Falls County

Falls County is located in Central Texas and is surrounded by Limestone, Robertson, Milam, Bell, and McLennan counties. Marlin, the largest town and county seat, is 24 miles south of Waco and 121 miles south of Dallas. The county's center lies at 31°15' north latitude and 96°54' west longitude. Falls County covers 765 square miles in the Blackland Prairie region. The gently rolling terrain consists of broad flatlands, with elevations ranging from 300 to 500 feet, and the Brazos River bisects the county. Over 70 percent of the county contains upland clayey and loamy soil used primarily for pasture and cultivated crops. The rest of the area has deep loamy or sandy and loamy soil which is used for specialized crops such as tomatoes and watermelons. The main natural resource is the land, but there are a few oil and gas wells. Mineral artesian wells in Marlin have made it a health center. Temperatures range from an average high of 93° F in July to an average low of 39° in January. The average yearly rainfall is slightly less than thirty-four inches and the growing season lasts 257 days.

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