Dripping Springs is a city in Hays County, Texas, United States. It is located west of Austin, the state capital. The population was 1,788 at the 2010 census, and had risen to an estimated 4,667 as of 2018. Dripping Springs is a primarily rural town.
Dripping Springs is part of the Sustainable Places Project, an initiative to help Dripping Springs and other Central Texas cities create livable places that reflect community goals as the cities grow.
An HEB grocery store and Home Depot are located near the junction of U.S. Highway 290 and RR 12. Dripping Springs is also the wedding capital of Texas and a tourist spot. The town and surrounding area is recognized as a brewery, distillery, and winery destination.
In 2014, Dripping Springs began to attract a new breed of tourists when it was named a Dark Sky Community, the first in Texas. The International Dark-Sky Association made the designation in recognition of the town's 2011 lighting ordinance that reduced outdoor lighting to a minimum. On the last weekend of March, Dripping Springs now hosts annual Dark Sky festivals drawing thousands of Astro-tourists.