McCulloch County
McCulloch County, Texas
McCulloch County, Texas
McCulloch County is 250 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico in Central Texas and is bounded by Coleman, Brown, San Saba, Mason, Menard, and Concho counties. The Colorado River separates McCulloch County from Coleman and Brown counties. Brady, the county seat and largest town, is 120 miles northwest of Austin on U.S. highways 87, 190, and 377. The center of the county lies at 31°11' north latitude and 99°21' west longitude, three miles north of Brady. The geographical center of Texas is located in northeastern McCulloch County at 31°21' north latitude and 99°14' west longitude, sixteen miles northeast of Brady. The present county comprises 1,071 square miles of the Edwards Plateau; elevations range from 1,350 to 2,000 feet above sea level. Traversing the county from east to west, the Brady Mountains form a ridge which is broken by Salt, Cow, and Onion gaps. The surface of the land varies from rolling to hilly, sloping northward to the Colorado River and southward to the San Saba River. The county is supplied with underground water that can be tapped at widely varying depths. Soils, varying from deep black loam in the valleys to dark and light sand in the uplands, produce corn, grain sorghums, barley, wheat, peanuts, cotton, berries, peaches, pecans, and other fruit. Sheep, goats, beef and dairy cattle, hogs, and turkeys are also produced commercially. The chief timbers are cedar and post oak in the hills and live oak, mesquite, and pecan along the streams. Wildlife in the county has included buffalo, antelope, prairie dogs, wolves, and coyotes; more common in recent years are deer, beaver, fox, weasel, raccoon, and skunk, as well as a variety of birds, fish, and reptiles. Mineral resources include coal, brick clay, sand, and gravel. The area has a somewhat dry, subtropical climate, with temperatures ranging from 70° to 96° F in July and from 31° to 59° in January. The annual rainfall in the county averages 25 inches, and the growing season averages 226 days.
The Central Texas region, including McCulloch County, has supported human habitation for several thousand years. Archeologists judge some of the artifacts found in the area to be from the Archaic Period (ca. 5000 B.C. to A.D. 500); other pieces are more recent, dating from 1200 to 1500. Indians in the region have included the Tonkawas, the Comanches, and the Lipan Apaches. José Mares, a Spanish explorer, found the Indians friendly when he passed through the area in 1787 and 1788, but settlers in the nineteenth century were less fortunate. James and Rezin P. Bowie and nine others were attacked by more than a hundred Tawakoni Indians near Calf Creek in November 1831. In 1847 John O. Meusebach met with Comanche chiefs near the site of present Camp San Saba and signed the Meusebach-Comanche Treaty with them, but the threat of attacks and raids by the Comanches and other tribes delayed settlement of the area until the 1870s, when most of the Indians were moved to reservations outside Texas.
Vivian Elizabeth Smyrl | © TSHA
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
McCulloch County is classified as a County
Altitude Range
1280 ft – 2021 ft
Size
Land area does not include water surface area, whereas total area does
- Land Area: 1,065.6 mi²
- Total Area: 1,073.4 mi²
Temperature
January mean minimum:
32.2°F
July mean maximum:
94.2°F
Rainfall, 2019
27.6 inches
Population Count, 2019
7,984
Civilian Labor Count, 2019
3,127
Unemployment, 2019
8.2%
Property Values, 2019
$1,781,918,530 USD
Per-Capita Income, 2019
$37,927 USD
Retail Sales, 2019
$87,056,899 USD
Wages, 2019
$26,051,712 USD
County Map of Texas
McCulloch County
- McCulloch County
Places of McCulloch County
Place | Type | Population (Year/Source) | Currently Exists |
---|---|---|---|
Town | – | – | |
Town | 5,032 (2021) | Yes | |
Lake | – | Yes | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | 23 (2009) | Yes | |
Town | 36 (2009) | Yes | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | 74 (2009) | Yes | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | 40 (2009) | Yes | |
Town | 32 (2009) | Yes | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | 149 (2009) | Yes | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | 124 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 166 (2009) | Yes | |
Town | 8 (2009) | Yes | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | 37 (2009) | Yes | |
Town | 32 (2009) | Yes | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | 214 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | 25 (2009) | Yes | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | 20 (2009) | Yes | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | 56 (2009) | Yes | |
Town | 15 (2009) | Yes | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | – | – |
Photos Nearby:
Brady, Texas
The City of Brady is the county seat of McCulloch County, Texas. People regard Brady the "Heart of Texas" because it is the city closest to the geographical center of the state of Texas, located about 15 miles northeast of Brady. Photograph by Larry D. Moore.
The town of Brady owns Brady Creek Reservoir
Photo by Larry D. Moore, CC by SA 4.0
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