Kenedy County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kenedy County
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The Kenedy County Courthouse in Sarita
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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 |
| State |  Texas |
| Founded | 1921 |
| Named for | Mifflin Kenedy |
| Seat | Sarita |
| Largest community | Sarita |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,946 sq mi (5,040 km2) |
| • Land | 1,458 sq mi (3,780 km2) |
| • Water | 487 sq mi (1,260 km2) 25% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 350 |
| • Estimate
(2022)
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358  |
| • Density | 0.1799/sq mi (0.0694/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 34th |
Kenedy County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It's known for being one of the least populated counties in both Texas and the entire United States. In 2020, only 350 people lived there!
The county's main town and county seat is Sarita. Kenedy County was created in 1921 from parts of two other counties, Hidalgo and Willacy. It was named after Mifflin Kenedy, who was an important rancher and steamboat operator in the area a long time ago.
Kenedy County is part of the Kingsville area. It's unique because it doesn't have any big cities or towns that are officially "incorporated." In 1999, a storm called Hurricane Bret hit the county. Luckily, because so few people live there, the damage was not too bad. In recent years, a large wind farm, the Peñascal Wind Power Project, was built near Sarita. This project might help the population grow a little.
A very large and famous ranch, the King Ranch, covers a big part of Kenedy County. Mifflin Kenedy used to be a partner in this ranch before 1868.
Contents
Geography of Kenedy County
Kenedy County is a large county in Texas. It covers about 1,946 square miles. A big part of this area, about 487 square miles, is water. This means about 25% of the county is water!
The county is located right next to the Gulf of Mexico. This is the large body of water on the southeastern coast of the United States. Baffin Bay also forms a lot of the border with a nearby county called Kleberg County.
Roads and Highways
There is only one main highway that goes through Kenedy County.
U.S. Highway 77 is the main road.
Interstate 69E is a new highway being built. It will mostly follow the same path as U.S. 77.
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Neighboring Counties
Kenedy County shares its borders with a few other counties:
- Kleberg County to the north
- Willacy County to the south
- Hidalgo County to the southwest
- Brooks County to the west
Protected Natural Areas
Part of the Padre Island National Seashore is located in Kenedy County. This is a protected area that helps keep the natural beauty of the coast safe.
Population and People
Kenedy County has always had a small population. Here's how the number of people living there has changed over the years:
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 1,033 | — | |
| 1930 | 701 | −32.1% | |
| 1940 | 700 | −0.1% | |
| 1950 | 632 | −9.7% | |
| 1960 | 884 | 39.9% | |
| 1970 | 678 | −23.3% | |
| 1980 | 543 | −19.9% | |
| 1990 | 460 | −15.3% | |
| 2000 | 414 | −10.0% | |
| 2010 | 416 | 0.5% | |
| 2020 | 350 | −15.9% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 358 | −13.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010-2020 |
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In 2000, there were 414 people living in Kenedy County. Most of the people living there were of Hispanic or Latino background. In fact, about 79% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.
The average age of people in Kenedy County in 2000 was 34 years old. About 29% of the population was under 18 years old.
An interesting fact about Kenedy County is that in 1999, there were 108 times more cattle than people living there! This shows how much of the county is used for ranching.
Education
Most children in Kenedy County go to school in the Kenedy County Wide Common School District. This district has one school, Sarita Elementary School, which teaches students from Pre-Kindergarten to 6th grade.
After finishing elementary school, students from Sarita move on to middle school and high school in the Riviera Independent School District. This district includes De La Paz Middle School and Kaufer Early College High School.
For students who want to continue their education after high school, Del Mar College is the community college for all of Kenedy County.
Communities in Kenedy County
Kenedy County has a few small communities:
Main Community
- Sarita is the county seat, which means it's where the county government is located.
Other Communities
- Armstrong is another small, unincorporated community in the county.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Kenedy para niños
