Edwards County

Edwards County, Texas

Edwards County, Texas

Texas Hill Country in Edwards County, Texas. Photograph by Billy Hathorn.
Edwards County, Texas

Edwards County, Texas

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

Edwards County is located in Southwest Texas east of the Big Bend country and 100 miles west of San Antonio. The center point of the county is 29°45' north latitude, 100°16' west longitude. The county encompasses 2,120 square miles of the Edwards Plateau region. The elevation varies from 1,500 feet to 2,410 feet. The average annual rainfall is twenty-two inches. The temperature ranges from 34° F to 62° in January and 71° to 97° in July; the growing season lasts 250 days, beginning in mid-March and ending in late November. The eastern section of the county has generally rolling terrain, with many hills and caves. The western region is typically flat. The county is situated upon a major limestone deposit surfaced with dark, calcareous stony clays and clay loams that principally support oak, juniper, mesquite, and cedar trees, as well as prairie grasses. Edwards County has more than fifteen natural springs that flow year-round; the headwaters of the Llano, Nueces, and West Nueces rivers are in the county. The vegetation, temperature, and abundant water supply make this an ideal area for many types of game animals, including white-tail deer, javelina, turkey, and quail. The area is rich in iron ore and sulfur and has some silver deposits, though these have not been mined or developed.

The region that became Edwards County was home to Lipan Apache Indians. Spain established the mission of San Lorenzo de la Santa Cruz in 1762 to help Christianize the Indians, but was otherwise unable to settle the area. White settlement in the region did not begin until the mid-1800s. In 1858 the county was formed from Bexar County; the first land was sold in 1876. Edwards County was not officially organized until 1883. It was named for Hayden Edwards, one of the first American settlers of Nacogdoches. The county seat was originally Bullhead, which subsequently changed its name to Vance. Rock Springs (now Rocksprings) became county seat in 1891. In 1913, Real County was taken from the eastern section of Edwards County, thus decreasing Edwards County to its present size.

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James B. McCrain | © 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.

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Edwards County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

1480 ft – 2415 ft

Size

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

  • Land Area: 2,117.9 mi²
  • Total Area: 2,119.9 mi²

Temperature

January mean minimum: 36.6°F
July mean maximum: 90.4°F

Rainfall, 2019

26.6 inches

Population Count, 2019

1,932

Civilian Labor Count, 2019

1,056

Unemployment, 2019

4.2%

Property Values, 2019

$1,767,229,944 USD

Per-Capita Income, 2019

$35,182 USD

Retail Sales, 2019

$24,926,543 USD

Wages, 2019

$6,420,042 USD

Edwards County

Highlighted:
  • Edwards County
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Place Type Population (Year/Source) Currently Exists
Town 24 (2021) Yes
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Town 874 (2021) Yes

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