Hamilton County

Hamilton County, Texas

Hamilton County, Texas

Historical Marker about the City of Hamilton and Hamilton County, Texas. Photograph by Caknuk.

Hamilton County, in Central Texas, is bounded on the north by Comanche, Erath, and Johnson counties, on the west by Mills County, and on the south by Lampasas and Coryell counties. Its center lies at 31°47' north latitude and 98°13' west longitude, 114 miles north of Austin. The county was named for James Hamilton, a South Carolina governor who invested some $216,000 in gold to finance the Texas struggle for independence from Mexico. It covers 844 square miles wooded with pecan, live oak, elm, cedar, and post oak. Soils range from the sandy loams and sands and the dark, limy, crumbly, clays of the prairie, to the rich alluvial bottoms of the river valleys. The elevation of the county ranges between 900 and 1,600 feet above sea level. Except for the northwestern part, which lies in the Western Cross Timbers region, the county is rolling prairie marked by numerous flat-topped buttes that rise abruptly to stand on the divides between the county's many streams. The county is drained by the Leon, Lampasas, and Bosque rivers. Many of its deep, wide stream valleys are bordered by limestone cliffs that abut the intervening flat divides. The average annual rainfall is 29.61 inches; the average minimum temperature in January is 34° F, and the average maximum in July is 96°. The growing season lasts 239 days. The agriculture of the local economy earns about $31 million yearly, 90 percent of which derives from cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, and poultry. Crops include sorghums, small grains, cotton, hay, and pecans; irrigated land totals about 5,000 acres. The county's agribusiness also includes more than forty dairies. The manufacture of garments, wooden molding, steel products, and other goods earns the county about $5 million annually. Hamilton County has limited and declining oil production; production was about 5,000 barrels in 1982 and 2,067 in 1990. Major roads include U.S Highway 281 (north to south) and State highways 36 (northwest to southeast) and 22 (east to west).

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.

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County Map of Texas

Hamilton County

Highlighted:
  • Hamilton County

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Hamilton County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

860 ft – 1660 ft

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Hamilton County by the Numbers

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Population Counts

Hamilton County
Pop. Year Source
8,461 2019 United States Census Bureau

Civilian Labor Counts

Hamilton County
People Year Source
3,436 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Per Capita Income (USD) Year Source
$60,744 2019 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

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Property Values

Hamilton County
USD ($) Year Source
1,850,341,904 2019 State Property Tax Board

Retail Sales

Hamilton County
USD ($) Year Source
82,232,799 2019 State Comptroller of Public Accounts

Wages

Hamilton County
USD ($) Year Source
27,166,192 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Unemployment Percentage Year Source
5.2 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Rainfall (inches) Year Source
35.3 2019 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Min. (January Average, °F) Max. (July Average, °F) Year Source
30.8 94.0 2019 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Land Area

Hamilton County
Area (square miles) Year Source
835.9 2019 United States Census Bureau

Total Area

Hamilton County
Area (square miles) Year Source
836.4 2019 United States Census Bureau