Leon County

Leon County is east of Waco on Interstate 45 in the Claypan area of eastern Central Texas. It is bounded on the north by Limestone and Freestone counties, on the east by Anderson and Houston counties, on the south by Madison County, and on the west by Robertson County. Buffalo, located near the Freestone county line, is the largest community. Centerville, the county seat, is near the geographical center of the county at 31°15 north latitude and 96°00' west longitude. Interstate Highway 45, connecting Dallas to Houston, crosses north to south, and U.S. Highway 79 traverses the county east to west. The Union Pacific tracks parallel Highway 79, entering near Marquez and exiting at Oakwood. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad crosses from Normangee to Jewett, where the two rail lines intersect. Leon County embraces 1,078 square miles of rolling plains. Elevations range from 150 to 500 feet. Most of the county has light-colored soils with loamy or sandy surfaces and mottled, clayey subsoils. In the northwest corner and near the southeastern and southern borders, the soils are light-colored and sandy with mottled, clayey subsoils, and in the east the soils have very dark loamy surfaces and mottled gray, cracking, clayey subsoils. The eastern two-thirds of the county is drained by the Trinity River, which forms the eastern boundary, and the remainder is drained by the Navasota River, the western county line. In addition to the Navasota and Trinity rivers, Leon County is crossed by numerous creeks, including Boggy, Keechi, Clear, Birch, and Upper Keechi. Lake Limestone, shared with neighboring Limestone County, is located in the northwestern corner of Leon County and provides recreational opportunities. Vegetation is typical of the Post Oak Savannah area, with mesquite, oak, elm, and grasses predominating. Other native trees include hickories, sweetgums, and redbuds; pecan trees are also found along streams. Between 1 and 10 percent of the county is considered prime farmland. Natural resources include lignite coal and oil. The climate is subtropical-humid, with mild winters and warm summers. Average temperatures in January range from 37° F to 58° and in July from 72° to 95°. The average annual precipitation is forty inches, and the average annual snowfall is less than one inch. The growing season lasts 270 days a year, with the last freeze in early March and the first freeze in early December.

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.