McLennan

Formed January 1, 1850 (86^th county)

McLennan County (260,582), Waco (140,119)                

The stately looking Beaux Arts courthouse, built in 1901, could be a state capitol building.  After the county was organized on January 1, 1850, the city of Waco has been the site for all four courthouses.  McLennan County was created from parts of Milam, Limestone, and Navarro counties as the 86^th county.  The building sits on a square at 6^th and Columbus streets.  The site is nine blocks west of Interstate Highway 35.  The architect for the limestone and granite building was J. Riely Gordon.  A 1952 Courthouse Annex and a 1988 County Records Building support the courthouse.  McLennan was named for Neil McLennan who built the first homestead in the county.  Waco derives its name from the Waco Native Americans who came from this area.  McLennan County is the birthplace of 1 Texas Governor, D. Ann W. Richards. 

McLennan County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  Five District Court Judges and Three County Court Judges serve McLennan County.  The county is situated in the center of the state in an area where numerous rivers traverse on their way to the Gulf of Mexico.  The Brazos River crosses the county west to east.  Waco is south of the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Metroplex.  The county center is in Waco 3 miles Southwest of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Hill, Limestone, Falls, Bell, Coryell, and Bosque counties. 

The area of the county is 1042 square miles.  It is 67 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 20 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 250.1 persons per square mile making it 26 out of 254 in the state.  McLennan County has 83.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 35 crosses north to south, Hill County to Falls County.  United States Highway 77 is joined with Interstate Highway 35 from Hill County, splits at Waco, and continues south into Falls County.  United States Highway 84 crosses east to west, Limestone County to Coryell County.  The county is a 45-dgree diamond with Waco near the center of the county.  Waco is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 53.8% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced WAE-KO.  This county is in the Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area.