Brazos County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brazos County
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The Brazos County Courthouse in Bryan
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Location within the U.S. state of Texas
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 Texas's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Texas |
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| Founded | 1843 | |
| Named for | Brazos River | |
| Seat | Bryan | |
| Largest city | College Station | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 591 sq mi (1,530 km2) | |
| • Land | 585 sq mi (1,520 km2) | |
| • Water | 5.8 sq mi (15 km2) 1.0% | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 233,849 | |
| • Density | 395.7/sq mi (152.77/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) | |
| Congressional district | 10th | |
Brazos County (
i/ˈbræzəs/ BRAZ-əs) is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 233,849. The county seat is Bryan. Along with Brazoria County, the county is named for the Brazos River, which forms its western border. The county was formed in 1841 and organized in 1843.
Brazos County is part of the Bryan-College Station Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Bryan, College Station, and smaller cities and towns in Brazos, Burleson, and Robertson counties.
Contents
History
In 1837, most of the area of present-day Brazos County was included in Washington County. The Brazos River, which bisected the latter, proved a serious obstacle to county government, and a new county, Navasota, was formed in January 1841. The first court, with Judge R. E. B. Baylor presiding, was held later that year in the home of Joseph Ferguson, fourteen miles west of the site of present Bryan. The county seat, named Boonville for Mordecai Boon, was located on John Austin's league and was surveyed by Hiram Hanover in 1841. In January of the following year Navasota County was renamed Brazos County.
Originally one of the state's poorer counties, the county donated 2,416 acres of land in the 1870s to create Texas A&M University, which has enabled the county to be among the state's most financially successful.
After the Civil War tens of thousands of new residents moved to Brazos County, attracted by its good lands, with plenty of timber and a patchwork of prairies and fertile floodplains. As newcomers poured in by the thousands the county suffered from arson, feuding, shooting and racial violence, including mob lynchings.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 591 square miles (1,530 km2), of which 585 square miles (1,520 km2) is land and 5.8 square miles (15 km2) (1.0%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Robertson County (northwest)
- Leon County (north)
- Madison County (northeast)
- Grimes County (east)
- Washington County (south)
- Burleson County (southwest)
The northwestern boundary follows the Old Spanish Trail.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 614 | — | |
| 1860 | 3,096 | 404.2% | |
| 1870 | 9,205 | 197.3% | |
| 1880 | 13,576 | 47.5% | |
| 1890 | 16,650 | 22.6% | |
| 1900 | 18,859 | 13.3% | |
| 1910 | 18,919 | 0.3% | |
| 1920 | 21,975 | 16.2% | |
| 1930 | 21,835 | −0.6% | |
| 1940 | 26,997 | 23.6% | |
| 1950 | 38,390 | 42.2% | |
| 1960 | 44,895 | 16.9% | |
| 1970 | 57,978 | 29.1% | |
| 1980 | 94,492 | 63.0% | |
| 1990 | 121,862 | 29.0% | |
| 2000 | 152,415 | 25.1% | |
| 2010 | 194,851 | 27.8% | |
| 2020 | 233,849 | 20.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 115,252 | 123,035 | 59.15% | 52.61% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 20,827 | 23,569 | 10.69% | 10.08% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 484 | 502 | 0.25% | 0.21% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 9,982 | 14,621 | 5.12% | 6.25% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 82 | 210 | 0.04% | 0.09% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 246 | 1,009 | 0.13% | 0.43% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 2,573 | 7,836 | 1.32% | 3.35% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 45,405 | 63,067 | 23.30% | 26.97% |
| Total | 194,851 | 233,849 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
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 can be of any race.
Transportation
Public Transportation
The Brazos Transit District operates a fixed route bus service and paratransit throughout Bryan and College Station.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 190
State Highway 6
State Highway 21
State Highway 30- State Highway 40
State Highway 47
State Highway OSR- Farm to Market Road 60
- Farm to Market Road 2154
- Farm to Market Road 2347
- Farm to Market Road 2818
Airport
Easterwood Airport, owned by Texas A&M, is the local commercial airport, with flights to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
Coulter Field is in Bryan.
Communities
Cities
- Bryan (county seat)
- College Station
- Navasota (partial)
- Wixon Valley
Towns
Census-designated place
Unincorporated communities
- Allenfarm
- Cawthon
- Edge
- Fairview
- Harvey
- Millican - Former municipality
- Mooring
- Mudville
- Nelleva
- Peach Creek
- Smetana
- Tabor
- Wellborn
Ghost Towns
- Boonville
- Cottonwood
- Dallam
- Dinkins
- Enright
- Macey
- Moore
- Reliance
- Sims
- Stone City
- Union
- Varisco
- Wicker
- Zack
Education
School districts:
- Bryan Independent School District
- College Station Independent School District
- Navasota Independent School District
Blinn College is the designated community college for all of the county.
Texas A&M University, the largest university by enrollment in Texas, is located in College Station.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Brazos para niños
