Marble Falls is 45 minutes west of Austin and 85 miles (137 km) north of San Antonio. Lake Marble Falls is part of the Highland Lakes, the largest chain of lakes in Texas.
In 1854, Indian fighter and confederate general, Adam R. "Stovepipe" Johnson, a former Confederate States Army general, viewed the natural marble falls and panoramic countryside, and envisioned the hill country to be his future home. He left for his native Kentucky to fight in the American Civil War, tragically losing his eyesight in an 1864 battle. Yet, never forgetting his dream, Johnson returned to Burnet County and formed the Texas Mining and Improvement Company with a group of nine investors. Marble Falls was officially founded on July 12, 1887, when lots were put on sale by TM&I.
The town sits on the banks of Lake Marble Falls. The falls were formed by a shelf of limestone running diagonally across the river from northeast to southwest. The upper layer of limestone, brownish on the exterior but a deep blue inside, was so hard and cherty it was mistaken for marble. The falls were actually three distinct formations at the head of a canyon 1.25 miles (2.01 km) long, with a drop of some 50 feet (15 m) through the limestone strata. The natural lake was covered when the Colorado River was dammed with the completion of Max Starcke Dam in 1951. Lake Marble Falls sits between Lake LBJ to the north and Lake Travis to the south. The falls for which the city is named are now underwater but are revealed every few years when the lake is lowered.
Equally noteworthy is the huge igneous batholith called Granite Mountain looming on the towns' western edge that secured Marble Falls' place in Texas history. The famed pink granite was used for the construction of the Texas State Capitol, and can also be found in the Galveston Seawall and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
Due to its location in the middle of the Texas Hill Country and the Highland Lakes, Marble Falls is a popular vacation destination for watersports enthusiasts, boaters, fishermen, campers, and hunters. For dining, the legendary Bluebonnet Cafe can be found one block north of the Lake Marble Falls' bridge. Marble Falls also hosts one of the largest drag boat races in the United States each August.
The city's slogan is: Marble Falls... for a weekend, or a lifetime.
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,959 people, 1,931 households, and 1,266 families residing in the city. The population density was 807.1 people per square mile (311.8/km²). There were 2,085 housing units at an average density of 339.3/sq mi (131.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.80% White, 2.48% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 8.87% from other races, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22.54% of the population.
There were 1,931 households out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,880, and the median income for a family was $38,382. Males had a median income of $30,242 versus $18,771 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,059. About 13.9% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.4% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.