Just over an hour from Austin, where the rivers start to widen and the land flattens into sun-soaked brush, Kingsland has quietly become one of the Hill Country’s best-kept secrets. It’s the kind of place where locals still wave from the driver’s seat, Friday night lights are still a thing, and weekends revolve around the water. But it’s also where high-end homes are starting to rise — clean lines, native stone, big views, and even bigger porches.
Kingsland isn’t a planned community or a polished development. It’s real Hill Country. That’s what makes it work. Buyers looking to trade city life for something quieter — but not boring — are finding their way here. And not just for weekend homes. More and more, we’re seeing families, professionals, and retirees building full-time. The appeal is simple: space, water, natural beauty, and freedom to build what you want, without a ton of restrictions.
Part of the magic here is access to not just one, but two legendary lakes. Most people know Kingsland as a Lake LBJ town — and for good reason. It’s constant-level, perfect for boating, and always full of life. On any given Saturday you’ll see families tubing, pontoons anchored in coves, and neighbors pulling up by boat to grab burgers at Boat Town. But just fifteen minutes northwest is Lake Buchanan — bigger, wilder, and quieter. It’s where the fishermen go at sunrise, where kayaks glide over glassy water, and where you can hike a bluff and not see another soul. Locals don’t pick one lake over the other. They keep both in rotation. LBJ for energy. Buchanan for escape.
Then there’s The Drace. If you know, you know. The Drace Golf Club has brought a new level of attention to Kingsland — and for good reason. It’s not just a golf course, it’s a lifestyle anchor. The course was designed to feel native to the land, not imposed on it. No forced fairways or over-manicured greens — just long-range Hill Country views, limestone ridges, and a layout that rewards precision and patience. For custom home clients who play, proximity to The Drace is quickly becoming a priority. It’s also drawn in folks who just want to be near that kind of energy — elevated but unpretentious, Texas through and through.
There are places here that feel cinematic because they actually are. The original Texas Chain Saw Massacre house — now known as Grand Central Café — was relocated from Round Rock and restored into a surprisingly elegant restaurant inside The Antlers Inn. You can eat a chicken sandwich or sip a martini in the very room where Leatherface once roamed. Around the corner, Antlers also offers a stay in vintage 1970s cabooses and an 1800s train depot cabin — details that feel more Wes Anderson than Westworld.
The everyday side of Kingsland still hits just right: breakfast tacos from Kingsland Coffee Co., fried pickles and chocolate cake at Hooper’s, a cold beer and veggie pizza at Patio 2900 overlooking Lake LBJ, and browsing handmade tea towels and crocheted phone cases at Kingsland House of Arts & Crafts. There’s no shortage of personality in the local shops — some quirky, some classic, all undeniably Hill Country. It’s the kind of town where you can find a hand-carved sign for your front porch and a vintage armchair in the same afternoon.
Nature’s a big deal here, too. Whether you’re swimming at Inks Lake’s Devil’s Waterhole, wandering through Longhorn Cavern State Park, or climbing granite outcroppings at The Slab, the outdoors are always front and center. You don’t need reservations or memberships. Just sunscreen and time.
The real luxury in Kingsland isn’t just the homes — though the land here gives us room to design sprawling single-story builds, walls of windows, and seamless indoor-outdoor living. The real luxury is the pace. It’s waking up and deciding if you want to take the boat out or head into town. It’s being able to see the stars at night and hearing actual quiet. It’s choosing calm without compromising comfort.
At TrueLux, we build homes that fit the land — not the other way around. In Kingsland, that means using materials that belong here: natural stone, metal roofs, wide-plank floors, soft neutral palettes that don’t compete with the view. We design for real life: drop zones for lake towels, covered patios for dinner outside, fire pits with views of the water.
If you’re looking for a place that still feels like Texas — not a resort, not a suburb, but something real and rooted — Kingsland might be exactly what you’ve been craving. And if you’re ready to build a home that makes the most of it, we’d love to talk.
Kingsland has evolved from a second-home weekend market to a true full-time lifestyle destination. Families, retirees, and remote workers are planting roots here thanks to the balance of natural beauty, local charm, and livable luxury.
You don’t have to choose. Lake LBJ offers constant-level convenience and year-round boating. Lake Buchanan provides quiet, open water and a deeper connection to nature. Most locals rotate between both depending on their mood.
Its authenticity. Kingsland is less curated, more lived-in. You’ll find design-forward homes with real Texas roots — not master-planned perfection. It’s full of small surprises: a horror movie landmark that serves brunch, cabooses you can sleep in, and a golf course built for views, not vanity.
Laid-back but deeply connected. You’ll find your people at Kingsland Coffee Co., on the docks, or at Drace — it’s the kind of town where folks know your dog’s name and wave from the boat ramp.
Only about 65 to 75 minutes, depending on where you start — far enough to feel like you’ve escaped, but close enough to pop back in when needed.