Brazoria County, Texas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Brazoria County, Texas | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Texas |
|
 Texas's location in the USA |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1836 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Angleton |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,597 sq mi (4,136 km²) 1,386 sq mi (3,590 km²) 211 sq mi (546 km²), 13.21% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
241,767 174/sq mi (67/km²) |
| Website: www.brazoria-county.com | |
Brazoria County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas located on the Gulf Coast within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. Its county seat is Angleton, and its largest city is Pearland. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 241,767. The 2006 Census estimate placed the county's population at 287,898.
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[edit] History
Brazoria County, like nearby Brazos County, takes its name from the Brazos River, which flows through it. Anglo-Texas began in Brazoria County when the first of Stephen F. Austin's authorized 300 American settlers arrived at the mouth of the Brazos River in 1821. Many of the events leading to the Texas Revolution developed in Brazoria County. In 1832, Brazoria was organized as a separate municipal district by the Mexican government, and so became one of Texas original counties at independence in 1836. Stephen F. Austin's original burial place was located at a church cemetery (Gulf Prairie Presbyterian) in the town of Jones Creek, but was more recently exhumed and brought to the state capital in Austin. Also, the town of West Columbia served as the first capital of Texas, dating back to pre-revolutionary days.
Brazoria County constitutes the southern tip of the Cancer Coast, so named by doctors at the Texas Medical Center in Houston and members of the local media.
Brazoria County resembles both rural and suburban life as it is part of the Greater Houston area.
Brazoria County in recent years is seeing a surge in urban sprawl in the past two decades.
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,597 square miles (4,137 km²), of which, 1,386 square miles (3,591 km²) of it is land and 211 square miles (547 km²) of it (13.21%) is water.
[edit] Major Highways
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Harris County (north)
- Galveston County (northeast)
- Matagorda County (southwest)
- Wharton County (west)
- Fort Bend County (northwest)
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 241,767 people, 81,954 households, and 63,104 families residing in the county. The population density was 174 people per square mile (67/km²). There were 90,628 housing units at an average density of 65 per square mile (25/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 77.09% White, 8.50% Black or African American, 0.53% Native American, 2.00% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 9.63% from other races, and 2.22% from two or more races. 22.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 81,954 households out of which 40.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.20% were married couples living together, 10.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.00% were non-families. 19.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the county, the population was spread out with 28.60% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 32.40% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 8.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 106.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $48,632, and the median income for a family was $55,282. Males had a median income of $42,193 versus $27,728 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,021. About 8.10% of families and 10.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.60% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Elected officials
[edit] United States Congress
| Senators | Name | Party | First Elected | Level | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate Class 1 | Kay Bailey Hutchison | Republican | 1993 | Senior Senator | |
| Senate Class 2 | John Cornyn | Republican | 2002 | Junior Senator | |
| Representatives | Name | Party | First Elected | Area(s) of Brazoria County Represented | |
| District 14 | Ron Paul | Republican | 1996 (also served 1976-1977 and 1979-1985) | Central and southern areas (Alvin, Lake Jackson, Angleton, Freeport) | |
| District 22 | Nick Lampson | Democrat | 2006 (also served 1997-2005) | Northern areas (Pearland) | |
[edit] Texas Legislature
[edit] Texas Senate
| District | Name | Party | First Elected | Area(s) of Brazoria County Represented | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Mike Jackson | Republican | 1999 | Northern and central areas | |
| 17 | Kyle Janek | Republican | 2002 | Southern areas | |
[edit] Texas House of Representatives
| District | Name | Party | First Elected | Area(s) of Brazoria County Represented | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Dennis Bonnen | Republican | 1996 | Lake Jackson, Angleton, Freeport | |
| 29 | Mike O'Day | Republican | 2007 | Pearland, Alvin | |
NOTE: There was a runoff to be held in January, 2007 between two Republicans to determine the representative for the seat in House District 29.
[edit] Communities
[edit] Cities
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[edit] Towns
[edit] Villages
[edit] Unincorporated areas
[edit] Education
A variety of school districts serve Brazoria County students. They include:
- Alvin ISD
- Angleton ISD
- Brazosport ISD
- Columbia-Brazoria ISD
- Danbury ISD
- Damon ISD (K-8)
- Pearland ISD
- Sweeny ISD
Alvin Community College and Brazosport College serve as higher education facilities.
Brazoria County Library System is the county library system.
[edit] Transportation
Two general aviation airports serve Brazoria County:
- Brazoria County Airport in central Brazoria County.
- Pearland Regional Airport in unincorporated Brazoria County south of the Pearland city limits.
The closest airport with regularly scheduled commercial service is Houston's William P. Hobby Airport located in Houston in adjacent Harris County. The closest airport with regularly scheduled international commercial service is George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston in Harris County.
[edit] External links
- Brazoria County government's website
- Brazoria County Museum Website
- Brazoria County FireFighters Association
- Brazoria County article in Handbook of Texas Online from The University of Texas at Austin.
- Historic materials about Brazoria County, hosted by the Portal to Texas History
- Alvin Youth Bowling Program
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Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown METROPOLITAN AREA |
|---|---|
| Counties | Austin | Brazoria | Chambers | Fort Bend | Galveston | Harris | Liberty | Montgomery | San Jacinto | Waller |
| "Principal" cities |
Houston | Sugar Land | Baytown | Galveston |
| Cities and towns |
Alvin | Angleton | Bellaire | Cleveland | Clute | Conroe | Dayton | Deer Park | Dickinson | Freeport | Friendswood | Galena Park | Hitchcock | Hempstead | Humble | Jacinto City | Jersey Village | Katy | Lake Jackson | La Marque | La Porte | League City | Liberty | Meadows Place | Missouri City | Pasadena | Pearland | Richmond | Rosenberg | Santa Fe | Seabrook | Sealy | South Houston | Stafford | Texas City | Tomball | Webster | West University Place |
| Unincorporated areas | Atascocita | Channelview | Cloverleaf | Cypress | Klein | Spring | The Woodlands |
|
Brazoria County, Texas |
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|---|---|---|
| County seat: Angleton | ||
| Cities |
Alvin | Angleton | Brazoria | Brookside Village | Clute | Danbury | Freeport | Lake Jackson | Liverpool | Manvel | Oyster Creek | Pearland‡ | Richwood | Surfside Beach | Sweeny | West Columbia |
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| Towns | ||
| Villages |
Bailey's Prairie | Bonney | Hillcrest | Iowa Colony | Jones Creek | |
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| CDPs and other unincorporated areas |
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| Footnotes |
‡This city also has portions in adjacent county or counties |
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