Parts of Travis County could double or even triple in population in April 2024 as visitors come here to see the total eclipse of the sun, county officials said Tuesday.
Travis County sits on the eastern edge of the 115-mile-wide viewing path of the eclipse, which will begin just after noon April 8. Western Travis County is well within the path and is expected to attract the most visitors.
Country music awards and other events are expected to add to the crowds, Blake Clampffer, chief deputy emergency management coordinator, told the Travis County Commissioners Court in a briefing Tuesday.
“We know there are about 40,000 rooms booked for that time period, which is huge,” he said. “We also know that the Houston metro area of 7 million people will not be in the eclipse path. We know that many people will be coming to or through Travis County to see the eclipse.”
County Judge Andy Brown pushed Clampffer for his best estimate of visitors to Travis County.
“I’ve heard that this will be bigger than the Super Bowl. Is there any way to know what kind of numbers we’re going to be dealing with?” Brown asked.
“It would be a good guess, an educated guess, but the planning number that other communities have been using is two to three times the population of the community,” Clampffer replied.
Brown suggested a reservation system for county parks so visitors would know if a park is full and could then avoid traveling the crowded streets to the park.
Robert Armistead, assistant director for Travis County parks, said the parks department has been considering a reservation system and will further explore that option. But reservations can create new obstacles.
“One of the concerns about the reservation system is if they hit traffic, can they get to their reservation?” he said.
The eclipse will be different from other big events in that it can cause traffic hazards, Major William Poole of the Travis County Sheriff’s Office told commissioners.
“People may choose to stop right where they’re at to take a moment to observe this without understanding or regard to the safety issues this may create,” he said.
Photo made available through a Creative Commons license.
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Travis County Commissioners Court: The legislative body for Travis County. It includes representatives from the four Travis County Precincts, as well as the County Judge. The County Judge serves as the chair of the Court.
