Unattended Death and Biohazard Cleanup in Lago Vista, TX

Lago Vista sits on a rugged peninsula on the north shore of Lake Travis in western Travis County, in the heart of the Texas Hill Country.

Lago Vista is often called the "Gateway to the Highland Lakes" for its position at the start of the chain of Colorado River lakes northwest of Austin.

The lake at Lago Vista's doorstep was created when the Lower Colorado River Authority completed Mansfield Dam in the early 1940s, forming Lake Travis, named for Alamo defender William B. Travis.

Lago Vista grew up in the 1960s as a lake resort and second-home community, first developed largely for retirees drawn to the water, golf, and Hill Country scenery.

Lago Vista incorporated in 1984, after the City of Austin moved to annex the Lake Travis north shore and residents voted to form their own city to block the attempt.

Lago Vista had 8,896 residents at the 2020 census — up sharply from 6,041 in 2010 — and the Census Bureau estimated about 10,498 people by 2025.

Lago Vista has about 4,420 households, with an average of just 2.18 people per household, reflecting its large share of retirees and second-home owners.

Local students attend Lago Vista ISD, whose Lago Vista High School Vikings — the high school dates to 1976 — compete as a UIL 4A school.

Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, a Hill Country preserve known for protecting endangered songbirds and hosting some 245 bird species, lies just a few miles west of Lago Vista.