McLennan County, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids McLennan County
U.S. county
The McLennan County Courthouse in Waco
Flag
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1850
Named for	Neil McLennan
Seat	Waco
Largest city	Waco
Area
• Total	1,060 sq mi (2,700 km2)
• Land	1,037 sq mi (2,690 km2)
• Water	23 sq mi (60 km2)  2.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	260,579
• Estimate  (2023)	268,583
• Density	245.8/sq mi (94.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	17th

McLennan County is a county located in Central Texas. It's part of the Edwards Plateau region. In 2020, about 260,579 people lived here. The main city and county seat is Waco. The county is named after Neil McLennan, an early Scottish settler. McLennan County is also part of the larger Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Discovering McLennan County's Past

McLennan County was officially created by the Texas Legislature in 1850. It was formed from parts of Milam County. The county seat, Waco, started as a small outpost for the Texas Rangers. It was planned by George B. Erath and was known as Waco Village by 1850.

A Sweet Invention: Dr Pepper

In the 1880s, a pharmacist named Charles Alderton in Waco created a new fizzy drink. This drink later became famous as Dr Pepper. The first Dr Pepper company was based in Waco before moving to Dallas, Texas. Today, you can visit the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco. It's in the old 1906 building where Dr Pepper was first bottled on its own.

Early Flights and Military History

Some local stories say that the first successful flight wasn't in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Instead, it happened near a small community called Tokio in McLennan County. A man supposedly flew a gyrocopter there.

During World War I, McLennan County had at least one military airfield called Rich Field. Later, during World War II, Rich Field was used again by the Air Force. Another important base, James Connally Air Force Base, also opened. Today, this base is used as the TSTC Waco Airport and is home to Texas State Technical College.

A local hero from McLennan County, Doris Miller, was awarded the Navy Cross for his bravery at Pearl Harbor. He was the first African American to receive such a high honor.

The County Courthouse: A Historic Building

The main building for the county government, the McLennan County Courthouse, is in Waco. The building you see today was finished in 1902. It was designed in the Beaux-Arts style. This courthouse is one of the last examples of architect James Riely Gordon's work in Texas. He designed eighteen courthouses, and thirteen of them are still standing.

The first courthouse in McLennan County was a simple two-story log cabin built in 1851. It cost $500. The second courthouse, a two-story brick building, was completed in 1857. The third courthouse was built in 1877.

Learning Centers: Colleges in McLennan County

McLennan County is home to several important colleges. In 1886, Baylor University moved to Waco and joined with Waco University. In the early 1900s, McLennan County had as many as five colleges! Some of these colleges later moved, like Texas Christian University (now in Fort Worth) and Paul Quinn College (now in Dallas).

In the 1960s, the McLennan Community College was created. It was one of the first colleges to use the words "community college" in its name. Around the same time, Texas State Technical College was founded. Today, Baylor University, McLennan Community College, and Texas State Technical College are still active in McLennan County. They provide education for many high school graduates from the area. McLennan Community College also works with other universities to offer many different bachelor's and master's degrees.

The Great Train Crash of 1896

In 1896, a temporary "city" called Crush, Texas, was set up in McLennan County. It was about 15 kilometers (9 miles) north of Waco. This temporary city was built for a huge publicity stunt! A man named William Crush and the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad planned to crash two large steam locomotives together. People paid $2 each to watch this event.

On September 15, 1896, over 40,000 people gathered. The event was delayed to make sure the crowd was a safe distance away. The train crews tied the throttles open and jumped off. The two engines, pulling wagons full of railroad ties, crashed into each other at a combined speed of up to 120 mph (193 km/h). The boilers exploded, sending steam and pieces of metal flying into the crowd. Sadly, three people died, and about six were hurt. The event photographer, Jarvis "Joe" Deane, lost an eye.

The famous ragtime composer Scott Joplin even wrote a song about this event called "The Great Crush Collision March."

Exploring McLennan County's Geography

McLennan County covers a total area of about 1,060 square miles (2,745 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 1,037 square miles (2,686 square kilometers), is land. The remaining 23 square miles (60 square kilometers) is covered by water.

Main Roads in McLennan County

• Interstate 35
• U.S. Highway 77
• U.S. Highway 84
• State Highway 6
• State Highway 31
• State Highway 164
• State Highway 317

Neighboring Counties

McLennan County shares borders with these other counties:

• Hill County (north)
• Limestone County (east)
• Falls County (southeast)
• Bell County (south)
• Coryell County (southwest)
• Bosque County (northwest)

People and Population

In 2020, McLennan County had 260,579 people living in 94,194 households. The average home value was about $165,400.

The population is made up of different groups. About 79.7% of people were White, 14.9% were Black or African American, and 1.8% were Asian. About 27.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino. Many people have roots from Germany (12.8%), England (8.0%), and Ireland (6.9%).

About 24.4% of the population was under 18 years old, and 15.0% were 65 or older. The county has slightly more female residents (51%) than male residents (49%). The average household income in the county was about $53,723.

Communities in McLennan County

McLennan County has many different cities and communities.

Cities (in multiple counties)

Some cities are so big they stretch into other counties:

• Bruceville-Eddy (also in Falls County)
• Golinda (mostly in Falls County)
• Mart (also in Limestone County)
• McGregor (also in Coryell County)
• Valley Mills (mostly in Bosque County)

Cities (only in McLennan County)

Other Communities

• China Spring (a census-designated place)
• Axtell (an unincorporated community)
• Elm Mott (an unincorporated community)
• Ocee (an unincorporated community)
• Speegleville (an unincorporated community)

Economy: Jobs in McLennan County

Aerial view of downtown Waco in 2009, with the Brazos River on the left and Baylor University in the upper right.

Many people in McLennan County work for large organizations and companies. Here are some of the top employers:

Education in McLennan County

Colleges and Universities

• Baylor University
• McLennan Community College
• Texas State Technical College

Public School Districts

These are the public school districts that serve students in McLennan County:

See also

In Spanish: Condado de McLennan para niños