Editing McLennan County, Texas

{{Short description|County in Texas, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = McLennan County
 | state                = Texas 
 | flag                 = Flag of McLennan County, Texas.svg
 | seal                 = 
 | founded              = 1850 
 | seat wl              = Waco 
 | largest city wl      = Waco 
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 1060 
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 1037 
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 23 
 | area percentage      = 2.2
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 260579
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2024
 | population_est       = 270,358 {{increase}}
 | density_sq_mi        = auto
 | ex image             = Mcclennan courthouse.jpg 
 | ex image size        = 250 
 | ex image cap         = The McLennan County Courthouse in Waco 
 | web                  = www.co.mclennan.tx.us
 | time zone            = Central
 | named for            = [[Neil McLennan]]
 | district             = 17th
}}

'''McLennan County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located on the [[Edwards Plateau]] in [[Central Texas]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], its population was 260,579.<ref>{{Cite web|title=McLennan County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US48309|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=January 30, 2022}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] and largest city is [[Waco, Texas|Waco]].<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/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref> The U.S. census 2024 county population estimate is 270,358.<ref>Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties in Texas: April 1, 2020, to July 1, 2024 (CO-EST2024-POP-48)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division Release Date: March 2024</ref> The county is named for [[Neil McLennan]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Gannett|first=Henry|title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ|year=1905|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n193 194]}}</ref> an early Scottish settler in frontier Texas. McLennan County is included in the Waco [[Waco metropolitan area|Metropolitan Statistical Area]].

==History==

McLennan County was created by the [[Texas Legislature]] in 1850 out of [[Milam County]]. The county seat, [[Waco]], had been founded as an outpost of the [[Texas Ranger Division|Texas Rangers]]. It was laid out by [[George B. Erath]], and was known by 1850 as Waco Village.

In the 1880s, pharmacist [[Charles Alderton]] developed the carbonated beverage that became known as [[Dr Pepper]]. The Dr Pepper business was headquartered in Waco, until it moved to [[Dallas, Texas]]. Waco is also home to the Dr Pepper Museum, housed in the 1906 building that was the first stand-alone facility used to bottle Dr Pepper.

According to local lore, the first sustained flight did not occur in [[Kitty Hawk, North Carolina]], but just outside Tokio (a small community in McLennan County) by a man flying a [[gyrocopter]]. During [[World War I]], McLennan County was home to at least one military airfield, [[Rich Field]]. In the aftermath of World War I, when social tensions were high as veterans returned, white racial violence broke out against blacks. The county had 15 lynchings, the second-highest number of any county in the state.

McLennan County's contributions to [[World War II]] include the reopening of Rich Field for use by the Air Force, and the opening of [[James Connally Air Force Base]]. The latter is now used as the [[TSTC Waco Airport]] and [[Texas State Technical College]]. County resident [[Doris Miller]] was awarded the [[Navy Cross]] for his heroism at [[Pearl Harbor]]; he was the first African American to earn such distinction. Local man [[John Connally|James Connally]] became known as a World War II fighter pilot.

===County Courthouse===
The current County Courthouse, the fourth to be built, is located in [[Waco, Texas|Waco]]. Completed in 1902 in the [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux-Arts]] style, it is the next-to-last example of architect [[James Riely Gordon]]'s Texas courthouses. Of the eighteen he designed, thirteen remain standing. The first county courthouse was completed in 1851 for $500, and was a two-story log cabin that was 30' x 30'. McLennan's second courthouse was a two-story brick building completed in 1857 for $11,000. The third courthouse was styled after Second Empire by architect [[W.C. Dodson]], and completed in 1877 at a cost of $24,894.50.
<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://texascourthouses.com/project/mclennan-county-courthouse/#:~:text=Constructed%201901%2D1902%2C%20the%20McLennan,Dodson%2C%20architect.|title = McLennan County Courthouse}}</ref>

===Institutions of higher education===
In 1886, [[Baylor University]] relocated from [[Independence, Texas]], to Waco and absorbed [[Waco University]]. During the early 20th century, McLennan County was home to as many as five colleges. In addition to Baylor, the other colleges included the predecessor to what is now known as [[Texas Christian University]] (now in [[Fort Worth]]), [[Paul Quinn College]] (relocated since to [[Dallas]]), and two other short-lived colleges.

In the 1960s, the Texas Legislature authorized [[McLennan Community College]], the first [[community college]] to use those words in the name. Around the same time, what is now the flagship institution of [[Texas State Technical College]] was founded as James Connally Technical Institute, as a member of the [[Texas A&M University System]]. Today, Baylor, McLennan Community College, and Texas State Technical College continue to operate in McLennan County. They educate a large portion of the college-bound high-school graduates from the county and the surrounding areas. McLennan Community College has also partnered with [[Tarleton State University]], [[Texas Tech University]], [[University of Texas Medical Branch]] in Galveston, and [[Midwestern State University]] to offer more than 50 bachelor's or master's degrees.

===1896 Crash at Crush===
[[Crush, Texas]], was a temporary "city" in McLennan County, about {{convert|15|mi|km}} north of Waco. It was established to stage a publicity stunt concocted by [[William Crush|William George Crush]] and the [[Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad]]. The stunt involved the collision of two 35-ton steam [[locomotive]]s in front of spectators, whom the railway transported to the event for $2 each. After strong promotion, on September 15, 1896, the event was delayed by an hour as the police maneuvered the crowd of more than 40,000 back to what was thought to be a safe distance.<ref name="crash"/>

The crews of the two engines tied the throttles open and jumped off. The two engines, pulling wagons filled with railroad ties, traveled a {{convert|4|mi|km|adj=on}} track and thunderously crashed into each other at a combined speed up to {{convert|120|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. The boilers exploded and sent steam and flying debris into the crowd. Three people were killed and about six were injured, including event photographer Jarvis "Joe" Deane, who lost an eye because of a flying bolt.<ref name="crash">{{cite web|title=The Crash at the Crush|url=http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/viewform.asp?atlas_num=5309005315&site_name=Crash+at+Crush,+The&class=5000|publisher=Texas Historical Commission|access-date=November 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121082514/http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/viewform.asp?atlas_num=5309005315&site_name=Crash+at+Crush,+The&class=5000|archive-date=November 21, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Ragtime composer [[Scott Joplin]] commemorated the event with "The Great Crush Collision March"; Joplin dedicated the composition to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway.<ref>Scott Joplin, "The Great Crush Collision" sheet music (Temple, TX: John R. Fuller, 1896). See Bill Edwards, [http://www.perfessorbill.com/pbmidi15.shtml Rags and Pieces by Scott Joplin.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090606111507/http://www.perfessorbill.com/pbmidi15.shtml |date=June 6, 2009 }}</ref> Texas composer and singer Brian Burns wrote and recorded a song about the collision, "The Crash at Crush" (2001).

=== West fertilizer plant explosion ===
{{Main|West Fertilizer Company explosion}}

===Waco siege===
{{main|Waco siege}}

===Twin Peaks biker shootout===
{{main|2015 Waco shootout}}
On May 17, 2015, motorcycle clubs gathered at the Twin Peaks Restaurant in Waco for a Confederation of Clubs meeting. Upon arrival of a large contingent of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club, mass violence erupted in the parking lot of Twin Peaks between members of the Bandidos and members of the Cossasks Motorcycle Club. This resulted in nine dead and 18 wounded in the melee between the rival outlaw motorcycle gangs. In 2019, all remaining charges were dropped by the new District Attorney, Barry Johnson.

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|1060|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|1037|sqmi}} are land and {{convert|23|sqmi}} (2.2%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files |url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_48.txt |access-date=May 4, 2015 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>

===Major highways===
* [[Image:I-35 (TX).svg|20px]] [[Interstate 35 in Texas|Interstate 35]]
* [[Image:US 77.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 77 in Texas|U.S. Highway 77]]
* [[Image:US 84.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 84 in Texas|U.S. Highway 84]]
* [[Image:Texas 6.svg|20px]] [[Texas State Highway 6|State Highway 6]]
* [[Image:Texas 31.svg|20px]] [[Texas State Highway 31|State Highway 31]]
* [[Image:Texas 164.svg|20px]] [[Texas State Highway 164|State Highway 164]]
* [[Image:Texas 317.svg|20px]] [[Texas State Highway 317|State Highway 317]]

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Hill County, Texas|Hill County]] (north)
* [[Limestone County, Texas|Limestone County]] (east)
* [[Falls County, Texas|Falls County]] (southeast)
* [[Bell County, Texas|Bell County]] (south)
* [[Coryell County, Texas|Coryell County]] (southwest)
* [[Bosque County, Texas|Bosque County]] (northwest)

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1860 = 6206
| 1870 = 13500
| 1880 = 26934
| 1890 = 39204
| 1900 = 59772
| 1910 = 73250
| 1920 = 82921
| 1930 = 98682
| 1940 = 101898
| 1950 = 130194
| 1960 = 150091
| 1970 = 147553
| 1980 = 170755
| 1990 = 189123
| 2000 = 213517
| 2010 = 234906
| 2020 = 260579
| estyear = 2023
| estimate = 268583
| 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=May 4, 2015}}</ref> 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2/>
}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''McLennan 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 – McLennan County, Texas |url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=0500000US48309&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref>{{Cite web |title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – McLennan County, Texas |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US48309&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) – McLennan County, Texas |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US48309&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|138,008
|138,295
|style='background: #ffffe6; |139,693
|64.64%
|58.87%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |53.61%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|32,065
|33,892
|style='background: #ffffe6; |36,130
|15.02%
|14.43%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |13.87%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|666
|704
|style='background: #ffffe6; |901
|0.31%
|0.30%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.35%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|2,236
|3,128
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4,873
|1.05%
|1.33%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.87%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|77
|84
|style='background: #ffffe6; |146
|0.04%
|0.04%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.06%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|147
|235
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,065
|0.07%
|0.10%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.41%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|2,085
|3,097
|style='background: #ffffe6; |9,184
|0.98%
|1.32%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.52%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|38,233
|55,471
|style='background: #ffffe6; |68,587
|17.91%
|23.61%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |26.32%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''213,517'''
|'''234,906'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''260,579'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 US Census]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=QuickFacts: McLennan County, Texas |website=Census Bureau |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/mclennancountytexas}}</ref>  260,579 people, 94,194 households resided in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|205|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. The county now has 107,229 housing units, that are 59.2% owner-occupied with a median value of $165,400. The [[Race (United States Census)|racial makeup]] of the county was 79.7% White, 14.9% Black or African American, 1.2% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 2.3% from two or more races. About 27.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race; 12.8% were of [[germans|German]], 11.0% [[United States|American]], 8.0% [[English people|English]], and 6.9% [[Irish people|Irish]] ancestry.

The 2020 census showed on a heat map that McLennan County displayed an estimated 1.3% of partnered households are in same-sex relationships, though may be undercounted.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. census and other surveys likely undercount the number of LGBTQ+ people living in Texas |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/23/texas-lgbtq-population/ |access-date=June 12, 2024 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>

In the county, the population was distributed as 24.4% under the age of 18, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The county is composed of 51% female and 49% male residents.

The median income for a household in the county was $53,723. The [[per capita income]] for the county in 2010 was $17,174, and in 2020 was $28,421. Approximately 14.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]].

==Communities==
===Cities (multiple counties)===
* [[Bruceville-Eddy, Texas|Bruceville-Eddy]] (small part in [[Falls County, Texas|Falls County]])
* [[Golinda, Texas|Golinda]] (mostly in [[Falls County, Texas|Falls County]])
* [[Mart, Texas|Mart]] (small part in [[Limestone County, Texas|Limestone County]])
* [[McGregor, Texas|McGregor]] (small part in [[Coryell County, Texas|Coryell County]])
* [[Valley Mills, Texas|Valley Mills]] (mostly in [[Bosque County, Texas|Bosque County]])

===Cities===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Bellmead, Texas|Bellmead]]
* [[Beverly Hills, Texas|Beverly Hills]]
* [[Crawford, Texas|Crawford]]
* [[Gholson, Texas|Gholson]]
* [[Hallsburg, Texas|Hallsburg]]
* [[Hewitt, Texas|Hewitt]]
* [[Lacy Lakeview, Texas|Lacy Lakeview]]
* [[Leroy, Texas|Leroy]]
* [[Lorena, Texas|Lorena]]
* [[Moody, Texas|Moody]]
* [[Riesel, Texas|Riesel]]
* [[Robinson, Texas|Robinson]]
* [[Ross, Texas|Ross]]
* [[Waco, Texas|Waco]] (county seat)
* [[West, Texas|West]]
* [[Woodway, Texas|Woodway]]
{{div col end}}

===Census-designated place===
* [[China Spring, Texas|China Spring]]
* [[Willow Grove, Texas|Willow Grove]]

===Unincorporated communities===
* [[Axtell, Texas|Axtell]]
* [[Elm Mott, Texas|Elm Mott]]
* [[Ocee, Texas|Ocee]]
* [[Speegleville, Texas|Speegleville]]

==Economy==
[[File:Aerial view of Downtown Waco 2009 Looking East.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of downtown Waco in 2009; Brazos River to the left and campus of Baylor University in the upper right]]

According to the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, the top employers in [[McLennan County]] are:<ref>{{cite web |title=Customized Report |url=http://wacochamber.com/customized-reports-print/?WCRBAction=Load&WCRBSections=BAI05 |website=Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Top 2023 Waco Employers |date=January 7, 2022 |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Waco/comments/ry98r8/the_top_25_employers_in_the_waco_area/}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! #
! Employer
! Employees 2015
! Employees 2023
|-
| 1
|[[Baylor University]]
|2,675
|3,253
|-
| 2
|[[Waco Independent School District]]
|2,500
|2,373
|-
| 3
|Ascension Providence
|2,397
|2,300
|-
| 4
|HEB
|1,500
|2,000
|-
| 5
|Baylor Scott & White Health (Hillcrest)
|1,800
|1,736
|-
| 6
| TSTC
|
| 1,706
|-
|7
| Veterans Affairs
|
|1,682
|-
| 8
|City of Waco
|1,506
|1,518
|-
| 9
|[[Sanderson Farms]], Inc.
|1,041
|1,200
|-
| 10
|[[Walmart]]
|1,656
|1,174
|-
| 11
| [[McLennan County]]
|
| 1,157
|-
| 12
|[[Midway Independent School District (McLennan County, Texas)|Midway Independent School District]]
|1,067
|1,081
|-
| 13
| AbbVie
|
|785
|-
| 14
|[[L3 Technologies]]
|2,300
|774
|-
| 14
|[[McLennan Community College]]
|
|719
|-
| 15
| [[Mars Wrigley]]
|
| 700
|-
| 16
| [[Aramark]]
|
| 696
|-
| 17
| [[American Income Life Insurance]]
|
| 693
|-
| 18
| [[Magnolia Network]]
|
| 675
|-
| 19
| Texas Materials
|
| 672
|-
| 20
| Cargill Value Added Meats
|
| 646
|-
| 21
| [[Tractor Supply]]
|
| 640
|-
| 22
| [[SpaceX]]
|
| 590
|}

== Elected leadership ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Legislative representation
! Name
! Service
|-
|United States Congress, District 17
|[[Pete Sessions]]
|2019 – Present
|-
|State Senator, District 22
|[[Brian Birdwell]]
|2010 – Present
|-
|State Representative, District 56
|Charles [[Doc Anderson]]
|2005 – Present
|-
|State Representative, District 13
|[[Angelia Orr]]
|2023 – Present
|}

{| class="wikitable"
! County Elected Leadership
! Name
! Service
|-
|County Judge
|Scott Felton
|2012 – Present<ref>{{Cite web| title=Felton Appointed McLennan County Judge |date=September 30, 2012 |url=https://wacotrib.com/news/felton-to-focus-on-economic-development-building-consensus-as-county-judge/article_f7152245-52ec-5849-b5b6-ffc210f9d810.html}}</ref>
|-
|County Commissioner Pct 1
|Jim Smith
|2021 – Present<ref>{{Cite web| title=2020 Election Results |date=November 3, 2020 |url=https://www.kwtx.com/2020/11/03/thousands-expected-to-cast-ballots-tuesday-in-central-after-record-setting-early-voting/}}</ref>
|-
|County Commissioner Pct 2
|Pat Chisolm-Miller
|2019 – Present
|-
|County Commissioner Pct 3
|Will Jones
|2013 – Present
|-
|County Commissioner Pct 4
|Ben Perry
|2011 – Present
|-
|District Attorney
|Josh Tetens
|2023 – Present
|-
|District Clerk
|Jon Gimble
|2015 – Present<ref>{{Cite web| title=McLennan County 2014 Election Results |date=November 4, 2014 |url=https://wacotrib.com/news/government/mclennan-county-election-results-nov-4-2014/article_df261828-64ab-11e4-9def-8372a211ec21.html}}</ref>
|-
|County Clerk
|Andy Harwell
|1995 – Present
|-
|County Sheriff
|Parnell McNamara
|2013 – Present
|-
|County Tax Assessor-Collector
|Randy Riggs
|2012 – Present
|-
|County Treasurer
|Bill Helton
|2012 – Present, 1991 - 2010<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wacotrib.com/news/commissioners-name-new-county-judge-treasurer/article_4784ebb9-f9e4-5da5-870f-5201de2ebbc4.html|title = Commissioners name new county judge, treasurer| date=September 18, 2012 }}</ref>
|}

{| class="wikitable"
! Local Judiciary
! Name
! Service
|-
|Tenth Court of Appeals, Chief
|Tom Gray
|2003 – Present, 1999 - 2003 Associate Justice
|-
|Tenth court of Appeals, Place 2
|Matt Johnson
|2021 – Present, 2007 - 2020 Judge 54TH District Court<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.txcourts.gov/10thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-matt-johnson/|title = TJB &#124; 10th COA &#124; About the Court &#124; Justices &#124; Justice Matt Johnson}}</ref>
|-
|Tenth court of Appeals, Place 3
|Steve Smith
|2021 – Present, 1998 - 2021 Judge 361ST District Court<ref>{{Cite web |title=TJB {{!}} 10th COA {{!}} About the Court {{!}} Justices {{!}} Justice Steven Lee Smith |url=https://www.txcourts.gov/10thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-steven-lee-smith/ |access-date=March 2, 2023 |website=www.txcourts.gov}}</ref>
|-
|State District Judge, 19TH Court
|Thomas West
|2021 – Present
|-
|State District Judge, 54TH Court
|Susan Kelly
|2021 – Present
|-
|State District Judge, 74TH Court
|Gary Coley, Jr.
|2009 – Present, Local Administrative Judge
|-
|State District Judge, 170TH Court
|Jim Meyer
|2003 – Present
|-
|State District Judge, 414TH Court
|Vicki Menard
|2006 – December 1, 2023, 
|-
|State District Judge, 474TH Court
|Alan Bennett
|2023 – Present, appointed by Gov Abbott<ref>{{Cite web |title=Governor Abbott Appoints Bennett To 474th District Court |url=https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-appoints-bennett-to-474th-district-court |access-date=March 2, 2023 |website=gov.texas.gov |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|County Court at Law Judge, Court 1
|Vikram 'Vik' Deivanayagam
|2018 – Present
|-
|County Court at Law Judge, Court 2
|Brad Cates
|2011 – Present<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cates Elected Judge | date=June 21, 2010 |url=https://www.baylor.edu/alumni/magazine/0804/news.php?action=story&story=75901}}</ref>
|-
|County Court at Law Judge, Court 3
|Ryan Luna
|2021 – Present<ref>{{Cite web |title=Luna appointed judge of new McLennan County court-at-law |date=June 29, 2021 |url=https://wacotrib.com/news/article_189957fc-d90b-11eb-8508-d38a7bf5e9f2.html}}</ref>
|}

==Politics==
Similar to other counties in the [[Texas Triangle]] with mid-sized cities, the county has been reliably Republican for the last half-century, having last voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in 1976 when it was won by [[Jimmy Carter]].

Several governors of Texas hailed from McLennan County: [[Ann Richards]] (1991–1995), the state's second female governor; [[Pat Morris Neff]] (1921–1925), who also served as president of [[Baylor University]]; [[Lawrence Sullivan Ross]] (1887–1891), whose family helped found Waco and who also served as the fourth president of [[Texas A&M University]]; and [[Richard Coke]] (1874–1876).

{{PresHead|place=McLennan 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 26, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|64,606|33,863|1,203|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|59,543|36,688|1,641|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|48,260|27,063|3,752|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|47,903|25,694|944|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|49,044|29,998|632|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|52,090|26,760|404|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|43,955|23,462|1,372|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|30,666|27,050|5,367|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|28,473|25,903|15,640|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|38,606|27,545|272|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|42,232|23,206|140|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|31,968|26,305|1,242|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|25,370|30,091|509|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|33,377|15,947|161|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|15,958|22,388|8,293|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|10,892|28,429|25|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|14,926|20,100|130|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|15,561|16,181|111|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|14,974|17,251|53|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|3,088|16,034|1,035|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|1,668|15,336|1,627|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|2,178|15,952|35|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|1,116|12,489|154|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|1,108|11,972|105|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|5,744|5,330|13|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|2,384|7,882|455|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|1,655|4,975|1,179|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|940|4,979|134|Texas}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Democratic|295|3,829|501|Texas}}

==Education==

===Colleges===
* [[Baylor University]]
* [[McLennan Community College]]
* [[Texas State Technical College]]

===Public school districts===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Axtell Independent School District]]
* [[Bosqueville Independent School District]]
* [[China Spring Independent School District]]
* [[Crawford Independent School District]]
* [[Connally Independent School District]]
* [[Gholson Independent School District]]
* [[Hallsburg Independent School District]]
* [[La Vega Independent School District]]
* [[Lorena Independent School District]]
* [[Mart Independent School District]]
* [[McGregor Independent School District]]
* [[Midway Independent School District (McLennan County, Texas)|Midway Independent School District]]
* [[Moody Independent School District]]
* [[Oglesby Independent School District]]
* [[Riesel Independent School District]]
* [[Robinson Independent School District]]
* [[Valley Mills Independent School District]]
* [[Waco Independent School District]]
* [[West Independent School District]]
{{div col end}}
*

==See also==
{{Portal|Texas}}
* [[List of museums in Central Texas]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in McLennan County, Texas|National Register of Historic Places listings in McLennan County Texas]]
* [[List of Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks (Mason-Rusk)#McLennan County|Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in McLennan County]]
* [[Texas Triangle]]

==References==
{{reflist}}<ref>{{Cite web |publisher=United States Census Bureau |title=County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2023 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=Census.gov}}</ref>

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{official website}}
* [https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcm08 McLennan County in ''Handbook of Texas Online''] at the [[University of Texas at Austin|University of Texas]]
* Read [http://texashistory.unt.edu/permalink/meta-pth-5827:363 Neil McLennan's entry] in the [https://archive.today/20121205004737/http://texashistory.unt.edu/permalink/meta-pth-5827 Biographical Encyclopedia of Texas] hosted by the [http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20021008225402/http%3A//www%2Eco%2Ehidalgo%2Etx%2Eus/ Portal to Texas History].

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = McLennan County, Texas
|North     = [[Hill County, Texas|Hill County]]
|Northeast =
|East      = [[Limestone County, Texas|Limestone County]]
|Southeast = [[Falls County, Texas|Falls County]]
|South     = [[Bell County, Texas|Bell County]]
|Southwest = [[Coryell County, Texas|Coryell County]]
|West      =
|Northwest = [[Bosque County, Texas|Bosque County]]
}}
{{McLennan County, Texas}}
{{Texas counties}}
{{Texas}}
{{authority control}}
{{coord|31.55|-97.20|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:McLennan County, Texas| ]]
[[Category:1850 establishments in Texas]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1850]]