West Lake Hills—locally known simply as Westlake—is a small city in Travis County, Texas, on the western edge of Austin where the city meets the Texas Hill Country. With a population of about 3,440, it covers roughly four square miles of hills, oak woodlands, and winding residential streets. The city was founded and incorporated as a village on September 9, 1953, to serve as a residential community for Austin's workforce. From the beginning, West Lake Hills was shaped by its hilly terrain and its position just outside the Austin city limits, and it has remained a primarily residential enclave rather than a commercial center. Its residents receive mail through the city of Austin, reflecting the close relationship between the two municipalities. West Lake Hills is the only city located entirely within the Eanes Independent School District, and the district is a central part of the community's identity. Students are zoned to Eanes elementary and middle schools and attend Westlake High School, one of the region's most recognized public high schools. The city's character is defined by its Hill Country setting. Steep limestone hills, oak and juniper woodlands, and deep lots give West Lake Hills a distinctly different feel from the flatter neighborhoods to the east, and the city has long maintained its large-lot, low-density residential character. Its western edge approaches the Barton Creek watershed and the open edge of the Hill Country. For residents, West Lake Hills offers a combination that is unusual in the Austin area: a small incorporated city with its own government, a top-tier school district, and a Hill Country landscape, all within minutes of downtown Austin and the city's major employers. Shopping, dining, and services are found nearby in the surrounding Westlake area and in central Austin, keeping the city itself quiet and residential.