Friendly" city in 2008
- Designed Texas Commission on the Arts "Cultural District" in 2013
- Designated Texas Music Office "Music Friendly" community in 2025
- 11 City Parks throughout Smithville, including Riverbend Park, a 100-acre park along the Colorado River
- Buescher & Bastrop State Park at the city's "doorstep"
Demographics and Labor Force
Our Workforce is Ready for Your Business!
Smithville works hard to ensure that our workforce has the education, knowledge, and training needed to succeed in today's business environment. Graduating high school students are prepared for their first jobs out of school and adults have many opportunities for additional training to improve their skillsets for the current or the next job.
- The SWTC Career Tracks is a nonprofit regional organization. SWTC serves job seekers and employers in Bastrop, Fayette, and Lee Counties. Through partnerships with educational partners, SWTC connects jobseekers to industry-based, credentialed courses and assists in job placement after students graduate. By empowering our rural workforce with the skills needed for high-demand careers, SWTC ensures rural employers will be able to recruit from a local, robust workforce.
- The Smithville Independent School District (SISD) offers traditional instruction and also provides innovative programming in culinary arts and welding, DECA, the Tiger Academy, and the DAEP. The graduation rate in 2015 was 93.8% and the dropout rate was 1% - far better than Texas averages (The Texas Tribune). These students have a broad base of skills and knowledge by the time they graduate and have been exposed to the positive forces of giving back to their community as volunteers.
- SISD partners with Smithville Public Library (SPL) and the Smithville Education Foundation (SEF) to leverage additional resources for our small, rural school district. SPL and SEF provide funds and volunteers needed for enrichment activities for students at all levels including a strong visual and performing arts curriculum for students in Kindergarten through fifth grade not possible through school programming, and innovative humanities programs that bring regional scholars and other resources to all grades. SEF additionally provides grants to teachers to allow them to purchase needed equipment, software, technology, and supplies that are not available in the SISD budget but provide the assistance they need to teach more students more effectively.
- SISD and Career Tracks have strong partnerships with the Austin Community College (ACC). ACC provides dual-credit courses at SISD and works with them to ensure that all graduating seniors meet ACC entrance requirements, giving all of them an opportunity to advance to taking associate-level courses at this local two-year college. ACC partners with Career Tracks for a variety of job training opportunities for individuals over 18.
- The Smithville Public Library offers adult programming such as ESL, GED, and job-readiness training, as well as computer classes for more general information and specific programs for different levels of users-for example, computer classes are taught in Spanish, and Spanish classes are available for kids and adults who primarily speak English. SPL also supports a variety of online programs related to the workforce.
- The Smithville Area Chamber of Commerce periodically offers classes in customer service, technology, internet and social media, and other useful skills for small businesses. The Chamber is also a tremendous resource for members and advocates for all businesses in the Smithville area.
For More Information
If you are interested in doing business in Smithville, please contact Jill Strube, Director of Economic Development/Grants Administration at phone number: 512-237-3282.