Bell County

Bell County, Texas

Bell County, Texas

Bell County, Texas Photo by Walter Rock from FreeImages
Bell County, Texas

Bell County, Texas

Map of Bell County, Texas. Map Credit: Robert Plocheck

Bell County, in east central Texas, is located along the Balcones Escarpment approximately forty-five miles north of the Capitol in Austin and is bordered by Coryell, McLennan, and Falls counties on the north, on the east by Falls and Milam counties, on the south by Milam and Williamson counties, and on the west by Lampasas and Burnet counties. Belton, the third largest town in the county, serves as the county seat and is sixty-five miles north of Austin. The county's center lies at approximately 31°02' north latitude and 97°30' east longitude. Interstate Highway 35 and State highways 195, 95, and 317 are the major north-south roads in the county; U.S. Highway 190 and State Highway 36 cross the county east and west. Bell County is also served by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and the Union Pacific railroads.

Bell County comprises some 1,055 square miles and is divided into regions by the Balcones Escarpment, which runs through the approximate center of the county from southeast to northwest. The eastern part of the county, on the Blackland Prairie, consists of comparatively level prairieland, mainly undulating to gently rolling. The western half of the county belongs to the Grand Prairie region of Texas, and includes undulating to rolling uplands, deeply cut with stream valleys that, in places, have stony slopes and steep bluffs. Bell County ranges in elevation from about 450 feet above sea level in the southeast to about 1,200 feet above sea level on the western boundary. The county is drained chiefly by the Little River and its tributaries, especially the Leon, Lampasas, and Salado rivers, which come together at historic Three Forks to form the Little River. Soils in the eastern part of the county are mostly dark, loamy to clayey "blackland" soils; the rich Houston black clay is the most common type and the most suitable for farming. The soils west of the Balcones fault are light to dark and loamy and clayey, with limy subsoils; shallow, stony soils in places have encouraged ranching and hardwood and pine production. Vegetation west of the fault is characterized by tall grasses and oak, juniper, pine, and mesquite trees, while the eastern part of the county, which has been extensively utilized for farming, is still wooded along its streams with a variety of hardwood trees. Between 41 and 50 percent of the land in Bell County is considered prime farmland. Mineral resources include limestone, oil, gas, sand and gravel, and dolomite.

Continue Reading

Seymour V. Connor, Mark Odintz | © TSHA

Handbook of Texas Logo

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.

Great Texas Land Rush logo
Adoption Status:
This place has been adopted and will not be available until February 22, 2025
Adopted by:
Bell County Historical Commission
Dedication Message:
Volunteer appointees of the Commission

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Bell County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

390 ft – 1227 ft

Size

Land area does not include water surface area, whereas total area does

  • Land Area: 1,051.0 mi²
  • Total Area: 1,087.8 mi²

Temperature

January mean minimum: 35.6°F
July mean maximum: 94.6°F

Rainfall, 2019

36.1 inches

Population Count, 2019

362,924

Civilian Labor Count, 2019

140,185

Unemployment, 2019

8.1%

Property Values, 2019

$21,576,524,268 USD

Per-Capita Income, 2019

$42,773 USD

Retail Sales, 2019

$4,953,557,399 USD

Wages, 2019

$1,579,869,287 USD

Bell County

Highlighted:
  • Bell County
Loading...
Place Type Population (Year/Source) Currently Exists
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 65 (2009) Yes
Town
Town 25 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town 1,643 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town 30 (2009) Yes
Town 23,845 (2021) Yes
Lake Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 14 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town 25 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town 47 (2009) Yes
Town
Town 301 (2009) Yes
Town 215 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 15 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 24,781 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 33,560 (2021) Yes
Town
Town 224 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town 1,086 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town 8 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town 156,261 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 24 (2009) Yes
Town
Town 1,989 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 25 (2009) Yes
Town
Town 22 (2009) Yes
Town
Town 6 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town 1,406 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town 4,713 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 12 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town 6,249 (2021) Yes
Town
Town 108 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 58 (2009) Yes
Town 130 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town 791 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 34 (2009) Yes
Town 22 (2009) Yes
Town 30 (2009) Yes
Town
Town 1,104 (2021) Yes
Town 2,391 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town 60 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town 774 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town Yes
Town
Town 80 (2009) Yes
Town 40 (2009) Yes
Town
Town 6 (2009) Yes
Lake Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town 85,416 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town 390 (2009) Yes
Town 2,468 (2021) Yes
Town 12 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 262 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 49 (2009) Yes
Town 76 (2009) Yes

Proud to call Texas home?

Put your name on the town, county, or lake of your choice.


Search Places »