Wanna Know What The City Killeen, Texas Is Famous For?

The great city of Killeen, Texas has been my home forever, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I am a proud Killeenite and a total homer. With a population of over 150,000, the town has grown to become a real Texas metro, but it still has a small town feel.

Killeen doesn't always have the best reputation, but it's full of good people, many of whom have served our country. So, what is our town most famous for?

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WELCOME TO THE GREAT PLACE

Like I said, Killeen is home to so many people who've served in the armed forces - primarily, the Army.

Yes, Fort Hood is our claim to fame. In recent years, that's not necessarily been a bright spot. After two shooting incidents and high profile cases like that of Vanessa Guillen, Killeen doesn't look like a great community from the outside.

While there's a lot of work to be done to make Fort Hood everything it should be to serve our men and women in uniform, there's absolutely no doubt that the everyday citizens of Killeen love and respect our troops, and we do all we can to make sure they know it.

KILLEEN HAS A FORGOTTEN HISTORY

A lot of people know about Killeen because of Fort Hood, but that’s not the only element to have shaped Killeen's identity. Our neighboring town of Temple really leans into its history as a railroad town.

What newcomers to Killeen might not realize is that Killeen started as a railroad town as well. Many Texas towns grew around railroads, and ours was one of them. In fact, our town was named after a railroad official from Galveston, though history suggests he may not have ever actually set foot here.

Tour Texas mentions that Killeen was a stop for Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe trains. However, they do note that the town didn't really start to boom until the military selected it as the site of a new base to train troops and test anti-tank weapons during World War II.

KILLEEN PRIDE

So yes, Killeen is most famous for Fort Hood. Despite the problems that have plagued the base, we can take pride in being a community that supports our military and welcomes them to settle down when their service is over.