Blanco, the Lavender Capital of Texas, is located along US Hwy 281 in scenic Hill Country about 45 miles (72 km) north of San Antonio and almost the same distance west of Austin. Blanco was settled in 1853 by pioneer stockmen, former Texas Rangers, & immigrants & their families who had to fortify their homes against hostile Indians. (Indians, including Comanches and Apaches, inhabited the region along the river well into the 1850s.)

The settlement was named after the Blanco River that runs through town. The river, which runs for 87 miles through Hill Country, was named back in 1721 for the white limestone that is found along the banks & in the streambed of the river (white = blanco in Spanish). The current population is about 1500. The countryside in the area is used principally for ranchland & residential subdivisions.

http://www.blancotex.com/ includes maps & photos.