A Community with Deep Roots
Woodway is often described as one of the most desirable places to live in the greater Waco area, but its appeal is more than modern convenience and scenic neighborhoods. Beneath the tree-lined streets, rolling hills, and views toward Lake Waco is a story that reaches back to the years after the Civil War.
The community began taking shape in 1865, when Civil War veteran Burl Kendrick purchased 320 acres in what is now the eastern part of Woodway. At the time, this was rural McLennan County—open land, scattered farms, and a few important gathering places rather than the established city we know today. Over time, families built homes, churches, schools, and roads that connected the area with Waco and surrounding communities. ([discoverwoodway.com](https://discoverwoodway.com/history/?utm_source=openai))
That early agricultural landscape still echoes in Woodway’s spacious lots, wooded hillsides, and quiet residential roads. Even as the city has grown, it has retained a feeling of breathing room that distinguishes it from more densely developed parts of the Waco metropolitan area.
Whitehall: The Early Center of Community Life
One of the most important early landmarks was Whitehall Church, built in 1877 near what is now Whitehall Park along Santa Fe Drive. The church was more than a place of worship. In the days before civic buildings and organized recreational facilities, churches and schools served as the social centers of rural communities.
Whitehall Church hosted religious services, community meetings, celebrations, and other gatherings. In 1901, Captain Kendrick deeded land for Whitehall School, creating another important institution for local families. Together, the church and school became the heart of the surrounding area.
Whitehall School closed in 1918, and the church followed in 1924. Although the original buildings are gone, their influence remains part of Woodway’s identity. At the Carleen Bright Arboretum, visitors can see an exact replica of the original Whitehall Church. The replica serves as a reminder of the community’s early history and continues the tradition of bringing people together for social events and public programs. ([discoverwoodway.com](https://discoverwoodway.com/history/?utm_source=openai))
For longtime residents, Whitehall is not simply a name on a park sign. It represents the period when neighbors knew one another by name, children attended a nearby school, and a church building could serve as the center of nearly every major community occasion.
From Midway to Woodway
The modern city began to emerge in the late 1940s and early 1950s, as residential development expanded along U.S. Highway 84 and nearby roads. The area was initially known as Midway, a fitting name for a community located between established settlements and close to Waco.
There was a practical problem, however: Texas already had another community called Midway. As the local population increased and residents began considering incorporation, they wanted a name that would distinguish their community. In May 1955, local citizens discussed possible names, including references to Woodland West and the Village of Midway. The name Woodway was ultimately selected, combining elements of those existing place names. ([discoverwoodway.com](https://discoverwoodway.com/history/?utm_source=openai))
Residents filed incorporation paperwork at the McLennan County Courthouse on May 23, 1955. After an election and certification of the ballots, the Village of Woodway was officially created on June 20, 1955. Its population was only about 250 people.
The decision to incorporate reflected a practical concern familiar to many growing communities: residents wanted local control over streets, utilities, public improvements, police protection, and fire services. Woodway’s first volunteer fire department formed in 1956, and the community hired its first police chief, John Griffin, in 1963. These early steps established the local services that helped Woodway develop as an independent community rather than simply becoming another subdivision of Waco. ([discoverwoodway.com](https://discoverwoodway.com/history/?utm_source=openai))
Roads, Water, and the Shape of Growth
Some of Woodway’s most familiar roads were important long before modern subdivisions appeared. Santa Fe Drive, in particular, became an established route through the area and remains closely associated with the community’s historic center near Whitehall Park.
In 1950, the first local water well was drilled. According to the city’s history, that well still serves Woodway today—a remarkable connection between the small village of the mid-twentieth century and the city that exists now. Reliable water service helped make residential growth possible and supported the construction of new homes, streets, and public facilities. ([discoverwoodway.com](https://discoverwoodway.com/history/?utm_source=openai))
The Rainbow Lake area also contributed to Woodway’s early recreational character. Beginning in the 1920s, homes were built there as summer retreats for Waco residents looking for a place to relax outside the city. What began as a weekend destination eventually became part of the community’s year-round residential landscape. The lake and surrounding neighborhoods remain reminders of an era when a short drive into the countryside felt like a genuine escape.
Woodway and Lake Waco
Woodway’s relationship with Lake Waco is one of the defining features of its geography and character. The city occupies a wooded, rolling area near the lake, with elevated points offering broad views across the water and surrounding valley. ([woodwaytexas.gov](https://woodwaytexas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Proposed-Budget-Version-3-FY-26-1.pdf?utm_source=openai))
Woodway Park, located within the Lake Waco system, provides public access to the area’s natural beauty. The park’s trails, shoreline, open spaces, and wooded surroundings have made it a favorite place for walking, fishing, picnicking, and enjoying Central Texas sunsets. The park is operated by the City of Woodway on land leased from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. ([mclennan.gov](https://www.mclennan.gov/DocumentCenter/View/877/10-Year-Park-Plan-Report-PDF?utm_source=openai))
For residents, the lake is more than scenery. It has shaped the way people spend weekends, introduced generations of children to the outdoors, and helped preserve the sense that Woodway is connected to the larger landscape around Waco.
From Village to City
Woodway grew rapidly during the second half of the twentieth century. The population increased from 1,244 in 1960 to 4,819 in 1970, then reached 7,091 in 1980 and 8,695 in 1990. By the early twenty-first century, the community had become a substantial suburban city while maintaining its residential focus. ([tshaonline.org](https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/woodway-tx?utm_source=openai))
The community officially became the City of Woodway in 1973. During these decades, new neighborhoods spread across the hills, commercial development expanded along Highway 84 and State Highway 6, and Midway Independent School District became a major institution in the lives of local families. Though most residents worked in Waco or nearby communities, Woodway developed its own civic identity, public services, parks, and traditions.
Today, Woodway covers approximately 6.6 square miles and is home to roughly 9,000 residents. Its location—near Waco, Lake Waco, Baylor University, and major Central Texas highways—has encouraged continued growth. Yet the city has largely preserved its emphasis on attractive neighborhoods, green space, and a welcoming small-town atmosphere. ([discoverwoodway.com](https://discoverwoodway.com/history/?utm_source=openai))
A Heritage That Still Feels Present
The history of Woodway is visible in both grand landmarks and ordinary daily details. It is present in the name Whitehall, in the route of Santa Fe Drive, in the old well that continues to serve the community, and in the replica church at the Carleen Bright Arboretum. It is present in Rainbow Lake’s quiet shoreline and in the trails and overlooks near Woodway Park.
Most of all, Woodway’s heritage lives in its sense of continuity. A community founded around farms, a church, and a school has evolved into a modern city without losing its connection to the land or its tradition of neighborly involvement. The streets may be busier, the homes more numerous, and the amenities more varied than they were in 1955, but the qualities that first drew people here—space, beauty, community, and independence—remain central to Woodway’s identity.
For longtime residents, that is what makes Woodway special. It is not simply a suburb west of Waco. It is a place where the past remains close enough to touch, and where each generation adds another chapter to a story that began more than a century and a half ago.