Guadalupe County

Guadalupe County, Texas

Guadalupe County, Texas

Justice Center Building in Guadalupe County, Texas. Photograph by Billy Hathorn.
Guadalupe County, Texas

Guadalupe County, Texas

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

Guadalupe County is ninety miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico in south central Texas and is bounded by Comal, Hays, Caldwell, Gonzales, Wilson, and Bexar counties. Cibolo Creek forms the border between Guadalupe and Bexar counties, and the San Marcos River separates Guadalupe and Caldwell counties. Seguin, the county seat and largest town, is on Interstate Highway 10 and U.S. Highway 90, twenty-five miles southwest of Austin and eighteen miles northeast of San Antonio. The county's center lies near Seguin at approximately 29°35' north latitude and 97°57' west longitude. The county covers 713 square miles of flat to rolling terrain with local depressions and escarpments, and its elevation ranges from 450 to 800 feet above sea level. The northwestern section, near the border with Comal and Hays counties, is part of the Blackland Prairie; the rest of the county lies in the Upper Coastal Plain. Soil types vary from dark, calcareous clay in the northwest to fine, sandy loam in the southeast. Vegetation consists primarily of mesquite, scrub brush, and grasses in drier areas of the county, while water-tolerant hardwoods and conifers flourish near creeks. The area has a mild subtropical climate, with temperatures ranging from an average high of 96° in July and an average low of 42° in January. The annual rainfall in the county averages 33 inches, and the growing season averages 275 days.

The central Texas region, including Guadalupe County, has supported human habitation for several thousand years. Archaeologists believe some of the artifacts found in the area to be from the Archaic Period (ca. 5000 B.C. to 500 A.D.); other pieces are more recent, dating from 1200 to 1500. Indian tribes in the area included the Karankawas, Tonkawas, Comanches, and Lipan Apaches. Hostilities with Indians who camped along the Guadalupe River in the mid-1830s caused many of the early settlers to retreat from their land to Gonzales until more protection could be provided. After the Texas Revolution, the Tonkawas and the Lipan Apaches were friendly toward settlers and often traded with them, but the threat of raids by the Comanches remained until the 1843 council at Bird's Fort. After the Mexican War in 1848, federal troops established a line of forts extending from Fort Worth to Eagle Pass, effectively moving the frontier and the Indians well to the northwest of Guadalupe County. The last Indian raid into the area was made by the Kickapoos in 1855. The Spanish were probably the first Europeans to explore central Texas. Some sources suggest that Álvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca came through this part of central Texas in 1534, but others indicate that his route was farther south. Guadalupe County takes its name from the Guadalupe River, which Alonso de Leon named in 1689 in honor of the Lady of Guadalupe depicted on his standard. The Spanish government made one of the first land grants in the Guadalupe County area to José de la Baume in 1806 for land in the Capote Hills. He had to confirm his claim with the new government after Mexico won its independence from Spain and did not receive clear title until 1832. Between 1827 and 1835 twenty-two families came to the area as part of DeWitt's colony, and fourteen received grants directly from the Mexican government. Most of the settlers during this early period came from the southern United States. Many had land in the eastern part of the region along what came to be called Nash, Darst, and Mill creeks. These early settlers scarcely had time to form even the beginnings of communities before the combination of Indian raids and the Runaway Scrape forced them to retreat to Gonzales.

Continue Reading

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.

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Guadalupe County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

350 ft – 952 ft

Size

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

  • Land Area: 711.3 mi²
  • Total Area: 714.8 mi²

Temperature

January mean minimum: 40.5°F
July mean maximum: 95.2°F

Rainfall, 2019

34.6 inches

Population Count, 2019

166,847

Civilian Labor Count, 2019

79,827

Unemployment, 2019

7.1%

Property Values, 2019

$17,376,826,616 USD

Per-Capita Income, 2019

$44,809 USD

Retail Sales, 2019

$1,884,276,553 USD

Wages, 2019

$503,263,021 USD

Guadalupe County

Highlighted:
  • Guadalupe County
Loading...
Place Type Population (Year/Source) Currently Exists
Town
Town
Town 46 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 33,475 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 88 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 984 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 95 (2009) Yes
Town
Town 134 (2021) Yes
Town 1,412 (2021) Yes
Lake Yes
Lake Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 1,044 (2021) Yes
Town
Town 2,536 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 679 (2021) Yes
Town 98,857 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 65 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 3,353 (2021) Yes
Town 68,580 (2021) Yes
Town
Town 771 (2021) Yes
Town
Town 42,622 (2021) Yes
Town
Town 678 (2009) Yes
Town 30,902 (2021) Yes
Town 11,619 (2021) Yes
Town
Town 188 (2021) Yes
Town
Town 294 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 172 (2009) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town
Town 595 (2009) Yes
Town
Town 287 (2009) Yes
Town 375 (2021) Yes

Proud to call Texas home?

Put your name on the town, county, or lake of your choice.


Search Places »