McCulloch County

McCulloch County, Texas

McCulloch County, Texas

The McCulloch County Courthouse in the city of Brady, the county seat. Photograph by Larry D. Moore.
McCulloch County, Texas

McCulloch County, Texas

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

McCulloch County is 250 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico in Central Texas and is bounded by Coleman, Brown, San Saba, Mason, Menard, and Concho counties. The Colorado River separates McCulloch County from Coleman and Brown counties. Brady, the county seat and largest town, is 120 miles northwest of Austin on U.S. highways 87, 190, and 377. The center of the county lies at 31°11' north latitude and 99°21' west longitude, three miles north of Brady. The geographical center of Texas is located in northeastern McCulloch County at 31°21' north latitude and 99°14' west longitude, sixteen miles northeast of Brady. The present county comprises 1,071 square miles of the Edwards Plateau; elevations range from 1,350 to 2,000 feet above sea level. Traversing the county from east to west, the Brady Mountains form a ridge which is broken by Salt, Cow, and Onion gaps. The surface of the land varies from rolling to hilly, sloping northward to the Colorado River and southward to the San Saba River. The county is supplied with underground water that can be tapped at widely varying depths. Soils, varying from deep black loam in the valleys to dark and light sand in the uplands, produce corn, grain sorghums, barley, wheat, peanuts, cotton, berries, peaches, pecans, and other fruit. Sheep, goats, beef and dairy cattle, hogs, and turkeys are also produced commercially. The chief timbers are cedar and post oak in the hills and live oak, mesquite, and pecan along the streams. Wildlife in the county has included buffalo, antelope, prairie dogs, wolves, and coyotes; more common in recent years are deer, beaver, fox, weasel, raccoon, and skunk, as well as a variety of birds, fish, and reptiles. Mineral resources include coal, brick clay, sand, and gravel. The area has a somewhat dry, subtropical climate, with temperatures ranging from 70° to 96° F in July and from 31° to 59° in January. The annual rainfall in the county averages 25 inches, and the growing season averages 226 days.

The Central Texas region, including McCulloch County, has supported human habitation for several thousand years. Archeologists judge some of the artifacts found in the area to be from the Archaic Period (ca. 5000 B.C. to A.D. 500); other pieces are more recent, dating from 1200 to 1500. Indians in the region have included the Tonkawas, the Comanches, and the Lipan Apaches. José Mares, a Spanish explorer, found the Indians friendly when he passed through the area in 1787 and 1788, but settlers in the nineteenth century were less fortunate. James and Rezin P. Bowie and nine others were attacked by more than a hundred Tawakoni Indians near Calf Creek in November 1831. In 1847 John O. Meusebach met with Comanche chiefs near the site of present Camp San Saba and signed the Meusebach-Comanche Treaty with them, but the threat of attacks and raids by the Comanches and other tribes delayed settlement of the area until the 1870s, when most of the Indians were moved to reservations outside Texas.

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Vivian Elizabeth Smyrl | © 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 28, 2025
Adopted by:
Campbell Family
Dedication Message:
Remembering Norris C. and Mary Jo Campbell who grew up here.

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

McCulloch County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

1280 ft – 2021 ft

Size

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

  • Land Area: 1,065.6 mi²
  • Total Area: 1,073.4 mi²

Temperature

January mean minimum: 32.2°F
July mean maximum: 94.2°F

Rainfall, 2019

27.6 inches

Population Count, 2019

7,984

Civilian Labor Count, 2019

3,127

Unemployment, 2019

8.2%

Property Values, 2019

$1,781,918,530 USD

Per-Capita Income, 2019

$37,927 USD

Retail Sales, 2019

$87,056,899 USD

Wages, 2019

$26,051,712 USD

McCulloch County

Highlighted:
  • McCulloch County
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Place Type Population (Year/Source) Currently Exists
Town
Town 5,032 (2021) Yes
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Town 56 (2009) Yes
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