LLocal Government

List of Counties of Texas

Texas is divided into 254 counties, which are a type of local government in the state. County governments are responsible for certain judicial functions, public infrastructure, and public safety.

An elected, five-member commissioners court sets the policies and budget of the county. It consists of four commissioners elected from different precincts, and a county judge elected at-large by all voters of the county. The county judge is the head of the county government, and fulfills a mix of executive, legislative, and judicial functions.

Voters also directly elect judges of county courts and district courts, the county sheriff, and the county tax assessor-collector.

Counties overlap with the territory of other units of local government, such as cities, school districts, and utility districts. County governments run elections and collect taxes both inside and outside of city limits. They also build and operate jails, roads, and courthouses.

Texas counties do not operate schools, unlike county governments in some other states. Instead, public schools in Texas are organized into independent school districts.

Counties are funded by sales taxes, property taxes, and fees such as court filing fees, criminal fines and road and bridge fees.

Map of Texas counties with names

List of Counties of Texas

County	County Seat	Established	Etymology	Population	Area (sq mi)
Anderson	Palestine	1846	Kenneth Anderson, the last vice president of the Texas Republic	57,741	149
Andrews	Andrews	1876	Richard Andrews, the first Texan soldier to die in the Texas Revolution	17,722	1501
Angelina	Lufkin	1846	Spanish for “Little Angel,” after a Native American woman who assisted early Spanish missionaries	87,805	802
Aransas	Rockport	1871	Aransas Bay, named in turn for an early Spanish fort. Possibly related to “Arantzazu,” Basque for “place of thorns”	25,572	252
Archer	Archer City	1858	Branch Tanner Archer, a commissioner for the Republic of Texas	8,809	910
Armstrong	Claude	1876	One of several Texas pioneer families	1,879	914
Atascosa	Jourdanton	1856	The Spanish word for “boggy”	48,981	1232
Austin	Bellville	1836	Stephen F. Austin, founder of the Austin colony	29,786	653
Bailey	Muleshoe	1876	Peter James Bailey III, a soldier and defender of the Alamo	7,077	827
Bandera	Bandera	1856	Spanish for “flag.” Named for Bandera Pass.	22,351	792
Bastrop	Bastrop	1836	Baron Felipe Enrique Neri de Bastrop, a Dutch settler who helped Stephen F. Austin in obtaining his original land grants	84,761	888
Baylor	Seymour	1858	Henry Baylor, a surgeon in the Texas Rangers	3,581	871
Bee	Beeville	1857	Barnard Bee, a secretary of state of the Texas Republic	32,563	880
Bell	Belton	1850	Peter Bell, the third governor of Texas	347,833	1059
Bexar	San Antonio	1836	San Antonio de Béxar, the principal Spanish fortress in Texas. Named for the Spanish viceroy’s family, who were Dukes of Béjar in Spain	1,958,578	1247
Blanco	Johnson City	1858	The Blanco River. Blanco is Spanish for “white”	11,626	711
Borden	Gail	1876	Gail Borden, businessman, publisher, surveyor, and inventor of condensed milk	673	899
Bosque	Meridian	1854	The Bosque River. Bosque is Spanish for “wooded.”	18,326	989
Bowie	New Boston	1840	James Bowie, the legendary knife fighter who died at the Battle of the Alamo	94,012	888
Brazoria	Angleton	1836	Brazoria, Texas, an early port on the Brazos River	362,457	1387
Brazos	Bryan	1841	The Brazos River	222,830	586
Brewster	Alpine	1887	Henry Percy Brewster, a secretary of war for the Republic of Texas and soldier in the Civil War	9,337	6193
Briscoe	Silverton	1876	Andrew Briscoe, a signatory of the Texan Declaration of Independence and soldier during the Texan Revolution	1,528	900
Brooks	Falfurrias	1911	James Abijah Brooks, a Texas Ranger and state legislator	7,235	943
Brown	Brownwood	1856	Henry Stevenson Brown, a commander at the Battle of Velasco	38,053	944
Burleson	Caldwell	1846	Edward Burleson, a general of the Texas Revolution and Vice President of the Republic of Texas	18,011	666
Burnet	Burnet	1852	David Gouverneur Burnet, the first president of the Republic of Texas	46,804	995
Caldwell	Lockhart	1848	Mathew Caldwell, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and soldier during the Texas Revolution	42,338	546
Calhoun	Port Lavaca	1846	John C. Calhoun, the seventh vice president of the United States	21,744	512
Callahan	Baird	1858	James Hughes Callahan, a soldier during the Texas Revolution	13,946	899
Cameron	Brownsville	1848	Ewen Cameron, a soldier during the Texas Revolution killed during the Black Bean Episode	423,725	906
Camp	Pittsburg	1874	John Lafayette Camp, a Texas state senator	12,855	198
Carson	Panhandle	1876	Samuel Price Carson, the first secretary of state of the Republic of Texas	6,032	923
Cass	Linden	1846	Lewis Cass, a senator from Michigan, who had favored the annexation of Texas to the United States	30,012	938
Castro	Dimmitt	1876	Henri Castro, a French consul general for the Republic of Texas and founder of a colony in Texas	7,843	898
Chambers	Anahuac	1858	Thomas Jefferson Chambers, lawyer and surveyor who helped to resolve land disputes for Americans in Mexican Texas	41,441	599
Cherokee	Rusk	1846	The Cherokee Native American tribe	52,240	1052
Childress	Childress	1876	George Campbell Childress, one of the authors of the Texas Declaration of Independence	7,067	710
Clay	Henrietta	1857	Henry Clay, U.S. Senator from Kentucky and ninth secretary of state of the United States	10,421	1098
Cochran	Morton	1876	Robert Cochran, a defender of the Alamo	2,851	775
Coke	Robert Lee	1889	Richard Coke, the 15th governor of Texas	3,306	899
Coleman	Coleman	1858	Robert Coleman, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and soldier at the Battle of San Jacinto	8,430	1273
Collin	McKinney	1846	Collin McKinney, an author of the Texas Declaration of Independence and the oldest person to sign it	969,603	848
Collingsworth	Wellington	1876	James Collinsworth, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and first chief justice of the Republic of Texas (spelling differs due to an error in the bill creating the county)	2,987	919
Colorado	Columbus	1836	“The Colorado River of Texas (Colorado is Spanish for “colored”)”	21,232	963
Comal	New Braunfels	1846	The Comal River (Comal is Spanish for “basin”)	141,009	562
Comanche	Comanche	1856	The Comanche Native American tribe	13,573	938
Concho	Paint Rock	1858	The Concho River. (Concho is Spanish for “shell”)	2,717	992
Cooke	Gainesville	1848	William Cooke, a soldier during the Texas Revolution	39,895	874
Coryell	Gatesville	1854	James Coryell, a frontiersman and Texas Ranger who was killed by Native Americans	74,913	1052
Cottle	Paducah	1876	George Washington Cottle, who died defending the Alamo	1,387	901
Crane	Crane	1887	William Carey Crane, a president of Baylor University	4,740	786
Crockett	Ozona	1875	David Crockett, the legendary frontiersman who died at the Battle of the Alamo	3,564	2808
Crosby	Crosbyton	1876	Stephen Crosby, a Texas Land Commissioner	5,899	900
Culberson	Van Horn	1911	David Browning Culberson, a lawyer, U.S. Congressman, and soldier in the Civil War	2,231	3813
Dallam	Dalhart	1876	James Wilmer Dallam, a lawyer and newspaper publisher	7,208	1505
Dallas	Dallas	1846	George Mifflin Dallas, the eleventh vice president of the United States	2,618,148	880
Dawson	Lamesa	1876	Nicholas Mosby Dawson, a soldier of the Texan Revolution and victim of the Dawson Massacre	12,813	902
Deaf Smith	Hereford	1876	Erastus “Deaf” Smith, a scout during the Texan Revolution	18,836	1497
Delta	Cooper	1870	Its triangular shape, much like the Greek letter Delta	5,298	277
Denton	Denton	1846	John Bunyan Denton, a preacher, lawyer, and soldier killed during a raid on a Native American camp	836,210	888
DeWitt	Cuero	1846	Green DeWitt, an empresario who founded an early colony in Texas	20,226	909
Dickens	Dickens	1876	J.A. Dickens, who died at the Battle of the Alamo	2,209	904
Dimmit	Carrizo Springs	1858	Philip Dimmitt, a major figure in the Texas Revolution	10,418	1331
Donley	Clarendon	1876	Stockton P. Donley, a frontier lawyer and Texas Supreme Court justice	3,311	930
Duval	San Diego	1858	Burr Harrison DuVal, a soldier in the Texas Revolution who died in the Goliad Massacre	11,273	1793
Eastland	Eastland	1858	William Mosby Eastland, a soldier during the Texas Revolution	18,411	926
Ector	Odessa	1887	Mathew Ector, a Confederate general during the Civil War	157,087	901
Edwards	Rocksprings	1858	Haden Edwards, empresario and filibuster who led the Fredonian Rebellion	1,953	2120
Ellis	Waxahachie	1849	Richard Ellis, president of the convention that produced the Texas Declaration of Independence	173,620	940
El Paso	El Paso	1848	Neighboring Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, formerly called El Paso del Norte as it served as the pass north from central Mexico to the settlements of New Mexico	840,410	1013
Erath	Stephenville	1856	George Bernard Erath, an early surveyor and a soldier at the Battle of San Jacinto	41,969	1086
Falls	Marlin	1850	The Falls on the Brazos	17,437	769
Fannin	Bonham	1837	James Walker Fannin, Jr., the commander of the Texans killed in the Goliad Massacre	34,446	892
Fayette	La Grange	1837	Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette (1757–1834 , the French-born general and hero of the American Revolutionary War	25,272	950
Fisher	Roby	1876	Samuel Rhoads Fisher, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and secretary of the Navy under the Republic of Texas	3,880	901
Floyd	Floydada	1876	Dolphin Ward Floyd, who died defending the Alamo	5,855	992
Foard	Crowell	1891	Robert Levi Foard, an attorney and Confederate major in the Civil War	1,222	707
Fort Bend	Richmond	1837	A blockhouse positioned in a bend of the Brazos River	764,828	875
Franklin	Mount Vernon	1875	Benjamin Cromwell Franklin, a judge and Texas State Senator	10,767	286
Freestone	Fairfield	1850	A type of peach grown in the area	19,625	885
Frio	Pearsall	1858	“The Frio River (Frío is Spanish for “cold”)”	19,600	1133
Gaines	Seminole	1876	James Gaines, merchant and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence	20,638	1502
Galveston	Galveston	1838	Bernardo de Gálvez, Spanish governor of the Louisiana Territory	335,036	399
Garza	Post	1876	José Antonio de la Garza, pioneering settler and first Mayor of San Antonio	6,528	896
Gillespie	Fredericksburg	1848	Robert Addison Gillespie, a merchant, Mexican–American War soldier, and Texas Ranger	26,646	1061
Glasscock	Garden City	1887	George Washington Glasscock, an early Texian settler, businessman, soldier, and state representative	1,348	901
Goliad	Goliad	1836	Its county seat, named in turn as an anagram of Miguel Hidalgo, the inspirational figure behind the Mexican War of Independence	7,562	854
Gonzales	Gonzales	1836	Rafael Gonzales, Governor of Coahuila y Tejas	20,893	1068
Gray	Pampa	1876	Peter W. Gray, a lawyer and state senator	22,404	928
Grayson	Sherman	1846	Peter Wagener Grayson, an attorney general of the Republic of Texas	131,140	934
Gregg	Longview	1873	John Gregg, a Confederate general during the Civil War	123,367	274
Grimes	Anderson	1846	Jesse Grimes, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and early settler of the future county	28,032	794
Guadalupe	Seguin	1846	The Guadalupe River, named in turn for the Mexican spiritual icon Our Lady of Guadalupe	159,659	711
Hale	Plainview	1876	John C. Hale, a lieutenant killed in action at the Battle of San Jacinto	34,134	1005
Hall	Memphis	1876	Warren DeWitt Clinton Hall, a secretary of war for the Republic of Texas (1836	3,071	903
Hamilton	Hamilton	1856	James Hamilton Jr., governor of South Carolina (1830–1832 who gave financial aid to the Republic of Texas	8,422	836
Hansford	Spearman	1876	John M. Hansford, a Texas state representative and judge	5,477	920
Hardeman	Quanah	1858	Bailey Hardeman, the first secretary of the treasury for the Republic of Texas, and his brother Thomas Jones Hardeman, state representative and judge	3,994	695
Hardin	Kountze	1858	The Hardin family, earliest settlers of Liberty County	57,139	894
Harris	Houston	1836	John Richardson Harris, early settler and founder of Harrisburg, Texas, which eventually became known as Houston Named Harrisburg County until 183	4,652,980	1729
Harrison	Marshall	1839	Jonas Harrison, a lawyer and soldier in the Texas Revolution	66,661	899
Hartley	Channing	1876	Oliver C. and Rufus K. Hartley, brothers and original reporters for the Texas Supreme Court	5,691	1462
Haskell	Haskell	1858	Charles Ready Haskell, Texas revolutionary soldier killed in the Goliad Massacre	5,746	903
Hays	San Marcos	1848	John Coffee Hays, a leading Texas Ranger and Mexican–American War officer	214,485	678
Hemphill	Canadian	1876	John Hemphill, U.S. Senator and Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court	4,024	910
Henderson	Athens	1846	James Pinckney Henderson, the first governor of Texas	81,064	874
Hidalgo	Edinburg	1852	Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the priest who raised the call for Mexico’s independence from Spain	774,769	1569
Hill	Hillsboro	1853	George Washington Hill, a secretary of war and secretary of the navy under the Republic of Texas	35,852	962
Hockley	Levelland	1876	George Washington Hockley, Chief of Staff of the Texas Army during the Texas Revolution and secretary of war of the Republic of Texas	23,088	908
Hood	Granbury	1866	John Bell Hood, a Confederate lieutenant general who commanded a Texas Brigade	58,273	422
Hopkins	Sulphur Springs	1846	David Hopkins, an early settler in the future county	36,496	785
Houston	Crockett	1837	Sam Houston, general of the Texan Revolution, later president of the Republic of Texas, U.S. Senator, and governor of the state of Texas	23,021	1231
Howard	Big Spring	1876	Volney Eskine Howard, U.S. Representative from Texas	36,040	903
Hudspeth	Sierra Blanca	1917	Claude Benton Hudspeth, a U.S. Congressman, rancher, and newspaper publisher	4,408	4571
Hunt	Greenville	1846	Memucan Hunt, Jr., a secretary of the navy under the Republic of Texas	93,872	841
Hutchinson	Stinnett	1876	Andrew Hutchinson, an early settler and attorney	21,375	887
Irion	Mertzon	1889	Robert Anderson Irion (1804–1861 , a secretary of state in the Republic of Texas	1,516	1052
Jack	Jacksboro	1856	Patrick and William Jack, brothers, participants in the Anahuac Disturbance, and veterans of the Texas Revolution	8,832	917
Jackson	Edna	1836	Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States	14,805	830
Jasper	Jasper	1836	William Jasper, an American Revolutionary War hero	35,561	938
Jeff Davis	Fort Davis	1887	Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America	2,280	2265
Jefferson	Beaumont	1836	Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence	256,299	904
Jim Hogg	Hebbronville	1913	James Stephen Hogg, the 20th governor of Texas	5,202	1136
Jim Wells	Alice	1911	James Babbage Wells Jr., judge and Democratic party boss in southern Texas	40,871	865
Johnson	Cleburne	1854	Middleton Tate Johnson, a Texas Ranger and senator for the Republic of Texas	167,301	729
Jones	Anson	1854	Anson Jones, the fifth president of the Republic of Texas	19,983	931
Karnes	Karnes City	1854	Henry Karnes, a soldier in the Texas Revolution	15,187	750
Kaufman	Kaufman	1848	David Spangler Kaufman, a Jewish Texas state senator and the second Jewish member of the United States House of Representatives	122,883	786
Kendall	Boerne	1862	George Wilkins Kendall, an early journalist and sheep rancher who gained national fame as a war correspondent during the Mexican–American War	44,026	662
Kenedy	Sarita	1921	Mifflin Kenedy, an early rancher and land speculator	417	1457
Kent	Jayton	1876	Andrew Kent, who died at the Battle of the Alamo	763	902
Kerr	Kerrville	1856	James Kerr, an early colonist in Texas and soldier in the Texas Revolution	51,720	1106
Kimble	Junction	1858	George C. Kimbell, who died at the Battle of the Alamo (spelling differs due to an error in the bill creating the county)	4,410	1251
King	Guthrie	1876	William Phillip King, who died at the Battle of the Alamo	296	912
Kinney	Brackettville	1850	Henry Lawrence Kinney, a Texas state senator and unsuccessful land speculator	3,745	1364
Kleberg	Kingsville	1913	Robert Justus Kleberg, an early German settler and soldier at the Battle of San Jacinto	31,088	871
Knox	Benjamin	1858	Henry Knox, the first secretary of war of the United States	3,710	854
Lamar	Paris	1840	Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, the third president of the Republic of Texas	49,587	917
Lamb	Littlefield	1876	George A. Lamb, who died at the Battle of San Jacinto	13,210	1016
Lampasas	Lampasas	1856	“The Lampasas River” (Lampasas is Spanish for “lilies”)	21,207	712
La Salle	Cotulla	1858	René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (1643–1687 , the French explorer who traveled through Texas	7,584	1489
Lavaca	Hallettsville	1842	“The Lavaca River” (Spanish for “the cow”)	20,062	629
Lee	Giddings	1874	Robert Edward Lee (1807–1870 , the commanding general of the Confederate forces during the Civil War	17,183	1072
Leon	Centerville	1846	Disputed: Either Mexican empresario Martín De León, who founded Victoria, Texas; or the león, a local variety of yellow wolf	17,243	1072
Liberty	Liberty	1836	Its county seat, which was named either for the recent success of the Mexican War of Independence or for Liberty, Mississippi	83,658	1160
Limestone	Groesbeck	1846	The limestone deposits in the region	23,527	909
Lipscomb	Lipscomb	1876	Abner Smith Lipscomb, justice of the Texas Supreme Court and secretary of state of the Republic of Texas	3,378	932
Live Oak	George West	1856	The Texas live oak tree under which the petition for a new county was signed	12,174	1036
Llano	Llano	1856	“The Llano River” (Llano is Spanish for “plains”)	21,210	935
Loving	Mentone	1887	Oliver Loving, a cattle rancher and pioneer of the cattle drive who, with Charles Goodnight, developed the Goodnight–Loving Trail	134	673
Lubbock	Lubbock	1876	Thomas Saltus Lubbock, a Texas Ranger and Confederate colonel during the Civil War	305,225	900
Lynn	Tahoka	1876	William Lynn, a soldier in the Texas Revolution from Massachusetts who is believed to have died defending the Alamo	5,859	892
McCulloch	Brady	1856	Benjamin McCulloch, veteran of San Jacinto, Texas Ranger, and Confederate general	7,957	1069
McLennan	Waco	1850	Neil McLennan, an early settler in the future county	251,259	1042
McMullen	Tilden	1858	, an Irish-born empresario in Texas	778	1113
Madison	Madisonville	1853	James Madison, the fourth president of the United States	14,222	470
Marion	Jefferson	1860	Francis Marion, American Revolutionary War general	10,064	381
Martin	Stanton	1876	Wylie Martin, a Texas Revolutionary soldier and legislative representative for the Republic of Texas	5,626	915
Mason	Mason	1858	Fort Mason, which was named for either Lt. George T. Mason, killed during the Mexican–American War in fighting near Brownsville, or for Gen. Richard Barnes Mason, military governor of California	4,222	932
Matagorda	Bay City	1836	The canebrakes which once grew along the coast (Mata gorda is Spanish for “fat bush”)	36,840	1114
Maverick	Eagle Pass	1856	Samuel Augustus Maverick, a rancher, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, and representative in the Republic of Texas legislature	58,216	1280
Medina	Hondo	1848	The Medina River, named for Spanish engineer Pedro Medina	50,066	1328
Menard	Menard	1858	Michel Branamour Menard, the founder of Galveston, Texas	2,124	902
Midland	Midland	1885	Named for being halfway between Fort Worth and El Paso on the Texas and Pacific Railway	165,049	900
Milam	Cameron	1836	Benjamin Rush Milam, an early Texas colonizer and soldier in the Texas Revolution	25,053	1017
Mills	Goldthwaite	1887	John T. Mills, a Texas Supreme Court judge	4,921	748
Mitchell	Colorado City	1876	Asa and Eli Mitchell, two early settlers and soldiers in the Texas Revolution	8,468	910
Montague	Montague	1857	Daniel Montague, a state senator and early surveyor in the future county	19,539	931
Montgomery	Conroe	1837	Montgomery, Texas, which was named for Andrew Jackson Montgomery, a San Jacinto Veteran	570,934	1044
Moore	Dumas	1876	Edwin Ward Moore, commodore of the Texan Navy	22,097	900
Morris	Daingerfield	1875	William Wright Morris, a planter and state legislator	12,467	254
Motley	Matador	1876	Junius William Mottley, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence	1,230	989
Nacogdoches	Nacogdoches	1836	Its county seat, which was named for the Nacogdoche Native American tribe	65,580	947
Navarro	Corsicana	1846	José Antonio Navarro, a leading Tejano participant in the Texan Revolution and signer of the Texan Declaration of Independence	48,701	1071
Newton	Newton	1846	John Newton, a veteran of the Revolutionary War	13,952	933
Nolan	Sweetwater	1876	Philip Nolan, a mustanger who was killed by Spanish troops while on a mission into Texas	14,770	912
Nueces	Corpus Christi	1846	“The Nueces River (Nueces is Spanish for “nuts”)	361,221	836
Ochiltree	Perryton	1876	William Beck Ochiltree, secretary of the treasury for the Republic of Texas and legislator for the state of Texas	10,073	918
Oldham	Vega	1876	Williamson Simpson Oldham, a Confederate Senator for Texas	2,114	1501
Orange	Orange	1852	An orange grove planted by early settlers at the mouth of the Sabine River	85,047	356
Palo Pinto	Palo Pinto	1856	The Palo Pinto Creek (Palo Pinto is Spanish for “painted stick”)	28,570	953
Panola	Carthage	1846	A Native American word for cotton.	23,243	801
Parker	Weatherford	1855	Isaac Parker, legislator for both the Republic of Texas and the state of Texas	133,463	904
Parmer	Farwell	1876	Martin Parmer, a Republic of Texas legislator, judge, and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence	9,842	882
Pecos	Fort Stockton	1871	The Pecos River, which was named for the Pecos Pueblo, which is of unknown etymology	15,634	4764
Polk	Livingston	1846	James Knox Polk, the eleventh president of the United States	49,162	1057
Potter	Amarillo	1876	Robert Potter, secretary of the navy for the Republic of Texas, and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence	120,458	909
Presidio	Marfa	1850	Presidio del Norte, an eighteenth-century fort and settlement on the south side of the Rio Grande	7,156	3856
Rains	Emory	1870	Emory Rains, a state senator and surveyor of the future county	11,762	259
Randall	Canyon	1876	Horace Randal, a Confederate brigadier general in the Civil War	134,442	914
Reagan	Big Lake	1903	John H. Reagan, Confederate postmaster general, U.S. Congressman, and Governor of Texas	3,710	1175
Real	Leakey	1913	Julius Real, a rancher and state senator	3,429	700
Red River	Clarksville	1836	The Red River of Texas	12,229	1050
Reeves	Pecos	1883	George Robertson Reeves, a Texas state representative and colonel in the Confederate army	15,281	2636
Refugio	Refugio	1836	Its county seat, which was named for the Spanish mission Nuestra Señora del Refugio, “Our Lady of Refuge”	7,224	770
Roberts	Miami	1876	John S. Roberts, a signer of the Texan Declaration of Independence, and his brother Oran Roberts, attorney general for the Republic of Texas and the 17th governor	938	924
Robertson	Franklin	1837	Sterling Clack Robertson, an empresario in Mexican Texas	17,203	855
Rockwall	Rockwall	1873	A submerged stone wall found by initial settlers	96,788	149
Runnels	Ballinger	1858	Hiram Runnels, the 9th governor of Mississippi and a planter in Texas	10,266	1054
Rusk	Henderson	1843	Thomas Jefferson Rusk, a general in the Texas Revolution	52,833	924
Sabine	Hemphill	1836	The Sabine River. Sabina is Spanish for “cypress.”	10,461	490
San Augustine	San Augustine	1836	Saint Augustine of Hippo	8,253	528
San Jacinto	Coldspring	1870	The Battle of San Jacinto, final battle of Texas Revolution	28,270	571
San Patricio	Sinton	1836	San Patricio de Hibernia was the first county seat, an Irish colony named for Saint Patrick	67,215	692
San Saba	San Saba	1856	The San Saba River, discovered on the Catholic feast of Saint Sabbas	5,959	1134
Schleicher	Eldorado	1887	Gustav Schleicher, engineer and U.S. Congressman	3,001	1311
Scurry	Snyder	1876	William Read Scurry, state legislator and Confederate general	17,050	903
Shackelford	Albany	1858	Jack Shackelford, a soldier of the Texas Revolution	3,328	914
Shelby	Center	1836	Isaac Shelby, governor of Kentucky	25,513	794
Sherman	Stratford	1876	Sidney Sherman, a soldier in the Texas Revolution	3,067	923
Smith	Tyler	1846	James Smith, a general during the Texas Revolution	227,727	928
Somervell	Glen Rose	1875	Alexander Somervell, a soldier in the Texas Revolution and leader of the Somervell Expedition	8,845	187
Starr	Rio Grande City	1848	James Harper Starr, a treasurer for the Republic of Texas and Confederate official	64,454	1223
Stephens	Breckenridge	1858	Alexander Hamilton Stephens, vice president of the Confederacy	9,337	895
Sterling	Sterling City	1891	W. S. Sterling, early rancher and buffalo hunter	1,295	923
Stonewall	Aspermont	1876	Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, a famous Confederate General	1,388	919
Sutton	Sonora	1887	John Sutton, a Texas Ranger and soldier in the Texas Revolution	3,767	1454
Swisher	Tulia	1876	James Swisher, a soldier of the Texas Revolution	7,515	900
Tarrant	Fort Worth	1849	Edward Tarrant, U.S. Army general	2,054,475	864
Taylor	Abilene	1858	Edward Taylor, George Taylor, and James Taylor, three brothers who died at the Alamo	136,290	916
Terrell	Sanderson	1905	Alexander Watkins Terrell, state legislator, diplomat, and Confederate cavalry officer	810	2358
Terry	Brownfield	1876	Frank Terry, a Confederate colonel and commander of Terry’s Texas Rangers	12,715	890
Throckmorton	Throckmorton	1858	William Throckmorton, an early Collin County settler	1,527	912
Titus	Mount Pleasant	1846	Andrew Jackson Titus, planter and Texas state representative	32,904	411
Tom Green	San Angelo	1874	Thomas Green, a Confederate brigadier general	118,019	1522
Travis	Austin	1840	William Travis, the commander of the Texan forces at the Alamo	1,226,698	989
Trinity	Groveton	1850	The Trinity River	14,667	693
Tyler	Woodville	1846	John Tyler, the tenth president of the United States	21,539	923
Upshur	Gilmer	1846	Abel Parker Upshur, the fifteenth secretary of state of the United States	41,281	588
Upton	Rankin	1887	John & William Upton, brothers and lieutenant colonels in the Confederate army	3,663	1242
Uvalde	Uvalde	1850	The Cañón de Ugalde, a nearby battlefield where Spanish General Juan de Ugalde was victorious in a skirmish with over 300 Apaches	27,132	1557
Val Verde	Del Rio	1885	“Civil War Battle of Val Verde (Val Verde is Spanish for “green valley”)	49,205	3171
Van Zandt	Canton	1848	Isaac Van Zandt, attorney, Texas state representative, and diplomat	55,182	849
Victoria	Victoria	1836	Its county seat, which was named for Guadalupe Victoria, Mexican revolutionary and its first president	92,084	883
Walker	Huntsville	1846	Samuel Hamilton Walker, a Texas Ranger and soldier in the Mexican–American War	72,245	788
Waller	Hempstead	1873	Edwin Waller, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and the first mayor of Austin, Texas	51,307	514
Ward	Monahans	1887	Thomas William Ward, a commissioner for the General Land Office of Texas and mayor of Austin, Texas	11,472	836
Washington	Brenham	1836	George Washington, the first president of the United States	35,043	609
Webb	Laredo	1848	James Webb, who served as secretary of the Treasury, secretary of State, and Attorney General of the Republic of Texas	274,794	3357
Wharton	Wharton	1846	William Harris Wharton and John Austin Wharton, brothers and officers in the Texas Revolution	41,968	1090
Wheeler	Wheeler	1876	Royal Tyler Wheeler, the second Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court	5,358	914
Wichita	Wichita Falls	1858	The Wichita Native American tribe	132,000	628
Wilbarger	Vernon	1858	Josiah P. and Mathias Wilbarger, brothers and early settlers; Josiah became a mythical figure for living 11 years after being scalped	12,764	971
Willacy	Raymondville	1911	John G. Willacy, Texas state senator who was the author of the bill that established the county	21,584	597
Williamson	Georgetown	1848	Robert McAlpin Williamson, a leader and veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto	547,545	1124
Wilson	Floresville	1860	James Charles Wilson, a Texas state senator	49,304	807
Winkler	Kermit	1887	Clinton Winkler, an appeals court judge, Texas state representative, and Confederate colonel	7,574	841
Wise	Decatur	1856	Henry Alexander Wise, the U.S. Congressman and future thirty-eighth governor of Virginia, who supported the annexation of Texas	66,181	905
Wood	Quitman	1850	George Tyler Wood, the second governor of Texas	44,314	650
Yoakum	Plains	1876	Henderson King Yoakum, soldier, attorney, and Texas historian	8,568	800
Young	Graham	1856	William Cocke Young, early Texas settler, attorney, sheriff, and United States Marshal	17,979	922
Zapata	Zapata	1858	José Antonio Zapata, a local rancher and colonel of the short-lived Republic of the Rio Grande	14,322	997
Zavala	Crystal City	1846	Lorenzo de Zavala, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and the first Vice-President of the Republic of Texas	11,948	1299