List of counties in Texas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The state of Texas is divided into 254 counties, more than any other U.S. state.[1] Texas was originally divided into municipalities, a unit of local government under Spanish and Mexican rule. When the Republic of Texas gained its independence in 1836, there were 23 municipalities, which became the original Texas counties. Many of these would later be divided into new counties. The most recent county to be created was Kenedy County in 1921. The most recent county to be organized was Loving County in 1931.[2]
Each county is run by a commissioners court consisting of four elected commissioners (one from each of four precincts drawn based on population) and a county judge elected from all the voters of the county. In smaller counties, the county judge actually does perform judicial duties, but in larger counties the judge's role is limited to serving on the commissioners court. Certain officials, such as the sheriff and tax collector, are elected separately by the voters, but the commissioners court determines their office budgets, and sets overall county policy. All county elections are partisan.[3]
Counties in Texas also have less legal power than cities or towns. While the counties have eminent domain power and control all unincorporated land within their boundaries, they have neither home rule authority nor zoning power. The county is responsible for providing essential services (except for fire and ambulance, which are often done by volunteer fire departments).
Unlike other states, Texas does not allow for consolidated city-county governments. Cities and counties (as well as other political entities) are permitted to enter "interlocal agreements" to share services (as an example, a city and a school district may enter into agreements with the county whereby the county bills for and collects property taxes for the city and school district; thus, only one tax bill is sent instead of three).[4] School districts are independent of county and city government (with the exception of the Stafford district, which is city controlled).
The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, which is used by the United States government to uniquely identify states and counties, is provided with each entry.[5] Texas' code is 48, which when combined with any county code would be written as 48XXX. The FIPS code for each county links to census data for that county.
Contents |
[edit] List
| County |
FIPS Code[6] | County Seat |
Created |
Origin |
Etymology |
Population |
Area |
Map |
| Anderson County | 001 | Palestine | 1846 | Houston County | Kenneth Lewis Anderson (1805–1845), the last vice president of the Republic of Texas | 55,109 | 1,071 sq mi (2,774 km²) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrews County | 003 | Andrews | 1876 | Bexar County | Richard Andrews (?–1835), the first Texan soldier to die in the Texas Revolution | 13,004 | 1,501 sq mi (3,888 km²) |
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| Angelina County | 005 | Lufkin | 1846 | Nacogdoches County | A Hainai Native American woman who assisted early Spanish missionaries and was named Angelina by them | 80,130 | 802 sq mi (2,077 km²) |
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| Aransas County | 007 | Rockport | 1871 | Refugio County | The Rio Nuestra Senora de Aranzazu, a Spanish outpost in early Texas | 22,497 | 252 sq mi (653 km²) |
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| Archer County | 009 | Archer City | 1858 | Fannin County | Branch Tanner Archer, a commissioner for the Republic of Texas | 8,854 | 910 sq mi (2,357 km²) |
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| Armstrong County | 011 | Claude | 1876 | Bexar County | One of several Texas pioneer families, although it is not certain which one | 2,148 | 914 sq mi (2,367 km²) |
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| Atascosa County | 013 | Jourdanton | 1856 | Bexar County | The Spanish word for "boggy" | 38,628 | 1,232 sq mi (3,191 km²) |
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| Austin County | 015 | Bellville | 1836 | One of the original 23 counties | Stephen F. Austin (1793–1836), known as the Father of Texas | 23,590 | 653 sq mi (1,691 km²) |
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| Bailey County | 017 | Muleshoe | 1876 | Bexar County | Peter James Bailey, a defender of the Alamo | 6,594 | 827 sq mi (2,142 km²) |
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| Bandera County | 019 | Bandera | 1856 | Bexar County | Bandera Pass, named in turn for the Spanish word for "flag" | 17,645 | 792 sq mi (2,051 km²) |
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| Bastrop County | 021 | Bastrop | 1836 | One of the original 23 counties | Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop, Dutch settler who assisted Stephen F. Austin in obtaining land grants | 57,733 | 888 sq mi (2,300 km²) |
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| Baylor County | 023 | Seymour | 1858 | Fannin County | Henry Weidner Baylor, a surgeon in the Texas Rangers during the Mexican-American War | 4,093 | 871 sq mi (2,256 km²) |
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| Bee County | 025 | Beeville | 1857 | San Patricio County, Goliad County, Refugio County, Live Oak County, and Karnes County | Barnard Elliott Bee, Sr. (1787–1853), a secretary of state of the Republic of Texas | 32,359 | 880 sq mi (2,279 km²) |
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| Bell County | 027 | Belton | 1850 | Milam County | Peter Hansborough Bell, the third governor of Texas (1849–1853) | 237,974 | 1,059 sq mi (2,743 km²) |
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| Bexar County | 029 | San Antonio | 1836 | One of the original 23 counties | San Antonio de Béjar, the capital of Mexican Texas, in turn named for Saint Anthony and the municipality of Béjar in Spain | 1,392,931 | 1,247 sq mi (3,230 km²) |
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| Blanco County | 031 | Johnson City | 1858 | Burnet County, Comal County, Gillespie County and Hays County | The Blanco River (Blanco means "white" in Spanish) | 8,418 | 711 sq mi (1,841 km²) |
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| Borden County | 033 | Gail | 1876 | Bexar County | Gail Borden, Jr. (1801–1874), businessman, publisher, surveyor, and inventor of condensed milk | 729 | 899 sq mi (2,328 km²) |
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| Bosque County | 035 | Meridian | 1854 | McLennan County | The Bosque River (Bosque is Spanish for "wooded") | 17,204 | 989 sq mi (2,561 km²) |
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| Bowie County | 037 | Boston | 1840 | Red River County | James Bowie (1796–1836), the legendary knife fighter who died at the Battle of the Alamo | 89,306 | 888 sq mi (2,300 km²) |
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| Brazoria County | 039 | Angleton | 1836 | One of the original 23 counties | The Brazos River | 241,767 | 1,387 sq mi (3,592 km²) |
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| Brazos County | 041 | Bryan | 1841 | Washington County Named Navasota County until 1842 |
The Brazos River | 152,415 | 586 sq mi (1,518 km²) |
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| Brewster County | 043 | Alpine | 1887 | Presidio County | Henry Percy Brewster (1816–1884), a secretary of war for the Republic of Texas and soldier in the Civil War | 8,866 | 6,193 sq mi (16,040 km²) |
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| Briscoe County | 045 | Silverton | 1876 | Bexar County | Andrew Briscoe (1810–1849), a soldier during the Texas Revolution | 1,790 | 900 sq mi (2,331 km²) |
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| Brooks County | 047 | Falfurrias | 1911 | Starr County | John Abijah Brooks, a Texas Ranger and legislator | 7,976 | 943 sq mi (2,442 km²) |
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| Brown County | 049 | Brownwood | 1856 | Comanche County and Travis County | Henry Stevenson Brown, a commander at the Battle of Velasco | 37,674 | 944 sq mi (2,445 km²) |
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| Burleson County | 051 | Caldwell | 1846 | Milam County | Edward Burleson (1798–1851), a general and statesman of the Texas Revolution | 16,470 | 666 sq mi (1,725 km²) |
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| Burnet County | 053 | Burnet | 1852 | Bell County, Travis County and Williamson County | David Gouverneur Burnet, the first president of the Republic of Texas (1836) | 34,147 | 995 sq mi (2,577 km²) |
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| Caldwell County | 055 | Lockhart | 1848 | Bastrop County and Gonzales County | Mathew Caldwell, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and soldier during the Texas Revolution | 32,194 | 546 sq mi (1,414 km²) |
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| Calhoun County | 057 | Port Lavaca | 1846 | Jackson County, Matagorda County and Victoria County | John Caldwell Calhoun, the seventh vice president of the United States (1825–1832) | 20,647 | 512 sq mi (1,326 km²) |
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| Callahan County | 059 | Baird | 1858 | Bexar County, Bosque County, and Travis County | James Hughes Callahan, a soldier during the Texas Revolution | 12,905 | 899 sq mi (2,328 km²) |
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| Cameron County | 061 | Brownsville | 1848 | Nueces County and lands ceded by Mexico | Ewen Cameron, a soldier during the Texas Revolution | 335,227 | 906 sq mi (2,347 km²) |
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| Camp County | 063 | Pittsburg | 1874 | Upshur County | John Lafayette Camp (1828–1891), a Texas state politician | 11,549 | 198 sq mi (513 km²) |
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| Carson County | 065 | Panhandle | 1876 | Bexar County | Samuel Price Carson, the first secretary of state of the Republic of Texas (1836–1838) | 6,516 | 923 sq mi (2,391 km²) |
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| Cass County | 067 | Linden | 1846 | Bowie County Named Davis County 1861–1871 |
Lewis Cass (1782–1866), a senator from Michigan who had favored the annexation of Texas to the United States | 30,438 | 938 sq mi (2,429 km²) |
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| Castro County | 069 | Dimmitt | 1876 | Bexar County | Henri Castro (1786–1865), a French consul general for the Republic of Texas and founder of a colony in Texas | 8,285 | 898 sq mi (2,326 km²) |
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| Chambers County | 071 | Anahuac | 1858 | Jefferson County and Liberty County | Thomas Jefferson Chambers, an early lawyer in Texas | 26,031 | 599 sq mi (1,551 km²) |
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| Cherokee County | 073 | Rusk | 1846 | Nacogdoches County | The Cherokee Native American tribe | 46,659 | 1,052 sq mi (2,725 km²) |
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| Childress County | 075 | Childress | 1876 | Bexar County and Young County | George Campbell Childress (1804–1841), one of the authors of the Texas Declaration of Independence | 7,688 | 710 sq mi (1,839 km²) |
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| Clay County | 077 | Henrietta | 1857 | Cooke County | Henry Clay, Kentucky statesman and ninth secretary of state of the United States (1825–1829) | 11,006 | 1,098 sq mi (2,844 km²) |
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| Cochran County | 079 | Morton | 1876 | Bexar County and Young County | Robert E. Cochran (1810–1836), a defender of the Alamo | 3,730 | 775 sq mi (2,007 km²) |
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| Coke County | 081 | Robert Lee | 1889 | Tom Green County | Richard Coke, the fifteenth governor of Texas (1874–1876) | 3,864 | 899 sq mi (2,328 km²) |
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| Coleman County | 083 | Coleman | 1858 | Brown County and Travis County | Robert M. Coleman, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and soldier at the Battle of San Jacinto | 9,235 | 1,273 sq mi (3,297 km²) |
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| Collin County | 085 | McKinney | 1846 | Fannin County | Collin McKinney (1766–1861), an author of the Texas Declaration of Independence | 491,675 | 848 sq mi (2,196 km²) |
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| Collingsworth County | 087 | Wellington | 1876 | Bexar County and Young County | James Collinsworth, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and first chief justice of the Republic of Texas (spelling differs due to an error in the bill creating the county) | 3,206 | 919 sq mi (2,380 km²) |
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| Colorado County | 089 | Columbus | 1836 | One of the original 23 counties | The Colorado River | 20,390 | 963 sq mi (2,494 km²) |
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| Comal County | 091 | New Braunfels | 1846 | Bexar County | The Comal River | 78,021 | 562 sq mi (1,456 km²) |
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| Comanche County | 093 | Comanche | 1856 | Bosque County and Coryell County | The Comanche Native American tribe | 14,026 | 938 sq mi (2,429 km²) |
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| Concho County | 095 | Paint Rock | 1858 | Bexar County | The Concho River | 3,966 | 992 sq mi (2,569 km²) |
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| Cooke County | 097 | Gainesville | 1848 | Fannin County | William Gordon Cooke, a soldier during the Texas Revolution | 36,363 | 874 sq mi (2,264 km²) |
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| Coryell County | 099 | Gatesville | 1854 | Bell County | James Coryell, a frontiersman who was killed by Native Americans | 74,978 | 1,052 sq mi (2,725 km²) |
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| Cottle County | 101 | Paducah | 1876 | Fannin County | George Washington Cottle, who died defending the Alamo | 1,904 | 901 sq mi (2,334 km²) |
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| Crane County | 103 | Crane | 1887 | Tom Green County | William Carey Crane, a president of Baylor University | 3,996 | 786 sq mi (2,036 km²) |
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| Crockett County | 105 | Ozona | 1875 | Bexar County | David Crockett (1786–1836), the legendary frontiersman who died at the Battle of the Alamo | 4,099 | 2,808 sq mi (7,273 km²) |
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| Crosby County | 107 | Crosbyton | 1876 | Bexar County and Young County | Stephen Crosby, a land commissioner | 7,072 | 900 sq mi (2,331 km²) |
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| Culberson County | 109 | Van Horn | 1911 | El Paso County | David Browning Culberson, a lawyer and soldier in the Civil War | 2,975 | 3,813 sq mi (9,876 km²) |
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| Dallam County | 111 | Dalhart | 1876 | Bexar County | James Wilmer Dallam, a lawyer and newspaper publisher | 6,222 | 1,505 sq mi (3,898 km²) |
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| Dallas County | 113 | Dallas | 1846 | Nacogdoches County and Robertson County | George Mifflin Dallas, the eleventh vice president of the United States (1845–1849) | 2,294,706 | 880 sq mi (2,279 km²) |
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| Dawson County | 115 | Lamesa | 1846 | Bexar County | Nicholas Mosby Dawson, a soldier of the Texas Revolution | 14,985 | 902 sq mi (2,336 km²) |
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| Deaf Smith County | 117 | Hereford | 1876 | Bexar County | Erastus "Deaf" Smith (1787–1837), a scout during the Texas Revolution | 18,561 | 1,497 sq mi (3,877 km²) |
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| Delta County | 119 | Cooper | 1870 | Hopkins County and Lamar County | Its triangular shape, much like the Greek letter Delta | 5,327 | 277 sq mi (717 km²) |
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| Denton County | 121 | Denton | 1846 | Fannin County | John Bunyan Denton (1806–1841), a preacher, lawyer, and soldier killed during a raid on a Native American camp | 584,238 | 888 sq mi (2,300 km²) |
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| DeWitt County | 123 | Cuero | 1846 | Goliad County, Gonzales County and Victoria County | Green DeWitt, who founded an early colony in Texas | 20,013 | 909 sq mi (2,354 km²) |
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| Dickens County | 125 | Dickens | 1876 | Bexar County | J. Dickens, who died at the Battle of the Alamo | 2,762 | 904 sq mi (2,341 km²) |
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| Dimmit County | 127 | Carrizo Springs | 1858 | Bexar County, Maverick County, Uvalde County and Webb County | Philip Dimmitt, a major figure in the Texas Revolution | 10,248 | 1,331 sq mi (3,447 km²) |
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| Donley County | 129 | Clarendon | 1876 | Bexar County | Stockton P. Donley, a frontier lawyer | 3,828 | 930 sq mi (2,409 km²) |
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| Duval County | 131 | San Diego | 1858 | Live Oak County, Nueces County and Starr County | Burr Harrison DuVal (1809–1836), a soldier in the Texas Revolution who died in the Goliad Massacre | 13,120 | 1,793 sq mi (4,644 km²) |
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| Eastland County | 133 | Eastland | 1858 | Bosque County, Coryell County and Travis County | William Mosby Eastland, a soldier during the Texas Revolution | 18,297 | 926 sq mi (2,398 km²) |
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| Ector County | 135 | Odessa | 1887 | Tom Green County | Mathew Ector (1822–1879), a Confederate general | 121,123 | 901 sq mi (2,334 km²) |
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| Edwards County | 137 | Rocksprings | 1858 | Bexar County | Haden Edwards (1771–1849), an early settler of Nacogdoches | 2,162 | 2,120 sq mi (5,491 km²) |
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| El Paso County | 139 | El Paso | 1848 | Santa Fe County | The pass the Rio Grande creates flowing through the mountains on either side of the river | 721,598 | 1,013 sq mi (2,624 km²) |
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| Ellis County | 141 | Waxahachie | 1849 | Navarro County | Richard Ellis (1781–1846), president of the convention that produced the Texas Declaration of Independence | 111,360 | 940 sq mi (2,435 km²) |
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| Erath County | 143 | Stephenville | 1856 | Bosque County and Coryell County | George Bernard Erath, an early surveyor and a soldier at the Battle of San Jacinto | 33,001 | 1,086 sq mi (2,813 km²) |
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| Falls County | 145 | Marlin | 1850 | Limestone County and Milam County | The waterfalls on the Brazos River | 18,576 | 769 sq mi (1,992 km²) |
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| Fannin County | 147 | Bonham | 1837 | Red River County | James Walker Fannin, Jr. (1805–1836), the commander of the group of Texans killed in the Goliad Massacre | 31,242 | 892 sq mi (2,310 km²) |
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| Fayette County | 149 | La Grange | 1837 | Bastrop County | Marquis de La Fayette (1757–1834), the French hero of the American Revolutionary War | 21,804 | 950 sq mi (2,460 km²) |
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| Fisher County | 151 | Roby | 1876 | Bexar County | Samuel Rhoads Fisher (1794–1839), a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and secretary of the Navy under the Republic of Texas | 4,344 | 901 sq mi (2,334 km²) |
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| Floyd County | 153 | Floydada | 1876 | Bexar County and Young County | Dolphin Ward Floyd, who died defending the Alamo | 7,771 | 992 sq mi (2,569 km²) |
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| Foard County | 155 | Crowell | 1891 | Cottle County, Hardeman County, King County and Knox County | Robert Levi Foard, an attorney and Civil War soldier | 1,622 | 707 sq mi (1,831 km²) |
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| Fort Bend County | 157 | Richmond | 1837 | Austin County, Brazoria County and Harris County | A blockhouse positioned in a bend of the Brazos River | 354,452 | 875 sq mi (2,266 km²) |
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| Franklin County | 159 | Mount Vernon | 1875 | Titus County | Benjamin Cromwell Franklin (1805–1873), an early judge and legislator in Texas | 9,458 | 286 sq mi (741 km²) |