Leon County

Leon County, Texas

Leon County, Texas

Map of Leon County, Texas Map Credit: 1920 Texas State Map #10749 Courtesy of the Texas General Land Office, TE Photos via TexasEscapes.
Leon County, Texas

Leon County, Texas

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

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.

Archeological finds suggest that Leon County was home to human beings as early as 4000 B.C. Padilla points, dating from this early period, have been unearthed in archeological excavations within the region. During the seventeenth century, when the first Europeans arrived, the present-day Leon County area was inhabited by the Deadose Indians, a band of the Bidais that spoke a Caddoan language. These Indians built dome-shaped huts, congregated in villages largely determined by ties of kinship, and sustained themselves by farming and hunting.

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James L. Hailey, Christopher Long | © 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

Leon County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

150 ft – 630 ft

Size

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

  • Land Area: 1,073.2 mi²
  • Total Area: 1,080.6 mi²

Temperature

January mean minimum: 34.9°F
July mean maximum: 93.7°F

Rainfall, 2019

42.3 inches

Population Count, 2019

17,404

Civilian Labor Count, 2019

6,064

Unemployment, 2019

8.5%

Property Values, 2019

$3,662,767,360 USD

Per-Capita Income, 2019

$40,388 USD

Retail Sales, 2019

$194,097,382 USD

Wages, 2019

$74,416,233 USD

Leon County

Highlighted:
  • Leon County
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Place Type Population (Year/Source) Currently Exists
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Town 1,789 (2021) Yes
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Town 28 (2009) Yes
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Town 12 (2009) Yes
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Town 20 (2009) Yes
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Town 713 (2021) Yes
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Town 797 (2021) Yes
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Town 157 (2021) Yes
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Town 12 (2009) Yes
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Town 182 (2021) Yes
Town 26 (2009) Yes
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Town 40 (2009) Yes
Town 50 (2009) Yes
Town 506 (2021) Yes
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Town 394 (2021) Yes
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Town 12 (2009) Yes
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Town 35 (2009) Yes
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Town 20 (2009) Yes
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Town 27 (2009) Yes
Town 32 (2009) Yes
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Town 12 (2009) Yes
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