Baylor University is located in Waco, Texas. Waco is a city in McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a population of 136, 436 at the 2010 census, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the state. Waco is the county seat of McLennan County. Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution. Founded in 1845, the university is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the first educational institutions west of the Mississippi River in the United States.