Copperas Cove, lovingly called “Cove” by locals, has seen a lot of growth since its rural beginnings, serving as a welcome place for military personnel to grow roots. The Cove’s location next to the Army base Fort Cavazos, formerly Fort Hood, has aided in the city’s growth, as many military personnel and their families reside in this city of about 38,000. Copperas Cove started out as a stagecoach town in the 1870s before becoming a railroad community in the 1880s and, after the 1940s, a rapidly growing city accommodating soldiers and families who moved into the area as Fort Hood expanded. To this date, Fort Cavazos is still by far the largest employer in the city. “It’s a combination, I’d say. Fort Cavazos brings people here, but then they like the area, so they stay. There’s a lot of retirees here or maybe worked at Fort Cavazos in the past, and once they retire, they’ll end up back here because it’s a great place to live,” says Jack Smith, a lifelong resident of Copperas Cove and associate broker with Donlie McMullin Realty.
Known as "The Great Place," Fort Cavasos was originally founded as Fort Hood.
Copperas Cove still has a very active train culture.
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Midcentury ranch homes and new builds
Many of Copperas Cove’s older ranch-style homes date to the 1950s, having been built as affordable housing for GIs based at Fort Hood. However, the base’s continued expansion saw Cove respond with its own proliferation, with new suburban developments being built to house personnel and veterans from Fort Cavazos. In addition to ranch-style homes mostly selling for between $70,000 and $200,000, Cove’s housing market also includes newer townhouses, brand-new modern farmhouses and new traditional houses fetching prices as high as $760,000. “There’s a lot of new subdivisions, so there’s a lot of choices. There’s starter homes, luxury homes and acreage lots right outside of town,” Smith says. However, Cove’s median home price of $254,000 is below the state average of around $360,000, adding to this city’s continued appeal as a prime destination for military families to permanently settle down.
Mid century ranchers are a common site in Copperas Cove.
Well shaded yards are a popular site with Copperas Cove homes.
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Carnival rides and live entertainment at Rabbit Fest
Every May, Copperas Cove hosts “Rabbit Fest,” which originated as a rabbit show and transformed into a four-day arts and crafts festival featuring a carnival, parade and chili cook-off. Every October, residents can relive Texan history at the Ogletree Gap Heritage Festival, with Civil War reenactments taking place at the Ogletree Gap Preserve and a petting zoo and pony rides offering family-friendly entertainment. The holiday season sees Cove set up a Krist Kindl Markt, a German-inspired, open-air Christmas market that spreads holiday cheer through live music and nighttime parades.
Copperas Cove is known for the Rabbit Fest as well as a viewing site for the 2024 eclipse.
Ogletree Gap Park in Copperas Cove hosts many of the city's events throughout the year.
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Hiking trails at Ogletree Gap Preserve
Cove’s most notable outdoor space is the Ogletree Gap Preserve, not only due to this site’s importance to the city’s history but also because of its hilly hiking trails and community events. The preserve is the site of Copperas Cove’s first post office, founded in 1879, and Civil War reenactments are held at this park every October. Locals also make use of this park for dog walking and hiking. Most of the city’s municipal parks are a short drive away for residents. Folks looking to spend their day golfing can book a tee time at Hills of Cove Golf Course, a public 18-hole course owned by the city.
Ogletree Gap Park hosts miles of hiking and biking trails in Copperas Cove.
The Hills of Cove Golf Course is an 18 hole course that is owned and maintained by the city.
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Highway 190 has most of the Cove's restaurants and shops
Much of the Cove’s restaurants and shops are along or around Highway 190. Though most of the options are fast food, there are some local sit-down restaurants like Toa’s Ohana Hawaiian Restaurant or Mexican fare at El Corral. Proximity to Interstate 14 means residents are an 11-mile drive from the shopping and dining options in Killeen.
The Cactus Cove Motel welcomes visitors to pull in off of HWY 190 in Copperas Cove.
Stop in to Cream Pies and Fries in Copperas Cove for a traditional Diner experience.
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Copperas Cove Independent School District
The Copperas Cove Independent School District receives a B-minus rating from Niche and recognition as the 11th-most diverse school district in Texas. Copperas Cove High School sports a similar Niche rating and offers a diverse array of extracurriculars, including athletics programs from football and basketball to power-lifting and dance. Copperas Cove’s athletics program has produced a half-dozen professional football players, including Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, while R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe was one of many “military brats” to pass through Cove High’s halls.
The Cove Dawgs play out of the stadium at the Copperas Cove Jr. High School.
A full stadium offers sports Copperexcitement for fans in Copperas Cove.
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Easy access to Austin
Copperas Cove sits adjacent to Fort Cavazos, which sits within a 12-mile drive from the heart of the city. Austin-bound travelers can access the state capital within a 68-mile drive down Highway 183 or Interstate 35. “It’s situated near the middle of Austin and Waco, and it’s less than an hour to both,” Smith says. The Hill Country Transit District operates the “HOP” public transit system, connecting Copperas Cove with Killeen, Temple and several other Hill Country communities on Austin’s outskirts.
The Cove has a lower crime rate than the national average
Like most central Texas cities, Copperas Cove sees humid and hot summers and mild winters. The city also sees a fair amount of rain throughout the year.
In 2023, Copperas Cove reported a lower property crime rate than the state and US average but had a higher violent crime rate, according to FBI crime statistics. However, the Copperas Cove Police Department has reported a decrease in overall crime from 2022 to 2023. The Copperas Cove Police Department operates a Crime Stoppers page to allow community members to report crimes, while the department also engages in community outreach efforts such as “Cone with a Cop” at local ice cream shops.
Written By
Robert Breckenridge
Photography Contributed By
Christopher Saint Germain
Video By
Kyle Keyes
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