Flatonia is a town in southwestern Fayette County, Texas, on Interstate 10 and the Union Pacific Railroad about 12 miles west of Schulenburg. Its population was 1,308 at the 2020 census, and it sits roughly between Houston and San Antonio in the rolling countryside of Central Texas. The town's identity rests on two foundations: its railroad and its Czech and German heritage. Flatonia grew as a railroad community, and trains still pass through its center, with that history preserved at the Central Texas Rail History Center and the Flatonia Rail Park. The E.A. Arnim Archives and Museum documents the town's English, German, and Czech roots across thousands of square feet of exhibits. That heritage is celebrated each October at Czhilispiel, a fall festival featuring a chili cook-off, live music, dancing, and carnival rides that draws thousands of visitors. The event is the cultural high point of the year, along with holiday parades and summer concerts in the park. These gatherings keep the town's immigrant traditions alive and give Flatonia a civic identity far larger than its population would suggest. Public schools are provided by the Flatonia Independent School District, a small rural district serving the town and surrounding area. The community's housing mixes older homes near downtown with ranch-style houses and rural acreage beyond the town limits, reflecting its small-town, agricultural setting. Interstate 10 gives residents direct highway access toward Houston and San Antonio, while Schulenburg, La Grange, and other Fayette County communities provide nearby services. The result is a quiet, historically minded town with strong cultural traditions and a convenient place along one of Texas's major east-west corridors.