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Texas Counties

Texas is divided into 254 counties, more than any other U.S. state Texas was originally divided into municipalities, a unit of local government under Spanish and Mexican rule. When the Republic of Texas gained its independence in 1836, there were 23 municipalities, which became the original Texas counties. Many of these would later be divided into new counties. The most recent county to be created was Kenedy County in 1921. The most recent county to be organized was Loving County in 1931

Fort Bend County, Texas

Fort Bend County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Richmond
Year Organized: 1837
Square Miles: 875

Court House:

301 Jackson Street
County Courthouse
Richmond, TX 77469-3108

Etymology - Origin of County Name

a blockhouse positioned in a bend of the Brazos River which was the center of life in the future county in early days

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

Fort Bend County is a county located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas. Since the 1970s Fort Bend County has been one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. It is named for a blockhouse positioned in a bend of the Brazos River, which was the center of life in the future county in early days. Its county seat is Richmond, while its largest city is Sugar Land.

In May 1837 the Congress of the Republic of Texas^qv passed an act incorporating nineteen towns, including Richmond. Robert Eden Handy^qv of Pennsylvania and William Lusk of Richmond, Virginia, both of whom had arrived in Texas shortly before the war for independence from Mexico, founded and named the town with eight other proprietors, including Branch T. Archer, Thomas Freeman McKinney, and Samuel May Williams.^qqv An act establishing Fort Bend County and fixing its boundaries was passed on December 29, 1837; Wyly Martin^qv was appointed the first chief justice. On January 13, 1838, the citizens voted to make Richmond the county seat. The county was taken from portions of Austin, Brazoria, and Harris counties. Its irregular shape was, in part, the result of using waterways to form the west and segments of the south and east boundaries. Several efforts have been made to change the lines but with little success.

More at Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "," http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/FF/hcf7.html (accessed November 5, 2008).

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 886 square miles (2,295 km²), of which, 875 square miles (2,265 km²) of it is land and 11 square miles (30 km²) of it (1.29%) is water.

Neighboring Counties:

Waller County (north)
Harris County (east)
Brazoria County (southeast)
Wharton County (southwest)
Austin County (northwest)

Cities and Towns:

- Beasley	city	Incorporated Area
- Fairchilds	village	Incorporated Area
- Fulshear	city	Incorporated Area
- Houston	city	Incorporated Area
- Katy	city	Incorporated Area
- Kendleton	city	Incorporated Area
- Meadows Place	city	Incorporated Area
- Missouri City	city	Incorporated Area
- Needville	city	Incorporated Area
- Orchard	city	Incorporated Area
- Pleak	village	Incorporated Area
- Richmond (County Seat)	city	Incorporated Area
- Rosenberg	city	Incorporated Area
- Simonton	city	Incorporated Area
- Stafford	city	Incorporated Area
- Sugar Land	city	Incorporated Area
- Thompsons	town	Incorporated Area

County Resources:

Enter County Resources and Information Here

Online High Schools

County Resource Guide

Counties: US Map

The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of our country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."

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