Grimes County
Grimes County, in southeastern Texas, lies forty miles northwest of Houston and is bordered on the north by Madison County, on the east by Walker and Montgomery counties, on the south by Waller County, and on the west by Washington and Brazos counties. Anderson, the county seat, is the third-largest town in Grimes County. The county's geographical center lies at about 30°34' north latitude and 95°59' west longitude. State Highway 90 is the major north-south thoroughfare, while State highways 30 and 105 run east and west. The county is also served by two major railways: the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and the Union Pacific. Grimes County covers 799 square miles at the boundary between the Post Oak Belt and the Coastal Plain. Most of the area, especially the eastern sections, consists of gently rolling to sloping terrain, while the bottomland along the rivers and streams is nearly level to gently sloping. The elevation ranges from 193 feet above sea level in the southeast to 415 feet in the northwest. The western part of the county is drained by the Navasota and Brazos rivers, which form its western boundary; much of the eastern portion of the county drains into the West Fork of the San Jacinto River, while the Trinity River drains the northernmost areas of the county. Upland soils, which cover much of the area, are gray sandy loams overlying clayey subsoils. Bottomland soils, found in the floodplains of the rivers and principal creeks, are dark, loamy to clayey alluvial soils. A series of prairies featuring Wilson clay blackland soils runs through the southern part of the county. Grimes County lies in a transitional vegetation zone between the post oak savannah, which covers the northern and western sections of the county, and, to the south and east, a region of intermixed forest and prairie, which supports dense stands of oak, elm, pecan, and mesquite, as well as several species of grass. Hardwoods, found in stream valleys and lowlands throughout the county, include post oak, blackjack oak, white oak, hickory, and maple. Fingers of the East Texas Piney Woods extend into the southeastern corner of the county, and upland areas everywhere are mantled by forests of loblolly, shortleaf, and longleaf pine. Between 1 and 10 percent of the land in the county is classified as prime farmland. Modest reserves of petroleum, natural gas, and lignite coal are the most significant of the limited mineral resources in Grimes County. The first tektites found in North America were discovered in Grimes County in 1936. Though the buffalo, bear, and wild hogs which once roamed the area disappeared in the 1800s, in the 1990s the county still included many wild animal species, including white-tailed deer, rabbit, raccoon, and opossum, and wild birds such as the mourning dove and bobwhite quail. Temperatures in the county range from an average high of 96° F in July to an average low of 40° in January. Rainfall averages 40.5 inches a year, and the growing season averages 278 days a year.
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.
Charles Christopher Jackson | © Texas State Historical Association
Grimes County at a Glance
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County Map of Texas
Grimes County
- Grimes County
Currently Exists
Yes
Place type
Grimes County is classified as a County
Altitude Range
150 ft – 470 ft
Places of Grimes County
Photos of Grimes County and surrounding areas

Grimes County, Texas
The Grimes County Courthouse in Anderson, Texas. Photograph by Patrick Feller.

Grimes County, Texas
Map of Grimes County, Texas Map Credit: Robert Plocheck

City of Navasota, Grimes County, Texas
Navasota City Hall in Grimes County, Texas. Photograph by Larry D. Moore. Navasota

City of Anderson, Texas
The Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site is in Anderdson, Texas. Photograph by Larry D. Moore. Anderson

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Grimes County by the Numbers
Population & Civilian Labor Counts
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Population Counts
Grimes County
Pop. | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
28,880 | 2019 | United States Census Bureau |
Civilian Labor Counts
Grimes County
People | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
10,937 | 2019 | Texas Workforce Commission |
Per Capita Income
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Per Capita Income (USD) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
$35,450 | 2019 | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis |
Property Values, Retail Sales, and Wages
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Property Values
Grimes County
USD ($) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
5,594,111,565 | 2019 | State Property Tax Board |
Retail Sales
Grimes County
USD ($) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
231,289,779 | 2019 | State Comptroller of Public Accounts |
Wages
Grimes County
USD ($) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
97,551,139 | 2019 | Texas Workforce Commission |
Unemployment
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Unemployment Percentage | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
9.0 | 2019 | Texas Workforce Commission |
Rainfall
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Rainfall (inches) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
43.5 | 2019 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
Temperature Ranges
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Min. (January Average, °F) | Max. (July Average, °F) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|---|
40.0 | 96.0 | 2019 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
Land Area & Total Area
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Land Area
Grimes County
Area (square miles) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
787.5 | 2019 | United States Census Bureau |
Total Area
Grimes County
Area (square miles) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
801.6 | 2019 | United States Census Bureau |