Uhland is a small city in Central Texas, located on the line between Hays County and Caldwell County, along Farm Road 21 about 11 miles northeast of San Marcos. It is part of the Austin–Round Rock metropolitan area, one of the fastest-growing regions in the state, yet the community retains a distinctly small-town, rural character. The community developed in the 1890s on the site of the former Live Oak settlement and is named for Ludwig Uhland, a German poet. Its geography is shaped by the historic El Camino Real, the old trail between Mexico and Louisiana that still divides the town — a tangible link to Texas's early road and settlement history. By the early 20th century, Uhland had a cotton gin and a few stores, and it remained a quiet agricultural settlement for most of its history, recording fewer than 100 residents as recently as 1970. That changed dramatically in recent decades. As the Kyle–San Marcos–Buda corridor along Interstate 35 grew, Uhland's population climbed from under 400 in 2000 to about 1,588 by the 2020 census, as new residents sought space within the Austin metro's orbit. The city now sits at the edge of the region's rapid suburban expansion while still offering larger lots and rural surroundings. Uhland is served by the Hays Consolidated Independent School District, based in Kyle, which also covers Buda, Niederwald, and northern Hays County, and Uhland Elementary School serves local families. The city's location gives residents easy access to San Marcos — home of Texas State University and the San Marcos River — as well as Kyle, Buda, and Austin along the Interstate 35 corridor, making Uhland a practical home base for those who want a quieter setting near Central Texas's major centers.