Ellinger is an unincorporated rural community in Fayette County, Texas, United States. It is located on State Highway 71,[1] 12 miles east of La Grange and 2 miles from the Fayette and Colorado County line. It is located on a route between Austin and Houston.[1]
The post office was established in 1877, and within a year the population had risen to an approximate 100 residents. Production of cotton carried the local economy in the early 1900s, and in previous eras Ellinger was a commercial center for farmers of cotton within the region.[1] The focus of the agricultural economy shifted to ranching and grains by mid century. As of 1990, about 200 people resided in the town.
In 2011 the community has three businesses. Gerald E. McLeod of the Austin Chronicle said in 2011 that Ellinger was a "speed trap."[1]
Although it is unincorporated, Ellinger has a post office, with the ZIP code of 78938.[2]