Temple is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. As of 2016 the city has a population of 73,600 according to a US census estimate.Located near the county seat of Belton, Temple lies in the region referred to as Central Texas and is a principal city in the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area. The metro region has a population of 450,051. Located off Interstate 35, Temple is 65 miles north of Austin and 34 miles south of Waco.Temple has developed as a small city with a number of arts and retail amenities not typically associated with a smaller community. The primary economic drivers are the extensive medical community and goods distribution based on its central location between the Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Houston metro areas, and proximity to larger neighbors Austin and Waco.