Mar 01 2026 - May 31 2026
Governor’s Community Achievement Awards
Applications Open Feb 2 - Mar 12, 2026
For more than thirty years, Keep Texas Beautiful, in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), has awarded the prestigious Governor’s Community Achievement Awards to Texas communities for their outstanding overall efforts to keep their communities beautiful.
The GCAA program has recognized outstanding communities since 1969, with TxDOT providing landscaping award funding since 1985. This year, ten winning communities will share $2 million in landscaping awards from the Texas Department of Transportation, with the amount based on population size. The funds are used for landscaping projects along state rights-of-way.
A community’s environmental program is judged on achievements in seven areas:
- Community Leadership and Coordination
- Public Awareness and Outreach
- Environmental Education and Youth Engagement
- Beautification and Community Improvement
- Litter Prevention and Cleanup
- Solid Waste Management
- Litter Law and Illegal Dumping Enforcement
Words of Wisdom: Learn from Past GCAA Winners
Watch Recorded Webinar
Funding Landscape Innovation: The Governor’s Community Achievement Awards
Learn about the GCAA in this intro webinar
PREPARE YOUR APPLICATION
TOOLKIT
WEBINARS
Review our GCAA video recouces
2023 CENSUS DATA
The 2025 population categories are based on 2023 census estimates for each community.
PROJECT GUIDELINES
Guidelines for Winning Communities’ Projects
LANDSCAPE AWARDS
By Category/Population Size
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
2026 Application Questions
APPLICATION TIPS
Review this guide to help you prepare for the online application.
Includes definitions and a list of abbreviations
COMMON ABBREVIATIONS
TXDOT MAPS
Ensure your community has an eligible site
APPLICATION DEMO
How to set up your Account Step by Step
AWARDS
Winning communities work closely with the design team from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to design a landscape award along a local state-maintained roadway.
Each winning community also receives a cast aluminum plaque to display in their town or city.
AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE AND SUSTAINED EXCELLENCE
Judges will recognize all applicants scoring 90 points or above with the Award of Excellence. This prestigious award distinguishes these communities throughout Texas for their outstanding achievements in protecting and enhancing their local environment, exemplifying their efforts as the standard of environmental excellence for communities nationwide.
The Sustained Excellence Award recognizes the communities that have scored 90 or above in the GCAA competition for three consecutive years. Recipients of this esteemed award are recognized for their ongoing commitment to making Texas the cleanest, most beautiful state in the nation.
PAST WINNERS
CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE OUTSTANDING COMMUNITIES
2025 Winners
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Blanco
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Port Aransas
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Pilot Point
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Levelland
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Angelton
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Copperas Cove
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Halthom City
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Flower Mound
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Waco
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Laredo
2024 Winners
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Argyle
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Whitesboro
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Alpine
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Seabrook
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Anna
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Del Rio
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Little Elm
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San Marcos
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Pearland
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Garland
2023 Winners
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Collinsville
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Chandler
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Nolanville
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Henderson
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Dickinson
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Lake Jackson
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Burleson
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Pflugerville
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McAllen
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Frisco
2022 Winners
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SALADO
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RICHWOOD
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LUCAS
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WOODWAY
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KATY
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CANYON LAKE
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GRAPEVINE
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ROWLETT
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ALLEN
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IRVING
2021 Winners
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MUENSTER
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SAN SABA
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CUERO
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ATHENS
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GATESVILLE
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DUNCANVILLE
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FRIENDSWOOD
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MANSFIELD
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DENTON
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McKINNEY
Thank you to our Partner in Presenting the Governor’s Community Achievement Awards
