Coryell County, Texas

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county

Coryell County (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 83,093.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county seat is Gatesville.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county is named for James Coryell, a frontiersman and Texas Ranger who was killed by Caddo Indians.

Coryell County is part of the Killeen–Temple metropolitan statistical area.

History

Habitation of Coryell County dates as far back as 4500 BC. The Tonkawa, Lipan Apache, Kiowa, and Comanche were among the tribes who migrated through the area at various periods.<ref name="Coryell">Template:Cite web</ref> When the General Colonization Law went into effect in 1824, followed by the 1825 State Colonization Law of Coahuila y Tejas, Robert Leftwich obtained a grant to settle 800 families in Texas.<ref name="MCL">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The grant went through several legal challenges, and later became Robertson's Colony, named for Sterling C. Robertson. The grant encompassed all or parts of 30 present-day Texas counties.<ref name="TSHA R Colony">Template:Cite web</ref> Settlers began moving into the area after Fort Gates was established at Gatesville. The Texas state legislature created the county in 1854, naming it after Texas Ranger James Coryell.<ref name="Coryell"/><ref name="JamesCoryell">Template:Cite web</ref> Originally, Coryell was to be named Pierce County, but the name was changed after James Coryell's death at the hands of Caddo Indians.<ref name="JamesCoryell"/>

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert (0.4%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Bosque County (north)
McLennan County (northeast)
Bell County (southeast)
Lampasas County (southwest)
Hamilton County (northwest)

Demographics

Template:US Census population

**Coryell County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition**
Template:Nobold
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 2000	% 2010	Template:Partial
White alone (NH)	45,381	46,776	46,213	60.53%	62.05%	55.62%
Black or African American alone (NH)	15,976	11,450	11,760	21.31%	15.19%	14.15%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	517	439	414	0.69%	0.58%	0.50%
Asian alone (NH)	1,253	1,332	1,816	1.67%	1.77%	2.19%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	334	632	1,041	0.45%	0.84%	1.25%
Other Race alone (NH)	170	191	389	0.23%	0.25%	0.47%
Mixed Race or Multiracial (NH)	1,923	2,595	4,978	2.56%	3.44%	5.99%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	9,424	11,973	16,482	12.57%	15.88%	19.84%
Total	74,798	75,388	83,093	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, 74,978 people, 19,950 households, and 15,780 families were residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. The 21,776 housing units averaged Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 65.28% White, 21.80% African American, 0.88% Native American, 1.75% Asian, 0.49% Pacific Islander, 6.26% from other races, and 3.54% from two or more races. About 12.57% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 19,950 households, 47.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.80% were married couples living together, 11.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.90% were not families. About 16.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91, and the average family size was 3.27.

In the county, the age distribution was 26.20% under 18, 17.90% from 18 to 24, 36.30% from 25 to 44, 13.80% from 45 to 64, and 5.70% who were 65 or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,999, and for a family was $38,307. Males had a median income of $24,236 versus $21,186 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,410. About 7.80% of families and 9.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.30% of those under age 18 and 9.00% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

Of the eight Texas Department of Criminal Justice general correctional facilities for women, which include five prisons and three state jails,<ref name="Unitdir">"Unit Directory Template:Webarchive." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on May 10, 2010.</ref> five of the units,<ref name="Gately">Gately, Paul "Former Downtown Waco Executive Director Moved to Gatesville Template:Webarchive." KWTX-TV. November 22, 2008. Retrieved on May 20, 2010.</ref> including four prisons and one state jail,<ref name="Unitdir"/> are in the City of Gatesville.<ref name="Gately"/><ref>"Gatesville city, Texas Template:Webarchive." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on May 10, 2010.</ref>

The Christina Crain Unit prison (formerly Gatesville Unit),<ref name="Crain">"Crain Unit Template:Webarchive." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on May 10, 2010.</ref> the Hilltop Unit prison,<ref name="Hilltop">"Hilltop Unit Template:Webarchive." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on May 10, 2010.</ref> the Dr. Lane Murray Unit prison,<ref name="Murray">"Murray Unit Template:Webarchive." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on May 10, 2010.</ref> and the Linda Woodman Unit state jail are co-located among one another.<ref name="Woodman">"Woodman Unit Template:Webarchive." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on May 10, 2010.</ref> In addition the Mountain View Unit, a prison with the State of Texas female death row, is in Gatesville.<ref name="MountainView">"Mountain View Unit Template:Webarchive." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on May 10, 2010.</ref> One male prison, the Alfred D. Hughes Unit, is in Gatesville.<ref name="hughes">"Hughes Unit Template:Webarchive." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on May 10, 2010.</ref>

Mountain View opened in July 1975,<ref name="MountainView"/> Crain opened in August 1980,<ref name="Crain"/> Hilltop opened in November 1981,<ref name="Hilltop"/> and Hughes opened in January 1990.<ref name="hughes"/> Murray opened in November 1995,<ref name="Murray"/> and Woodman opened in June 1997.<ref name="Woodman"/> In 1995, of the counties in Texas, Coryell had the third-highest number of state prisons and jails, after Walker and Brazoria.<ref name="Horswellhard">Horswell, Cindy. "For hard-hit economy of Liberty County, crime officially pays." Houston Chronicle. Thursday June 29, 1995. A30. Retrieved on July 23, 2010.</ref>