Lampasas is a city in Lampasas County, Texas, and serves as the county seat. It sits in the Texas Hill Country along U.S. Highway 281, about 62 miles northwest of Austin, with a population of roughly 8,000. Its location places it within a short drive of Killeen, Fort Hood, and the broader Central Texas corridor, giving the city a role as both a self-contained county center and a commuter community. The city's origins are tied to its mineral springs. In the mid-1850s, settler Moses Hughes brought his family to the area so his wife could bathe in and drink the sulfur water, which was credited with restoring her health. By the late 19th century, Lampasas had become a well-known health resort, and in 1882 a railroad syndicate built the Park Hotel near Hancock Springs and ran a mule-drawn streetcar to the rail depot. That springs heritage remains central to the city's identity, with Hancock Springs Park and the spring-fed Sulphur Creek running through town. Today Lampasas functions as a quiet county seat with a historic courthouse square at its center. Local government, schools, healthcare, and retail serve both city residents and the surrounding rural county. The Lampasas Independent School District provides public education, and the city's central position along the U.S. 281 corridor supports a mix of agriculture, small business, and commuter-oriented employment. The residential fabric blends older in-town neighborhoods with newer subdivisions and outlying ranch properties, reflecting steady but measured growth. For households tied to Fort Hood or seeking a Hill Country setting within reach of Austin, Lampasas offers a slower-paced alternative with historic character, spring-fed recreation, and genuine small-town identity.