Editing Brazos County, Texas

{{Short description|County in Texas, United States}}
{{Distinguish|Brazos Country, Texas}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Brazos County
 | state                = Texas
 | seal                 = Brazos County tx seal.jpg
 | founded              = 1843
 | seat wl              = Bryan
 | largest city wl      = College Station
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 591
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 585
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 5.8
 | area percentage      = 1.0
 | pop                  = 233849
 | density_sq_mi        = auto
 | ex image             = Brazos county texas courthouse 2014.jpg
 | ex image size        = 250
 | ex image cap         = The Brazos County Courthouse in Bryan
 | web                  = www.brazoscountytx.gov|
 | time zone            = Central
 | district             = 10th
 | named for            = [[Brazos River]]
 | census yr            = 2020
}}

'''Brazos County''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=Brazos River Pronunciation.oga|ˈ|b|r|æ|z|ə|s}} {{respell|BRAZ|əs}}) is a [[County (United States)|county]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Texas]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], its population was 233,849.<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Brazos County, Texas|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/brazoscountytexas/PST120221|access-date=January 31, 2022|publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Brazos County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US48041|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 30, 2022}}</ref> The [[county seat]] is [[Bryan, Texas|Bryan]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615012444/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=June 15, 2011 }}</ref> Along with [[Brazoria County, Texas|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/TX_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm|title=Texas: Individual County Chronologies|work=Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries|publisher=[[Newberry Library|The Newberry Library]]|date=2008|access-date=June 20, 2015|archive-date=April 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412140748/http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/TX_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://texasalmanac.com/topics/government/brazos-county|title=Brazos County|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|website=Texas Almanac|date=May 21, 2015|access-date=June 20, 2015}}</ref>

Brazos County is part of the [[Bryan-College Station metropolitan area|Bryan-College Station]] [[Metropolitan Statistical Area]], which consists of [[Bryan, Texas|Bryan]], [[College Station, Texas|College Station]], and smaller cities and towns in Brazos, [[Burleson County, Texas|Burleson]], and [[Robertson County, Texas|Robertson]] counties.

==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.<ref>[https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcb13 Brazos County in ''Handbook of Texas Online'']</ref>

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 [[American Civil War|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 [[prairie]]s and fertile [[floodplains]]. As newcomers poured in by the thousands the county suffered from arson, feuding, shooting and racial violence, including mob [[lynchings]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nevels |first1=Cynthia Skove |title=Lynching to Belong: Claiming Whiteness Through Racial Violence |date=2007 |publisher=Texas A&M University |location=United States}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|591|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|585|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|5.8|sqmi}} (1.0%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_48.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 19, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref>

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Robertson County, Texas|Robertson County]] (northwest)
* [[Leon County, Texas|Leon County]] (north)
* [[Madison County, Texas|Madison County]] (northeast)
* [[Grimes County, Texas|Grimes County]] (east)
* [[Washington County, Texas|Washington County]] (south)
* [[Burleson County, Texas|Burleson County]] (southwest)

The northwestern boundary follows the [[Old Spanish Trail (auto trail)|Old Spanish Trail]].

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1850= 614
|1860= 3096
|1870= 9205
|1880= 13576
|1890= 16650
|1900= 18859
|1910= 18919
|1920= 21975
|1930= 21835
|1940= 26997
|1950= 38390
|1960= 44895
|1970= 57978
|1980= 94492
|1990= 121862
|2000= 152415
|2010= 194851
|2020= 233849
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades|publisher=[[US Census Bureau]]|access-date=}}</ref><br />1850–2010<ref>{{cite web|url=http://texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/topics/ctypophistweb2010.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/topics/ctypophistweb2010.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010|publisher=Texas Almanac|access-date=April 19, 2015}}</ref> 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2/> 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2/>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Brazos County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''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.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Brazos County, Texas |url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=0500000US48041&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Brazos County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US48041&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Brazos County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US48041&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|100,647
|115,252
|style='background: #ffffe6; |123,035
|66.03%
|59.15%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |52.61%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|16,146
|20,827
|style='background: #ffffe6; |23,569
|10.59%
|10.69%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |10.08%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|360
|484
|style='background: #ffffe6; |502
|0.24%
|0.25%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.21%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|6,066
|9,982
|style='background: #ffffe6; |14,621
|3.98%
|5.12%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |6.25%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|69
|82
|style='background: #ffffe6; |210
|0.05%
|0.04%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.09%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other Race]] alone (NH)
|170
|246
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,009
|0.11%
|0.13%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.43%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed Race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|1,704
|2,573
|style='background: #ffffe6; |7,836
|1.12%
|1.32%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.35%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|27,253
|45,405
|style='background: #ffffe6; |63,067
|17.88%
|23.30%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |26.97%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''152,415'''
|'''194,851'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''233,849'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR8">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=May 14, 2011 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 152,415 people, 55,202 households, and 30,416 families residing in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|260|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 59,023 housing units at an average density of {{convert|101|/mi2|/km2|adj=pre|units&nbsp;}}. The racial makeup of the county was 74.45% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 10.72% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.36% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 4.01% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.07% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 8.42% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.97% from two or more races. 17.88% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race. 15.3% were of [[germans|German]], 8.4% [[English people|English]], 7.3% [[Irish people|Irish]] and 7.2% American ancestry according to [[Census 2000]].

There were 55,202 households, out of which 27.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.30% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.90% were non-families. 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.50% under the age of 18, 32.00% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 13.80% from 45 to 64, and 6.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,104, and the median income for a family was $46,530. Males had a median income of $32,864 versus $24,179 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $16,212. About 14.00% of families and 26.90% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 21.60% of those under age 18 and 10.30% of those age 65 or over.

==Transportation==

===Public Transportation===
The [[Brazos Transit District]] operates a fixed route [[bus service]] and [[paratransit]] throughout Bryan and College Station.<ref>{{cite web|title=The District Fixed Routes|url=http://www.btd.org/FixedRoutes.htm|publisher=Brazos Transit District|access-date=March 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The District Paratransit|url=http://www.btd.org/Paratransit.htm|publisher=Brazos Transit District|access-date=March 16, 2014}}</ref>

===Major highways===
* [[Image:US 190.svg|25px]] [[U.S. Route 190 (Texas)|U.S. Highway 190]]
* [[Image:Texas 6.svg|20px]] [[Texas State Highway 6|State Highway 6]]
* [[Image:Texas 21.svg|20px]] [[Texas State Highway 21|State Highway 21]]
* [[Image:Texas 30.svg|20px]] [[Texas State Highway 30|State Highway 30]]
* [[Texas State Highway 40|State Highway 40]]
* [[Image:Texas 47.svg|20px]] [[Texas State Highway 47|State Highway 47]]
*[[Image:Toll Texas 249.svg|20px]] [[Texas State Highway 249|State Highway 249]] a.k.a. Aggie Expressway (Under Construction)
* [[Image:Texas OSR.svg|20px]] [[Texas State Highway OSR|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.

==Politics==
Unlike most counties that are home to a large university, Brazos County is a Republican stronghold. The county votes to the right of Texas as a whole, which is also a Republican stronghold.

No Democratic presidential nominee has carried it since Texas native [[Lyndon Johnson]] in his 1964 landslide. Only in 1968 and 2020 have Democrats received even 40% of the vote. Even [[Jimmy Carter]] failed to win 40% of the vote in 1976, despite being the last Democrat to win Texas.

In 2020, [[Joe Biden]] was the first Democrat to win over 40% of its vote since 1968, winning 41.43% of the vote. This was still well to the right of the state as a whole, as Biden lost the state 46.48-52.06%.
 
{{PresHead|place=Brazos County, Texas|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=July 19, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|56,671|33,844|1,446|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|47,530|35,349|2,434|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|38,738|23,121|5,352|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|37,209|17,477|1,276|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|37,465|20,502|706|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|37,594|16,128|587|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|32,864|12,359|1,718|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|22,082|13,968|2,594|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|23,943|14,819|10,578|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|29,369|14,885|436|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|34,733|12,348|140|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|17,798|9,856|1,885|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|15,685|10,628|387|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|14,243|5,692|116|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|6,839|6,299|2,441|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|4,003|7,998|18|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|4,553|5,907|17|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|4,942|3,463|31|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|4,681|4,213|2|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|1,533|3,459|538|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|464|3,358|553|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|617|4,151|9|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|45|2,610|4|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|195|2,588|18|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|738|1,480|3|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|255|2,128|61|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|277|1,281|614|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|273|1,027|8|Texas}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Democratic|142|762|49|Texas}}
{{U.S. SenHead|place=Brazos County, Texas|Seat=1|source=<ref>{{cite news |title=2024 Senate Election (Official Returns) |website=Commonwealth of Texas by county |date=November 5, 2024 |access-date=December 5, 2024 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-elections/texas-senate-results}}</ref>}}
<!-- U.S. SenRow should be {{U.S. SenRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{U.S. SenRow|2024|Republican|54,153|34,849|2,743|Texas}}
{{U.S. SenFoot}}

==Communities==
===Cities===
* [[Bryan, Texas|Bryan]] (county seat)
* [[College Station, Texas|College Station]]
* [[Navasota, Texas|Navasota]] (partial)
* [[Wixon Valley, Texas|Wixon Valley]]

===Towns===
* [[Kurten, Texas|Kurten]]

===Census-designated place===
* [[Lake Bryan, Texas|Lake Bryan]]

===Unincorporated communities===
* [[Allenfarm, Texas|Allenfarm]]
* [[Cawthon, Texas|Cawthon]]
* [[Edge, Texas|Edge]]
* [[Fairview, Brazos County, Texas|Fairview]]
* [[Harvey, Texas|Harvey]]
* [[Millican, Texas|Millican]] - Former municipality<ref name=KapitanNotacity>{{cite web|last=Kapitan|first=Greg|url=https://theeagle.com/news/local/millican-community-is-not-a-city-after-all/article_787a6453-e487-5f02-a88c-ef2ca7599af8.html|title=Millican community is not a city after all|newspaper=[[The Bryan-College Station Eagle|The Eagle]]|date=December 6, 2006|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Mooring, Texas|Mooring]]
* Mudville
* [[Nelleva, Texas|Nelleva]]
* [[Peach Creek, Brazos County, Texas|Peach Creek]]
* [[Smetana, Texas|Smetana]]
* [[Tabor, Texas|Tabor]]
* [[Wellborn, Texas|Wellborn]]

===Ghost Towns===
* [[Boonville, Texas|Boonville]]
* [[Cottonwood, Brazos County, Texas|Cottonwood]]
* [[Dallam, Texas|Dallam]]
* [[Dinkins, Texas|Dinkins]]
* [[Enright, Texas|Enright]]
* [[Macey, Texas|Macey]]
* [[Moore, Brazos County, Texas|Moore]]
* [[Reliance, Texas|Reliance]]
* [[Sims, Texas|Sims]]
* [[Stone City, Texas|Stone City]]
* [[Union, Brazos County, Texas|Union]]
* [[Varisco, Texas|Varisco]]
* [[Wicker, Texas|Wicker]]
* [[Zack, Texas|Zack]]

==Education==
School districts:<ref name=BrazosCountySDmap>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st48_tx/schooldistrict_maps/c48041_brazos/DC20SD_C48041.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221016011217/https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st48_tx/schooldistrict_maps/c48041_brazos/DC20SD_C48041.pdf |archive-date=October 16, 2022 |url-status=live|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Brazos County, TX|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=October 15, 2022}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st48_tx/schooldistrict_maps/c48041_brazos/DC20SD_C48041_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>
* [[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.<ref>[https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.130.htm Texas Education Code Sec. 130.168. BLINN JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.]</ref> 

[[Texas A&M University]], the largest university by enrollment in Texas, is located in College Station.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=texas+a%26m+university&s=all&id=228723|title=College Navigator - Texas A & M University-College Station}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Texas}}
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Brazos County, Texas]]
* [[Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Brazos County]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.co.brazos.tx.us/ Brazos County government]
* [http://brazos-tx.tamu.edu/ Brazos County AgriLife Extension office]
* [http://www.co.brazos.tx.us/departments/countyattorney/ Brazos County Attorney's Office]
* {{Handbook of Texas|id=hcb13|name= Brazos County, Texas}}
* [http://texasalmanac.com/topics/government/brazos-county Brazos County] from the  [[Texas Almanac]]
* [http://www.brazosgenealogy.org/ Brazos County] from the TXGenWeb Project
* [http://texashistory.unt.edu/search/?q=%22United+States+-+Texas+-+Brazos+County%22&t=dc.coverage Historic Brazos County materials], hosted by the [http://texashistory.unt.edu/ Portal to Texas History]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Brazos County, Texas
|North     = [[Leon County, Texas|Leon County]]
|Northeast = [[Madison County, Texas|Madison County]]
|East      = [[Grimes County, Texas|Grimes County]]
|Southeast =
|South     = [[Washington County, Texas|Washington County]]
|Southwest = [[Burleson County, Texas|Burleson County]]
|West      =
|Northwest = [[Robertson County, Texas|Robertson County]]
}}

{{Brazos County, Texas}}
{{Texas counties}}
{{Texas}}
{{Authority control}}
{{coord|30|40|N|96|22|W|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_dim:100000}}

[[Category:Brazos County, Texas| ]]
[[Category:1843 establishments in the Republic of Texas]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1843]]
[[Category:Bryan–College Station]]