Cisco is a city in Eastland County, Texas, situated along Interstate 20 in West Central Texas between Fort Worth and Abilene. With a population of about 3,955, it is one of the region's established small cities, known for a colorful oil-boom history and its continuing role as an educational and commercial center for the surrounding ranch and farming country. The city's most famous chapter came during the Eastland County oil boom of 1919 through 1921, when Cisco's population surged as prospectors and businesses flooded the area. Although Cisco played a relatively minor role compared with neighboring boomtowns, the era left a lasting mark on its downtown and its identity. It was during this period, in 1919, that a young banker named Conrad Hilton bought the 40-room Mobley Hotel in Cisco after a separate bank purchase fell through. That single acquisition launched what became the Hilton hotel chain, and the Mobley Hotel remains a celebrated landmark in the city's history. Today, education anchors much of Cisco's civic life. Cisco College, a public community college, offers associate degrees and workforce certificates across more than thirty fields, serving students from Cisco and the wider region. Public school students attend the Cisco Independent School District. Together, the college and the school district make Cisco a small educational hub within Eastland County. The city's position on Interstate 20 gives it a crossroads character, with the highway linking residents to the larger economies of Fort Worth and Abilene. Cisco's combination of historic character, educational institutions, and highway access makes it a practical small-city home base in the rolling country of West Central Texas.