kids encyclopedia robot

Bastrop County, Texas facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Bastrop County
The Bastrop County Courthouse in Bastrop is designed in classical revival style. Built in 1883, the Courthouse and Jail Complex were listed in the National Register of Historic Places on November 20, 1975.
The Bastrop County Courthouse in Bastrop is designed in classical revival style. Built in 1883, the Courthouse and Jail Complex were listed in the National Register of Historic Places on November 20, 1975.
Map of Texas highlighting Bastrop County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Texas
Founded 1837
Named for Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop
Seat Bastrop
Largest city Elgin
Area
 • Total 896 sq mi (2,320 km2)
 • Land 888 sq mi (2,300 km2)
 • Water 7.4 sq mi (19 km2)  0.8%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 97,216
 • Density 108.50/sq mi (41.892/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts 10th, 27th

Bastrop County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is found in Central Texas. The main city and county seat is Bastrop.

In 2020, about 97,216 people lived here. Bastrop County is part of the larger AustinRound Rock area.

History of Bastrop County

In 1834, a group of lawmakers in Mexico created the area called Mina. This area included parts of many counties we know today.

On December 14, 1837, the leaders of the Republic of Texas changed the borders. They created Fayette County. On December 18, 1837, the county and town of Mina were renamed. They became Bastrop to honor Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop. He was an early Dutch settler who helped Stephen F. Austin get land in Texas.

Over the next few years, the county's borders changed a few more times. By 1850, Bastrop County was almost the size it is today.

In September 2011, Bastrop County had a very large wildfire. It was the most damaging wildfire in Texas history. It sadly destroyed over 1,600 homes.

Geography of Bastrop County

Bastrop County covers a total area of about 896 square miles. Most of this area, about 888 square miles, is land. Only a small part, about 7.4 square miles, is water.

Neighboring Counties

Bastrop County shares its borders with these other counties:

People of Bastrop County

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 3,099
1860 7,006 126.1%
1870 12,209 74.3%
1880 17,215 41.0%
1890 20,736 20.5%
1900 26,845 29.5%
1910 25,344 −5.6%
1920 26,649 5.1%
1930 23,888 −10.4%
1940 21,610 −9.5%
1950 19,622 −9.2%
1960 16,925 −13.7%
1970 17,297 2.2%
1980 24,726 42.9%
1990 38,263 54.7%
2000 57,733 50.9%
2010 74,171 28.5%
2020 97,216 31.1%
2023 (est.) 110,778 49.4%
U.S. Decennial Census
1850–2010 2010 2020
Bastrop County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000 Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 37,764 42,446 45,751 65.41% 57.23% 47.06%
Black or African American alone (NH) 4,938 5,535 5,460 8.55% 7.46% 5.62%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 239 315 312 0.41% 0.42% 0.32%
Asian alone (NH) 255 449 718 0.44% 0.61% 0.74%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 22 54 63 0.04% 0.07% 0.06%
Other Race alone (NH) 39 115 417 0.07% 0.16% 0.43%
Mixed Race or Multiracial (NH) 631 1,067 3,011 1.09% 1.44% 3.10%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 13,845 24,190 41,484 23.98% 32.61% 42.67%
Total 57,733 74,171 97,216 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

In 2000, there were 57,733 people living in Bastrop County. There were 20,097 households. About 14,771 of these were families. The county had about 65 people per square mile.

About 35.9% of households had children under 18. Most households (58.5%) were married couples. About 21.5% of households were single people. The average household had 2.77 people.

The population was spread out by age. About 28% were under 18. About 10.3% were 65 or older. The average age was 35 years.

The average income for a household was $43,578. For a family, it was $49,456. About 11.6% of the people lived below the poverty line. This included 15.4% of those under 18.

Education in Bastrop County

Several school districts serve the students of Bastrop County:

  • Bastrop Independent School District
  • Elgin Independent School District (part of it)
  • Lexington Independent School District (part of it)
  • McDade Independent School District
  • Smithville Independent School District (part of it)

Austin Community College is the main community college for most of the county. Some areas are part of the Blinn Junior College District.

Transportation in Bastrop County

A new airport, Central Texas Airport, has been suggested. It would be about ten miles northwest of Bastrop town.

Main Highways

These are the major roads that go through Bastrop County:

  • US 290.svg U.S. Highway 290
  • Texas 21.svg State Highway 21
  • Texas 71.svg State Highway 71
  • Texas 95.svg State Highway 95
  • Texas 304.svg State Highway 304

Fun Places to Visit

Bastrop County has some great places for outdoor activities:

Communities in Bastrop County

Cities

Census-Designated Places

These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities:

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller communities that are not part of any city:

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Bastrop para niños

kids search engine
Bastrop County, Texas Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.