Texas Counties
Texas County map
Click Image to Enlarge

Texas Counties

Texas is divided into two hundred and fifty-four counties, more than any other state. 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
 

Texas Counties: History and Information

Find a brief history of Texas CountiesBrief history of Texas Counties: Flags of Our Nation

Texas is a state in the South and Southwest regions of the United States. It joined the United States in 1845 as the 28th state, after nine years of self governing.

The state name derives from a word in a Caddoan language of the Hasinai, táysha (or tejas, as the Spaniards spelled it), meaning friends or allies. Spanish explorers mistakenly applied the word to the people and their location.

With an area of 268,820 square miles (696,241 km2) and a population of 22.5 million, Texas is the second largest US state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous 48 states in area. (Alaska is the largest US state in area and California is the most populous.) Texas has historically had a "larger than life" reputation, especially in cowboy films.

Of Texas 254 counties, 42 bear Indian, French, or Spanish names. Stephen F. Austin is honored by 10 counties. Washington, Clay and other American patriots are honored by 12 counties. Men like Glasscock who fought in the Texas War of Independence or at the Alamo are honored by 96 counties, 15 of those dying at the Alamo, signed the Declaration of Independence or served as statesmen in the Republic of Texas. Twenty-three have the names of frontiers men and pioneers. Eleven honor American statesmen who worked for the annexation of Texas. Ten leaders in Texas since statehood, including jurist, ministers, educators, historians, statesmen, and 36 men were prominent in the Confederacy during Civil War. Midland and 8 others have geographical names. San Jacinto and Val Verde were named for battles, Live Oak and Orange, for trees, and Mason for a fort.

Find a brief history of Texas Counties

County 2000
Population
Square
Miles
County Seat Created
Anderson County 55,109 1,071 Palestine 1846
Andrews County 13,004 1,501 Andrews 1876
Angelina County 80,130 802 Lufkin 1846
Aransas County 22,497 252 Rockport 1871
Archer County 8,854 910 Archer City 1858
Armstrong County 2,148 914 Claude 1876
Atascosa County 38,628 1,232 Jourdanton 1856
Austin County 23,590 653 Bellville 1836
Bailey County 6,594 827 Muleshoe 1876
Bandera County 17,645 792 Bandera 1856
Bastrop County 57,733 888 Bastrop 1836
Baylor County 4,093 871 Seymour 1858
Bee County 32,359 880 Beeville 1857
Bell County 237,974 1,059 Belton 1850
Bexar County 1,392,931 1,247 San Antonio 1835
Blanco County 8,418 711 Johnson City 1858
Borden County 729 899 Gail 1876
Bosque County 17,204 989 Meridian 1854
Bowie County 89,306 888 New Boston 1840
Brazoria County 241,767 1,387 Angleton 1836
Brazos County 152,415 586 Bryan 1841
Brewster County 8,866 6,193 Alpine 1887
Briscoe County 1,790 900 Silverton 1876
Brooks County 7,976 943 Falfurrias 1911
Brown County 37,674 944 Brownwood 1856
Burleson County 16,470 666 Caldwell 1846
Burnet County 34,147 995 Burnet 1852
Caldwell County 32,194 546 Lockhart 1848
Calhoun County 20,647 512 Port Lavaca 1846
Callahan County 12,905 899 Baird 1877
Cameron County 335,227 906 Brownsville 1848
Camp County 11,549 198 Pittsburg 1874
Carson County 6,516 923 Panhandle 1876
Cass County 30,438 938 Linden 1846
Castro County 8,285 898 Dimmitt 1876
Chambers County 26,031 599 Anahuac 1858
Cherokee County 46,659 1,052 Rusk 1846
Childress County 7,688 710 Childress 1887
Clay County 11,006 1,098 Henrietta 1857
Cochran County 3,730 775 Morton 1876
Coke County 3,864 899 Robert Lee 1889
Coleman County 9,235 1,273 Coleman 1858
Collin County 491,675 848 McKinney 1846
Collingsworth County 3,206 919 Wellington 1876
Colorado County 20,390 963 Columbus 1836
Comal County 78,021 562 New Braunfels 1846
Comanche County 14,026 938 Comanche 1856
Concho County 3,966 992 Paint Rock 1858
Cooke County 36,363 874 Gainesville 1848
Coryell County 74,978 1,052 Gatesville 1854
Cottle County 1,904 901 Paducah 1892
Crane County 3,996 786 Crane 1927
Crockett County 4,099 2,808 Ozona 1875
Crosby County 7,072 900 Crosbyton 1876
Culberson County 2,975 3,813 Van Horn 1911
Dallam County 6,222 1,505 Dalhart 1876
Dallas County 2,218,899 880 Dallas 1846
Dawson County 14,985 902 Lamesa 1858
Deaf Smith County 18,561 1,497 Hereford 1876
Delta County 5,327 277 Cooper 1870
Denton County 432,976 888 Denton 1846
DeWitt County 20,013 909 Cuero 1846
Dickens County 2,762 904 Dickens 1876
Dimmit County 10,248 1,331 Carrizo Springs 1858
Donley County 3,828 930 Clarendon 1876
Duval County 13,120 1,793 San Diego 1858
Eastland County 18,297 926 Eastland 1858
Ector County 121,123 901 Odessa 1887
Edwards County 2,162 2,120 Rocksprings 1858
El Paso County 679,622 1,013 El Paso 1850
Ellis County 111,360 940 Waxahachie 1849
Erath County 33,001 1,086 Stephenville 1856
Falls County 18,576 769 Marlin 1850
Fannin County 31,242 892 Bonham 1837
Fayette County 21,804 950 La Grange 1837
Fisher County 4,344 901 Roby 1876
Floyd County 7,771 992 Floydada 1876
Foard County 1,622 707 Crowell 1891
Fort Bend County 354,452 875 Richmond 1837
Franklin County 9,458 286 Mount Vernon 1875
Freestone County 17,867 885 Fairfield 1850
Frio County 16,252 1,133 Pearsall 1858
Gaines County 14,467 1,502 Seminole 1876
Galveston County 250,158 399 Galveston 1838
Garza County 4,872 896 Post 1876
Gillespie County 20,814 1,061 Fredericksburg 1846
Glasscock County 1,406 901 Garden City 1887
Goliad County 6,928 854 Goliad 1836
Gonzales County 18,628 1,068 Gonzales 1836
Gray County 22,744 928 Pampa 1876
Grayson County 110,595 934 Sherman 1846
Gregg County 111,379 274 Longview 1873
Grimes County 23,552 794 Anderson 1846
Guadalupe County 89,023 711 Seguin 1846
Hale County 36,602 1,005 Plainview 1876
Hall County 3,782 903 Memphis 1876
Hamilton County 8,229 836 Hamilton 1858
Hansford County 5,369 920 Spearman 1876
Hardeman County 4,724 695 Quanah 1858
Hardin County 48,073 894 Kountze 1858
Harris County 3,400,578 1,729 Houston 1836
Harrison County 62,110 899 Marshall 1839
Hartley County 5,537 1,462 Channing 1876
Haskell County 6,093 903 Haskell 1858
Hays County 97,589 678 San Marcos 1848
Hemphill County 3,351 910 Canadian 1876
Henderson County 73,277 874 Athens 1846
Hidalgo County 569,463 1,569 Edinburg 1852
Hill County 32,321 962 Hillsboro 1853
Hockley County 22,716 908 Levelland 1921
Hood County 41,100 422 Granbury 1865
Hopkins County 31,960 785 Sulphur Springs 1846
Houston County 23,185 1,231 Crockett 1837
Howard County 33,627 903 Big Spring 1876
Hudspeth County 3,344 4,571 Sierra Blanca 1917
Hunt County 76,596 841 Greenville 1846
Hutchinson County 23,857 887 Stinnett 1876
Irion County 1,771 1,052 Mertzon 1889
Jack County 8,763 917 Jacksboro 1857
Jackson County 14,391 830 Edna 1836
Jasper County 35,604 938 Jasper 1836
Jeff Davis County 2,207 2,265 Fort Davis 1887
Jefferson County 252,051 904 Beaumont 1836
Jim Hogg County 5,281 1,136 Hebbronville 1913
Jim Wells County 39,326 865 Alice 1911
Johnson County 126,811 729 Cleburne 1854
Jones County 20,785 931 Anson 1881
Karnes County 15,446 750 Karnes City 1854
Kaufman County 71,313 786 Kaufman 1848
Kendall County 23,743 662 Boerne 1862
Kenedy County 414 1,457 Sarita 1911
Kent County 859 902 Jayton 1876
Kerr County 43,653 1,106 Kerrville 1856
Kimble County 4,468 1,251 Junction 1858
King County 356 912 Guthrie 1850
Kinney County 3,379 1,364 Brackettville 1876
Kleberg County 31,549 871 Kingsville 1913
Knox County 4,253 854 Benjamin 1858
La Salle County 5,866 1,489 Cotulla 1858
Lamar County 48,499 917 Paris 1840
Lamb County 14,709 1,016 Littlefield 1876
Lampasas County 17,762 712 Lampasas 1856
Lavaca County 19,210 970 Hallettsville 1846
Lee County 15,657 629 Giddings 1874
Leon County 15,335 1,072 Centerville 1846
Liberty County 70,154 1,160 Liberty 1836
Limestone County 22,051 909 Groesbeck 1846
Lipscomb County 3,057 932 Lipscomb 1876
Live Oak County 12,309 1,036 George West 1856
Llano County 17,044 935 Llano 1856
Loving County 67 673 Mentone 1887
Lubbock County 242,628 900 Lubbock 1891
Lynn County 6,550 892 Tahoka 1876
Madison County 12,940 470 Madisonville 1854
Marion County 10,941 381 Jefferson 1860
Martin County 4,746 915 Stanton 1876
Mason County 3,738 932 Mason 1858
Matagorda County 37,957 1,114 Bay City 1836
Maverick County 47,297 1,280 Eagle Pass 1856
McCulloch County 8,205 1,069 Brady 1856
McLennan County 213,517 1,042 Waco 1850
McMullen County 851 1,113 Tilden 1858
Medina County 39,304 1,328 Hondo 1848
Menard County 2,360 902 Menard 1858
Midland County 116,009 900 Midland 1885
Milam County 24,238 1,017 Cameron 1836
Mills County 5,151 748 Goldthwaite 1887
Mitchell County 9,698 910 Colorado City 1876
Montague County 19,117 931 Montague 1857
Montgomery County 293,768 1,044 Conroe 1837
Moore County 20,121 900 Dumas 1876
Morris County 13,048 254 Daingerfield 1875
Motley County 1,426 989 Matador 1876
Nacogdoches County 59,203 947 Nacogdoches 1836
Navarro County 45,124 1,071 Corsicana 1846
Newton County 15,072 933 Newton 1846
Nolan County 15,802 912 Sweetwater 1876
Nueces County 313,645 836 Corpus Christi 1846
Ochiltree County 9,006 918 Perryton 1876
Oldham County 2,185 1,501 Vega 1876
Orange County 84,966 356 Orange 1852
Palo Pinto County 27,026 953 Palo Pinto 1856
Panola County 22,756 801 Carthage 1846
Parker County 88,495 904 Weatherford 1855
Parmer County 10,016 882 Farwell 1876
Pecos County 16,809 4,764 Fort Stockton 1871
Polk County 41,133 1,057 Livingston 1846
Potter County 113,546 909 Amarillo 1876
Presidio County 7,304 3,856 Marfa 1850
Rains County 9,139 232 Emory 1870
Randall County 104,312 914 Canyon 1876
Reagan County 3,326 1,175 Big Lake 1903
Real County 3,047 700 Leakey 1913
Red River County 14,314 1,050 Clarksville 1836
Reeves County 13,137 2,636 Pecos 1885
Refugio County 7,828 770 Refugio 1856
Roberts County 887 924 Miami 1876
Robertson County 16,000 855 Franklin 1837
Rockwall County 43,080 129 Rockwall 1873
Runnels County 11,495 1,054 Ballinger 1858
Rusk County 47,372 924 Henderson 1843
Sabine County 10,469 490 Hemphill 1836
San Augustine County 8,946 528 San Augustine 1836
San Jacinto County 22,246 571 Coldspring 1870
San Patricio County 67,138 692 Sinton 1836
San Saba County 6,186 1,134 San Saba 1856
Schleicher County 2,935 1,311 Eldorado 1887
Scurry County 16,361 903 Snyder 1876
Shackelford County 3,302 914 Albany 1858
Shelby County 25,224 794 Center 1836
Sherman County 3,186 923 Stratford 1876
Smith County 174,706 928 Tyler 1846
Somervell County 6,809 187 Glen Rose 1875
Starr County 53,597 1,223 Rio Grande City 1848
Stephens County 9,674 895 Breckenridge 1858
Sterling County 1,393 923 Sterling City 1891
Stonewall County 1,693 919 Aspermont 1876
Sutton County 4,077 1,454 Sonora 1887
Swisher County 8,378 900 Tulia 1876
Tarrant County 1,446,219 864 Fort Worth 1849
Taylor County 126,555 916 Abilene 1858
Terrell County 1,081 2,358 Sanderson 1905
Terry County 12,761 890 Brownfield 1876
Throckmorton County 1,850 912 Throckmorton 1858
Titus County 28,118 411 Mount Pleasant 1846
Tom Green County 104,010 1,522 San Angelo 1874
Travis County 812,280 989 Austin 1840
Trinity County 13,779 693 Groveton 1850
Tyler County 20,871 923 Woodville 1846
Upshur County 35,291 588 Gilmer 1846
Upton County 3,404 1,242 Rankin 1887
Uvalde County 25,926 1,557 Uvalde 1850
Val Verde County 44,856 3,171 Del Rio 1885
Van Zandt County 48,140 849 Canton 1848
Victoria County 84,088 883 Victoria 1836
Walker County 61,758 788 Huntsville 1846
Waller County 32,663 514 Hempstead 1873
Ward County 10,909 836 Monahans 1892
Washington County 30,373 609 Brenham 1836
Webb County 193,117 3,357 Laredo 1848
Wharton County 41,188 1,090 Wharton 1846
Wheeler County 5,284 914 Wheeler 1876
Wichita County 131,664 628 Wichita Falls 1858
Wilbarger County 14,676 971 Vernon 1858
Willacy County 20,082 597 Raymondville 1921
Williamson County 249,967 1,124 Georgetown 1848
Wilson County 32,408 807 Floresville 1860
Winkler County 7,173 841 Kermit 1887
Wise County 48,793 905 Decatur 1856
Wood County 36,752 650 Quitman 1850
Yoakum County 7,322 800 Plains 1876
Young County 17,943 922 Graham 1856
Zapata County 12,182 997 Zapata 1858
Zavala County 11,600 1,299 Crystal City 1858


County Resources
US Counties
Click Image to Enlarge