Emergency Crime Scene and Biohazard Cleanup in Burnet, TX

Burnet — pronounced "BUR-nit" — is the county seat of Burnet County in the Texas Hill Country, about 54 miles northwest of Austin.

Both the city and the county are named for David Gouverneur Burnet, the first provisional president of the Republic of Texas, who later served as vice president under Mirabeau B. Lamar.

Burnet began in December 1847 as a Texas Ranger station commanded by Henry E. McCulloch to protect frontier settlers, and in March 1849 the post became the federal Fort Croghan.

The town of Burnet was founded beside Fort Croghan in 1852 and was originally named Hamilton, after a local landowner, before residents successfully petitioned to rename it Burnet in 1858.

Burnet boomed when the Austin and Northwestern Railroad arrived in April 1882, making the town the railhead and supply point for the country to the west until the line was extended to Llano in 1892.

The Burnet Bulletin has served as the community's newspaper — and the official paper of record for the city and county — since 1873.

Burnet had 6,436 residents in the 2020 census, with about 2,405 households, an average of 2.47 people per household, and a median household income of roughly $87,600.

The Fort Croghan Museum and Grounds preserve Burnet's frontier fort heritage, with original and reconstructed buildings from the 1849 post.

Burnet is a gateway to the Highland Lakes country, with nearby attractions including Inks Lake State Park, Longhorn Cavern, and the Hill Country Flyer excursion train.

The Burnet Consolidated Independent School District is the city's largest employer, with about 285 employees.