Brazos

Formed January 1, 1841 (35^th county)

Brazos County (233,848), Bryan (83,967), College Station (120,523)

The Modern courthouse located along Texas State Highway 6 at 25^th Street was built in 1955.  Caudill, Rowlett & Scott designed this building of steel, brick, and marble.  The building has been enlarged and renovated in 1986 and 2018.  Since its organizing on January 1, 1841, Boonville and Bryan have served as county seats.  Three courthouses have been located in each city with three of these being built in 1846, 1870, and 1892.  An Administration building was built in 2008.  The county was cut out of Robertson and Washington counties as the 35^th county.  The county got its name from the Brazos River.  Originally titled Brazos de Dios, the river’s name was Spanish for Arms of God.  It is also the source for Brazoria County.  Bryan was named for William Joel Bryan an early Texas revolutionary and landowner. 

Brazos County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  Three District Court Judges and Three County Court Judges serve Brazos County.  The county is situated in central Texas in the triangle formed by the Texas cities of Austin, Waco, and Houston.  Its west border is the Brazos River and its east border is the Navasota River.  The county center is in Bryan 3.6 miles Southeast of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Leon, Madison, Grimes, Washington, Burleson, and Robertson counties. 

The area of the county is 586 square miles.  It is 232 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 23 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 399.1 persons per square mile making it 18 out of 254 in the state.  Brazos County has 87.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 190 crosses the northern part of the county from northeast to northwest, Madison County to Robertson County.  The county is a delta shape with Bryan in the north and west portion.  College Station is to the southeast of Bryan.  Bryan is the county seat and College Station is the largest city.  Bryan is 35.9% of the county population while College Station is 51.5% of the county population.  The county is pronounced BRA-ZOS.  This county is in the College Station-Bryan Metropolitan Statistical Area.