Hamilton County

Hamilton County, Texas

Hamilton County, Texas

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

Hamilton County, Texas

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

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).

Though the extent of prehistoric settlement in the area that is now Hamilton County is unclear, at least five Indian burial mounds have been found on the banks of Cowhouse Creek, about 3½ miles from Pottsville. Waco and Tawakoni Indians lived on the Brazos and Trinity rivers some sixty miles to the east and northeast; they traded with the Tonkawas, a nomadic tribe that moved around Central Texas. Comanches also traveled through the Hamilton County area.

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John Leffler | © 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

Hamilton County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

860 ft – 1660 ft

Size

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

  • Land Area: 835.9 mi²
  • Total Area: 836.4 mi²

Temperature

January mean minimum: 30.8°F
July mean maximum: 94.0°F

Rainfall, 2019

35.3 inches

Population Count, 2019

8,461

Civilian Labor Count, 2019

3,436

Unemployment, 2019

5.2%

Property Values, 2019

$1,850,341,904 USD

Per-Capita Income, 2019

$60,744 USD

Retail Sales, 2019

$82,232,799 USD

Wages, 2019

$27,166,192 USD

Hamilton County

Highlighted:
  • Hamilton County
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Place Type Population (Year/Source) Currently Exists
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Town 50 (2009) Yes
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Town 12 (2021) Yes
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Town 454 (2021) Yes
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Town 40 (2009) Yes
Town 20 (2009) Yes
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Town 2,871 (2021) Yes
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Town 1,343 (2021) Yes
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Town 35 (2009) Yes
Town 125 (2009) Yes
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Town 18 (2009) Yes
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Town 15 (2009) Yes
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Town 6 (2009) Yes
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Town 105 (2009) Yes
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Town 60 (2009) Yes
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Town 8 (2009) Yes

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