Polk County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Polk County
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| County of Polk | |
Polk County Court House
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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 | March 30, 1846 |
| Named for | James K. Polk |
| Seat | Livingston |
| Largest town | Livingston |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,110 sq mi (2,900 km2) |
| • Land | 1,057 sq mi (2,740 km2) |
| • Water | 53 sq mi (140 km2) 4.74% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 50,123 |
| • Density | 45.16/sq mi (17.43/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes |
75934, 75936, 75939, 75960, 77326, 77335, 77350, 77351, 77360, 77364
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| Area code | 936 |
| Congressional district | 36th |
Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 50,123. Its county seat is Livingston. The county is named after James K. Polk.
The Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation of the federally recognized tribe is in Polk County, where the people have been since the early 19th century, after having been forcibly evicted from the Southeast. The 2000 census reported a resident population of 480 persons within the reservation. The tribe reports 1100 enrolled members.
Contents
History
Polk County, named for His Excellency James Knox Polk of Tennessee, President of the United States, was by act of the First Legislature of the State of Texas, approved on March 30, 1846, created out of Liberty County and embraced that portion thereof known and designated as the "Northern Division" of said Liberty County. It was one of the first of a series of 23 counties, formulated, constituted and established by the State of Texas, after annexation with the United States.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 2,348 | — | |
| 1860 | 8,300 | 253.5% | |
| 1870 | 8,707 | 4.9% | |
| 1880 | 7,189 | −17.4% | |
| 1890 | 10,332 | 43.7% | |
| 1900 | 14,447 | 39.8% | |
| 1910 | 17,459 | 20.8% | |
| 1920 | 16,784 | −3.9% | |
| 1930 | 17,555 | 4.6% | |
| 1940 | 20,635 | 17.5% | |
| 1950 | 16,194 | −21.5% | |
| 1960 | 13,861 | −14.4% | |
| 1970 | 14,457 | 4.3% | |
| 1980 | 24,407 | 68.8% | |
| 1990 | 30,687 | 25.7% | |
| 2000 | 41,133 | 34.0% | |
| 2010 | 45,413 | 10.4% | |
| 2020 | 50,123 | 10.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White alone (NH) | 32,830 | 34,808 | 72.29% | 69.45% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 5,153 | 4,869 | 11.35% | 9.71% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 778 | 914 | 1.71% | 1.82% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 180 | 340 | 0.40% | 0.68% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 7 | 0 | 0.02% | 0.00% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 14 | 135 | 0.03% | 0.27% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 492 | 1,712 | 1.08% | 3.42% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5,959 | 7,345 | 13.12% | 14.65% |
| Total | 45,413 | 50,123 | 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.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,110 square miles (2,900 km2), of which 1,057 square miles (2,740 km2) is land and 53 square miles (140 km2) (4.7%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Angelina County (north)
- Tyler County (east)
- Hardin County (southeast)
- Liberty County (south)
- San Jacinto County (southwest)
- Trinity County (northwest)
National protected area
Transportation
Major highways
U.S. Highway 59
Interstate 69 is currently under construction and will eventually follow the current route of U.S. 59 throughout most of Polk County.
U.S. Highway 190
U.S. Highway 287
State Highway 146
Farm to Market Road 350
Farm to Market Road 356
Farm to Market Road 357
Farm to Market Road 942
Farm to Market Road 943
Farm to Market Road 1745
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Mass transportation
Greyhound Lines operates the Livingston Station at the Super Stop Food Mart in Livingston.
Airport
West Livingston has the Livingston Municipal Airport, operated by the City of Livingston.
Communities
Cities
Towns
- Corrigan
- Livingston (county seat)
Census-designated places
- Big Thicket Lake Estates (partly in Liberty County)
- Cedar Point
- Indian Springs
- Pleasant Hill
- West Livingston
Unincorporated communities
Ghost town
Education
School districts:
- Big Sandy Independent School District
- Chester Independent School District
- Corrigan-Camden Independent School District
- Goodrich Independent School District
- Leggett Independent School District
- Livingston Independent School District
- Onalaska Independent School District
- Woodville Independent School District
The county is in the district for Angelina College. Polk County College / Commerce Center was completed in 2013 and is located on the U.S. Highway 59 Bypass. Angelina College offers advanced curriculum study and technical training at this location. The facility provides public auditorium space and may be used as a mass shelter in a disaster event .
Notable people
- John Wesley Hardin - Old West gunslinger
- William P. Hobby - Governor of Texas, publisher of Houston Post
- Sam Houston, general of the revolution to achieve independence and President of the Republic of Texas, spent much time in Polk County, including making peace treaties with the Alabama-Coushata Indians.
- Margo Jones - stage director who launched the careers of Tennessee Williams and Ray Walston and directed Williams' The Glass Menagerie on Broadway
- René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, noted French explorer of the 17th century, was likely killed in Polk County.
- Sally Mayes was a Broadway actress and singer. Livingston named a street in her honor.
- Mark Moseley, professional football player, won Super Bowl XVII and was awarded 1982 MVP as a placekicker.
- Moon Mullican - musician, "King of the Hillbilly Piano Players"
- Captain (Ike) Isaac Newton Moreland Turner was a Confederate captain who joined the Civil War from Polk County, with units called the Texas Brigade; his remains were returned here from Georgia and were reinterred in his family cemetery on April 15, 1995.
- Annette Gordon-Reed (born November 19, 1958, in Livingston, Texas) is an American historian, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and law professor noted for changing scholarship on Thomas Jefferson regarding his relationship with Sally Hemings and her children.
Images for kids
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Ike Turner Camp Confederate Monument, Livingston, Texas
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Polk County Judicial Center, Livingston, Texas
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Polk (Texas) para niños
