Brazoria County, Texas

Brazoria County
County
The Brazoria County Courthouse in Angleton
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 29°10′N95°26′W / 29.17°N 95.44°W / 29.17; -95.44
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1836
Named for	Brazos River
Seat	Angleton
Largest city	Pearland
Area
• Total	1,609 sq mi (4,170 km2)
• Land	1,358 sq mi (3,520 km2)
• Water	251 sq mi (650 km2)  16%
Population  (2020)
• Total	372,031
• Density	272.9/sq mi (105.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts	9th, 14th, 22nd
Website	brazoriacountytx.gov

Brazoria County ( /brəˈzɔːriə/ brə-ZOR-ee-ə) is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 372,031. ^[1] The county seat is Angleton. ^[2]

Brazoria County is included in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area. It is located in the Gulf Coast region of Texas.

Regionally, parts of the county are within the extreme southernmost fringe of the regions locally known as Southeast Texas. Brazoria County is among a number of counties that are part of the region known as the Texas Coastal Bend. Its county seat is Angleton, and its largest city is Pearland. Brazoria County, like Brazos County farther upriver, takes its name from the Brazos River. It served as the first settlement area for Anglo-Texas, when the Old Three Hundred emigrated from the United States in 1821. The county also includes what was once Columbia and Velasco, Texas, early capital cities of the Republic of Texas. The highest point in Brazoria County is Shelton's Shack, located near the Dow Chemical Plant B Truck Control Center, measuring 342 ft above sea level.

History

Brazoria 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 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, so became one of Texas original counties at independence in 1836.

An early resident of Brazoria County, Joel Walter Robison, fought in the Texas Revolution and later represented Fayette County in the Texas House of Representatives. ^[3]

Stephen F. Austin's original burial place is located at a church cemetery, Gulf Prairie Cemetery, in the town of Jones Creek, on what was his brother-in-law's Peach Point Plantation. His remains were exhumed in 1910 and brought to be reinterred at the state capital in Austin. The town of West Columbia served as the first capital of Texas, dating back to prerevolutionary days.

Group of men at work in Brazoria County, 1939

The Hastings Oil Field was discovered by the Stanolind Oil and Gas Company in 1934. Production was from a depth of 5,990 feet (1,830 m), associated with a salt dome structure. Total production by 1954 was about 242 million barrels. ^{[4] [5]}

Lake Jackson is a community developed beginning in the early 1940s to provide housing to workers at a new Dow Chemical Company plant in nearby Freeport. The county has elements of both rural and suburban communities, as it is part of greater Houston.

Back view of agricultural trucks, 1939

On June 2, 2016, the flooding of the Brazos River required evacuations for portions of Brazoria County. ^[6]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,609 square miles (4,170 km²), of which 1,358 square miles (3,520 km²) are land and 251 square miles (650 km²) (16%) are covered by water. ^[7]

Adjacent counties

• Harris County (north)
• Galveston County (northeast)
• Gulf of Mexico (southeast)
• Matagorda County (southwest)
• Wharton County (west)
• Fort Bend County (northwest)

National protected areas

• Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge
• San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Communities

Cities

• Alvin
• Angleton (county seat)
• Brazoria
• Brookside Village
• Clute
• Danbury
• Freeport
• Iowa Colony
• Lake Jackson
• Liverpool
• Manvel
• Oyster Creek
• Pearland (small parts in Harris and Fort Bend counties)
• Richwood
• Sandy Point
• Surfside Beach
• Sweeny
• West Columbia

Towns

• Holiday Lakes
• Quintana

Villages

• Bailey's Prairie
• Bonney
• Hillcrest
• Jones Creek

Census-designated places

• Damon
• East Columbia
• Rosharon
• Ryan Acres
• Wild Peach Village

Unincorporated communities

• Amsterdam
• Anchor
• Brazosport
• Bryan Beach
• Chenango
• China Grove
• Chocolate Bayou
• Danciger
• English
• Four Corners
• Hinkle's Ferry
• Lochridge
• Old Ocean
• Otey
• Silverlake
• Snipe
• Turtle Cove

Ghost towns

• Hasima
• Hastings
• Lake Barbara
• Mims
• Oakland
• Perry's Landing
• Velasco

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	4,841		—
1860	7,143		47.6%
1870	7,527		5.4%
1880	9,774		29.9%
1890	11,506		17.7%
1900	14,861		29.2%
1910	13,299		−10.5%
1920	20,614		55.0%
1930	23,054		11.8%
1940	27,069		17.4%
1950	46,549		72.0%
1960	76,204		63.7%
1970	108,312		42.1%
1980	169,587		56.6%
1990	191,707		13.0%
2000	241,767		26.1%
2010	313,166		29.5%
2020	372,031		18.8%
2023 (est.)	398,938	[1]	7.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [8] 1850–2010 [9] 2010–2020 [1]

As of the census of 2000, 241,767 people, 81,954 households, and 63,104 families resided in the county. ^[10] The population density was 174 people per square mile (67 people/km²). The 90,628 housing units averaged 65 units per square mile (25 units/km²). According to the 2010 United States census, 313,166 people were living in the county; by 2020, its population grew to 372,031. ^[11]

Of the 81,955 households in 2000, 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 not families. About 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 age distribution as 28.60% under 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 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 107 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.4 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $48,632, and 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 8.1% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

Race and ethnicity

In the late 1800s, the county was majority black as many were former slaves who had worked on plantations in the county. In 1882, it had 8,219 black people and 3,642 white people. However, after Jim Crow laws were cemented, many African-Americans moved to Houston and the county became majority white. By 2022, due to the growth of ethnic minorities in Pearland, non-Hispanic white people were now a plurality and not a majority in the county as a whole. ^[12]

Brazoria County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
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.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000 [13]	Pop 2010 [14]	Pop 2020 [11]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	158,052	166,674	161,833	65.37%	53.22%	43.50%
Black or African American alone (NH)	20,183	36,880	53,668	8.35%	11.78%	14.43%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	828	1,013	1,022	0.34%	0.32%	0.27%
Asian alone (NH)	4,776	17,013	26,231	1.98%	5.43%	7.05%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	54	58	129	0.02%	0.02%	0.03%
Other race alone (NH)	215	472	1,374	0.09%	0.15%	0.37%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	2,596	4,413	12,572	1.07%	1.41%	3.38%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	55,063	86,643	115,202	22.78%	27.67%	30.97%
Total	241,767	313,166	372,031	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

In 2000, the racial makeup of the county was 77.09% White, 8.50% Black or African American, 0.53% Native American, 2.00% Asian, 9.66% from other races, and 2.22% from two or more races. About 22.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. About 12.1% were of German, 11.2% American, and 7.2% English ancestry according to 2000's census; about 79.0% spoke only English at home, while 18.1% spoke Spanish. By 2010, 70.1% were White, 12.1% African American, 5.5% Asian, 0.6% Native American, 9.2% of some other race, and 2.6% of more than one race; about 27.7% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

Government and politics

Elected officials

Nathan Haller, a black man, was the elected representative for the county from 1892 to 1897. After Jim Crow laws were imposed, black residents were suppressed politically until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. ^[12] In 2022 most major government officials were white. ^[12]

United States Congress

Senators		Name	Party	First Elected	Level
	Senate Class 1	John Cornyn	Republican	2002	Senior Senator
	Senate Class 2	Ted Cruz	Republican	2012	Junior Senator
Representatives		Name	Party	First Elected	Area(s) of Brazoria County Represented
	District 14	Randy Weber	Republican	2012	Central and southern areas (Alvin), Lake Jackson, Angleton, Freeport), also part of (Galveston County)
	District 22	Troy Nehls	Republican	2020	Northern areas (Pearland), Northwest areas (Manvel), also parts of Harris and Galveston counties

Texas Legislature

Texas Senate

District		Name	Party	First Elected	Area(s) of Brazoria County Represented
	11	Mayes Middleton	Republican	1999	Northern and central areas
	17	Joan Huffman	Republican	2008	Southern areas, Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula (Galveston County)

Texas House of Representatives

District		Name	Party	First Elected	Area(s) of Brazoria County Represented
	25	Cody Vasut	Republican	2020	Lake Jackson, Angleton, Freeport
	29	Ed Thompson	Republican	2008	Pearland, Alvin, Manvel

Pearland native Kyle Kacal, a Republican from College Station, holds the District 12 state House seat based in Brazos and four neighboring counties. ^[15]

United States presidential election results for Brazoria County, Texas ^[16]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	95,867	59.16%	63,976	39.48%	2,203	1.36%
2020	90,433	58.35%	62,228	40.15%	2,323	1.50%
2016	72,791	60.07%	43,200	35.65%	5,190	4.28%
2012	70,862	66.39%	34,421	32.25%	1,456	1.36%
2008	67,515	64.34%	36,480	34.76%	945	0.90%
2004	63,662	68.27%	28,904	31.00%	682	0.73%
2000	53,445	66.79%	24,883	31.10%	1,691	2.11%
1996	36,392	55.44%	22,959	34.98%	6,287	9.58%
1992	30,384	42.51%	21,861	30.59%	19,222	26.90%
1988	34,028	57.60%	23,436	39.67%	1,617	2.74%
1984	39,166	67.52%	18,609	32.08%	234	0.40%
1980	27,614	58.08%	18,253	38.39%	1,677	3.53%
1976	19,475	46.65%	21,711	52.01%	558	1.34%
1972	21,045	64.89%	11,350	35.00%	37	0.11%
1968	10,631	35.32%	11,439	38.00%	8,033	26.69%
1964	8,477	34.60%	15,917	64.98%	103	0.42%
1960	10,880	50.13%	10,561	48.66%	264	1.22%
1956	9,536	56.49%	7,137	42.28%	208	1.23%
1952	8,360	49.88%	8,386	50.03%	15	0.09%
1948	2,133	25.51%	4,783	57.19%	1,447	17.30%
1944	850	11.05%	5,543	72.07%	1,298	16.88%
1940	799	17.43%	3,781	82.46%	5	0.11%
1936	462	16.59%	2,284	82.01%	39	1.40%
1932	617	17.25%	2,948	82.44%	11	0.31%
1928	1,588	59.39%	1,086	40.61%	0	0.00%
1924	1,114	37.21%	1,761	58.82%	119	3.97%
1920	1,235	47.41%	1,184	45.45%	186	7.14%
1916	581	33.62%	1,033	59.78%	114	6.60%
1912	263	19.02%	746	53.94%	374	27.04%

Law enforcement and jails

Brazoria County Sheriff's Office
Abbreviation	BCSO
Agency overview
Formed	1836 [17]
Jurisdictional structure
General nature	Local civilian police
Operational structure
Headquarters	Angleton, Texas
Sheriff responsible	Leonard "Bo" Stallman
Website
http://www.brazoria-county.com/sheriff/

The Brazoria County Sheriff's Office is the oldest law enforcement agency in the State of Texas, established by the Republic of Texas in March 1836. Among its duties include running the Brazoria County Jail, located at 3602 County Road 45 in unincorporated central Brazoria County, north of Angleton. ^[18]

Clemens Unit, one of several prisons in Brazoria County

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates six state prisons for men and its Region III office in unincorporated Brazoria County. ^[19] As of 2007,1,495 full-time correctional job positions were in the county. ^[20] In 1995, of the counties in Texas, Brazoria had the second-highest number of state prisons and jails, after Walker County. ^[21] In 2003, a total of 2,572 employees were employed at the six TDCJ facilities. ^[22] The TDCJ units are:

• Clemens Unit, ^[23] nearBrazoria ^[24]
• Memorial Unit (formerly Darrington Unit), near Rosharon - The Windham School District Region III office is within the unit. ^[25]

(The following 3 are co-located in Otey, ^[26] near Rosharon. ^[24] )

• Ramsey Unit - The unit is co-located with Stringfellow and Terrell. The TDCJ Region III Maintenance Headquarters is within this unit. ^[27]
• Stringfellow Unit, near Rosharon - The unit is co-located with Ramsey and Terrell. ^[28] The unit was originally named Ramsey II Prison Unit. ^[29]
• C. T. Terrell Unit - The unit is co-located with Ramsey and Stringfellow. ^[30] It was originally known as the Ramsey III Unit. ^[31]

In 2007, TDCJ officials said discussions to move the Central Unit from Sugar Land to Brazoria County were preliminary. ^[20]

Former units:

• Retrieve Unit (later Wayne Scott Unit), near Angleton. ^{[22] [32]} - Main prison closed in 2020 ^[33]

Education

A variety of school districts serve Brazoria County students. They include: ^[34]

• Alvin ISD
• Angleton ISD
• Brazosport ISD
• Columbia-Brazoria ISD
• Danbury ISD
• Damon ISD
• Friendswood ISD
• Pearland ISD
• Sweeny ISD

Alvin Community College and Brazosport College serve as higher education facilities. Alvin CC serves areas in Alvin, Danbury, and Pearland ISDs as well as portions of the Angleton ISD that Alvin CC had annexed prior to September 1, 1995. Brazosport College serves the remainder of Angleton ISD and the Brazosport, Columbia-Brazoria, Damon, and Sweeny ISD areas. ^[35]

The Brazoria County Library System has branches in Alvin, Angleton, Brazoria, Clute, Danbury, Freeport, Lake Jackson, Manvel, Pearland, Sweeny and West Columbia, and runs the Brazoria County Historical Museum.

Transportation

Major highways

• State Highway 6
• State Highway 35
• State Highway 36
• State Highway 288
• State Highway 332

Airports

The Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport, in central unincorporated Brazoria County, is the county's sole publicly owned airport.

The following airports, located in the county, are privately owned and for public use:

• Flyin' B Airport in western unincorporated Brazoria County
• Skyway Manor Airport in Pearland
• Pearland Regional Airport in eastern 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 southern Houston in adjacent Harris County. The Houston Airport System has stated that Brazoria County is within the primary service area of George Bush Intercontinental Airport, an international airport in Houston in Harris County. ^[36]

Toll roads

Brazoria County Toll Road Authority

Authority overview
Formed	December 2003 (2003-12) [37]
Jurisdiction	Brazoria County, Texas
Headquarters	Brazoria Commissioners Court

The Brazoria County Toll Road Authority operates toll lanes on TX 288 inside Brazoria County. They connect to the SH 288 Express Toll Lanes in Harris County operated by the Texas Department of Transportation.

History

BCTRA came into existence in December 2003 ^[37] when it saw that the Houston area needed more roadways and wanted to have a say so about any roads that come into Brazoria County.

Roadway system

The only toll road BCTRA has in operation at this time is the Brazoria County Expressway. Located within the media of SH 288, the expressway begins at County Road 58 in Manvel and is maintained by BCTRA for five miles up to the Harris County line at Clear Creek. The 288 Toll Lanes continue into Harris County (maintained by TxDOT) for ten miles up to I-69/US 59 in Houston. Construction began on the Brazoria County Expressway in late 2016 and was completed on November 16, 2020. Tolls are collected electronically and an EZ Tag, TxTag or TollTag is required for passage. ^{[38] [39]}

See also

• Texas portal

• List of museums in the Texas Gulf Coast
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Brazoria County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Brazoria County

References

1. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Brazoria County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Robison, Joel Walter". Texas State Historical Association . Retrieved August 2, 2015.
4. Olien, Diana; Olien, Roger (2002). Oil in Texas, The Gusher Age, 1895-1945. Austin: University of Texas Press. p. 214. ISBN   0292760566.
5. Weingartner, R. (1949). Nettleton, L.L. (ed.). Geophysical Case History of the Hastings Oil Field, Brazoria and Galveston Counties, Texas, in Geophysical Case Histories, Volume 1=1948. Society of Exploration Geophysicists. pp. 156–165.
6. "Mandatory evacuations ordered in Brazoria County". Houston Chronicle. June 2, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
7. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
8. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
9. "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 19, 2013. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
10. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
11. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Brazoria County, Texas". United States Census Bureau .
12. Hardy, Michael (February 18, 2022). "Brazoria County Is Poised to Elect Its First Black Congressman. Not Everyone Is Happy About It". Texas Monthly . Retrieved February 22, 2022.
13. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Brazoria County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
14. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Brazoria County, Texas". United States Census Bureau .
15. "Kyle Kacal's Biography". votesmart.org. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
16. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
17. "Brazoria County - Sheriff's Office". Archived from the original on July 16, 2009. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
18. "Sheriff's Office Archived September 15, 2008, at the Wayback Machine ." Brazoria County. Accessed September 13, 2008.
19. "Region III Director's Office Archived January 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine ." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on January 8, 2010.
20. Lowman, John. "Talk of prison move preliminary." Brazosport Facts . Wednesday June 6, 2007. Retrieved on May 9, 2010.
21. Horswell, Cindy. "For hard-hit economy of Liberty County, crime officially pays." Houston Chronicle . Thursday June 29, 1995. A30. Retrieved on July 23, 2010.
22. Isensee, Bridie. "TDCJ makes overtime changes", Brazosport Facts , August 13, 2003, Retrieved May 9, 2010.
23. "CLEMENS (CN) Archived 2010-07-25 at the Wayback Machine ." TDCJ. Accessed September 12, 2008.
24. Staff and Wire Reports. "Parts of Houston join evacuation," Houston Chronicle , September 21, 2005, Retrieved on May 10, 2010.
25. "DARRINGTON (DA) Archived 2010-07-25 at the Wayback Machine ." TDCJ. Accessed September 12, 2008.
26. "Table of Contents and Excerpt, Trulson and Marquart, First Available Cell." University of Texas Press . Retrieved on July 16, 2010.
27. "RAMSEY (R1) Archived August 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine ." TDCJ. Accessed September 12, 2008.
28. "STRINGFELLOW (R2) Archived 2008-08-21 at the Wayback Machine ." TDCJ. Accessed September 12, 2008.
29. Tompkins, John. "Ramsey unit renamed." Brazosport Facts . November 10, 2006. Retrieved on December 7, 2009.
30. "C. T. TERRELL (R3) Archived 2010-07-25 at the Wayback Machine ." TDCJ. Accessed September 12, 2008.
31. Timms, Ed. "Uneasy about death row, Terrell wants name off unit Prison expected to be renamed." The Dallas Morning News . July 14, 2001. Retrieved on May 9, 2010. "Another prison the Ramsey III unit in Brazoria County probably will be renamed for Mr Terrell".
32. "SCOTT (RV) Archived 2008-09-24 at the Wayback Machine ." TDCJ. Accessed September 12, 2008.
33. McCarty, Maddy (October 30, 2020). "TDCJ main Wayne Scott unit closing". The Brazosport Facts . Clute, Texas . Retrieved February 19, 2023.
34. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Brazoria County, TX" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2022. - Text list
35. Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.163. ALVIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA. Sec. 130.170. BRAZOSPORT COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.. The college zone map of Alvin ISD shows what was annexed before September 1, 1995.
36. "Master Plan Executive Summary Archived July 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine ." George Bush Intercontinental Airport Master Plan. Houston Airport System. December 2006. 2-1 (23/130). Retrieved on December 14, 2010.
37. "Brazoria County Creates Toll Authority : Texas County Progress". Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
38. "Brazoria County Expressway" . Retrieved May 28, 2017.
39. Fresh drive: This is what the new 288 toll road looks like for one of the first drivers Click2Houston.com (KPRC-TV) Published on November 12, 2020, and updated on November 16, 2020 (Retrieved November 22, 2020)

External links

• Brazoria County government
• Brazoria County Day website
• Brazoria County FireFighters Association
• Brazoria County Museum
• Brazoria County Parks Department
• Brazoria County, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Brazoria County from the Texas Almanac
• Brazoria County from the TXGenWeb Project
• Historic materials about Brazoria County, hosted by the Portal to Texas History

29°10′N95°26′W / 29.17°N 95.44°W / 29.17; -95.44